ACE takes back the Higher Education Research Institute

When Dr. Alexander Astin worked for ACE, he created one of, if not the most, influential longitudinal research projects in higher education with the Freshmen Survey. Astin left ACE to go to UCLA and took HERI with him but now, after his death in 2022, ACE is taking back HERI. The return of HERI to ACE makes sense in many ways, especially given ACE's desire to serve as a hub of research to inform policy and practice. However, moving research to "ACE, which is a membership organization that advocates (or lobbies, though its officials dislike that term) on behalf of colleges and universities," could well risk the possibility of skewed research that primarily benefits its members.

Sandy Astin's legacy is profound and has benefited institutions, families, and students for decades. Ironically, when I entered Colorado State University in 1966, I was likely in the first sample to take the Freshmen Survey. As my professional career in higher education emerged, I used the HERI surveys at multiple institutions and was fortunate to form a friendship with Sandy, and his wife Lena, through the work on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. The Astin's influenced higher education in untold ways and hopefully the HERI move to ACE will honor that legacy.