How have test-optional admission policies affected elite colleges? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, New York University for instance has already received more than 100,000 applications from first-year students for next fall, a 20% increase from last year, of which NYU will enroll no more than 6,500 of. The takeaway? The decreased hurdle of certain ACT […]
Category: Enrollment Growth Briefing
First-year college student rate drops a whopping 22% year-over-year
The rate of high school graduates entering college this fall dropped a whopping 22% year-over-year. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, while all high school groups declined this year, urban, low-income and minority student schools sent even fewer graduates to college, widening already existent enrollment gaps. The takeaway? Not only has the pandemic created an existential […]
Are hate crime reports increasing black student enrollment to HBCUs?
Are hate crime reports increasing black student enrollment to HBCUs? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, a recent paper published by Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis shows a 20% enrollment increase by first-time black college students at HBCUs in states where hate crime reports have increased since 2016. The takeaway? The political climate of […]
Solving the rural student underrepresentation problem in higher ed
How can we solve for the rural student underrepresentation problem in higher ed? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, five participating rural community colleges will be working with Educational Design Lab over the next five years to determine new educational models and pathways for rural student success through the help of a $1.9 million grant from […]
A new framework for incorporating industry certifications into degree programs?
Do we need a new framework for incorporating industry certifications into degree programs? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, Workcred has partnered with several higher education associations to develop one. This 6-step framework includes creating a common language around credentialing, aligning curriculum with certification content, and identifying how students can share their credentials with employers. The […]
What does a Biden presidency mean for higher ed relief?
What does a Biden presidency mean for higher ed relief? Reported by The Institute for College Access & Success, since the passage of the CARES Act last March, which provided $30.8 billion through its Education Relief Fund, colleges have requested an additional $120 billion in federal aid relief. The takeaway, while the most recent relief […]
How did colleges self-police their COVID testing protocols last fall?
How did colleges self-police their COVID testing protocols last fall? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, survey results from the American College Health Association show that only 37.2% of colleges tested students upon their arrival to campus last fall. The takeaway? Will a new Biden presidency and administration usher in a clearer national strategy on testing […]
COVID compliance enforced by a jury of your student peers?
COVID compliance enforced by a jury of your student peers? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Rice University’s COVID Community Court is a student-led judiciary responsible for sentencing on COVID non-compliance cases, including fines, community service, and education courses. The takeaway? Is peer-to-peer punishment easier to accept than a top-down system of university rules enforcement? And […]
Why hasn’t Auburn University increased their black student representation?
Why hasn’t Auburn University increased their black student representation? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while the state of Alabama’s black population represents 26% of all citizens, Auburn University’s black population is only 5%. But despite a task force being assembled in 2015 to address these concerns, which did indeed provide recommendations including intentional recruitment strategies […]
Could our Teaching Assistants be replaced by AI’s creating AIs?
Could our teaching assistants be replaced with AI’s creating AIs? Reported by EdSurge, historically the cost of building an AI tutoring tool – up to 1,000 faculty hours – may not be worth the time you’d save by creating one. But now Georgia Institute of Technology is working on an artificially intelligent system that can […]
Are colleges more excited about ISA’s than students?
Are colleges more excited about income share agreements than students? Reported by EdSurge, while more than 60 colleges now offer income share agreements that provide for student loan financing payback dependent on the student’s post-graduate income, student awareness of these programs still appears to be low, and their skepticism high. The takeaway? Many of us […]
Do remedial courses help students if they don’t count toward their degree?
Do remedial classes help students if they don’t count toward their degree? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with research showing that students are more likely to complete transfer-level math and English courses if they can earn credit for them, California created a bill in 2018 which restricts community colleges from requiring remedial courses, which has […]
Biggest online learning lesson from the pandemic?
The biggest online learning lesson from the pandemic? That we need to be ready to teach through the next one. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the institutions who were the most ready for an immediate transition to online learning were the institutions who had already experienced significant disruption in the past, often midwestern schools due […]
Where’s this recession’s higher ed bump?
Where’s this recession’s higher ed bump? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, more than 1/3 of prospective college students are reconsidering higher education. Is that true for the market’s incumbent workforce as well? Because in past recessions, higher ed typically sees enrollment growth from adults in the workforce looking to upskill and become more marketable. But […]
90% of students are unsatisfied but staying put
90% of students are unsatisfied but staying put. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, according to a new survey by Anthology, nearly 90% of students plan on re-enrolling at the same college this spring they attended in the fall. This despite more than 32% of students saying they didn’t “feel included” in a friend circle and […]
Morehouse benefactor is now backing income-based financing for HBCU’s
A Morehouse benefactor is now backing income-based financing for HBCU’s. Reported by EdSurge, Vista Equity Partners CEO Robert E. Smith, who paid $34 million to settle the loan debt for Morehouse College’s graduates back in 2019, has now set up the Student Freedom Initiative, designed to provide financial support for HBCU students through income-based financing. […]
The pandemic’s pressure on the existing college preparedness problem
Will the pandemic put even more pressure on the existing college preparedness problem? Reported by EdSurge, prior to the pandemic, according to the Community College Research Center, nearly 2/3 of entering community college students lacked the math and language skills necessary for college-level placement. And prior developmental education interventions have proven less than effective, with […]
Could colleges become vaccine administration sites?
Could colleges become vaccine administration sites? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, the CDC has urged for the consideration of college campuses as vaccine administration sites. Often located centrally, and with large square footage in campus parking lots, dining halls, and residence halls, colleges could play a critical role in helping to immunize not only their […]
What if faculty say no to our back-to-campus plans?
What if faculty say no to our back-to-campus plans? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Wentworth Institute of Technology faculty’s response to plans for increased in-person instruction this spring was a vote of no confidence in the institution’s president and administration. These faculty are worried about the increased COVID-19 exposure required with the institution’s insistence that […]
50 liberal arts colleges team up to fight systemic racism
50 liberal arts colleges are teaming up to fight systemic racism. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance will host virtual meetings about equity for up to 8 members for participating institutions each month, in exchange for an $18,000/yr membership fee. The takeaway? This is a great example of […]
Is higher ed’s usual recession bump finally coming?
Is higher ed’s usual recession bump finally coming? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, graduate student enrollment growth doubled year-over-year, up 2.9% since last fall. All while online-primary colleges’ graduate enrollment grew a whopping 9.7%. The takeaway? Recessions often send employees looking to up-skill back to our campuses. Are we ready to make good on the […]
College esports hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic
While college esports were growing in popularity before the pandemic, they haven’t slowed down like other sports during the pandemic either. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, while most college sports have been hit hard this year in some way or another, esports haven’t suffered in the same way. In fact, at Shenandoah University in Virginia, […]
Will states start only funding online-only education?
Will states start only funding online-only education? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while higher ed is in serious need for state and federal funding after this disruptive year, some legislators, including David Ramadan, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, have begun questioning funding the broader education infrastructure budget vs. going all-in on virtual […]
Common App Drops Discharge Question for Military Veterans
The Common App has dropped its discharge question for military veterans. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, 80% of those veterans who skipped that question about “reason for discharge” failed to complete the application altogether. And after surveying their members, 59% of institutions claimed this answer was never necessary to make an admissions decision. The takeaway? […]
Are students happier with virtual learning this fall, or merely getting used to it?
Are students happier with virtual learning this fall, or merely getting used to it? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a Top Hat survey of 3,400 undergraduates shows slight improvements from the same survey this spring, including a 5 point improvement in students claiming they had regular access to their instructors, and a 4 point improvement […]
Could next fall’s incoming class be even smaller than this year?
Could next fall’s incoming class be even smaller than this year’s? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, 47% of all high school seniors have not applied to a single college yet. Likely because they don’t yet know what kind of college experience they’d be applying to. Because if you remember, last March, many students were already […]
What’s happening for colleges refusing to go test-optional?
What’s happening for colleges refusing to go test-optional? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Florida for instance, is still requiring their incoming students to take either the ACT or SAT as an admission requirement. This despite 30% of national testing centers currently remaining closed. The results? The 12 universities in the State University System of Florida […]
Are class “afterparties” the solution to remote student engagement?
Are class “afterparties” the solution to remote student engagement? Reported by EdSurge, Bonni Stachowiak from Vanguard University has started bookending her classes with an “after party”. Following an active learning classroom where students engage in activities, often muted and with their cameras off, she then helps students with the reading and condenses some of it […]
Will a $10k bachelor’s actually help the very students it was designed to?
Will a $10k bachelor’s actually help the very students it was designed to? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, Southern New Hampshire and other colleges are racing towards the design of a $10k degree. But as President Paul LeBlanc states, the secret is “deciding where and how human interaction takes place”. And this makes sense. It […]
Colleges are tightening up their coronavirus crackdown policies on students
Colleges are tightening up their coronavirus crackdown policies on students. Reported by Higher Ed Dive, as the fall term progresses and national COVID numbers get worse and worse, more colleges are ramping up their student safety policies to avoid facing a broader shutdown. Boston University has dropped their student gathering maximum from 25 to 10. […]
Does America need a bridge institution between high school and college?
