Would blockchain have prevented the Varsity Blues admission scandal? Reported by EdSurge, the “side-door” opportunities for students to get enrollment couldn’t have happened on a blockchain controlled campus. Those fake athletic profiles and the like just wouldn’t be possible in a tamper-proof record environment. The takeaway? As higher ed seeks to earn back and gain […]

Are educational podcasts the next MOOCs? Reported by EdSurge, there is a growing subculture of educational podcasts run by academics outside of their office university responsibilities, often from those who want a larger audience than their university classroom provides. These podcasts provide a fascinating platform to go off-curriculum, while digging deeper into their personal passions, […]

What happens when our students value convenience more than anything else? Reported by EdSurge, the most convenient university may very well win. Digital services in industries outside of higher education have created a new expectation for seamless customer experience that most of us are still falling drastically short of delivering on. And today, more than […]

How should enterprise organizations help their employees navigate upskilling opportunities and career advancement? Reported by PR Newswire, McDonalds’ new Archways to Careers app is designed to help employees identify potential career opportunities, and be mapped to a student coach to help support their educational plan. These paid educational offerings could include earning their GED, learning […]

Should flexible class hours start in high school? Reported by NPR, a Lansing, Michigan school is experimenting with a 3 to 8 pm schedule for students looking for a better way to accommodate part-time jobs, internships, dual enrollment opportunities, and family commitments. At Eastern Flex Academy, students start school at 3 PM right after the […]

Are we getting better at helping students finish what they started? Reported by Education Dive, research out of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that the college completion rate is at an 8-year high, with nearly 60% of students who entered college in 2013 having earned a credential in the past six years. Public […]

How did Rowan University grow enrollment by 60% in 6 years? Reported by Education Dive, president Ali Houshmand consistently cut Rowan’s annual tuition increases, and aims to keep these increases at or below the rate of inflation moving forward. In this same time period, Rowan’s percentage of underrepresented students has risen from 15 to 30% […]

Are colleges overly incentivized on helping students get their first job versus preparing them for the rest of their careers? Reported by Education Dive, only 50% of employers are even listing “required majors” on Handshake, a career services platform specifically designed for new graduates. More and more of these employers are looking for skills, and […]

How can we keep students’ attention in introductory courses? Reported by Education Dive, many of our large lecture classes handle the scope of the course the wrong way – going a mile wide and an inch deep. When instead, we can still provide that broad overview of a subject by focusing exclusively on the very […]

Are private non-profits holding strong? Reported by Education Dive, while many have been predicting a deep consolidation of non-profit institutions, enrollment in this sector has remained roughly flat, growing slightly from 4.27 million students in 2017 to 4.28 million in 2018. The real enrollment crash has occurred with the for-profit institutions, having lost 36% of […]

A virtual advising pilot didn’t improve college enrollment rates. Reported by Education Dive, a new attempt at “nudging” behavior didn’t work as expected. A new study out of UCLA offered socioeconomically disadvantaged high school students free virtual advising to help with their transition from high school to college. While the students in the study reported […]

Why are companies paying for their employees to go back to college? Reported by Education Dive, it’s a recruitment and retention advantage for sure. But it’s also an investment in upskilling. For instance, Walmart charges their employees just $1 a day to earn degrees in business, supply-chain management, technology or healthcare. And it’s because that’s […]

Will IBM help spin up new data science degree programs even faster? Reported by Education Dive, IBM is working with the University of Pennsylvania and the Linux Foundation to build an open-source data science curriculum that any college can adopt. And once available, other universities will be able to contribute their own open-source materials for […]

Will early student alert systems create privacy concerns? Reported by Education Dive, Virginia Commonwealth University is piloting a system where student attendance is tracked in the class through the wi-fi of their phone or device. The well-intentioned goal is to be digitally aware of student absences so the institution can proactively intervene in the case […]

Would anonymity increase student participation? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, when a professor asks the class if anyone has any questions, no volunteers doesn’t always mean no questions. That’s why Perry Samson from the University of Michigan designed an anonymous backchannel where students could submit questions for a teaching assistant to answer. The total number […]

Will Second Life-esque virtual campuses make a comeback in higher ed? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Stanford University has partnered with VirBELA to design a virtual campus where students from their certificate program can design their avatars, virtually wander campus using their keyboards, and chat with other student avatars in their vicinity. The takeaway? While […]

How will physical-dependent courses translate online? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, NYU’s new master’s in integrated digital media is testing the waters, with faculty designing creative solutions for evaluating physical art projects traditionally designed in an on-campus lab. Through the student’s own documentation of the process using photos and videos, as well as live video […]

Can we put a value tag on colleges? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has released their first attempt, aptly titled, “A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges”. This study uses College Scorecard data to attempt to rank domestic institutions based on their ROI. But by […]

Harvard is creating a new 2-year work gap pathway from undergrad to law school. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Harvard has created a free law school deferral program for junior undergraduates. In this program, junior students can apply for and receive a law school admissions offer contingent on them taking two years off after undergrad […]

Will Coursera’s new bachelor’s completion degree be able to scale? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Coursera has partnered with the University of North Texas to launch a degree completion program, Coursera’s first bachelor’s degree program. Incoming students can transfer up to 84 credits earned elsewhere, but must earn at least 34 credits through UNT in […]

The student housing collapse is coming. Reported by Education Dive, despite representing less than 6% of loans, student housing currently accounts for 40% of loan defaults in the multifamily sector. Enrollment declines, the rise of online learners, and last decade’s housing boom creating an all-time high in student housing property prices have created a perfect […]

Is the MBA only declining in the United States? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, international enrollment trends for the MBA are much more encouraging than what we’re seeing in the U.S. 50% of business schools in Indi a saw application increases. 63% for European and Asian-Pacific schools. And 73% in China. The takeaway? As our […]

Is online education an entirely different product than traditional higher education? Reported by EdSurge, many of us think of online education as simply a difference in modality, and therefore the question becomes how do we deliver the same experience through a different channel. But we really need to understand how absolutely different the average audience […]

A new study out of Georgetown proves that a liberal arts education is worth it, eventually. Reported by the Washington Post, a new searchable study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce shows that while the return on a liberal arts education is not often immediate, the median 40-year return is 25% higher […]

Will job automation lead to a new surge in employer education benefits? Reported by Education Dive, a Bright Horizons survey of 30,000 workers showed that 52% of workers rank tuition reimbursement as their most desired employer benefit. This is because workforce automation is no longer seen as a distant threat. With studies showing that automation […]

Is the hostile political climate leading to a surge in HBCU enrollment? Reported by Education Dive, one-third of historically black colleges and universities have seen record enrollment numbers within the past three years. Some theorize that recent public philanthropic gifts for HBCUs has ushered in a new understanding of the underfunding issues some HBCU’s have […]

Should the Fed get into the college banking game? Reported by Education Dive, The U.S. Department of Education is piloting a prepaid debit card program that will allow students to pay for nontuition expenses using their financial aid award. Purdue University, University of Georgia, Jackson State University and University of California, Riverside are the four […]

Could the test-optional admissions trend become a mandate? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with more and more institutions moving to test-optional admission policies after looking at their data and seeing that ACT and SAT test scores weren’t correlated with academic success, some groups are now suggesting that the existence of admission test mandates could be […]

How can we make sure we’re truly innovating at our institutions vs.playing “innovation theater”? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a recent Harvard Business Review article provides us with some red flag signs to avoid when pursuing innovation at our institutions. One of the most common? Lots of new activities with very few operational changes. Beware […]

Does higher ed need to start experimenting in order to find its future faster? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, when considering working with Coursera on an online electrical engineering degree, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Provost and CFO both saw the opportunity as one to test the future of higher education. The takeaway? Isn’t this […]

Pace University takes a hyper-intentional approach to enrolling underrepresented students. Reported by Education Dive, Pace’s ranking as the top college in the country for upward economic mobility comes from their intentionality in doing so. Removing application and enrollment barriers such as student and family income. Building a pipeline through high school visits to underrepresented communities. […]

Higher ed presidents claim they’re not ready for the future of higher ed. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, an American Council on Education survey showed that on five market trends, including a growing competitive set and declining federal support, not more than 1 in 7 higher ed leaders felt “very confident” in their institution’s capacity […]

Will community colleges help solve the skills gap? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Unmudl is a new platform offering noncredit courses from an initial cohort of five community college partners, meant to provide local employers with affordable and online ways to upskill their employees. For instance, an employer could customize an educational program path for […]

Do we need PhDs in Learning Innovation? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with exciting new innovations in learning science research and the rapid growth of online learning, the conversation about these digital innovations seems to mostly be happening digitally. Where historically, such massive thought around similar systemic change has largely happened in peer-reviewed journals, conference […]

How will quantum computing change academic programs? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, quantum computing promises to give us answers to the world’s questions – the ability to instantly sort through vast worlds of data and come back with correlations could unlock so many discoveries across all knowledge sectors, including higher education. For instance, many current […]

Is there a disconnect between higher ed leadership and digital learning? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a recent survey from the Campus Computing Project shows that only 40% of IT officials believe college leaders are “well informed” about digital learning and digital transformation. The takeaway? We’re unfortunately still in the early days of digital learning. […]

Boston College is embracing Learning Experience Design (LXD). Reported by EdSurge, Boston College’s Carroll School of Management takes a different approach when determining course modality. They avoid the binary choice of online vs. on-ground. Instead, their faculty are working to build flexible, accessible and customizable hybrid courses for digital natives. This means animated videos, synchronous […]

Are we entering a new golden age of teaching and learning? Reported by EdSurge, Matthew Rascoff from Duke University believes higher education has really turned the corner from early adoption with a lot of tech-driven pedagogical breakthroughs to the mainstream. That we know more about how students learn, and how we need to teach than […]

How can we encourage students to attend office hours? Reported by EdSurge, while faculty office hours can be an incredibly helpful resource for students to get 1-on-1 time to talk through academic roadblocks, the concept of office hours can be both intimidating and inflexible for students. Virtual office hours offer two large benefits – the […]

Could embodied cognition improve students’ academic performance? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, faculty within the chemistry department at Miami University are committed to the concept of embodied cognition, learning about things like atomic movement, by recreating the movement yourself. Spinning, vibrating, and match-making around the classroom. The results so far? Students in these […]

When you consider adding new academic programs, consider your entire academic portfolio. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, institutions should consider individual academic programs, only in relation to the entire portfolio, and where they contribute to mission (your focus), market (student demand) and margin (net profitability of the program). The takeaway? Continually analyzing the […]

It’s in the syllabus, Karen… Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Eric Loepp from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater has an interesting strategy for making the important information in his syllabus more usable for his students. He puts it in FAQ form. From “What do I do if I miss class?” to “How will […]

Should online and on-campus students be in the same class? Reported by Education Dive, when remote students “call in” to an on-campus class, they’re often passive participants. But Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education is experimenting with a new course format called HELIX, in which large monitors in the front and back of the classroom display […]

California State University Channel Islands is teaching students how to learn online. Reported by Education Dive, CSU Channel Islands launched Learning Online 101, a 1-3 hour course allowing students to practice using online course technology, along with the time management and networking skills required for successful online learning. 92% of students thus far have reported […]

