Looking back, what can we learn from the low evaluation scores we received from our students from our emergency remote teaching? Reported by EdSurge, the vast majority of student dissatisfaction from our emergency remote learning last spring and summer came from higher ed’s slow learning curve on how different the online classroom needed to be […]
Will new COVID variants impact college re-opening plans?
Will new COVID variants impact college re-opening plans? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine success rates put college re-opening plans in hyperdrive, three new variants are creating concern that we may re-open too early. The takeaway? While we don’t yet fully understand these vaccines’ effectiveness against these new variants, college […]
The First 1-Million Student University
powered by Sounder Every year for the last decade, the number of degree-seeking students in the U.S. has fallen. In 2021, we’re down 2.5 million enrollees from our peak. But that doesn’t mean people have stopped learning or that some universities aren’t thriving. Coursera claims 76 million learners are enrolled on its platform, and at its […]
Do income share agreement models de-risk students or institutions?
Do income share agreement models de-risk students or institutions? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, many institutions are experimenting with income share agreements, and many of the same are reporting positive early feedback. But for many of these pilots, their ISAs are granted exclusively to high-achieving students, and these aren’t necessarily the students we’re trying to […]
Has your institution been ransomwared yet?
Has your institution been ransomwared yet? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, the University of California San Franscisco School of Medicine paid hackers $1.14 million in ransom to prevent the release of data, with ransomware attacks costing institutions an average of $447,000 in 2020. And a recent BlueVoyant study of 30 institutions reported that all 30 […]
Are our grads getting better at speaking about their skills?
Are our graduates getting better at speaking about their skills to their prospective employers? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, much has been said about the disconnect between the education higher ed is providing and the skills employers are looking for. But a new survey from the Association of American Colleges and Universities reports that 87% […]
Higher ed was making serious degree completion progress pre-pandemic
A quick reminder that pre-pandemic, higher ed was making some serious degree completion progress. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, the total population aged 25 and over with at least a bachelor’s degree rose from 28% in 2009 to 32% by 2019. Students who identified as black, native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander? They increased their degree attainment […]
Colleges move their swag toward eco-conscious social-good swag
Some colleges are moving away from traditional swag toward eco-conscious social-good swag for a socially conscious generation of students. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, The University of Puget Sound has shifted their $25k budget for admitted student swag toward letting their admitted students determine what local charities should receive the funds instead, setting an expectation […]
Virginia launches tuition-free community college for in-demand fields
Virginia launches tuition-free community college for in-demand fields. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, Virginia governor Ralph Northam signed legislation designating that for low and middle-income students, degree programs targeting in-demand fields such as healthcare, computer science, and early childhood education will be tuition-free. The takeaway? While the Biden presidency has pledged for even more ambitious […]
Self-Service Enrollment Platforms for Post-Traditional Students
powered by Sounder When COVID hit, almost all our students became post-traditional learners almost overnight. This transformation revealed a lot about the student experience. At many schools, degree-seekers — especially non-traditional students — find themselves coping with multiple systems and departments that may not speak to each other. What would it take to create a […]