Does America need a bridge institution between high school and college? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, the college readiness arm of Western Governors University, WGU Academy, has spun off into a separate nonprofit. Designed for students not quite ready for standard admission, WGU Academy offers competency-based courses at a flat $150/month fee, including non-credit readiness […]
Can private colleges afford another down year?
Can private college afford another down year? Reported by Higher Ed Dive, 75% of private colleges predict their net tuition revenue will decline in 2021 according to Moody’s Investors Service. And in this world, what happens? According to Edmit, more than 345 private nonprofit colleges could close within the next six years. Perhaps even sooner. […]
Has the University of Maryland figured out how to re-enroll stop-outs?
Has the University of Maryland figured out how to re-enroll stop-outs? Reported by Education Dive, a new campaign designed to re-enroll students with more than 60 credits completed successfully did so with 123 ex-students this fall, bringing in roughly $385,000 in what would have been lost tuition revenue through this campaign. The secret? They were […]
Are new programs the key to new enrollments?
Are new programs the key to new enrollments? Reported by Education Dive, while many institutions have sought growth through the launch of new market-friendly programs, a new Burning Glass report found that of the more than 10,000 programs launched in 2013 and 2014, fewer than half of those programs had more than 5 graduates in […]
Judging an institution’s response to faculty deaths
How should we judge an institution’s response to a faculty COVID death? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Collin College President Neil Matkin has been criticized by faculty for announcing the death of one of their colleague’s at the bottom of an email titled, “Happy Thanksgiving!” suggesting this afterthought is emblematic of the institution’s […]
Princeton will bring undergrads back this spring
Princeton University will bring their undergrads back this spring. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, with their campus currently open only for graduate students, President Christopher Eisgruber announced a “highly constrained on-campus experience” for their undergraduate students this spring. The takeaway? With prohibited social gatherings and single-occupancy housing, the question will be if students […]
Small groups to student retention’s rescue?
Small groups to student retention’s rescue? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that while there was a demonstrated decrease in student learning during the pandemic spring, the students who suffered the least were the ones in classes with planned peer interactions. The takeaway? We […]
48% of early-career faculty considering leaving higher ed
48% of early-career faculty are considering leaving higher ed. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while the early stress of the pandemic took a heavy toll on our faculty, a new study from Course Hero shows that its unceasing is driving many to consider leaving the field altogether. Faculty are not only being asked to teach […]
What are new EdTech dollars focused on?
What are new EdTech dollars focused on? Reported by Education Dive, one of the most interesting challenges on the table is solving videoconferencing specifically for the classroom. Because while platforms like ZOOM are great about getting everyone’s face on a screen, ZOOM wasn’t designed for universities. Some providers like Engageli are working to build their […]
What will the free college debate look like under President Biden?
What will the free college debate look like under President Biden? Reported by Education Dive, free public four-year college appears to be on the table. But Biden’s original plan includes the individual states funding 1/3 of the costs, and in a COVID recession, that may be a difficult political possibility for financially devastated states. Similarly, […]
How have traditionally hands-on programs transitioned online?
How well have traditionally hands-on programs transitioned online during COVID? Reported by Education Dive, while nursing and veterinary programs found their clinical scenarios the most difficult to reproduce online, many have found novel solutions since, including shipping animal models directly to students to practice surgical techniques over webcams. Other clinical scenarios have proven even easier […]
Netflix partnering with HBCU for tuition-free coding boot camps
Netflix is partnering with an HBCU to provide tuition-free technology boot camps. Reported by Education Dive, Netflix is launching and fully funding three technology boot camps with Norfolk State University, including Java Engineering, UX/UI Design, and Data Science program tracks. Netflix’s stated goal is to solve the underrepresentation problem in the tech industry. And in […]
PLA works but few take advantage of it
Prior learning assessments work to encourage degree completion, but too few take advantage of it. Reported by Education Dive, new research from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education found that only 11% of adult students earn PLA credit. But for those who do, 49% earn their […]
Should colleges send students home for winter break?
Many colleges were criticized for bringing their students back to campus during a pandemic. Should they also be criticized if they send them home for winter break? Reported by Education Dive, while many outbreaks this fall have been shown to square centrally in college towns, a new fear has become what happens when we send […]
How to engage distracted students
How can we engage distracted students? Reported by EdSurge, a new book by Dr. James Lang, “Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It” offers some research-backed suggestions. One critical one? That doing “anything” for a long time increases attention-fatigue. Whether it’s a 75-minute lecture or a 75-minute discussion, the problem […]
First-year college students down 16% this year. Who’s missing?
First-year college student enrollment is down 16% this year. Who’s missing? Reported by EdSurge, this national enrollment drop is largest at community colleges with first-year community college student enrollment down a whopping 23% year over year, suggesting that the same students most economically disadvantaged by the pandemic and its impacting recession are of course the […]
What if college moves to pass/fail grading?
What if college moves to pass/fail grading? Reported by Education Dive, many institutions citing the high stress-levels amongst their students, have moved to a pass/fail grading system to ensure that earning a particular grade isn’t serving as an additional stressor for them. The takeaway? Will this be a COVID-inspired trend that has sticking power? Especially […]
What if colleges offered credit for MOOCs?
What if colleges offered official credit for MOOCs? Reported by EdSurge, Coursera has offered Coursera for Campus for free since March, to help colleges transition to online learning, offering their courseware to become part of an institutions’ for-credit courses. The takeaway? What if a college used Coursera’s more than 4,000 existing courses to supplement their […]
Is COVID widening the K12 enrichment gap?
Is COVID widening the K12 enrichment gap? Reported by EdSurge, approximately 70% of afterschool providers closed during the pandemic. Low-income families who depend on these services to keep up and get ahead academically have been set back during COVID. All while high-income families are increasing their extracurricular supplements through online courses, classes and programs. The […]
ACT scores dropped to lowest level in 10 years
ACT scores have dropped to their lowest level in 10 years. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, only 26% of ACT-tested students met all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks this year, with half of underserved students (low-income, minority, and/or first-gen college students) meeting none of these benchmarks. The takeaway? This was of course a particularly disruptive […]
How can we increase student-to-student engagement online?
How can we increase student-to-student engagement online? Reported by EdSurge, so much focus has been made on replicating the knowledge transfer process from in-person to online, potentially overlooking the similarly critical pedagogical reality of peer support. So how do we connect students with each other? Some faculty are using discussion prompts on their LMS to […]
Should colleges trade in their viewbooks for magazines?
Every college has a viewbook. To tell students what makes them different. But why use the exact same format everyone else is using to explain why you’re “different”? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, that’s why Hampden-Sydney College traded in their viewbook for a magazine. Stories. Articles. Humor. And college advice. The takeaway? This follows a […]
Enrollment fell at more than half of colleges this fall
Enrollment fell at more than half of colleges this fall. Reported by Education Dive, slightly more than half of college presidents surveyed by the American Council on Education (ACE) claim that their total enrollment is lower this fall than a year ago. And since COVID was likely not yet top of mind when determining this […]
What if high school earned you an associate’s degree?
What if students graduated high school with their associate’s degree? Reported by Education Dive, through Lorain County Community College’s MyUniversity program, students can graduate their area high school with 71 free college credits through a dual enrollment program, pre-accepted by colleges throughout the country, leaving only a few semesters left to graduate with a full […]
3/4 of Colleges offering in-person classes don’t have clear COVID testing plans
The vast majority of colleges offering in-person classes don’t have clear COVID testing plans. Reported by Education Dive, a new report by NPR and Davidson College’s College Crisis Initiative found that only a quarter of mid-sized colleges or larger with enrollments higher than 5,000 students offering in-person classes are also testing students en masse or […]
Are institutions legally responsible for student and faculty COVID deaths?
Can we mourn our student and faculty coronavirus victims without being culpable? Reported by Education Dive, a recent announcement about a student death at Appalachian State University brought up this ethical question when the university’s death announcement included facts about the student’s off-campus residence and their only-online course enrollments. This left those in the campus […]
The new online learning dress code and other norms
A pants-optional online classroom? Reported by EdSurge, faculty pausing mid-lecture to remind a student they need to be wearing pants while on ZOOM isn’t even the weirdest classroom norm being violated or determined this fall. From not bringing your laptop to the bathroom, to not drinking alcohol on-camera during class – these seemingly “obvious” etiquettes […]
Are our faculty being won over by online learning?
Are our faculty finally being won over by online learning? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new Tyton Partners survey shows that faculty who believe online learning is effective has increased from 39% to 49% since May. The takeaway? While still under 50%, online education still clearly has a long way to go to get […]
Your transfer welcome program is beginning far too late
Does your transfer program need to start in the student’s first term at their local community college? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while many institutions have put together some very strong transfer “welcome” programs to try and match the first-year experience their traditional students receive, a new study published in Educational Researcher suggest that this […]
Will going test-optional remove a popular higher ed marketing channel?
Does going test-optional remove a popular marketing channel from higher ed’s arsenal? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with many institutions announcing they will be offering a test-optional admissions process for the next school year, fewer and fewer students will likely be taking the ACT and SAT this year, especially given the health risks of doing […]
New data in the skills vs. liberal arts debate
There’s new data in the skills vs. liberal arts debate. Reported by Education Dive, new research from Ithaka S&R shows that low-income students who attend liberal arts-focused colleges have a higher chance of becoming higher-income adults. The takeaway? With so much talk and trends toward certificate programs and immediate ROI education, this study should at […]
Dickinson College fights to make their international students feel welcome from a distance
Dickinson College is fighting to make their international students feel welcome from a distance. Reported by Education Dive, with the coronavirus pandemic and federal law restricting travel, college leaders are creating virtual and in-person alternatives for their international students unable to return to campus. By partnering with their global partner universities, Dickinson is working to […]
Do students need success coaches or therapists?
Do students need success coaches or therapists? Reported by Education Dive, in a recent survey of more than 45,000 students from public research universities, 1/3 screened positive for major depressive disorder, and nearly 40% screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder. In even more troubling news, 60% of students in a separate survey said the pandemic […]
Can states no longer afford their free college plans?
Can states no longer afford their free college plans? Reported by Education Dive, Oregon lawmakers have cut their state’s free college program funding by $3.6 million, revoking some already offered student grants. Similarly, New York is publicly considering a reduction of their free tuition scholarships to prioritize current recipients. The takeaway? Some dramatic budget priorities […]
Google invests in HBCUs
Reported by Education Dive, Google has launched a million dollar digital skills training initiative with 20 historically black colleges and universities. The semester-long digital training program is designed to help students, especially first-generation students, navigate the nuances of corporate America. The takeaway? This Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program is part of Google’s recent […]
The community college enrollment boom prediction didn’t happen this fall
Remember that big community college enrollment boom many predicted for this fall? Reported by Education Dive, it didn’t happen. In fact, community college enrollment fell 7.5% year-over-year, the biggest decrease out of any institution type. The early prediction was based on the fact that, if students weren’t going to be able to have a “traditional” […]
Is COVID increasing the popularity of college consortiums?
Is COVID increasing the popularity of college consortiums? Reported by Education Dive, with colleges having been forced to migrate so quickly to online instruction, many colleges found consortium partnerships to be their best route. More than 70 institutions have joined the Council of Independent Colleges’ Online Course Sharing Consortium since the pandemic began. For many […]
The limitations of COVID contact tracing on college campuses
The limitations of COVID contact tracing on college campuses are becoming more apparent. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, at many campuses, students are not getting notified if their classmate tests positive for COVID. Specifically, because if the classroom is set up for social distancing, the chance of spread becomes theoretically low. The takeaway? There is […]
What spring break?
What spring break? Reported by Education Dive, in order to limit the amount of student travel to and from campus, especially across state lines, many institutions are scrapping spring break, and instead plan on bringing students back to campus a week later for the spring term than usual. The takeaway? The correlation of college towns […]
College tuition sees it largest decline since 1978
College tuition just experienced its largest month-over-month decline since 1978. Reported by Education Dive, the Consumer Price Index for college tuition and fees declined 0.7% from July to August due to some institutions reducing fall tuition prices in order to stay competitive and attractive during a pandemic to students and families skeptical of the same […]
Are fall finances affecting spring campus opening decisions?
Is the financial reality of fall affecting our spring campus decisions? Reported by Education Dive, some colleges have already begun to announce their spring plans, including the University of Connecticut and Pennsylvania State University, which are leaning heavily toward online and hybrid instruction. But with many institutions having much rougher fall enrollments and revenue, how […]
Did we underestimate the community importance of college sports?
How many of our students actually come to our institutions to “watch” sports? Reported by EdSurge, while many have written about the potential revenue effects of campus sports cancellations and the enrollment risk of the athletes themselves, did we perhaps underestimate how important the campus sports culture is for our other students who choose to […]
Drake University is Building its own 2-Year College
If 2-year colleges are truly a competitive threat, why don’t 4-year institutions build their own? Reported by Education Dive, The John Dee Bright College will begin offering associate degrees in the fall of 2021 with an annual tuition of $18,500, less than half the tuition price at Drake University itself. The takeaway? While this 2-year […]
Assessing COVID’s impact on faculty-admin tensions
How has COVID affected faculty tensions with university administration across higher ed? Reported by Education Dive, strikes and “sickouts” at University of Michigan and University of Iowa highlight the exacerbation of existing faculty-admin tensions on our campuses, with many administrations pushing for on-campus in-person instruction, and many faculty fighting for more flexibility due to the […]
Rapid COVID testing alone isn’t good enough for our college campuses
Rapid COVID testing alone isn’t good enough for our college campuses. Reported by Education Dive, while The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign had been hailed for its aggressive testing strategy to prevent the spread of coronavirus, in its first week back, the campus saw 700 new cases. The takeaway? Even twice-a-week mandated testing alone, which […]
Which institutions are at the most revenue risk this fall?
Which institutions are at the most revenue risk this fall? Reported by Education Dive, it’s the institutions most revenue-dependent on auxiliary income outside tuition that are the most at risk this fall. For instance, Wheaton College in Massachusetts depends on auxiliary income such as housing, dining, and athletics for 30% of its operating income, compared […]
Canceling Classes on Election Day?
Should colleges cancel classes on election day? Unlike many countries, the United States does not offer Election Day as a national holiday. And therefore, it can be difficult for many working adults to get to the voting booth while balancing work, family, and education. Reported by The Washington Post, students at many institutions, including American […]
U.S. News & World Report Updates Methodology, But Not Top Placements
U.S. News & World Report has updated their college rankings methodology. And after doing so, there are absolutely no changes in the top three positions year-over-year. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, these methodology changes include a reduction in the weighting of SAT and ACT scores (from 10% to 7%), a reduction in the weighting of […]
6 Liberal Arts Colleges Team up for 1-Stop Admission Events
What if every single college didn’t try to do every single thing on their own? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams Colleges are teaming up for 1-stop admission events, offering joint virtual events, speaking about the benefits of liberal arts colleges to students, parents, and counselors. The takeaway? While […]
NACAC asks public institutions to remain test-optional next year
Will test-optional admissions continue next year as well? Reported by Education Dive, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has asked that public institutions not require entrance exam scores for the 2021-22 academic year. The takeaway? How might this affect the broader test prep industry? If the ACT and SAT aren’t the tricks to […]
How Will the Black Lives Matter Movement Affect Curriculum This Fall?
Will the Black Lives Matter movement affect curriculum on campus this fall? Reported by Education Dive, the University of Pittsburgh is requiring first-year students to complete a course on anti-black racism. This one-credit course is designed to educate students about the Black experience in America. The takeaway? This course mandate is partially a response to […]
Will More Students Finally Find Community Colleges This Fall?
Will more students finally find community colleges this fall? Reported by EdSurge, community college has long felt like the hyper-rational economic choice. And yet, despite their affordability, year after year, millions of students would go on to choose a private college counterpart instead. But this fall, many of the reasons for choosing the private experience […]
Using our Students’ Smart Phones as Contact Tracers?
What if we let our smart phones do our contact tracing for us? Reported by Education Dive, a test pilot at the University of Alabama is utilizing the GuideSafe app, developed using Apple and Google tools, to let students know if they’ve been exposed to someone who’s contacted the virus, based on whether or not […]
Free Tuition Next Year, If You Need It
If you stay enrolled this year, we’ll make your make-up term free, if you need it. Reported by Education Dive, some institutions, such as Pacific Lutheran University and St. Norbert College, are choosing to offer an extra term or year after the student’s expected graduation date for free if they stay enrolled this year. The […]
COVID Testing Every Other Day to Prevent Campus Closures?
To prevent campus closures from COVID, would colleges need to test students every other day? Reported by Education Dive, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests such, and that after modeling thousands of scenarios with an institution of 5,000 students, the incredibly high bar of every other day testing with […]
Are across the board budget cuts coming for higher ed?
Are across the board budget cuts coming for higher ed? Reported by Education Dive, a new survey from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) reveals that more university presidents expect to have to implement across-the-board budget and benefit cuts than they did back in March at the beginning of COVID, including a full […]
Is now the perfect time to reevaluate how we evaluate?
Is now the time to reevaluate how we evaluate? Reported by EdSurge, our faculty were fairly forgiving this spring when it came to grading, knowing that everyone was getting used to a very new normal. But with increasing concerns about increasing plagiarism and the ability to cheat online, some institutions are experimenting with ungrading initiatives. […]
The privacy issues of contact tracing
How can we navigate the student privacy issues involved in contact tracing? Reported by EdSurge, when a student is identified as testing positive for COVID-19, re-tracing their steps on campus can be a fairly easy digital process. A college could see when the student swiped their keycard to enter a building, or when a student’s […]
Is our faculty’s role as curriculum creator or curator?
Is our faculty’s role as curriculum creator or curator? Reported by EdSurge, we may have made the challenge of spinning up new online classes this year harder than we needed it to be. Because many of our faculty hold a belief that their course needs to be all theirs. But with thousands of faculty teaching […]
Should FAFSA completion be mandatory?
Should FAFSA completion be mandatory? Reported by Education Dive, Louisiana and Texas have moved toward policies requiring high school seniors to either complete or formally decline the FAFSA as part of the college admissions process, in hopes of ensuring more low-income students will qualify for Pell Grants and unlock their college affordability pathway. The takeaway? […]
The incentives to lie about student symptoms
What are the incentives to lie about student COVID symptoms? Reported by Forbes, 10 members of the Colorado State University football team alleged their coaches asked them not to report coronavirus symptoms due to the potentially negative team ramifications of having to quarantine. The takeaway? The incentives for lying about symptoms in the athletic arena […]
COVID’s effect on college towns
As students cross state lines from across the nation to fill up their college town, what are they bringing with them? Reported by The New York Times, The University of Iowa, facing a $75 million budget shortfall due to the pandemic, recently welcomed students back. In Iowa City, with 75,000 residents, more than 26,000 are […]
Northeastern enforces social distancing by removing 11 students from campus, not returning tuition
How can institutions enforce social distancing? Reported by BuzzFeed News, Northeastern University is doing so through incredibly tough penalties for non-compliance, and has suspended 11 first-year students for the remainder of the semester after they were found together, a breach of the institution’s coronavirus policies. These students will not be eligible for a refund on […]
Welcoming students from travel-banned states
How do we welcome new students coming from travel-banned states? Reported by Education Dive, with many states having quarantine orders for out-of-state visitors, how can our campuses welcome back our traveling students this fall? For instance, many states not only recommend but mandate quarantine for out-of-state visitors upon arrival. That means that your students may […]
Can we learn off other institution’s hybrid-learning curves?
Can we learn off other institutions’ hybrid-learning curves? Reported by Education Dive, as we seek to figure out technology solves for this next chapter and challenge of online learning across higher education, let’s make sure we understand what others have built and tested already. For example, Harvard University’s heavy-investment hybrid learning experiment includes many cameras […]
Is the design future of the college campus HVAC-focused?
Will the design future of the college campus be heavily focused on HVAC systems? Reported by Education Dive, the trend in design planning for the college campus over the last 10 years has focused on conversations about “maker spaces”, and co-learning environments where students can study, learn, and work with their peers and instructors. But […]
Will this fall’s virtual learning be better than spring’s?
Will this fall’s virtual learning be better than our student’s spring experience? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, this will often depend on what the student’s institution was focused on this summer. Many institutions spent the last few months figuring out how to make in-person learning work by any means possible, even if that meant a […]
Do we need to finally solve for online cheating?
With so many of our students learning online this fall, do we need to finally do a better job solving for online cheating? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, more and more institutions are ramping up their proctoring technology along with their broader moves to online learning. But is technology our only answer, or can we […]
Should we be encouraging our 4-year students to enroll in community college, too?
Should we be encouraging our 4-year students to enroll in community college, too? Reported by Education Dive, a new study from Community College Research Center has found that students who take as many as 10 credits at a two-year institution while enrolled in a 4-year program increase their chances to graduate on time and earn […]
Google Career Certificates: a next-attempt at certificate-first education
Google is making their next attempt at certificate-first education. Reported by Inc, Google Career Certificates are 6-month skill programs Google themselves claim will count equivalent to a 4-year degree requirement for new employees they’re hiring, including project manager, data analyst, and UX designer. The takeaway? Google’s efforts echo a broader trend of helping students increase […]
Should we let the algorithms make our admissions decisions?
Will the algorithms that replace admissions tests prove to be any less biased? Reported by EdSurge, many institutions have dug into their data over the last five years to learn that admissions tests like SAT and ACT aren’t reliable predictors of a student’s success at their institution, and are moving toward test-optional admissions policies. And […]
Higher ed’s liability if students get COVID
What is higher ed’s liability if our students and faculty get COVID? Reported by Education Dive, more and more colleges are looking to their states for liability shields offered to some hospitals and other businesses, both to prevent legislation from students looking for refunds if they close campus, and also from students looking for liability […]
Are blended classes the resiliency answer?
Are blended classes the resiliency answer? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, higher ed has done a formidable job immediately translating in-person courses into online experiences. But if higher ed’s delivery mode needs to be more resilient moving forward than our physical campuses have been, are blended courses the solution? Where students have the opportunity to […]
Just kidding, we’re coming back online
Just kidding, we’re coming back online. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, hundreds of colleges with optimistic intentions of coming back with in-person instruction options to start the fall semester have recently reversed course and announced that fall will begin with online-only instruction. The takeaway? Often citing “new scientific evidence”, many of these institutions were likely […]
Are tuition cuts higher ed’s only path to a financially healthy fall?
Are tuition cuts higher ed’s only path to a financially healthy fall? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many universities are starting to offer significant tuition discounts for fall. And while many are hesitant to label these as “online” discounts out of concern for valuing their online offerings less so than their in-person offerings, they are […]
College sports are canceled this fall
College sports are canceled this fall. Reported by NPR, the Big Ten and Pac-12 have both announced that their fall sports schedule have been canceled for the remainder of the academic year. Originally, colleges were hopeful they could limit COVID risk by playing all games in-conference, but safety concerns and flare-ups nationwide have proven too […]
Students are looking for financial aid answers
Students are looking for financial aid answers during an incredibly difficult economic time. Reported by Education Dive, a recent survey from Ithaka S+R indicated that roughly 50% of the 15,000 students surveyed were looking for more communication from their financial aid offices. Because many students are concerned about both their aid and academic standing. They’re […]
Reminder: higher ed was already struggling before the pandemic
Just a friendly and terrible reminder that higher ed was already struggling before the pandemic. Reported by Education Dive, a lack of governmental funding, enrollment pressure, affordability concern and a growing volume of student mental health issues was already creating incredible difficulty before a global pandemic came in to add chaos to an existing crisis. […]
Another setback study for behavioral economics interventions improving online completion rates
We have another setback study for those waiting for behavioral economics interventions to improve higher ed’s online completion rates. Reported by EdSurge, researchers from MIT just completed what may be the largest research study regarding behavioral nudges and their impact on online student success, which included nearly 250,000 students. But while faculty interventions led to […]
Siena College did a test run of socially distanced fall learning options for us
Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Siena College did a test run of 3 socially distanced fall learning options for us, including a face-to-face collaborative classroom, a lecture course, and an outdoor seated collaborative class – all of which seated students 6 feet apart with some students attending via ZOOM as well. The primary learnings? Physically […]
Harvard’s 20% freshman deferral rate is a concerning indicator
Reported by Forbes, 20% of Harvard’s incoming class have chosen to defer their enrollment and forgo their undergraduate education option this year. The takeaway? Forgo for what is still not super clear. But with many thinking that the elite institutions would be relatively spared from enrollment issues this fall, if Harvard’s having enrollment issues, the […]
Moving from test-optional to algorithmic admission decisions
If it’s our algorithms telling us that standardized tests aren’t helpful predictors for college success, should we let the algorithms themselves replace our requirements? Reported by EdSurge, with so many colleges going test-optional after digging into their data, the question is whether the data is good enough now to create the requirements for us? The […]
Are we heading into a student retention crisis?
Let’s say we get students to come back online this fall. Are we heading for a student retention crisis shortly after? Reported by EdSurge, higher ed’s online student retention rate is historically between 5 and 35% lower than our in-person retention rates. It’s a higher barrier format to keep students engaged with, even when you […]
Fighting really hard for a return to plexiglass campuses
For those fighting for a return to in-person learning as normal, we may not be prepared for what we’re actually wishing for. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, for those institutions who do open their traditional doors this fall, the isolation of the new in-person experience may be overwhelming. Largely empty classrooms with students safely separated […]
Is active learning inherently at odds with social distancing?
Is active learning inherently at odds with social distancing? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a reversion to physically distanced classrooms may cause some faculty to revert back to the traditional lecture who may have been experimenting with active learning experiences. The takeaway? Will a physically distanced in-person classroom divided by plexiglass actually be harder to […]
85% of the top 100 liberal arts schools have gone test-optional this year
85% of the top 100 liberal arts institutions are test-optional this year. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, COVID has greatly accelerated the trend toward test-optional admissions policies, specifically because COVID prevented so many test takers from completing the ACT and SAT this spring. So much so that 85 of the top 100 liberal arts schools […]
Are the ACT and SAT going away or being replaced?
Are the ACT and SAT going away or being replaced? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the trend toward test-optional admissions continues and is growing due to COVID-19 preventing many of the spring tests from being able to take place this year. Some institutions have seen no data correlation between success on these tests and success […]
Are higher ed’s trust banks empty?