IBM believes its high-tech jobs don’t necessarily require a traditional college degree. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, IBM has deepened its relationship with 19 community colleges across the country to help train students for jobs in cloud computing, cybersecurity and other high-tech fields – roles they anticipate filling up to 20% of their new hires […]

What can Arizona State University’s experiment in adaptive software teach us? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, ASU has moved their algebra class from a 100-student lecture to 100 students on their laptops, while a professor and five undergraduate assistants roam and assist. The adaptive software tests existing competency, and then customizes the next-step learning path […]

What happens if state funding for higher ed disappears? Reported by Education Dive, the gap between federal and state funding on higher education has nearly closed due to per-student state funding falling a full 31% from 2000 to 2015. This while federal Pell Grant spending has climbed 71% over the last decade. This begs the […]

Are we simply making it too hard for students to transfer into our institutions? Reported by Education Dive, the reason many students may stop after their 2-year degree is simply the friction point of moving forward. Partnerships like the one between University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College are attempting to solve for this. Today, […]

Could on-campus student services help rural students’ online persistence? Reported by Education Dive, rural Shasta County in Northern California has no four-year universities and only two community colleges. But through grants from the Lumina Foundation, Shasta is now offering localized support, including tutoring centers, a library, and a health center, for those students studying online […]

Frito-Lay is offering college credit for apprenticeship training. Reported by Education Dive, students who enter Frito-Lay’s apprenticeship program receive elective credits for basic engineering and maintenance skills through Central Georgia Technical College, as they learn skills that prepare them for entry-level manufacturing roles. Through this program, Frito-Lay has created pathways to successful hires as well. […]

A new gift makes the California Institute of Technology an immediate leader in the climate science field. Reported by Education Dive, a $750 million dollar private donation to Caltech is designed to scale the institution’s environmental research as well as open a new 75,000 square-foot center for energy and sustainability research. Plus, new core courses […]

Should students investigate their college’s financial health before enrolling? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with college closures and mergers happening more and more frequently, the question of a college’s financial health is starting to become a decision point for prospective students. Given the fact that the reputation of having a degree from a closed school […]

How can we bring high-touch interactivity to online learning? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, online courses, for all their pedagogical rigor, often miss many of the benefits of in-person interactivity. But there are several ways institutions are working to incorporate high-touch into the online degree program. From in-person residencies to heavy team-based projects, and client-based […]

How did the Community College of Rhode Island quadruple their 2-year graduation rates? Reported by Education Dive, the Rhode Island Promise program provides high school graduates with free community college tuition contingent on them enrolling full-time. This along with other institutional initiatives has risen their graduation rate up from 4% to 18%. The takeaway? Full-time […]

How important is social media for the college purchasing decision? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a recent EAB study has shown a significant leap in the importance of social media for college discovery in the last two years, with the percentage of students saying they “discovered” a college on social media growing from 19.2% in […]

The upcoming teacher shortage is upon us, and we haven’t economically solved for it yet. Reported by Education Dive, the teacher shortage gap is now at more than 110,000. And while higher ed is ready to help solve that educational gap, state salaries for teachers are still ignoring the incentives necessary to attract more students […]

Is the handoff between admission and retention services our very problem itself? Reported by EdSurge, the 6-year completion rate in higher ed is only 60%. Our admission and enrollment teams do a great job of convincing students they can do it. And then 4 in 10 end up not. Is the division of labor between […]

Does higher ed’s call to “earn your degree” need to get more specific? Reported by EdSurge, there are currently 738,428 unique credentials in the U.S., according to a recent study by Credential Engine. So is our clarion call in higher ed for students to get any of them? What about the more than half of […]

What are New England colleges doing to prepare for the upcoming student demographic collapse? Reported by EdSurge, the number of high school graduates in New England will decline 25% between 2007 to 2030. With demographic trends no longer in their favor, many institutions are seeking to determine their new position and identity. Colby-Sawyer College is […]

From university library to maker-space, a physical transformation is happening on our campuses. Reported by EdSurge, once judged by the size of their collections, the modern university library is now being valued for how well it helps our students navigate the information age. With some institutions transforming their physical collections into maker-spaces, innovation studios, and […]

How do we replicate the informal social learning that takes place in dorm rooms and quads for our online students? Reported by EdSurge, online students are increasingly disconnected from the channels that spark social learning, interaction, and educational development. The late-night dorm experiences. The serendipitous bumping into new people, opportunities, and experiences on the quad. […]

What did we learn from Arizona State University’s great EdX MOOC experiment? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the results of this Global Freshman Academy have been disappointing. Out of 373,000 students who have enrolled in the program, just 2% completed a single course with a C or better. Less than ½ a percent paid to […]

If income-share agreements run into regulatory trouble, will income-based tuition plans replace them? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with more and more institutions exploring income share agreements to provide students with an alternative financing option, Simmons University is launching an income-based tuition alternative, allowing a nursing student to defer their tuition until after graduation, and […]

Can we do a better job offering mental health services to our online students? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many institutions are seeing up to 50% increases in their on-campus students seeking appointments for psychological services. But how can we address these same challenges for our online student populations? Post University, for example, is now […]

Let’s not give up on nudge communications just yet. Reported by Education Dive, while a long-term College Board study recently came back showing low effectiveness of student-focused nudge communications, a different randomized trial has shown more promising results. Community college STEM students persisted at a 16% higher rate than those students who opted not to […]

Are state flagship institutions unaffordable for their residents? Reported by Education Dive, a new study from the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) shows that nearly all state flagships are largely unaffordable for their low- and middle-income residents. In response to this financial reality, some institutions, like University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas […]

Home delivery meal kits are going to be coming to college, from college dining service companies. Reported by Education Dive, Aramark’s recent acquisition of Good Uncle has prompted the launch of their own Home Chef meal service. Arizona State University, an Aramark-serviced institution, now offers a Home Chef express dining plan, in conjunction with their […]

California is about to launch their new free online skills-based community college, Calbright. Reported by Education Dive, Calbright will offer three academic pathways, including medical coding, information technology support and cybersecurity. Today, these courses do not offer credit that can be transferred to other colleges. Instead, the college offers job placement assistance upon completion through […]

Where should fintech live at your college? Reported by Education Dive, the growing popularity of artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and cryptocurrency are all creating new curriculum and governance questions about cross-department collaboration for these emerging programs. University of the Cumberlands chooses to split the courses from their global business and blockchain degree between the […]

The new social mobility college scores are out. For the first time, U.S. News & World Report has released a separate category ranking for social mobility. The goal with this ranking is to see which colleges actually do the best job lifting students up between enrollment and graduation, not just enrolling the best and brightest. […]

Would increasing math requirements negatively impact diversity? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, The California State System has proposed requiring an additional high school course in quantitative reasoning to qualify for admission, based on data which shows that students with those capabilities are much more likely to succeed at Cal State. While this wouldn’t require any […]

Is the enrollment growth fight about to get even crazier? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the National Association for College Admission Counseling is under pressure from the Justice Department to remove “antitrust” provisions that could be seen as limiting student choice. This would remove the May 1st “Decision Day” provision, and allow colleges to continue […]

Students prefer great lectures to active learning experiences. But their grades don’t. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a new study out of Harvard University surprisingly shows that students from an introductory physics course not only preferred a lecture to the active-learning experience, but also believed they had learned more in the lecture. The […]

Will nudge economics work on our faculty? While a long-term College Board study recently came back showing low effectiveness of student-focused nudge communications, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the California State System is testing a new system where professors themselves will receive personalized nudge communications. These messages will highlight differences in academic performance […]

Who is responsible for retraining workers? Higher ed or the employers themselves? Reported by EdSurge, a recent Gallup survey in partnership with Northeastern University showed that 73% of Americans believe employers are responsible for retraining. The problem? Most employers don’t see retraining as their responsibility, nor are they often deeply embedded in the education game. […]

Robots are coming for the under-educated first. The problem? Community college enrollment fell 11% from 2012 to 2017. Reported by EdSurge, with flat 4-year college enrollment and decreasing 2-year enrollment, economists are concerned that a lot of low-skill jobs on the docket to be replaced by automation are going to leave a lot of adults […]

Do adult students require different EdTech? Reported by EdSurge, a new study from the U.S. Department of Education finds that adult learners and traditional learners likely need very different EdTech tools. For instance, when an LMS serves as a complement to the traditional classroom vs. the entire classroom experience, it probably needs to be designed […]

Are colleges solving for economic inequality or reinforcing it? Reported by EdSurge, the new book “The Years that Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us” by Paul Tough, tells a troubling story about the lack of social mobility college affords those who need it most. Some of its findings? That the highest ranked colleges […]

Student retention is an engagement game. Reported by EdSurge, a recent study from Civitas Learning shows that the highest correlation for improved student retention rates are involvement in non-academic activities on campus. The takeaway? In our desire to increase student retention, we often first try to connect students with our academic services. But is it […]

Is guaranteed job placement a promise higher ed can realistically make? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, DePauw University’s Gold Commitment is promising an entry-level job or grad school admittance within 6 months of graduation, or they will provide them with a full-time entry-level job for six months through an employer partner. While many in higher […]

Do institutions have such a hard time creating a great transfer student experience because we just don’t like the idea of being picked second? The popular narrative and excuse for the subpar transfer experience has always been that higher ed operations have historically been focused on the traditional student and their 4-year journey. But now […]

Do new alumni need to be taught to give? Reported by Education Dive, Villanova University just wrapped up a 5-year capital campaign that came in $160 million over their $600 million goal through 78,000 donors, half of whom gave for the very first time. While major gifts drive campaigns, many advancement offices believe that ignoring […]

How will changes to Google’s college search features impact community college enrollment? Reported by Education Dive, while Google’s “college search” features have historically only included 4-year colleges, community colleges will now be included in these search rankings. As these typically low-priced options are added to rankable college search listings, will this small database change vastly […]

While 65% of City University of New York’s budget runs off city and state support, one university president believes the future of private institution support needs to come through employer partnerships. Reported by Education Dive, Jayson Boyers, president of Cleary University, believes industry-education partnerships may provide the revenue stream diversity so needed by private institutions. […]

Indiana University’s attempts to remove some of the stigma behind mental health issues appears to be working. Reported by Education Dive, the peer-led U Bring Change to Mind (UBC2M) has been holding events, “de-stress” activities, and bi-weekly meetings in attempt to boost mental health awareness and services across campus. Longitudinal surveys have shown a decrease […]

The University of Maryland is opening a brand-new tech hub near Amazon’s new HQ2 headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Reported by Education Dive, the University of Maryland joins Virginia Tech and George Mason University in building new facilities near HQ2 in attempts to partner with and leverage the proximity of Amazon for their own technology initiatives. […]

Southern New Hampshire University is now offering course credit for free Salesforce training. Reported by Education Dive, SNHU will now count completion of Salesforce’s free online training program, Trailhead, as a technology elective. This follows the path of more and more colleges and universities partnering with and incorporating popular technology and software credentials into their […]

Why is Davidson College’s Career Center playing substitute teacher? Reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, when faculty at Davidson College have conflicts that prevent them from making it to class, they are asked not to cancel the class, but to call the Career Center instead. This is just one way Davidson’s Career Center attempts […]

Sure, online education can help scale higher ed. But when will it finally personalize it? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the promise of online education has always been broader than merely teaching more students at once. We’ve used like predictive. Adaptive. Personalized. But are we finally getting there? MIT Sloan Professor Erik Brynjolfsson claims that […]

What can we learn from other countries’ “free college” initiatives? Reported by Education Dive, a new study from the American Enterprise Institute suggests some potential unintended consequences of free college. Specifically in these international use cases, you find a high correlation between an increase in federal subsidies and lower admission rates. This is partially because […]

Who owns mental health services on campus? Reported by Education Dive, a recent American Council on Education survey of more than 400 college presidents provides some interesting answers regarding their perceptions of higher ed progress on mental health issues and services. 92% of respondents believe their Dean of Students or Head of Student Affairs runs […]

Faculty diversity is still trailing student diversity trends. Reported by Education Dive, new data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that while 45% of undergraduate students are now non-white, up from 28% two decades ago, non-white full-time faculty still make up only 24% of those positions. And many of the positive trends in […]

Are nutrition benefits a college completion strategy? Reported by Education Dive, The College Student Hunger Act of 2019 is a legislative attempt to expand the existing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP. With a growing food insecurity problem across college campuses, and with more and more nontraditional students trying to balance the finances […]

Southwest Airlines is building university pipelines. Reported by Education Dive, with the aviation industry experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, more and more airlines are working directly with universities to create customized academic pathways and apprenticeship programs. Southwest Airlines is the most recent, partnering with Arizona State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, University of Nebraska […]

Students in competency-based assessment bachelor’s degree programs at Capella University are graduating 59% faster. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the promise of competency-based education is that freed from the credit hour, students would be able to progress through the curriculum as fast as their mastery allowed, saving time and tuition dollars. This experiment at Capella […]

There’s a price penalty for part-time students in higher ed. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many colleges still retain “plateau tuition” policies, meaning that a student taking 18 credit hours a semester pays no more than a student taking 12 credit hours. These policies are designed to encourage full-time enrollment and help students graduate faster. […]

What could long-term higher ed planning possibly look like? We don’t need a different college every 10 miles to effectively serve the student population. Everyone’s going to study online. They’re going to make a hyper-rational value-quality decision based on widely available data. And there will be 25 mega-schools that teach everyone. What does real-term higher […]

Does higher ed need to do a better job educating students on how to pay for college? Reported by Education Dive, while some colleges are trying to do a better job proving the market value of their degrees vs. the alternative of merely a high school diploma, some are working to incorporate personal financial education […]

Is cannabis coming to college? Reported by MarketWatch, with more and more states legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use, the industry as a whole is looking to evolve. From ag science, to business operations, the business of cannabis is quickly creating a need for a specifically educated workforce. And a few institutions are starting […]

Are employers looking for coders or kindness? Team-building. Conflict resolution. Leadership potential. Empathy. Resilience. Reported by Education Dive, these “soft skills” are becoming the stand-outs more and more employers are looking for in new grads according to the 2019 Job Outlook Study. The takeaway? At what point do we start referring to these “soft skills” […]

The Gates Foundation’s early alert initiatives designed to improve student persistence and retention have proven largely ineffective to date. Reported by EdSurge, a new study examining the impact on these early interventions funded by the Gates Foundation at three separate universities has “not yet produced discernible positive effects on students’ academic performance.” This is a […]

Despite online education allowing a student to learn from anywhere, the vast majority of students still choose to attend a university with a physical location within 50 miles of their home. Reported by EdSurge, this interesting reality opens up an interesting opportunity for hybridized student services, and is why many institutions are creating coworking spaces […]

Can higher ed learn online education best practices from McDonalds? Reported by EdSurge, Arizona State University’s Chief Technology Officer, Donna Kidwell, is looking to incorporate the best-practices of corporate training programs into online education. Because in a fast-growing franchise model, the new owner needs to learn very specific best practices for how to run and […]

Those Masterclass videos are coming after higher education. Reported by EdSurge, the founder behind those celebrity video courses you see advertised in your Facebook feed is now offering university-level courses through a new company called Outlier. Outlier has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh to ensure the credits earned are transferable, and each course costs […]

How can we avoid the discriminatory design of artificial intelligence in higher ed? Reported by EdSurge, unchecked, artificial intelligence may tell you that low-income students are a higher risk admission chance, and suggest denying their entry. It may judge teachers on the exit point of the students taking their course and ignore their entry point. […]

Could employer-funded college ruin publicly-funded higher education? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, while many see employer-funded education as an amazing move toward accessibility for adult learners, some, like Geoffrey Cox from Stanford University, have grown concerned that this trend may cause a de-funding of public education and lock both healthcare insurance and education […]

Boston University is launching a second-tier priced online MBA. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while many institutions make no pricing, or respective quality, distinctions between their online and on-campus degree programs, Boston University is promoting a purposely different online MBA. Specifically designed for the part-time student, this online degree offered in conjunction with edX, offers […]

“If I ask that question, they’ll think I’m stupid.” The fear of bad optics prevents many from asking questions in class when they’re legitimately confused about the subject matter. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, recent research from the University of Michigan shows that students are more likely to ask questions if they’re able to do […]

Will online education become less expensive to run than on-campus education over the long-term? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the popular belief that online education is inherently cheaper than on-campus education due to the lack of buildings required is simply inaccurate. The technology and development costs required to bring a degree program online can be […]

Will online education prove to be the rural attainment equalizer? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many areas within rural America are known as “education deserts”. And state systems like the University of North Carolina are now including goals within their strategic plans of increasing rural degree attainment by 20%. One obvious answer to the geographic […]

Is “right-sizing” an enrollment excuse or a strategy? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many are asking that question after George Washington University’s president, Thomas LeBlanc, announced plans to intentionally cut undergraduate enrollment by 20% over the next five years. This “better, not bigger” model is becoming a popular anthem in higher ed right now, but […]

Is social emotional learning coming to higher education? Reported by Education Dive, George Mason University is one of many institutions working with Education Design Lab to bring soft-skills badging, including social emotional learning, to higher ed. These credentials, including empathy, resilience, and collaboration can currently be obtained by both undergraduate and graduate students through standalone […]

Is a lifetime membership a solution for educating the lifelong learner? With many colleges thinking through their support mechanisms for the lifelong learner, including stackable credentials and continuing certifications, could a lifelong membership option be on the table? Some institutions like Boise State University are coming close with a subscription-based model, but this subscription currently […]

Will visa delays be what prevents many institutions from hitting their numbers this fall? Reported by Education Dive, visa delays by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are making colleges and universities nationwide so concerned about their international enrollment, many higher ed leaders are petitioning congress and the Department of Homeland Security to step […]

Is a degree of embedded certifications the next step for some of our tech-centric degree programs? Reported by Education Dive, with more institutions attempting to prove the market value of their degree programs, many are following the lead of community colleges, and incorporating credentials and market-friendly certifications directly within their degree programs, including Broward College, […]

In what many economists consider to be a “strong” economy, we’re not seeing this strength show up in new grad salaries. Reported by Education Dive, the average starting salary for new graduates has actually stayed fairly flat-line since 2015, at around $51,000. The takeaway? With many prospective students beginning to question the value of higher […]

Is federal legislation coming for income share agreements (ISAs)? Reported by Education Dive, new legislation coming out of the senate is seeking to better define the scope of ISAs, which are intended to decrease a student’s upfront payments and overall debt risk by having students repay their loans based on a percentage of their post-graduation […]

More and more colleges are jumping on the esports enrollment trend. Reported by Education Dive, at Ohio State University, students now can major in esports, choosing from three curriculum tracks, including esports and game creation, esports management, and the application of games in medicine and health. The takeaway? From the growing popularity of varsity esports, […]

What if faculty’s role was less about subject matter expertise, and more about student learning expertise – working to personalize content delivery based on the individual learning profile of each student? Reported by Education Dive, Maryville University President Mark Lombardi is going all-in on personalized learning, using learning diagnostics and life coaches to make sure […]

What did free community college do for four-year institutions? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, two years into the Oregon Promise program, which provided Oregon students with tuition-free community college, there was a 4.2% increase in community college enrollment and a 2.9% enrollment decline at the state’s 4-year colleges. 4-year institutions have been fearful of what […]

Should computational thinking be taught outside the lab? Reported by EdSurge, Tom Hammond from Lehigh University believes that like critical thinking, computational thinking should be brought into every classroom and serves as a great hands-on way to make learning come to life. For example, in political science courses, where students can dig into the data […]

Does your university have an enrollment strategy for Africa? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many colleges and universities aren’t considering how important Africa will be as a political, economic, and enrollment player in the future. On track to double the continent’s population by 2050, at which point 25% of the world will be African, very […]

Students with a growth mindset are getting better grades. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a recent study by the Center for Community College Student Engagements shows that students who think they can improve their intelligence in a particular course do indeed go ahead and do so. This is a remarkable insight regarding the power of […]

What will autonomous vehicles mean for higher ed? Reported by EdSurge, while a bachelor’s degree in Tesla may not yet be on the horizon, the autonomous vehicle industry is absolutely going to influence higher ed degree programs in the near future. From math and computer science, to robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, a big-picture […]

Where do College Board and ACT live in a test-optional world? Reported by EdSurge, with more and more institutions going test-optional in their admission requirements, the College Board, which runs the SAT, and ACT are trying to carve out new positionings away from single-test score assessments (that may not be powerful indicators of success) toward […]

Would competency-based hiring put competency-based learning back in the spotlight? Reported by EdSurge, more and more HR managers are exploring and championing this concept of competency-based or skills-based hiring. And this could move us away from the degree being the primary signal of a new candidate’s talent, and more toward skills alignment to a company […]

Boston University is halving the cost of their online MBA through a partnership with EdX. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the new MOOC version of their master’s in business administration through EdX has a sticker price of $24,000, less than half of their traditional MBA. The takeaway? BU is counting on the potential scalability of […]

Is Amazon going to “educate” 100,000 of their employees, or merely “retrain” them? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Amazon announced they will spend $700 million dollars over the next six years retraining their frontline workers whose positions may be eliminated by automation. But should we consider this re-training to also be educating? Or will Amazon […]

Will employers solve the skills vs. degrees debate? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, more and more large companies like Apple and Google are starting to post job descriptions for technical positions where they do not require a college degree. But the vast majority? They still do. The takeaway? Until employers decide to forgo the degree […]

How does class video capture impact attendance? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, more and more institutions are utilizing video capture of live lectures as a convenience to those unable to attend. But does this feature incentivize non-attendance? Research from the University of Leeds demonstrates that while lecture courses have an 85.7% attendance rate on average, […]

Last year, the University of Chicago announced it would drop their SAT requirement and offer test-optional admissions. The results? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, first-generation and low-income student commitments are up a whopping 20%, with between 10-15% of total incoming freshman taking advantage of the policy change and not submitting an SAT or ACT score. […]

May 1st increasingly means nothing to higher ed. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, National College Decision Day on May 1st no longer means turning off the enrollment engine for the vast majority of colleges and universities. For institutions facing enrollment growth challenges, summer melt is too precarious of a ratio to not keep doing everything […]

What cultural expectations exist about college attendance? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the High School Longitudinal Study tracks student and parent expectations of college achievement over time. The findings? Student expectations for their future academic achievements are slightly increasing, with students assuming a high school diploma or GED to be the end of their education […]

Alaska’s governor is looking to cut 41% of the University of Alaska’s state funding. Reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, this not only puts the institution on the path toward severe faculty and program cuts, but may put a lot of offered scholarship dollars up in the air. A recent declaration of financial exigency […]

How can skills mapping help prove the value of higher education? Reported by Education Dive, The University of South Florida is reverse-engineering online job descriptions in order to determine the skills gaps that exist within their existing degree program curriculum. This means utilizing job data to determine the most frequently requested skills from target occupations, […]

How can we find the college and universities that are best serving Latino students? Reported by Education Dive, the Seal of Execelencia from the Execelencia in Education group is attempting to shine a spotlight on those Latino-friendly institutions. Earning this designation is based upon several factors including existing Latino enrollment, retention and graduation metrics, financial […]

What if our degree programs were composed of stackable employer credentials? Reported by Education Dive, Harold Washington College is partnering with Facebook for a co-branded digital marketing certificate program, one of 20 institutions to do so thus far. This push to partner with employers to ensure our graduates are gaining market-friendly skills is wonderful, but […]

What will a $15 an hour minimum wage mean for higher ed? Reported by Education Dive, 14% of private institution staff and 8% of public institution staff currently make less than this $15 an hour. And with several states moving to this mandate along with federal conversations about a nationwide wage law, many institutions are […]

The University of Utah believes income-share agreements may expedite time to graduation. Reported by Education Dive, university officials found that many of their students were taking longer to graduate out of reluctance to take out large loans. But slowing down or pausing your degree program can significantly increase your risk of non-completion. So, the University […]

Will Pell grant expansion provide aid for short-term training programs? Reported by Education Dive, the JOBS Act was introduced in Congress, which would expand Pell Grants to be used in training and certificate programs as short as eight weeks long (down from 15 weeks and 600 clock hours today). The takeaway? This would potentially open […]

Associates degrees in the liberal arts have doubled since 2000. Reported by Education Dive, a new study from the Community College Research Center shows that contrary to the assumed death of the liberal arts, more and more students are choosing associates degrees in the humanities. And this could prove great for employers claiming that our […]

How will a $183.8 million investment injection into apprenticeship training affect higher ed? Reported by EducationDive, twenty three institutions and university systems received apprenticeship funding from President Trump’s 2017 executive order to expand apprenticeships. Some employers see these apprenticeships as a great way to specifically train potential employees while vetting them. Some institutions see apprenticeships […]

A professor at North Dakota State University wanted to better understand and empathize with the student experience. So she became one. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Carrie Anne Platt spent three days shadowing undergraduate students, and was reminded of the “overwhelmed” nature of being a student. And because of that, she restructured her […]

George Mason University has developed a cloud computing bachelor’s degree in partnership with Amazon Web Services. Reported by Education Dive, along with Northern Virginia Community College, George Mason has created a seamless path to a four-year bachelor’s degree preparing students for their cloud computing career. This program includes curriculum that prepares students to earn additional […]

If only 5% of students qualify for your state’s “free college” program, is it doing what you had hoped? Reported by Education Dive, while 19 states now offer some sort of free college program, some states’ eligibility restrictions, including an unwillingness to pay for housing or transportation costs, keep these programs away from the very […]

What could a live-work space mean for your institution? Reported by EdSurge, The University of Utah’s new learning, making, and living space, Lassonde Studies, combines 400 student residencies with a 20,000 square foot maker’s area. Since the studios’ opening in 2016, the number of startup teams has quintupled to more than 500, and the University […]

Will online IP rules become a competitive advantage for some institutions? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, for your faculty who write textbooks, the IP is often clear. The textbook is theirs. But the online course they design? Who owns those materials? Determining these rules as an institution is important to catch up with the evolution […]

May the best male win. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while a 2012 study revealed significant gender bias in hiring within biology and physics departments, a more recent study unfortunately shows more of the same. With these studies, resumes were submitted for roles with identical qualifications, yet with different first and last names. While the […]

What if students didn’t have to wait 4 full-time years to increase their earning potential? What could a certificate-first degree path look like for an IT professional, for example? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Google’s 8-month IT support certificate program is designed to help train students for unfilled entry-level IT support staff roles, with a […]

What if Catholic universities all shared their online courses together? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a few catholic universities have created their own consortium, all offering the same online master’s program in public administration, with mutually beneficial revenue splits, based on where the student is enrolled. The takeaway? What if even more of the 230 […]

Should our online courses err on the side of uniformity or flexibility? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many institutions are looking to lock in course models and course design to create a more uniform student experience across all of their programs. The problem is, preventing faculty from updating courses themselves means that unless their centralized […]

A behavioral economics “nudge” didn’t solve the college undermatching problem. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the long term results of a College Board study aimed at increasing high-ability low-income students’ applications to selective institutions came back ineffective. The goal was that by sending direct mail, emails and texts to these students about these more selective […]

Is online education mostly a flexibility benefit for your local market? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the number of online students studying at an institution whose campus is within 50 miles of their home has gone up from 50% to a full two-thirds. The takeaway? While online students theoretically “can” learn anywhere, they’re choosing brand […]

Is the next enrollment growth spike going to come from low-income students? And if so, what does that mean for our existing student support services? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, with more and more institutions looking to hit their enrollment numbers, new analysis by the Pew Research Center shows the least selective institutions […]

The University of Wisconsin is teaching its undergraduate professors to teach. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, many college professors are subject matter experts, but have little to no teacher training experience. The University of Wisconsin is attempting to solve for this by incorporating educational research and teacher training into its graduate programs in […]

Will the real digital learning badge please stand up? For more than a decade now, higher ed has been waiting for “the” badge system that employers finally recognize for the proven mastery of alternative credentials and competencies. Mozilla seemed to be leading the charge a decade ago. Today, many feel LinkedIn is probably the closest. […]

Do we have an international enrollment growth crisis? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, 83% of institutions cite the current visa-application process as a significant deterrent for international students, whose application and enrollment rates have declined for three years straight. More and more international students are now choosing more welcoming countries, selecting American institutions […]

Why are universities doubling down on literacy programs for undergraduates? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, there can be an assumption that students have adequate reading skills by the time they get to college. The problem with that assumption is that many don’t. And therefore, their reading comprehension limitations are making course comprehension nearly […]

Earlier this year, Virginia Tech University announced plans to build out a billion dollar Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia, just two miles from Amazon’s new HQ2 headquarters. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, today, Virginia Tech has 1,000 more incoming students for this fall than they had planned on, and are offering cash incentives […]

College enrollment declined 1.7% year-over-year. Reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the only noticeable enrollment growth winner during this decline? 4-year private nonprofits, who grew 3.2% year-over-year. And where is this respective decline and growth coming from? Adult students, who are moving away from for-profit institutions (down 20% YOY), and toward non-profit institution options. […]

Does higher ed need to move from being keepers of knowledge to facilitators? Reported by Education Dive, Maryville University president Mark Lombardi believes that despite the advent of the digital age, our institutions and practices have not evolved enough to best facilitate this transformation. This would mean further moving away from the constraints of a […]

A new online directory is helping show students their alternatives to college. Reported by Education Dive, this Alternatives to College online directory is an attempt to help prospective students better understand their non-degree options that may be a better match for their current economic and timing situation, including bootcamps, apprenticeships, and more. The takeaway? Rather […]

Similar to how recent reports show employers less than enthused about our graduates’ market-ready preparedness, do our own institutions feel the same about the readiness of high school graduates? Reported by Education Dive, a new paper from the Center for American Progress (CAP) shows that only 4 U.S. states (Louisiana, Michigan, South Dakota, and Tennessee) […]

Are college accountability measures helping us understand the value of the institution or the quality of the student coming into them? Reported by EdSurge, this surge in outcomes data we’ve seen over the past decade hasn’t done too great of a job helping us truly understand college effectiveness. And rather, we need to understand the […]

What are MOOCs missing? Reported by EdSurge, what these massive online open courses are missing is the individual support. It’s why MOOC completion rates are so dismal today. If you get stuck, and can’t figure something out yourself, where do you go from there? One MOOC through Case Western Reserve University is attempting to solve […]

Video feedback is teaching faculty to become better instructors, not just better online instructors. Reported by EdSurge, many institutions are utilizing video capture tools like GoReact to video themselves delivering online instruction, in order to review, self-assess, and improve. And this exercise, now made easy through recent technology, is helping both online and on-ground professors […]

Why does higher ed need to be at the forefront of artificial intelligence training? Reported by EdSurge, AI is beginning to invisibly become a part of many industries, and already helping making civic choices such as parole decisions, and financial loan approvals. But what if the data the AI is making these decisions on is […]

The College of the Holy Cross has ended their need-blind admission practice. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the beauty of a need-blind admission practice is that low-income students know their financial need won’t be a factor held against them. The problem? This practice has become financially unsustainable for all but a few select institutions, with […]

Will a parental push toward practical outcomes change higher ed? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new Kaplan University Partners survey finds that 79% of students believe a top goal of colleges is to teach students marketable skills, while less than half believe that colleges are doing a good job preparing their children for the […]

Will Bill & Melinda Gates crack the value of college question? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, in a time of growing skepticism regarding whether or not a college degree is truly worth the cost, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have created The Commission on the Value of Postsecondary Education. This national effort […]

Should we be utilizing play to re-engage intimated learners? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nadja Cech, a chemistry professor from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro believes that when students feel intimated by the subject matter, they get nervous and may shut down. And that’s when she recommends you need to bring […]

How do we chase down new program launches with speed yet caution? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Penn State World Campus has a simple litmus test when preparing to launch new programs. They ask their graduate and doctoral staff to review the prospective curriculum, and ask if they’d be excited to admit a […]

Adversity as an enrollment decision factor? Reported by Education Dive, the College Board has created a new adversity metric to gauge the level of hardship from applicant students. Colleges, not students, will be able to see the score composed of a variety of public and private data including neighborhood crime and poverty rates, and the […]

450 colleges were enrollment shy come decision day this year. Reported by Education Dive, this is the 5th straight year this NACAC list number has increased as of May 1st, with many administrators surveyed claiming they needed until June 1 or July 1 to really understand what their fall number would look like. The takeaway? […]

New babies born in Colorado will start off with a free $100 college savings plan. Reported by Education Dive, every child born or adopted into the state as of January 1 will receive $100 toward a 529 savings plan, available until the child’s 5th birthday, hoping to help incentivize college savings and long-term college enrollment. […]

What does student-parent financial aid need to look like? Reported by Education Dive, a new study from the Urban Institute shows that only 13.2 of families are receiving federal childcare assistance due to education compared to 78% who receive it because they’re working. The takeaway? Given higher ed’s focus on the adult learner, do we […]

Employers are embracing a moneyball-like hiring strategy for Tier 2 institution graduates. Reported by Education Dive, The Future of Data Talent report from Correlation One is reminding employers that Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions graduate 75% of the top 10% performers. So while everyone else is focusing on the same few top-tier institutions with […]

Do we need a new alternative credential marketplace? Reported by Education Dive, with more and more career education programs rolling out, states and national organizations are trying to put together guides to help their residents navigate the value and outcomes of these disparate offerings. The takeaway? Is a new credential marketplace needed to help students […]

Employers are going to fund free college in Washington state. Reported by Education Dive, the Workforce Education Investment Act will provide free tuition at public institutions for students from families making $50,000 or less a year, as well as invest in computer science and health care programming and student service resources at those same public […]

Should higher ed double down on certificate programs? Reported by Education Dive, a new Strada-Lumina study shows that adults with a non-degree certificate report a 50% higher annual median income ($45,000) than those with no credentials (at $30,000). In fact, some institutions, like BYU-Pathway Worldwide are moving to certificate-first models as part of their degree […]

Does higher education need a new model for the lifelong learner? Reported by Education Dive, with the pace of change faster than it’s ever been, and with employees needing to continually upskill over the course of their careers, does a 2-, 4-, or 7-year degree program make sense anymore? Or do institutions need to start […]

What can higher ed learn from lean engineering principles? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Dr. Jitendra Singh at Minnesota State University Moorhead is bringing the lean engineering principles he learned from his healthcare career to improving their online programs. One of these secrets for continuous improvement? Simply asking students what we’re doing right, and what […]

What will quantum computing mean for higher education? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, IBM has already created their commercial quantum computing prototype in the IBM Q System One, promising a future where big data calculations can be conducted thousands of times faster than today, among other technological innovations. What does this mean in the short […]

How can data mining help surface helpful student feedback? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lisa Elfring from the University of Arizona works with her Institutional Research department to take the feedback from her student evaluations and turn them into positive- and negative-word clouds. This allows her to quickly spot trends and the most […]

Women now make up more than 50% of leadership roles at University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. Reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, this move toward diversity was not a charitable one, but a competitive one. Institutional surveys at UM showed women faculty’s perception of campus culture was significantly worse than male faculty perceptions, […]

Could a student’s psychological challenges be seen as an admittance factor? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, New College at Florida was allegedly red-flagging applications from students who mentioned psychological challenges in their admissions essays for further review, and they are conducting an outside investigation. But this does bring up serious ethical and legal concerns about […]

Carnegie Mellon University has launched brand-new learning engineering tools and a community around them. Reported by EdSurge, Carnegie Mellon’s OpenSimon Toolkit is designed to help professors theorize new learning innovations, test their efficacy, and then share/scale the learning with the rest of higher ed – with hopes that by opening up these software tools, that […]

Will instructional software kill print textbooks? Reported by EdSurge, in Bill and Melinda Gates’ annual letter, they claimed that “textbooks are becoming obsolete” due to instructional software that is quickly replacing them. Yet, in higher ed, 74% of textbooks are still accounted for by print-only and print-digital bundles. The takeaway? Until instructional software becomes a […]

What happened to gamification transforming online education? Reported by EdSurge, a recent Horizon Report looked back at past predictions to see what they got wrong, including predicting gamification would quickly become a major force in higher education back in 2012. Looking back, they posit falling IT budgets as well as an inability to justify the […]

Will the online education evolution create a new market for online proctoring? Reported by EdSurge, Examity is a provider of live and automated proctoring services with more than 300 college and university customers looking to verify the identities of students taking exams. These verification technologies include facial recognition, biometric key stroke patterns, and eye movement […]

A new neuroscience study is defending the arts? Reported by EdSurge, Johns Hopkins’ Neuro-Education Initiative is designed to help improve faculty’s understanding of both neuroscience and basic cognitive understanding in order to improve best-practice professorial pedagogy. The biggest learning coming out the initiative recently? The academic benefits of integrating arts within all programs to better […]

Do we need to consider unbundling faculty in higher education? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the assumption that a single faculty member will teach, proctor, and assist 100% of the class 100% on their own, is beginning to be questioned. What if we utilized the various strengths of various faculty members in various ways – […]

Online programs open up not only broader recruitment possibilities, but remote faculty opportunities as well. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, more and more institutions are experimenting with remote faculty for their online programs – faculty who work full-time from home, and potentially don’t even live in the same state as their campus. And now institutions […]

Last year, Champlain College slashed their online undergraduate tuition in half. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, since then, they’ve doubled their online enrollment. Across higher ed, online pricing has remained relatively similar to on-ground pricing for many reasons. One being that launching online programs can be extraordinarily expensive from a technology and curriculum development standpoint. […]

Upgrading our faculty’s online teaching chops is an institutional problem. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many institutions offer “optional” training for faculty to upgrade their understanding of online best practice pedagogy. But these sessions often bring in very low attendance numbers. So, California’s Online Education Initiative for one is attempting to solve for that with […]

Some medical school admissions officers are still wary of online students. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pittsburgh all have admission requirements maintaining that online course work and degrees will not be considered. Although, many experiments with VR and AR in the sciences have proved equitable outcomes in comparison […]

Can higher ed self-regulate our admissions side doors, or does the fed need to step in? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, recent stories of admissions fraud have supported a populist sense of injustice in regards to higher ed admissions policies. From donor parents, to student athletes, and friends of Board members, the gray area in […]

Reported by Education Dive, potential regulations suggested by the Department of Education could include financial triggers that force colleges into “teach-out” plans, even if they don’t end up closing. The goal here is to prevent students from being left stuck last-minute without notice after a college abruptly closes. The takeaway? Hopefully, none of our own […]

What does the future of work mean for higher education? Reported by Education Dive, a new white paper from the World Economic Forum includes recommendations for higher ed including adding both tech-based and soft skills to existing curriculum, and creating better solutions for lifelong learners after graduation, since the pace of change is continuing to […]

The U.S. Department of Education is seeking for higher ed to clarify the wording we use in financial aid offers. Reported by Education Dive, students are often confused by which numbers are truly “awards” vs. loan, and the Dept. of Ed is looking to create consistency across colleges and universities of what aid offers look […]

The University of Louisville and IBM are creating a new tech partnership. Reported by the Courier-Journal, this new IBM Skills Academy will be housed on-campus at the University of Louisville, designed to train Kentuckians for the next generation of jobs. The university is excited to improve their technical education competencies. And IBM is excited to […]

How can our institutions do a better job retaining the post-traditional learner? Reported by Education Dive, a new EAB study suggests early career assessments to make sure the student understand what they’re aiming for, and what that degree will unlock for them – all in order to keep them motivated throughout their academic tenure with […]

Bates College is looking to bridge the “purpose” gap for their graduates. Reported by Education Dive, a new study from Gallup finds that less than half of college graduates claim their job interests them and provides meaning in their life. Bates’ initiative called Purposeful Work uses personal assessment to help students map their strengths to […]

More colleges are piloting “concierge”-level student services for adult online learners. Reported by Education Dive, Sunday evening is an example of primetime schoolwork for adult learners, let most traditional student service operations are closed. So Winona State University created online office hours for these adult students. And Western Governors University has extended technical help hours […]

In this tight labor market, more students are choosing passion over pay. Reported by Education Dive, a recent study from Indeed’s Hiring Lab shows a significant uptick in positions in the arts and social services, and a downtick in business and finance positions often deemed as “safe” choices. The takeaway? In harder economies, students apparently […]

If a student doesn’t graduate, is it their fault, or the institution’s? Reported by Education Dive, a new study from Third Way and Global Strategy Group shows that the vast majority of higher education administrators believe the government should withhold federal funding from institutions if their graduation rates fall below 15%, if they don’t spend […]

George Mason University is looking to better model how colleges and universities can support mental health in higher education. Reported by Education Dive, with 40% of incoming freshman reporting feeling overwhelmed, up from 28% in 2000, George Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being is doubling down on mental health services, including streamlining counseling centers, […]

Western Governors University is adding a remedial bridge to college preparation with WGU Academy. Reported by Education Dive, these online courses are designed to help prepare students who aren’t quite ready to be accepted into Western Governors University, but provides them with a bridge to get there, not simply a “no”. The takeaway? How do […]

What does a starting salary of $60k for apprentices mean for higher ed? Reported by Education Dive, many employers are taking the lead on employee training and preparation by launching their own apprenticeship programs that combine classroom learning with on-the-job training. Employers are bullish on this employee preparation path because of the employee loyalty it […]

State higher ed funding is on the slight rebound. Reported by Education Dive, per-student state spending on higher education is on the way back up, but only halfway back to its pre-recession levels. Partially because this past decade has created a new understanding that tuition revenue is now the primary mechanism for how state colleges […]

Higher ed is slashing foreign language programs in the midst of mass globalization. Reported by Education Dive, colleges and universities sunset 651 foreign language programs between 2013 and 2016. Perhaps under the incorrect assumption that the international business world is universally learning English, we also underestimate the massive power that the command of other languages […]

Online education is growing, but very concentrated. Reported by Education Dive, the top 10 online institutions account for 20% of total enrollment, and the top 100 institutions account for 50%. The takeaway? To be a true player in the enrollment growth game moving forward, it’s important to get into the Top 100. So do you […]

How can we make higher ed 3x more valuable? Reported by EAB, a new poll from Elon University shows that graduates who have between 7 and 10 meaningful faculty and staff relationships during college are more than 3x likely than the average student to rate their college experience as “very rewarding”. The takeaway? What can […]

What are colleges doing to support the 2.1 million single mothers currently enrolled in higher education? Reported by Education Dive, Portland State University offers free drop-in day care, along with family study spaces and toy areas to occupy children if parents need to bring them to class. And the Education Design Lab is partnering with […]

How can video give faculty back time in their class? Reported by EdSurge, more and more professors are utilizing short videos (both originals and public) to provide students with concept overviews prior to class, to clarify difficult concepts during class, and for a review prior to an examination. The takeaway? Using engaging video is not […]

19% of U.S. job openings request a graduate degree. Reported by EdSurge, master’s level occupations are also projected to grow at the fastest rate of any education level, a whopping 17% between 2016 and 2026. The takeaway? Is your institution’s program portfolio ready to attract this growing group of graduate students looking for their career […]

Reading, video, and arithmetic? Reported by EdSurge, video assignments are beginning to replace the college term paper, especially for online classes. And with digital video on YouTube and Netflix becoming a much more common and critical part of how we learn, does this macro-trend necessitate a skills-change in what we’re preparing our students for? The […]

Is there a future in live-online education? Reported by EdSurge, Minerva’s online teaching platform can now handle 400 live students at a time. The goal is that even for large online classes, a professor would be able quickly divide a large class into smaller groups for active learning experiences, mimicking the benefits of in-class active […]

Hiram College is re-positioning around the “new” liberal arts. Reported by Education Dive, Hiram College, rather than abandoning their mission as an institution dedicated to the liberal arts, instead is making sure that the liberal arts education is more relevant than ever to today’s student, by combining the liberal arts, professional studies, and civic engagement […]

The State University System of New York is looking to double their minority faculty by 2030, currently at 8%. Reported by Education Dive, this goal is to better reflect SUNY’s student body, which has doubled minority representation to 28.5% of students this past fall. Increased faculty diversity has been linked to improved student outcomes, and […]

Oberlin College is swapping conservatory students for liberal arts ones. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Oberlin College is shifting their enrollment goals, trimming 100 students from their music conservatory while adding 100 liberal arts students. This is because conservatory students bring in about $10,000 less than liberal arts students – due to the high market […]

Arizona State University is going all-in on corporate partnerships. Reported by Education Dive, ASU has announced the launch of InStride, a platform designed to connect employers looking to offer education benefits. Already an industry leader when it comes to partnerships, ASU is looking to help move the industry more from student debt-funded financing to employer-funded […]

Could MOOCs find new life if faculty could borrow from other courses to create their own? Reported by EdSurge, HarvardX’s founding faculty director, Robert Lue, is building a new platform called LabXChange designed to deliver on the promise of free education for all. The vision? Fully open source curriculum materials. The challenge? Getting universities and […]

How is Harvey Mudd College’s President helping solve the gender gap in computer science? Reported by EdSurge, President Maria Klawe’s intentional diversity and inclusion initiatives at Harvey Mudd College have helped raise the women-student ratio in STEM degrees from 30% to 50% during her tenure there. This approach required a strategic plan that focused on […]

California is the latest state to pilot income-share agreements. Reported by EdSurge, California’s Assembly Committee on Higher Education has approved a bill to pilot income-share agreements through the University of California systems and at California State University. These financial arrangements allow students to attend tuition-free, but require them to pay back a percentage of their […]

Is the Chief Privacy Officer coming to higher education? Reported by EdSurge, more and more institutions are starting to understand the ROI in the role of Chief Privacy Officer. Already a popular position in health care given patient privacy regulations, Europe’s GDPR privacy law and California’s upcoming Consumer Privacy Act are helping higher ed take […]

Do we need to consider incorporating bootcamps within our existing degree programs? Reported by MarketWatch, many coding bootcamps are designed to quickly provide the practical skills to secure a good paying job. And many higher education degree programs focus on graduating well-rounded individuals, but potentially lacking on some hyper-practical entry level skills. So much so […]

Can VR college tours increase brand affinity? Reported by EdSurge, many are wondering if the “If I can just get them on-campus for a tour, I can get them” might translate to the digital world? Technology is now getting good enough where 360-degree videos of powerful on-campus experiences can be experienced digitally in an emotionally […]

Students are writing more than ever before, but they’re still struggling deeply in college writing courses. Reported by EdSurge, many universities report issues with students passing introductory writing courses. The problem? Students are likely writing more than ever before in the history of the world – but primarily in abbreviated form via social posts and […]

We can only choose educational technology if we first understand how we’re trying to support our courses. Reported by EdSurge, Dr. Bryan Alexander from Georgetown University thinks about choosing EdTech in ways that will either make our existing pedagogy more effective or that will allow us to systematically change the way in which we teach. […]

How can we evolve the online discussion board to better mimic in-class interactions? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Wichita State University is doubling down on the potential power of online discussion boards. Carolyn Speer, manager of instructional design and access said, “If two people can fall in love online, they can learn American history online.” […]

The road to higher ed consolidation will be slower than we think. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with more state university systems attempting to make massive online plays, there is this ethereal belief that there will eventually be only a handful of major national online players, with a massive desire to be one of them. […]

Will free college end up a major issue in the upcoming election? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke against the largely popular democratic party idea, claiming that he doesn’t like the idea of lower-class non-college attending tax payers subsidizing the education of higher-class college attendees. The takeaway? This nuanced […]

Will state university systems figure out how to scale online growth? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, The University of Missouri System shared plans to increase their total student enrollment from 75,000 to 100,000 over the next four years, primarily via online education growth. Now, wanting to grow and making it happen are two very different […]

Are we fully taking advantage of higher ed’s generosity? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Carnegie Mellon University is giving away the learning science tools their researchers have spent the past decade developing. While this move of generosity no doubt has some very real brand-boosting benefits as well, this sharing of thought leadership is extraordinarily common […]

What if employers start to value skills more than degrees? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new report out of Northeastern University shows that a majority of employers are actively exploring de-emphasizing degrees and prioritizing skills when hiring. Is this the end of higher education? Hardly. But it does mean that we must step out […]

Boise State University has launched a Netflix-style higher ed subscription service. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Boise State’s Passport for Education program offers monthly installment plans instead of up-front fees each semester. This subscription-based model with an annual commitment aims to make budget planning easier, as well as psychologically help students to persist and retain […]

Are tuition-dependent state universities avoiding the high need in-state students they were designed to serve? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new study from the Joyce Foundation shows that public universities all too often focus their out-of-state recruitment on rich, private and largely white high schools in order to increase their academic reputation and their […]

More Ivy League schools are going test-optional – this time for their Ph.D. program admissions. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, both Cornell and Harvard have dropped the GRE requirement for their English Ph.D. programs. Joining the ranks of other institutions who have moved to test-optional admission requirements – not for any strategic enrollment growth benefit […]

Arizona State University’s move away from big lecture classes and toward active learning has increased their graduation rate by 18 points. Reported by EAB, ASU’s new course design improvements incorporate active learning elements and adaptive learning software to help meet students where they are, and how they need help. The takeaway? How can we utilize […]

Higher ed has a completion problem, but we’re starting to make progress. Reported by EAB, both 2- and 4-year colleges are seeing improvement in their student completion rates, rising from 56.8% to 58.3% across all institution types. The takeaway? We still have a long way to go, but collectively, our hyper-focus on this missional crisis, […]

Dr. Goodman from Harvard University has a strategy for softening the emotional blow from some negative student evaluations. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Dr. Goodman’s assistant summarizes the constructive criticism, and removes the “emotional intensity” from any specific critique. The concept is that the professor still receives the criticism, but without the personal […]

Cal State University, Dominguez Hills is trying to gamify student services. Reported by Education Dive, students can earn prizes for both learning about and utilizing student support services. The goal is to improve first-year retention rates by incentivizing the acts of becoming informed about available campus support. The takeaway? Time will tell whether this gamification […]

Can moving online solve for law schools’ enrollment slump? Reported by Education Dive, The University of Dayton School of Law is one institution moving to a mostly-online hybrid program, with on-campus intensive sessions one week each semester. This is an attempt to partially solve for the 13% slump in J.D. enrollment between 2013 and 2018. […]

A recent Strada study shows that 4 in 10 graduates are underemployed in their first job after college. Reported by Education Dive, University Innovation Alliance members are looking to improve that reality on their campuses in several ways, including making career exploration a key part of the first-year experience, better promoting career preparation resources, establishing […]

How did a classroom mix-up force one professor to figure out how to mass scale personalized learning? Reported by EdSurge, when a 400-seat movie theater at San Francisco State University was no longer available for his Principles of Marketing course, Dr. Bruce Robertson had to figure out how to use technology instead so these students […]

What if work-study programs didn’t only provide financial assistance for students, but actually prepared them for their future career paths, too? Reported by EdSurge, a new NASPA study shows that while work-study programs have high correlations with improved persistence and retention, there is still an opportunity for work-study programs to better improve more practical professional […]

80% of online students said they complete some, if not all, of their course work using a mobile device. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, this data point from a recent Aslanian Market Research survey may be a wake-up call for institutions who don’t have a mobile-first design purview. Is our LMS mobile-friendly? Are our assignments […]

Many professors want to teach differently, but don’t. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, The University of Virginia is looking into what’s preventing faculty members from adopting the new teaching practices they’re learning about, and excited about, from UVa’s Center for Teaching Excellence. The top and most obvious reason? Time. Re-building a curriculum is […]

Will course sharing agreements improve the academic experience? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, course share agreements among consortium partners mean that institutions can focus on their academic strong suits and leverage their consortium partner’s respective academic focal points to fill in their course gaps. That way, the students gets the very best from every institution […]

More and more institutions continue to move away from SAT and ACT admission requirements. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Creighton and Ferris State universities are the more recent to adopt and pilot (respectively) this trend – with the data-driven belief that a student’s academic record is a much stronger indicator of collegiate success than these […]

What do state budget cuts mean to higher education funding? Reported by Education Dive, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston released a new study demonstrating how every dollar cut from state funds dedicated to higher education leads to a $0.17 increase in net tuition and a whopping $0.30 drop in instructional spending at public doctoral […]

How can we develop effective employer partnerships? Reported by Education Dive, it’s about making sure we’re starting with the needs of the individual business. That we help them identify their skill gaps and their operational challenges, including recruitment and employee retention. And only then working collaboratively to develop an educational program that helps close those […]

What if industry sponsored an institution’s research efforts dedicated to that industry? Reported by Education Dive, NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering’s new Institute of Design and Construction Innovations is fully supported by member construction industry firms and designed to provide them with innovation and research in construction, engineering, design and management. What a novel idea. […]

Is a distraction-free zone the biggest benefit of an on-campus course? Reported by EdSurge, one professor at San Francisco State University has created a 5-hour class dedicated only to reading, where the class begins with his framing of the reading, and then all technology devices are turned in for the remainder of the class. While […]

The credentials students are graduating with aren’t always the credentials employers are looking for. Reported by EdSurge, a recent SXSW EDU panel claimed such with examples including how only 8% of the credentials students earn are in demand by employers, and that only .1% of students are earning a specific IT credential that would open […]

Should degree programs take 4 years or forever? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Georgia Tech has partnered with both Udacity and AT&T in hopes of creating lifelong learning options for their computer science and cybersecurity students – understanding that the speed of change, especially in tech fields, happens so quickly that to assume anything but […]

What can a student’s “demonstrated” interest tell you about their enrollment odds? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, more and more institutions are evaluating a student’s “demonstrated” interest by their online behavior, including email open rates, click throughs, time on site, etc. But more than just creating better enrollment forecasts with this additional predictive data, potentially […]

A decline in MBA interest has institutions shifting to specializations. Reported by Education Dive, the University of Miami has added specializations in business analytics, finance and sustainable business to draw students concerned the traditional MBA isn’t relevant enough for their specific career ambitions. The takeaway? Know that your current top academic programs are just that. […]

Are low-income students truly priced out of higher education, or do they just wrongly assume they are? Reported by Education Dive, the “sticker prices” of institutions may be scaring students away who would actually pay well below that. And students are leaving billions in potential aid money on the table because of it. The takeaway? […]

Do our faculty need a better understanding of neuroscience in order to be most effective? Reported by EdSurge, John Medina from the University of Washington School of Medicine, claims that if our goal is to change the cognitive understanding of our students’ minds, it is essential we engage in cognitive neuroscience at a high level […]

What does the future of work mean for the future of higher education? Reported by EdSurge, while technology and automation continue to change and threaten to change the future labor market, how can we make sure our institution’s curriculum stays relevant and forward-facing? The takeaway? Creativity, problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills are future-proof. So may […]

Faculty get out of their students exactly what they expect to. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new study out of Indiana University at Bloomington found that for faculty who claim to have a “growth mindset”, meaning they believe that a student’s intelligence is not fixed, their students achieved significantly higher grades in STEM courses. […]

Faculty who switch to competency-based learning courses often find themselves doing nothing else but teaching to the test. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, preparing students to successfully complete the final project or exam is the primary and often sole goal of a competency-based course. But in doing so, many faculty find themselves skipping past relevant […]

Two professors from the University of Connecticut have been trying to figure out how to personalize instruction in their 750-student anatomy and physiology course for years. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, these professors have begun incorporating active learning exercises within the course itself. These include the students moving to smaller classrooms for “breakout groups” to […]

For many institutions, their online tuition can be considerably more than their on-campus price. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, this creates an ethical question for rural students, for whom online education is their only true option. While many assume online education costs less for the institution to provide, start-up costs as well as small class […]

