The John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy is a higher education policy think tank based in Raleigh, NC. The Pope Center's mission is to improve higher education in North Carolina and the nation. We are dedicated to the following goals: - Increase the diversity of ideas taught, debated, and discussed on campus - Encourage respect for the institutions that underlie economic prosperity and freedom of action and conscience - Improve the quality of teaching and students' commitment to learning so that they graduate with strong literacy and fundamental knowledge - Encourage cost-effective administration and governance Fulfillment of these four goals requires a multi-pronged approach: - We promote administrative and legislative transparency and accountability. - We write relevant and accurate commentaries; we research important higher education policy issues and publish reports based on our findings. - We promote dialogue through our events, website, and other activities. - We also communicate with parents, students, trustees, alumni, faculty, and administrators about what is actually being taught on campus (or what isn't) and suggest how it can be improved. The Pope Center has been an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization since 2003. It is named for the late John William Pope, who served on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees.