Where is higher education as a field of study going in this century? How will higher education programme leaders design and sustain their degree programmes’ vitality in the face of perennial challenges from inside and outside the academy?

While in 1979 the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) defined standards for student affairs master’s level preparation, and while 2010 saw the adoption of guidelines for higher education administration and leadership preparation programmes at the master’s degree level, there still are, however, no guidelines that address higher education leadership doctoral programmes, despite increasing demands for assessment and evaluation.

This book suggests that higher education administration doctoral degree guidelines are a critical next step in advancing their programme quality and continuity. It offers a review of the field’s history, the condition of its higher education programmes, developments from the student affairs specialisation and its guidelines, and a multi-chapter dialogue on the benefits or disadvantages of having guidelines.

At a time of urgency to prepare the next generation of higher education faculty and leaders, this book sets out the parameters for the debate about what the guidelines should cover to ensure the appropriate and effective preparation of students. It also offers a useful framework for enriching the knowledge of deans, chairs, programme coordinators and faculty who are engaged in programme design, assessment, and revision. It will also be of interest to policymakers, the personnel of accrediting agencies, and not least graduate students within higher education preparation programmes.

All the contributors to this volume have the exemplary expertise, leadership experience, and a close association with higher education guidelines and standards, and have extensively contributed to the literature on higher education.