International graduate enrollment has continued to decline for the second straight year. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, another 1% year-over-year drop has followed the prior year’s 1% drop. Immigration policy, visa policy, and America’s image issues for international prospects are all potential factors to account for this enrollment decline. The takeaway? For those institutions who […]

Green Mountain College, with a really strong niche of sustainability and environmentalism in a culture and economy trending toward those things, still wasn’t able to keep their doors open. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, debt, staffing choices, poor alumni relations, and a toxic culture couldn’t be overcome by a strong “niche”. So what […]

When Shana Cooper, faculty at Harold Washington College, was tutoring in the writing lab, she ended up having to tutor one of her own students by accident, and had an epiphany. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, while faculty don’t typically tutor their own students in those writing centers, Cooper believes the experience can […]

While 3-credit hour courses are largely the higher ed standard, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln is experimenting more and more with 1-hour pop-up courses. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, these pop-up courses allow UNL students to explore 3 different emerging technologies, trends and topics, rather than picking just 1. Faculty claim the […]

A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows that we have a growing campus hunger problem in higher ed. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, more and more colleges are working to solve this food insecurity problem for their students. From on-campus food pantries, to accepting food stamps, to providing micro-loan options […]

Will open floor plans encourage better office hours engagement? Reported by EdSurge, Cornell Tech, George Mason University and others are all experimenting with the idea of “hotel’ing” – giving faculty access to temporary space on campus, rather than a permanent walled-off office. Similar to in the business world, these open floor plans are specifically designed […]

Are colleges overlooking high-achieving low-income students twice? Reported by EAB, a recent study from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation found that while 49% of college students begin their education at a community college, only 5% of them go on to elite institutions. Are we missing these students twice? Both in their first year, and then […]

Only 9% of graduates surveyed report their alumni network has been helpful for their career. Reported by EAB, this Strada-Gallup survey is a depressing remark on the state of alumni services. Even surveyed grads from the Top 50 U.S. News & World Report colleges are only slightly stronger, with a mere 16% claiming a career […]

The number one reason adult learners go back to school? Reported by EAB, 61% of adults claim they’re going back to school to earn more money and advance their career. The number one reason they don’t go through with it? 45% of adults claim that family and current work responsibilities are getting in the way. […]

The U.S. Department of Labor claims that the skills gap is the widest it’s been in a decade, with more than half a million positions in the technology sectors currently unfilled. Reported by EAB, LinkedIn has released a list of the top 10 hard and soft job skills most in-demand by these companies. The top […]

Better ingredients. Better pizza. Purdue University? Reported by Education Dive, Papa John’s has partnered with Purdue University Global to offer free tuition to their 20,000 corporate employees. And their 70,000 franchise employees will also receive tuition and fee reductions as well. The takeaway? Yet another major company is partnering with a university to upskill their […]

Do online students persist better? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, at the University of Hawaii, full-time students who take at least one online course persist and graduate at a higher rate than those who don’t. While online courses are often praised for making higher education more “possible” for working adults, it turns out that they […]

The concept of getting credit for competency rather than classroom time is a wonderful one. Yet, reported by Education Dive, an American Institutes for Research and Eduventures survey indicates only 5% of institutions have at least one full Competency-Based Education (CBE) program. Many institutions claim that financial aid barriers, including regulations that govern what types […]

The University of Utah has joined the small club of major research universities offering income-share agreement (ISA) financing options for their students. Reported by Education Dive, University of Utah students can receive up to $10,000 per semester in exchange for 2.85% of the student’s income after graduation for up to 10 years depending on their […]

In a world where many are questioning the value of higher education, are we doing ourselves any favors with the language we use when defending it? Reported by Education Dive, this year’s Association of American Colleges and Universities conference focused on “reclaiming the narrative on the value of higher education”. One potential conclusion? That our […]

For liberal arts institutions looking to take advantage of the enrollment growth power of coding and computer science courses, should they build them from scratch or partner? Reported by EdSurge, Dominican University of California has partnered with the Make School coding bootcamp to create a new minor in computer science, while helping Make School add […]

How can we increase under-represented demographics in our graduate programs? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, while non-white students are currently underrepresented in graduate school, receiving only 15% of doctorates while making up 30% of the population, City University of New York has created a Pipeline Fellows Program largely designed to better educate their […]

For black student Moneta Kai-Price, coming to an institution like Rutgers University, it was hard to find other black students to connect with. So he started a group chat for black students through the group messaging app, GroupMe, that now has nearly 2,000 members. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, group chats and virtual […]

Robots are all over George Mason University’s campus. But right now, they’re just delivering pizzas. Reported by Education Dive, self-driving bots are currently making on-campus deliveries from a handful of local restaurants and coffee shops. Students can use an app to order to the food, and then access the delivery when it arrives. The takeaway? […]

661,000 low-income students left $2.6 billion in financial aid on the table last year. Reported by Education Dive, one third of students who didn’t complete a FAFSA didn’t think they were eligible for aid, and 23% said they didn’t have enough information about how to do the paperwork. The takeaway? How do we make sure […]

With studies showing how much students value on-campus mentors, and how often they don’t have one, Denison University decided to build a system that encouraged these relationships. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Denison University freshman are paired with a professor at the very beginning of their college experience as part of a one-credit […]

While providing technical support for online students is essential, online faculty new to the modality often need a great deal of help as well. Reported by EdSurge, creating technical support systems for faculty new to online education is essential. From establishing communication lines with instructional designers, to facilitating online pedagogy training sessions and ongoing support, […]

How can faculty encourage interaction between online students? Reported by EdSurge,  while student-to-student engagement is one of the most valued parts of higher education, it can be hard to facilitate these interactions online. Fortunately, there are many tools designed to encourage online interaction such as FlipGrid which allows you to post a video question and […]

Did NYU’s medical school move to free tuition last fall impact enrollment? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the answer is a big whopping yes, with applications increased by 47%, including a 102% increase from underrepresented groups. The takeaway? Future debt fears are very real scare factors for students – especially for low-income students and families. […]

Are black schoolteachers the secret to increasing black student college enrollment? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new National Bureau of Economic Research study shows that black students assigned to a black teacher in grades K-3 are 7% more likely to graduate high school and 13% more likely to enroll in college than their peers. […]

Is “I’m going to play video games for a living, I don’t need to go to college” no longer a valid excuse? Reported by Encoura, Becker College has led the way as the first institution to offer a B.S. in ESports Management. And many institutions are following suit, including Syracuse University’s partnership with Twitch, the […]

How can we nudge students into better study habits? Reported by EAB, Colorado State University’s Anne Cleary teaches an undergraduate course called “The Science of Learning” to help students understand data-driven strategies to optimize knowledge retention. These strategies include how spacing out study sessions is more effective than cramming, and that testing yourself on the […]

And the best college town in 2019 is… Reported by EAB, Austin, Texas topped Wallethub’s list of best college towns in the country. Factors included wallet-friendliness, academic and economic opportunities, and social environment. Rounding out the top 5, include Orlando, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Provo, Utah; and Rexburg, Idaho. The takeaway? How do we better […]

Do institutions need to consider launching a new Internet of Things degree program? Reported by Campus Technology, with Amazon Echos and other smart devices, electronics and appliances taking over the modern household, curriculum or even a dedicated degree program that focuses on this kind of engineering and computer science may be warranted. The takeaway? Computer […]

The recent “Freeing the Textbook” survey by the Babson Survey Research Group has some disappointing news for fans of Open Educational Resources (OER). Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, while 60% of faculty believe the high cost of textbooks is a serious student concern, the percentage of faculty who say they will use OER […]

While the advent of online education served as a disruptive force to traditional education, what now is disrupting the disrupter? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, “at-scale” learning from highly reputable institutions at low tuition prices is having a seismic impact – with a handful of these institutions growing faster and faster as less affordable private […]

The adult student is becoming even more important. Reported by EAB, the number of students aged 25-34 is forecasted to increase by 21% by 2022. But are our institutions ready to effectively serve this adult learner? The takeaway? Growth in today’s higher education market means a focus on the adult online learner. And that means […]

How do we create leadership pathways for women in higher ed? Reported by Education Dive, Carolyn Stefanco, President of The College of Saint Rose offers suggestions after personally experiencing sexism and discrimination on her upward path. One is to make women’s history and barriers to equality a part of general education. She also recounts her […]

The Fed just streamlined the financial aid process. No, really. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Education Department has released guidance on new changes that give institutions more flexibility when verifying student’s financials. One significant change is that colleges are now able to accept signed tax returns, rather than tax transcripts, which can […]

What if our faculty were more transparent in asking our students how they would improve our courses? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Chuck Tryon from Fayetteville State University was grateful for, and surprised by his student’s feedback when he asked them for it. Many suggestions included the students taking a more active role […]

Are English-only courses an online enrollment growth barrier? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while English is the dominant language of instruction for the global higher ed marketplace, English is only spoken by 20% of the world, and English content only represents 30% of total internet content. So when DartmouthX included a Portuguese language option for […]

Harvard just put a major dent in the “online is an inferior modality” conversation. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Harvard has officially changed the name of their online learning platform from HBX to Harvard Business School Online. While the X suffix has served as a popular higher ed branding solution for internal stakeholders nervous of […]

While undergraduate students highly value mentorship, only 25% actually have a mentor. Reported by EAB, the recent Strada-Gallup alumni survey shows the high student satisfaction value in mentorship, yet many students never develop this sort of relationship while on campus. The takeaway? How do we better connect our students with faculty and administrative mentors? Especially […]

The University of Rhode Island is building three new innovation campuses, dedicated to solving state needs. Reported by Education Dive, these three campuses are specifically designed to integrate academics with commercial products and businesses throughout the state, and catalyze new innovations, industries and growth. The takeaway? The State of Rhode Island recognizes what higher education […]

What will 5G technology mean for higher education? Reported by EdSurge, NYC Media Lab predicts the fifth generation of wireless technologies could take immersive education to the next level – including holographic professors, seamless VR experiences, and clear connectivity for international students. The takeaway? Who at our institutions do we have investigating these new technologies, […]

While many institutions launch new degree programs as an enrollment growth strategy, are new non-degree courses an under-looked opportunity for many departments? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, The University of Kentucky’s English department noticed their courses at capacity were the ones popular with nonmajors, while senior-level degree-specific courses were under-enrolled. So they added sections of […]

As more students move online, college maintenance spending is hitting an 11-year high. Reported by Education Dive, the higher ed building expansion arms race in the past decade has painted the industry in a difficult corner, all while we struggle with enrollment declines. The takeaway? How do we better plan our campus infrastructure for the […]

How is higher education responding to Amazon’s new HQ2 headquarters announcement? Reported by Education Dive, many institutions are quickly building out capacity in order to meet the educational needs of the 25,000 tech jobs Amazon estimates creating. Virginia Tech University announced plans to build out a 1-million square foot, 1-billion dollar Innovation Campus in Alexandria, […]

We must stop talking to every single student the exact same way. Reported by Campus Technology, a new Eduventures study highlights the importance of understanding an individual student’s mindset when communicating to them. This research helps show how students have very different categorical outlooks to academia, including career-focused, experientially-focused, and academically-focused. The takeaway? All of […]

Could micro-internships be an effective way to pay new grads for real-world job trials? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Parker Dewey’s online marketplace connects students with short-term internship opportunities, often between 5 and 40 hours long, and compensated at between $20 and $25/hour. The takeaway? With employers becoming more and more cautious to […]

9 out of 10 admission officers consider transfer student recruitment a significant or moderate portion of reaching their overall enrollment growth goals. Reported by EAB, a new report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling shows an increase in transfer student efforts and strategies, including more transfer-specific admissions hires, a focus on community college […]

Montana employers are designing degree programs. Reported by EAB, Montana employers and state agencies are partnering with Montana universities – using workforce data to determine degree program demand, and launching new programs where they see gaps. The goal is to make sure that Montana state schools continue to focus on serving the needs of the […]

The University of South Florida has opened a Publix grocery store on campus, providing students with groceries along with new employment and research opportunities. Reported by EAB, the on-campus Publix initiative is intended to make both grocery shopping and affordable healthy food options easier for students – and 50 of the new store’s associates are […]

Higher ed’s focus on student retention may be working. Reported by Education Dive, student completion rates at 2- and 4-year colleges are at 58.3%, 1.5 percent higher than the prior year’s cohort. And while fewer than half of black and Hispanic students are still completing within six years, their respective completion rates did grow faster […]

For students who choose to enter the workforce before starting college, does it make more sense to flip our curriculum and provide students a practical vocation-related certificate prior to their general education courses? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Brigham Young University Idaho’s certificate-first online pathway program is focused on improving employability throughout one’s […]

Should online education have a different sticker price than an institution’s on-campus offering? Reported by EdSurge, institutions like Berklee College of Music and the University of Pennsylvania are cutting their online tuition because of the scale offered by online degrees. But many fear that separate pricing for online education reinforces the premise that online education […]

Teaching a live synchronous class via video requires very different best practices than either traditional or online. Reported by EdSurge, Dr. Bonni Stachowiak of Vanguard University recommends best practices like recommending your students all turn their webcams and microphones on, and take advantage of the “live” format to incorporate student participation and group activities like […]

Two more Ivy League institutions are getting into the bootcamp game. Reported by Education Dive, Yale’s summer session will offer a 10-week web development bootcamp. And Harvard is launching a 24-week part-time full-stack certificate program this Spring. The takeaway? While some institutions see bootcamps as threats to traditional higher education, other institutions are embracing them, […]

Reported by Education Dive, The University of Michigan, in an attempt to better shape their class, targeted 1,932 high-achieving low-income Michigan students with a scholarship offer through a mail campaign that spoke to how successful they could be at U-M. Students who received the mailer were 67% more likely to apply than those who hadn’t, […]

Master’s degree programs have become more diverse than ever. Reported by Education Dive, the number of distinct master’s fields granting more than 100 degrees a year has doubled from 289 to 514 between 1995 and 2017. And as master’s degrees become the new bachelor’s for career growth purposes, many institutions are doubling down on these […]

Between 2025 and 2029, fertility rate declines in the United States will have created a drop of nearly 15% in the college-age population. Reported by EAB, this prediction from Nathan Grawe, an economist at Carleton College, means that with more and more institutions fighting for a smaller population of students, establishing your unique positioning prior […]

Only 30% of students found the advice they received from their career services department helpful according to the 2018 Strada-Gallup Alumni survey. Reported by EAB, this study also showed that students value career advice from their professors more than career services staff. The takeaway? How can Career Services become a more helpful and proactive service […]

Discover Financial Services is employing Northern Illinois University undergraduate students on-campus. Reported by Campus Technology, Discover has hired 36 students in Computer Science and Information Systems-related programs to work on mobile software and web applications on campus. Discover views this as a high-potential feeder group to find new star employees, and NIU appreciates the real-world […]

Amazon has made their Amazon Web Services internal training courses available for free. Reported by Education Dive, the more than 30 AWS courses designed to train Amazon engineers on machine learning are now available to the public. This is great new for students looking to add an AWS certification to their resume, and this is […]

For students looking to enroll in courses not currently available at their institution, they may now be able to take that single course online with another. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the Council of Independent Colleges has launched the Online Course Sharing Consortium, where students from participating institutions can take individuals courses not being offered […]

At Trinity College of Connecticut, low-income students no longer need to apply for institutional aid every year, but are awarded a 4-year aid package based on their initial application. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the goal of this policy is to provide more certainty for low-income students, as well as reduce paperwork needs to make […]

In deep knowledge fields, cursory reading and passive listening to a lecture is often not enough to experience deep knowledge breakthrough. Reported by EdSurge, The University of Memphis’ AutoTutor is an attempt to engage students with multiple tutor agents who will debate each other, in order to intentionally create cognitive disequilibrium for the student, all […]

Drexel University has created an online hub called Virtually Inspired, with more than 100 case studies on how institutions across the country are doing online education well. Reported by Campus Technology, in 2016 Drexel University saw a problem with a lack of best practice online instruction and innovation, and decided to create a resource hub […]

Turns out, higher Ed IT leaders don’t approve of their institution’s IT investments. Reported by Campus Technology, in a surprising finding from the Campus Computing Survey, only in one single area – student recruitment – do at least half of our IT leaders rate their institution’s IT investment as “very effective”. The takeaway? Few institutions […]

South Carolina is now offering its residents free coding courses through their SC Codes program. Reported by Campus Technology, these online courses provide South Carolina residents basic knowledge in front-end and back-end web development, and the site itself attempts to connect course completers with potential job opportunities. The takeaway? This is starting to look like […]

Why are college dropouts returning to North Carolina state schools in record numbers? Reported by The Atlantic, the new NC Promise program lowers tuition to $500 a semester for in-state students at select institutions, and at $2,500  a semester for out of state students. Funded by the state legislature, the tuition for low-income students can […]

What if you crowdsourced innovation ideas from your faculty and staff? Reported by EdSurge, Long Beach State University did just that, crowdsourcing 24,000 suggestions from their students, faculty and staff about the future of the university. Free tuition was a popular suggestion. But creative solutions also came out of this experiment regarding transportation, corporate partnerships, […]

Could MOOCs have so many drop-outs specifically because students don’t care about getting credit for them? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new report out of Columbia University attempted to better understand the motivations of nondegree MOOC students, and the results indicate that the vast majority of these students already have a degree (80% already […]

Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while higher education enrollment dropped by almost 90,000 students from fall 2016 to fall 2017, the number of students taking at least some of their courses online grew by more than 350,000. And now, about one in six students are enrolled exclusively online, up 15.4% year over year. The takeaway? […]

With many public institutions now following private institutions’ tactics – recruiting out-of-state students with tuition incentives, this is helping cause the neediest freshman at ½ of these public universities to be paying more than 1/3 of their families’ income to attend. Reported by Education Dive, this is largely the result of significant gaps in state […]

Wichita State University Tech, Kansas’ largest technical college, is partnering with the state to attract potential aviation workers with free relocation, free education, housing stipends, and guaranteed job placement. Reported by Education Dive, The Wichita Promise Move initiative is in the process of relocating 50 enrollees, 75% of whom come from outside Kansas, to receive […]

What if the smart classroom of the future doesn’t look all that different, but acts a whole lot different? Reported by Campus Technology, while much of smart room design prognostications focus on technological novelties, Indiana University’s smart classroom prototype – designed by their IT department after prioritizing the results from faculty focus groups – focuses […]

The first rule of higher ed data governance? It’s everyone’s data. Reported by Education Dive, panelists at the annual EDUCAUSE conference all reinforced the importance of establishing a strong data governance on campus, but focused on creating a culture where no single department “owns” data, but all help steward and inform the institution’s data. The […]

Reported by EdSurge, Marist College offers Online Teaching Workshops for their on-campus faculty to become more comfortable with the technology and pedagogical best practices of online instruction. From first assessing the faculty’s online skillsets, and then personalizing their training and development workshops to shrink their learning curve, Marist is committed to online faculty support. The […]

Adler College in Portland, Oregon is rethinking the 2-year degree. Reported by EdSurge, Adler College, still in the planning and fundraising stages, aims at re-thinking the first two years of a student’s collegiate career. Cohort-driven, and with an integrated curriculum designed to be taken in blocks of 4 courses, the primary goal of Adler College […]

Will Southern New Hampshire University’s new acquisition finally help tip digital badges in higher education? Reported by Education Dive, SNHU’s acquisition of Chicago-based LRNG, a leader in game-based learning and digital badges, is an attempt to utilize community-based digital learning as competency-based credit for their College for America program. The takeaway? While stackable degrees and […]

With the current political climate and #MeToo movement helping women’s colleges experience record entering classes, enrollment coaches are reporting that more and more students are asking questions about the political culture of our respective institutions. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while many institutions have historically tried to remain neutral and inclusive for students of all […]

How will Amazon’s new headquarters effect east coast enrollment? Reported by EdSurge, with Amazon looking to hire 25,000 new employees at each of their new New York City and DC locations, how can our institutions effectively graduate students prepared to feed this employee pipeline? And for more than the obvious computer science need, but for […]

Who owns student outcomes at your institution? Reported by Education Dive, 900 responses to an Educause Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) report show that often, no single unit owns student outcomes – and therefore, that creates a huge risk that no one does. While Institutional Research, Student Affairs, and Information Technology all commonly assume […]

Is Facebook getting into the adult online education game? Reported by EdSurge, Facebook has launched 13 free digital up-skilling and career advice courses designed to serve as a bridge for workforce re-entry or re-fresh. At only nine minutes long each, these micro-content courses are part of a broader trend toward re-skilling outside of traditional degree […]

If humans have a hard time focusing on a single activity for more than 12 minutes, what chance do our students have of sitting through a 60-minute lecture? Reported by EdSurge, Dr. John Branch from the University of Michigan, rather than fighting that neurological reality, embraces it, breaking up the session into various activities, none […]

Will robots replace students, or will students become them? Reported by Campus Technology, students at The University of Colorado Boulder offer “remote presence” options for students who can’t attend a class live that week. These students, with the help of a strong wi-fi connection, can log in to an iPad housed on a robotic neck […]

Is higher ed still refusing to take online education seriously? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, fewer than half of faculty who have taught online have worked with an instructional designer. And with 87% of these same faculty involved in designing their online courses, potential quality issues should concern us. The takeaway? Teaching online is an […]

Reported by Education Dive, President Nellis from Ohio University believes we shortchange higher education when citing the mere million dollars extra a college graduate can expect to make over the course of their career compared to a high school graduate. That the college experience, and the deep-end dive a student plunges themselves into new beliefs, […]

Would more people take professional development courses if they earned something for them beyond the knowledge itself? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while certificates of completion from individual courses offer a nice sense of completion, if these courses were steps toward a larger or more recognized certification degree, would enrollment numbers increase? The takeaway? While […]

What should a university library look like in 2018? Reported by Education Dive, many universities like UC-Berkeley are minimizing their physical collections altogether, while creating brand new collaboration spaces and labs for emerging technology. The takeaway? While the research role of the librarian itself may be more complex than ever, how do we make sure […]

On a cost-cutting mission, Drew University has put all academic expenses off limits. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, instead, Drew University has cut day care expenses, retiree health benefits, and public safety staff redundancies compared to peer institutions. The goal is to prioritize student-facing spending, and even launch various new academic programs to prioritize growth […]