Are higher ed’s trust banks empty? Reported by EdSurge, the grace period our students and their families gave us may be running out. It is impossible to know the future. And yet, announcing plans and reversing course just weeks later rightfully strikes our students as a trust loss for us. The takeaway? How can we […]
What will college fundraising look like this year?
What will college fundraising look like this year? Reported by Education Dive, with a new EAB survey that shows college advancement officials predicting a 10% or drop in philanthropic revenue this year, what will those donor relationships look like? We’re asking alumni to no longer invest into the identical experience they had, but making sure […]
Are the colleges calling fall for online-only simply the ones who can?
Are the colleges calling fall for online-only simply the ones who can? Reported by Education Dive, the ivy league and elite schools making the early decisions for an online-only fall may have the confidence that their students will accept the decision, and be able to learn in that online environment. Whereas, some institutions more dependent […]
Is being smart enough to get into college as good as going?
Is being smart enough to get into college as good as going? Reported by Education Dive, this is a common misconception – that those who attend college earn more than those who don’t because they have the intellectual advantage that enabled them to get in. But a new paper from the National Bureau of Economic […]
The international enrollment drop could cost higher ed $3B this fall
This fall’s international enrollment drop could cost higher ed $3B. Reported by Education Dive, a forecasting survey of 346 institutions from NAFSA suggests an estimated three billion dollar loss in international enrollment revenue this fall from coronavirus issues, travel restrictions, and exclusionary federal policies. The takeaway? Already in a recession, a $3 billion international enrollment […]
Our new online faculty need better online training
Our brand-new online faculty need better online training. Reported by EdSurge, helping our faculty dig into the last three decades of online teaching practice research may prove invaluable to creating better online-first pedagogical habits. The takeaway? There are courses, webinars, blogs, and research on best-practice online instruction. Even our own courses themselves, to give our […]
What do our faculty think of online learning?
So many studies have focused on our students’ perception to our emergency remote teaching this spring. But how has spring affected our faculty’s view of online learning? Reported by Education Dive, 40% of surveyed instructors view online instruction “not so highly” or “not at all highly”, with only 22% viewing online instruction “very or extremely […]
Will the COVID recession usher in new progressive financial aid policies?
Will the COVID recession usher in new progressive financial aid policies? Reported by Education Dive, the mission of making college affordable for those who need it the most is more critical than ever. So how can we look to recent test pilots for inspiration and direction? Like University of Michigan’s recent HAIL Scholarship study, which […]
Reality check hits higher ed’s once optimistic fall plans
A reality check is hitting higher ed’s once optimistic fall plans. Reported by Education Dive, with confirmed coronavirus infections surging in the last few weeks, several colleges have publicly reversed their original plans to re-open campus this fall, including the University of Southern California and Loyola University Chicago. The takeaway? The benefits of making a […]
Do our students need the humanities now more than ever?
Do our students need the humanities now more than ever? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Coursera’s biggest growth in courses this year came from a 780% increase in the humanities, including the most popular overall course on the platform being The Science of Well Being. The takeaway? Perhaps we’re so focused on making sure students […]
Decoding our online accessibility challenges
What online accessibility challenges do colleges still need to decode before fall? Reported by EdSurge, the two biggest challenges making sure students could transition to online learning this past spring were physical accessibility (making sure students had computers), and connection accessibility (making sure students had internet). That latter one is often the trickier challenge that […]
What we can learn from this asterisk year from our rising freshman?
Will we learn anything from this asterisk year for our rising freshman? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, it was a year of a whole lot of firsts, and a whole lot of no’s for many. No SAT. No ACT. No college visits. No counselor visits. But will it be hard to learn all too much […]
Are the 20% enrollment drop fears behind us?
Are the 20% enrollment drop fears behind us? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, regional public university enrollment projections have leveled out. For instance, the University of Florida is only down 1% in paid deposits same time last year. While this doesn’t guarantee that there won’t be a surge of pull-outs right before the fall term […]
International students must attend on-campus or leave the country?
International students must attend on-campus or leave the country? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Harvard and MIT have sued in federal court to block a new federal policy, prohibiting international students in the U.S. from enrolling exclusively in online courses. The problem? Harvard and MIT aren’t offering on-campus courses this fall. So what happens to […]
Campus Visits Return Via Car
Campus visits are returning, via car ride. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the University of Southern Indiana has launched a safe way to bring back their campus visits – offering car tours of campus, led by an admissions staffer in their own car. These 45-minute tours will take up to 5 cars, connected via ZOOM […]
Do colleges have a new student pool in their backyard?
Do colleges have a new student pool in their backyard? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with so many students now quarantined with their parents, will a local commutable college option feel like the safe choice come fall? California State University, Fresno is offering a “local” enrollment program this fall specific to students from the neighboring […]
Where’s the adult student recession boom?
Where’s the adult student recession boom? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, while economic recessions historically point adults back to college to up-skill, up-credential, and find that new career path, a report from Eduventures shows that we haven’t necessarily seen those early indicators we might, and that adult students may be losing confidence that a new […]
Are brand new enrollments our biggest melt risk?
Are brand new enrollments our biggest melt risk? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a Carnegie Dartlet survey shows that 33% of high school students are likely to defer or cancel an admission offer rather than attend an online-only college this fall. Hence perhaps the pressure many institutions feel to figure out some sort of on-campus […]
Do our counselors need to get to students earlier in the process?
Do our counselors need to get to students earlier in the process? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new study published in Education Next shows that high school guidance counselors one standard deviation more effective than the median graduate students 1.7% more likely to attend a four-year college, 1.4% more likely to persist in college […]
In an online-only world, does the cheapest college win?
In an online-only world, does the cheapest college win? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Park University is placing that bet with a big new marketing promotion advertising their institution as a gap year destination where students can continue their online studies, for a flat $9,000 tuition rate. And then of course, they can transfer right […]
What college will crack the online community challenge first?
What college will crack the online community challenge first? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with so many institutions focused on upgrading their online instruction experience, who’s focusing on solving the community issue? Because while we want to make our online experience as wonderful as possible, perhaps our community was the experience. More so than our […]
Do colleges have the financial reserves for creative tuition policies?
Do colleges have enough financial reserves for creative tuition policies this fall? Reported by EdSurge, while institutions are doing everything they can to retain the students who were originally planning on fall, they’re also thinking about other incentives they’ll likely need to offer to make their class. Tuition freezes and discounts? Financial aid increases? One […]
Is forecasting for fall out the window?
Is forecasting for fall out the window altogether? Reported by Education Dive, when we look at past year’s enrollment funnels to forecast, we must remember how unlike last year this year is. That past results were never a guarantee of future performance, but oh how much even less today. The takeaway? Even deposits are going […]
Does higher ed deserve our students’ confidence?
Do we deserve our students’ confidence? Reported by EdSurge, calling your college’s general number right now may show off our deep and very dysfunctional communication best practices – and worst of all, right on the very front lines where students see them the clearest. Many university phone lines are going straight to voicemail. And students […]
A COVID Gap Year
Will a COVID gap year end up being an all too common note on student’s resumes and transcripts moving forward? And if so, how can students make the most of their gap story? Through internship opportunities? Service work? Creative exploration? Getting some Gen Eds out of the way? The takeaway? For those individuals wanting to […]
Is our brand language inherently COVID un-friendly?
Is our brand language inherently COVID un-friendly? Small class sizes. Intimate community. The poster language for our brands may also be the scariest sounding for someone looking to safely return to class this fall. A hotbed of intellectual community is also sadly, a potential hotbed for viral spread. The takeaway? In this new world, does […]
Adult-serving institutions are being hit the hardest
Are adult-serving institutions being hit the hardest right now? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, federal coronavirus relief aid was distributed based on full-time equivalent (FTE) students instead of total student head count. That means that Amarillo College, serving 10,000 undergraduate students in the Texas panhandle received the same relief dollars as Brown University, […]
The hardest courses to teach online
What have the hardest courses to teach online been? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, many faculty have struggled with recreating the intimacy of the small discussion-based seminar online. The first instinct may be to try and recreate this intimacy through live ZOOM classes. But many pedagogical experts believe that asynchronous models may be […]
Colleges want to re-open in fall. Will students come back?
Colleges want to re-open in fall. But will students come back? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, as of late June, a whopping 65% of colleges are optimistically planning for in-person learning come fall. But will students show up if they do? Whether for health concerns, experience concerns, or value concerns, students may be […]
Dealing with summer learning loss
How can we deal with our students’ summer learning loss? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, despite our best efforts, many of our students may not have received the full education experience of our traditional courses this spring. And our rising freshman may have had a difficult last semester as well. So, are they […]
Getting Higher Ed Mental Health Services Online
As we build out our online learning capacity, should we be building out our online mental healthcare offerings as well? Reported by Education Dive, our students have undergone significant trauma in these past few months. Prior to the pandemic, our mental health departments were likely overwhelmed and underfunded. How much worse today? And what can […]
Career Services’ Coronovirus Challenge
What a challenge our new graduates and career services departments have in the time of coronavirus. Reported by Education Dive, our career services departments are trying to help our new graduates land a new job during all-time high unemployment rates. But a lot of departments are getting creative. First accepting that this is a terribly […]
The continued decline of international student enrollment
International student enrollment has already been declining. Will coronavirus kill it? Reported by Education Dive, new international student enrollment declined 10% between fall of 2015 and 2018, partially due to un-friendly immigration policies. Today, international enrollment makes up a little more than 5% of total higher ed enrollment, and a much higher revenue source given […]
Live Online vs. On-Demand Learning
Live online or on-demand learning? Reported by EdSurge, many teachers are “hedging” with the current advice of education experts. That students learn best differently, so how can we serve both through compromise? And therefore we’re often left with a weekly live online gathering we hope works for most parties, and the remainder done throughout the […]
The future of campus policing
What does the future of campus policing look like? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with a nation in outrage over police brutality and anti-black racism, the focus on institutional relationships with campus and non-campus police is already coming into view, with protest calls for defunding and disbanding campus police departments altogether. With Minneapolis at the […]
A boon for post-traditional institutions?
Will COVID-19 provide a boon to post-traditional student institutions? Reported by Education Dive, the colleges most prepared for this coronavirus reality have been the ones catering to the remote online learner the longest. Many institutions with the largest post-traditional student focus, with an avg. student age in their 30s, may very well find themselves top […]
MOOCs, Take Two?
MOOCs, take two? Reported by EdSurge, will the pandemic provide room for another MOOC moment? Could on-campus students who avoided online courses turn to MOOCs over their first-choice institution in the interim for the cost savings alone? Could incoming freshman who may have preferred a “gap” year, but with nowhere to travel to safe just […]
Are “free college” plans over?
Will states be able to afford their generous “free tuition” plans any longer? Reported by Education Dive, while free tuition policies have been gaining both popularity and policy across the country over the last several years, will states be able to afford them now? Coronavirus’ impact on tax revenues and therefore, state budgets, will likely […]
A subscription-based model for higher education
Should higher ed move to a subscription-based model? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, the subscription-based model provides interesting win-win scenarios. A potentially steadier and more predictable cash flow forecasting for the institution. An incentive for the student to finish their credential quicker. Plus, an easier post-graduation option to make continuing education an expected next step […]
Higher ed’s fall deferral strategy
What if a bunch of our incoming freshman ask for a deferred decision? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with many incoming freshman grieving their potentially lost first-year college experience, they are also considering their cost options. “Is it cheaper to go to a community college and get some online Gen Eds, or will my transfer […]
How should we evaluate our online teachers this spring?
How should we evaluate our online teachers this spring? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, with many faculty concerned they may be harshly critiqued for their well-intentioned and unplanned pedagogical scramble this spring, what are the different ways institutions should be thinking about performance assessment? In the article, Jody Greene suggests evaluating professors on […]
How do state affirmative action decisions influence higher ed enrollment?
How do state affirmative action decisions influence higher ed enrollment? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new study published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis shows the long term enrollment impacts of 19 public universities in states that banned affirmative action. The results? The underrepresentation gap between their share of underrepresented students compared to the […]
What are rising high school seniors putting on their college applications?
What are rising high school seniors putting on their college applications? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, many of the highlight reel moments were canceled. The SAT. The math competition. The debate team finals. And these same students are nervous about having blanks on what prior may have been an impressive track record of success. So […]
Coronavirus isn’t in the faculty-staff handbook
Coronavirus isn’t in the faculty-staff handbook. And the problem is, many higher ed leaders require the handbook. These peacetime leaders are uniquely great at operating in the normal. The problem is – this is war. A whole lot of really critical decisions have needed to have been made quickly. A whole lot more to come. […]
Forget fall. Summer revenue loss is going to hurt higher ed.
Forget fall. Higher ed may lose 10% of our annual revenue through the loss of summer programs alone. Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, summer athletic, academic, international, theater, musical, travel and co-curricular programs can account for up to 10% of a college’s annual income. The takeaway? Even while waiting to see how much […]
What will students end up doing this fall?
What will students end up doing this fall? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, back in March, 1 in 6 students claimed COVID had changed their college path. How much more so in the next several months? Will community colleges with solid online experiences see an increase in enrollment? Will gap year programs, especially […]
Will ACT and SAT suffer from the coronavirus?
Will ACT and SAT suffer from the coronavirus? Reported by Marketplace, the University of California’s Board of Regents voted to drop the SAT and ACT as part of the admission process across their nine campuses, which currently enroll more than 225,000 students. With this season’s ACT and SAT testing dates having been canceled, and more […]
Is higher ed too big to fail?
Is higher ed too big to fail? Reported by Education Dive, dozens of educational organizations, consortiums and policy groups are pushing for broader higher education funding to ensure our institutions remain viable post COVID-19. With 0% interest rates and suspended payments on student loans already pushed through, will there be a broader set of funds […]
Higher ed’s responsibility to credential the existing labor market?
Does higher ed have a broader responsibility to credential the existing labor market? Reported by Education Dive, 63 million workers without a bachelor’s degree have the skills to earn at least $7 an hour more than what they’re current making. What’s separating them? The credential. The takeaway? Can higher ed play a role here? Many […]
Is now AI’s time to shine?
Is now AI’s time to shine? Reported by Education Dive, with institutions feverishly trying to scramble and put together high-quality online education plans to save their enrollment if the COVID-19 pandemic keeps campuses closed come fall, is now the opportunity for AI to play hero? Through chatbots that handle instantaneous customer service? Through recruitment pool […]
California State University announces online-only for fall
Some institutions are already starting to call online-only for fall, too. Reported by Education Dive, California State University, the largest public system in the U.S., has announced the decision to their nearly 500,000 students that most of their classes would be virtual this fall. The takeaway? Will Cal State’s lead make it easier for other […]
Is college degree regret a bug or a feature?
2/3 of college graduates would choose a different major if they could do it over again. But is that a bug, or a feature of higher education? Reported by Education Dive, this new study from BestColleges also shows that while 82% of graduates believe their educational investment was worth it, that students wish they had […]
Will higher ed go up during this economic downturn?
Will higher ed go up during this economic downturn? Reported by EdSurge, historically, higher education has been countercyclical to the market. As people lose their jobs, they turn to higher ed to get upskilled, earn their degree, and secure their next career opportunity. But that may not be a sure thing this time. With the […]
Colleges said they wanted more lower-income students, but didn’t enroll them
Colleges said they wanted to enroll more lower-income students. But then they didn’t. Reported by Education Dive, in 2016 the American Talent Initiative (ATI) successfully signed 128 institutions on with a commitment to increase access for lower-income students. But despite a strong start, in the last two years, ATI members reported a net increase of […]
Is an employer vs. higher ed war on the horizon?
Is an employer vs. higher ed war on the horizon? Reported by Education Dive, Apple, IBM, and the Ad Council, in partnership with the White House, are launching a national ad campaign focused on non-traditional workforce education paths and challenging the idea that a college education is the primary vehicle for career success. The takeaway? […]
College affordability conversation this election season
While 2/3 of Americans support tuition-free public college, what might the college affordability conversation look like this election season? Reported by Education Dive, while a full 83% of Democrats favor free college, the presumptive democratic nominee Joe Biden, has proposed only making up to two years of community college free. The takeaway? During the democratic […]
Are internships inherently adult student un-friendly?
Are internships inherently adult student un-friendly? Reported by EdSurge, while internships have always aimed to fill this experience “gap”, more and more adult students are shut out of the internship world since they’re already full-time employees at another company. Many of these adults are willing to pursue night and weekend opportunities, but these don’t often […]
We need to talk about online cheating
We need to talk about online cheating. Reported by EdSurge, with new innovations in AI-written term papers, and a slew of new students learning online, our institutions are going to need to revisit our cheating policies and prevention strategies. For instance, some of the largest players in online education like Western Governors University utilize virtual […]
The Importance and Inequity of Internships
Are internships an equitable differentiation for students? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, while the Center for Research on College to Workforce Transitions cites the correlation between students who have internships on their resumes and their likelihood of getting hired, they also cite the inherent equity issue in this outcome. For instance, many internships […]
Are we graduating good cultural fits for the workforce?
Are we graduating good cultural fits for the workforce? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, companies expressing concern that our new grads aren’t fully prepared to hit the ground running on day one may simply not love the specific unicorns that come to interview. And perhaps its not because of a skills gap, but […]
Convincing our Admitted Students to Enroll
How can we convince our admitted students to enroll? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, Loyola University New Orleans is letting their product speak for itself and offering a three-credit course to new admits free of charge. The goal is that the experience of these courses, taught by hand-picked teachers who excel at teaching new students, […]
Do our new online faculty need triage help?
Do our new online faculty need triage help? Reported by EdSurge, the Instructional Design Emergency Response Network is a volunteer network of 300 instructional designers and counting, established and willing to help faculty currently scrambling to provide quality online educational experiences. The takeaway? Higher ed is such a generous community, and we need that generosity […]
What will higher ed look like this fall?
What will higher ed look like this fall? Reported by EdSurge, many university administrators are currently developing multiple game plans. Remote learning as it is today, with improved online practice. A rollout return with social distancing and testing implementations on campus. Or potentially offering both online and in-person modalities for students too concerned themselves to […]
Protecting our faculty from 24/7 burnout during COVID-19
How can we protect our faculty from 24/7 burnout during COVID-19? Reported by EdSurge, faculty adjusting to remote teaching now find themselves responding to new round-the-clock requests that students were typically batching during their in-class gatherings. Our faculty trying to be responsive to these student requests is absolutely admirable. But we may be in this […]
What is “good enough” online education?
Are we currently aiming for “good enough” online education? Many students have been forgiving of our emergency learning continuity plans in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. They know we did what we could. But come Fall, many won’t continue to pay a premium price point for an underwhelming experience. The takeaway? How can […]
The Virtual Campus Tour Evolves from Novelty to Essential
The virtual campus tour has quickly evolved from a novelty to essential. Reported by EdSurge, many universities including the University of Oregon have been utilizing virtual campus tour technology through Google Cardboard for several years now. Partially seen as a promotional gimmick as well as a utility for those students unable to easily travel for […]
Migrating Accessibility to the Online Classroom
How can we migrate accessibility to the online classroom? Reported by EdSurge, as educators begin thinking through potentially longer-term transitions to online education, it’s important to ensure you translate the accommodations you’ve already made in your academic classroom for students with learning disabilities online as well. The takeaway? Most learning management platforms have built-in accessibility […]
Washington State tests new nudge chatbot, Otter
Washington State is testing a new nudge chatbot, Otter. Reported by Education Dive, high school seniors across Washington are receiving financial aid reminders from a new chatbot launched this past fall. With only 1/3 of high school seniors in Washington completing the FAFSA (ranked 39th in the nation), this chatbot is designed to help students […]
An ethical evaluation of higher ed’s endowment investments
What if we conducted an ethical evaluation of our institution’s endowment investments? Reported by Education Dive, Georgetown University announced they will divest from fossil fuel companies within a decade. For many institutions, their endowment investment is how they subsidize the majority of their operations. But do our institutions have an ethical responsibility for where we’re […]
Is yours a surveillance campus?
Is yours a surveillance campus? Reported by EdSurge, more than 40 colleges have made statements that they are not and won’t use facial recognition technology on their campuses. Whereas, many universities are actively utilizing facial recognition technology for meal payment, dorm security, and other privacy applications. The privacy concerns and hyper-surveillance potential of the modern […]
New research defends the test-optional college trend
New research defends the test-optional college trend. Reported by Inside Higher Ed, a new study published in Educational Researcher showed that high school GPA is a 5x stronger predictor of college success and graduation than an ACT score. The takeaway? The evidence continues to mount against test scores as a strong indicator of college readiness. […]

Prioritizing Student Convenience
What happens when our students value convenience more than anything else? Bob Ubell, Vice Dean Emeritus of Online Learning at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, joined the Enrollment Growth University podcast to discuss what happens when our students value convenience more than anything else. What are the Motivations of our Online Students? “When […]
Are dual enrollment options available to the most underrepresented students?
Are dual enrollment options available to the most underrepresented students? Reported by Education Dive, dual enrollment options designed to improve college affordability are underrepresented by the very students these programs were most designed to serve, with a new report from Wheelhouse showing that only 27% of black students and 30% of Hispanic students taking advantage […]
Is the bachelor’s degree still higher ed’s primary credential?
Is the bachelor’s degree still higher ed’s primary credential? Reported by Education Dive, colleges are awarding slightly more certificates and associates degrees (1.95 million) per year as they are bachelor’s degrees (1.92 million). New certificate programs continue to be created for these new positions that require more than a bachelor’s degree but less than a […]
Can a negotiated curriculum increase engagement?
Can a negotiated curriculum increase engagement? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, some professors of Gen Ed requirements know that many of their students “have” to be there vs. “want” to be there. So they’ve discovered that the best way to turn the “haves” into “wants” is to give their students control of the […]
Using Gen Ed’s to solicit new majors
Can you use your Gen Ed’s to solicit new majors? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Andre Audette from Monmouth College uses their introductory American politics course to win over students still searching for their career path. For those students who are engaged, show interest, and perform well, Audette simply asks them if they’ve […]
California’s public college system is running out of room
California’s public college system is running out of room. Reported by Education Dive, by 2030, some 144,000 state residents qualified to attend a public California university will be turned down due to capacity limitations. At the same time, by 2030, College Futures predicts a shortfall of 1.1 million workers with a bachelor’s degree necessary to […]
Coursera has launched their first U.S. online bachelor’s degree
Coursera has launched their first online bachelor’s degree in the U.S. Reported by Education Dive, The University of North Texas has partnered with Coursera to provide an adult online completion degree, a bachelor of applied arts and sciences through one of seven concentrations. The takeaway? A Coursera degree. With University of North Texas on the […]
Will your social media profile keep you from getting into college?
Will your social media profile keep you from getting into college? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, 36% of admissions officers are checking applicant students’ social media profiles. Of those doing so, 38% percent claimed it had a positive impact on the enrollment decision, while 32% claimed it had a negative impact. The takeaway? Should social […]
Do our students have the technology to learn remotely?
Do our students have the technology to learn remotely? According to a 2019 Wolff-Eisenberg survey, only 78% of community college students reported having reliable access to a computer or laptop. The takeaway? While most of our students likely have access to a phone, how mobile-friendly are these courses we’re scrambling to spin up? And if […]
What nudge communication helped make community college students 21% more likely to return?
What nudge communication helped make community college students more likely to return? Reported by Education Dive, a new research study from University of Florida showed that a one-course tuition waiver with clear return steps made students 21% more likely to return. The takeaway? It’s not just about communication volume and timing. It’s about the communication […]
If tuition is free, do our campuses become our difference?
If tuition is free, do our campuses become our difference? Reported by Education Dive, Georgetown College in Kentucky is experimenting with full-tuition scholarships for students from neighboring counties who enroll full-time and live on campus. While this is an enrollment growth initiative for a tuition-dependent institution currently struggling financially, is this also a potential model […]
What would a federal free college plan look like?
What would a federal free college plan look like? Joe Biden has adopted Bernie Sanders plan that looks a lot like New York’s, where state residents whose families make up to $125,000 a year can attend the state’s 2- and 4-year institutions tuition-free. Reported by Vox, some downsides seen from New York’s plan has been […]
Do we need to figure out job placement?
Do we need to figure out job placement? Higher ed has long been apprehensive about promising job placements for students, rightfully concerned to promise something we don’t have full control over. But according to a new Strada Education report, guaranteed employment outcomes would indeed be a leading factor that could convince more of the 36 […]
Is your campus ready to go vegan?
Is your campus ready to go vegan? Reported by Education Dive, the University of North Texas and the University of California, San Diego both have all-vegan dining halls, designed through evolving student demand with a growing preference for plant-based eating. Other institutions have “Meatless Monday” programs, plant-based food trucks, and are increasingly shifting their menus […]
Do students know their career options?
Do students really understand their career options? Reported by Education Dive, more institutions are working to better connect their students with working mentors, able to help them navigate from the academy to the workforce. And a new study out of the University of Houston shows that students who are paired with professionals in their field […]
SNHU’s new transfer partnership with Pennsylvania community colleges
What happens when your state’s community college system makes an enormous transfer agreement with an out-of-state private institution? Reported by Education Dive, students from Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges will now be able to transfer up to 90 credits to Southern New Hampshire University and complete their degree for $288 per credit hour, a 10% discount […]
Did ACT just change the college testing game?
Did ACT just change the college testing game? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, as more and more institutions go test-optional, ACT just announced that students will be able to retake individual sections of the test to improve their overall score. While this will likely increase the odds of students opting in to retake the test, […]
What if our students ask for their money back?
What if our students ask for their money back? Reported by Inside Higher Ed, with campus closures, many students have started asking about their room and board fees. It likely won’t be long before some students ask for their tuition money back altogether – those who either don’t care for the remote experience, or from […]
Will COVID-19 help or hurt online learning?
