About SIHER

The Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research (SIHER) is home to sponsored research projects and programs that examine contemporary higher education planning and policy issues from a wide range of analytical perspectives, including those of social scientists, policy makers, and institutional leaders from across sectors within the United States and abroad. Founders William Massy and current director, Patricia Gumport, established SIHER in 1989 to provide valuable analysis of contemporary issues in higher education to researchers, policymakers, and a range of higher education leaders. Since its inception, SIHER has been a magnet for experts to collaborate in advancing our understanding of the dynamics of systemic change, productivity, management, and effectiveness of higher education organizations, as well as the policies and practices that impact major issues in the field including accountability, access, stratification, knowledge change, and leadership development across generations both within and beyond higher education.

From 1996 to 2004, SIHER was the home of the federally-funded National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (NCPI), a national research center headed by Executive Director Gumport and in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. NCPI funded over 60 research projects and supported the training of dozens of graduate students.

Through its ongoing research initiatives, SIHER provides opportunities for collaboration among faculty across the university and the nation, and also provides research training for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. SIHER's research projects address college access, finance, faculty work, curriculum, governance, and academic restructuring.

Stanford Graduate School of Education Doctoral Program in Higher Education

As part of the GSE’s Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies in Education (SHIPS) program, the doctoral (PhD) program in Higher Education is designed for students who plan to pursue careers as faculty members, policy analysts, or researchers in higher education institutions and other related organizations. For more information visit the program page on the Stanford Graduate School of Education website.

For more information regarding the Doctoral program in Higher Education at Stanford University contact Anthony Lising Antonio or Patricia Gumport.