Will this forced immediate adoption of remote learning help or hurt higher ed’s move online? Reported by Education Dive, the majority of American institutions are flipping the switch and trying to teach their live in-person classes remotely. Yet, many faculty are ill-prepared to do so. Two MOOC providers, Coursera and EdX, are opening up free […]
First-gen students feel greater sense of belonging at 2-year schools
Reported by Education Dive, a recent analysis of federal data showed that both first-generation and underrepresented minority students attending community colleges feel a greater sense of “belonging” than at 4-year colleges. The takeaway? A student’s sense of “belonging” is a feeling we can greatly impact. And if we are committed to student persistence and success, […]
COVID-19 isn’t an online education test
This isn’t an online education test. While many publications are suggesting we finally have a great opportunity to test online education outcomes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) closures, it’s important to remember that this isn’t what this is. Many live in-person classes are going to be delivered remotely – to students who may not be […]
The Dept. of Ed is ending their competency-based education experiments
While higher ed continues to explore new competency-based education models, the Department of Education is ending their experiments. Reported by Education Dive, the U.S. Department of Education is ending their experiment on June 30th, which allowed competency-based programs to receive federal aid. Institutions with direct-assessment approvals will be able to maintain these programs, and new […]
More adult learners are putting off college
More adult learners are putting off college. Reported by Education Dive, with a strong economy and a 3.5% unemployment rate, more adult learners are finding answers to their economic issues in the workplace, with adult enrollment declining by 2.7% in the fall of 2019. While skepticism about the value of higher ed has been increasing, […]
Low income students can’t afford free college
Low income students can’t afford free college. Reported by Education Dive, in 47 states, low-income students whose families earn less than $30,000 a year still need to find $3,000 to cover the cost of four-year public school attendance. The takeaway? With so many free college initiatives in the works, we need to remember that if […]
Will class recordings hush helpful discourse?
Will class recordings hush helpful discourse? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, many online courses have begun recording their classes for students to be able to review afterward and for students who aren’t able to make the live class due to illness or scheduling. But some faculty are resisting this trend out of concern […]
Do graduate schools need their own self-Yelp system?
Would a Yelp-like system for reviewing higher ed degree programs be more helpful to students than U.S. News & World Report rankings? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, ranking graduate schools by more student-centric measures could be much more helpful to the discerning prospective student. How was the advising? The career counseling? The job […]
Is fighting to keep struggling students in class the ethical choice?
Is fighting to keep struggling students in class the ethical choice? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a new book by Jennifer Morton, Moving Up Without Losing Your Way: The Ethical Costs of Upward Mobility attempts to answer this difficult question. As our retention services have improved on campus, we’re getting so much better […]
Higher ed enrollment hits 10-year low
Higher ed enrollment has hit a 10-year low. Reported by Education Dive, new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that total higher education enrollment has dropped below 18 million students for the first time in a decade, with private non-profit institutions the only group growing in Fall 2019 – by 2.7%. The […]
Are states free college plans learning off each other’s curves?
Are states free college plans learning off each other’s curves? Reported by Education Dive, Virginia’s new $145 million free college plan is designed to provide students with two free years of community college, specifically in programs designed to match the jobs and skills gaps they’re seeing in their state, including health care, IT, and early […]
Has our current online education experience hit a growth ceiling?
Has higher ed’s current online education experience hit a growth ceiling? Reported by Education Dive, the growth rate of students taking at least one online class has slowed – with 35% of students in 2018 taking at least one distance class, up only slightly from 33% in 2017. Is the growth of online education running […]
Do humanities students need their own lab space?
Do humanities students need their own lab space? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, STEM labs on campuses serve a technology housing purpose, but also an essential community and collaboration purpose. That’s why Johns Hopkins University created their Classics Research Lab, to increase the opportunities for connection between students and scholars. The experiment has […]
Can we save the bachelor’s degree by adding to it?
Can we save the bachelor’s degree by adding to it? Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, industry not-for-profit Workcred believes the bachelor’s degree should be reimagined, with the new 3-legged stool being the academic degree, work-based learning, and an industry-recognized credential. The takeaway? Embedding industry-credentials and certifications into our degree programs seems like the […]
What happens after bootcamp grads get their coding job?
What happens after bootcamp grads get their coding job? Reported by EdSurge, there are growth mindset and resiliency skills that not all bootcamps are preparing students for. Can they handle their technical interviews? Can they handle receiving critical feedback on their work? Can they communicate well and problem-solve with their peers? The takeaway? For students […]
Can chatbots outsource your customer service?
Can chatbots outsource your customer service? Reported by EdSurge, while chatbots are growing in popularity and designed to provide more immediate customer service to prospective students during their investigation process, making sure that customer service goal stays primary can be challenging. For instance, if the real “unsaid” goal is to eliminate your phone banks, or […]
What can eSports teach us about building community in online learning?
What can eSports teach us about building community in online learning? Reported by EdSurge, while eSports can be played anywhere, more and more universities are building eSports arenas. Why? There are technological and affordability considerations for sure. But there’s also an intentional desire to build a greater sense of community – to make these players […]
Will micro-degrees find a home in higher ed?
Will micro-degrees find a home in higher ed? Reported by EdSurge, edX is following up their MicroMasters degrees with the very first MicroBachelors programs. The first two offerings being Computer Science Fundamentals from NYUx, and the second, Information Technology Career Framework from WGUx. Pitched as a credential-first starting path toward a bachelor’s degree, it will […]
Would blockchain have prevented Varsity Blues?
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?
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, […]
May the most convenient university win
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 […]
McDonalds’ Archways to Opportunity Internal Education Services
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?
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?
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
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 focused on a student’s first job vs. their career?
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 […]
Keeping students’ attention in introductory courses
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?
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
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?
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?
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?
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?
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 environments make a comeback in online education?
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?
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 […]
Putting a Value Tag on Colleges
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 to Law School
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?
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
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?
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?
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 […]
Is a liberal arts education worth it?
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 surge in employer education benefits?
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 political climate leading to a surge in HBCU enrollment?
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 enter the college banking game?
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?
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 […]
True Higher Ed Innovation vs. Innovation Theater
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 […]
Higher ed needs to experiment in order to find its future faster
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 […]
How Pace University is intentional about enrolling underrepresented students
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
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?
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?
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?
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 […]
The disconnect between higher ed leadership and digital learning
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 embraces Learning Experience Design (LXD)
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?
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?
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?
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 […]
Evaluating academic programs by mission, market, and margin
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
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 […]
Online Students Brady Bunch’ing On-Campus Courses
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 […]
CSU Channel Islands teaches students how to learn online
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 partnering with community colleges for high-tech job openings
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 […]
ASU’s adaptive learning experiment
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 […]
Where did state funding for higher ed go?
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 […]
Removing Transfer Student Roadblocks
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, […]
On-Campus Student Services for Rural Online Students
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 offers college credit for apprenticeship training
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. […]
New gift makes CalTech an instant leader in the climate science field
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 […]
Investigating a college’s financial health pre-enrollment
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 to bring high-touch to online learning?
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 one community college quadruple their graduation rates?
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 […]
I met my future college online
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 […]
Ignoring the coming teacher shortage
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 […]
Rethinking the handoff between admission and retention
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 […]
Clarifying Higher Ed’s Call to “Earn Your Degree”
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 […]
New England Colleges Preparing for the Upcoming Student Collapse
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
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 […]
Developing a Digital Quad to Support Social Learning
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. […]
ASU’s Edx MOOC Experiment
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 […]
Income-based tuition vs. income-share agreements
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 […]
Offering mental health services to online students
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
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?
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 coming to college from college
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’s new free online skills-based community college
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?
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
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 at Cal State negatively impact diversity?
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?
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 lectures to active learning experiences
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?
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 […]
Industry or academia: who is responsible for retraining workers?
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
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 […]
The need for adult-specific EdTech
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?
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
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 […]
Should higher ed promise guaranteed job placement?
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 […]
When creating a great transfer student experience feels like a concession
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 […]
Teaching new alumni to give
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 […]
Will Google search changes increase community college enrollment?
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 […]
Will the future of private college support come through employer partnerships?
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 has reduced mental health stigma on campus
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 Building Near Amazon’s New HQ2
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. […]
SNHU is offering Salesforce credit
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 is Playing Substitute Teacher?
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 […]
Will we with machines create personalized education together?
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?
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?
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 still trailing student diversity trends
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?
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
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 […]
Competency-Based Assessed Students Are Graduating 59% Faster
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 […]
Part-time Student Price Penalty
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. […]
The downsides of planning for the future of higher education
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 […]
Educating students on how to pay for college
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 […]
Cannabis goes to college
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?
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” […]
Gates Foundation’s Early Alert Initiatives Show Little Impact
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 […]
The Student Service Benefits of Localized Online Education
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?
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
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 […]
Avoiding the Discriminatory Design of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Ed
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?
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 Launches Second-Tier Priced Online MBA
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 […]
The student benefits of an anonymous back-channel
“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 […]
Which is cheaper to run: online or on-campus education?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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 […]
A degree of embedded certifications?
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, […]
The “strong” economy isn’t showing in new grad salaries
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)?
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 colleges are jumping on the esports enrollment trend
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, […]
Faculty’s role in a personalized learning campus
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?
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?
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 […]
Developing an enrollment strategy for Africa
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 get better grades
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?
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?
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 […]
HR’s move to competency-based hiring
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 Halves Online MBA Cost Through EdX Partnership
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 […]
Retraining vs. education?
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?
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?
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, […]
What were the results from The University of Chicago’s test-optional admissions policy?
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
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 […]
How higher ed expectations affect enrollment patterns
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 […]
University of Alaska may lose 41% of their state funding
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?
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 to find the colleges and universities that best serve Latino students?
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?
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?
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 […]
Will income-share agreements reduce time to graduation?
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?
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
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 […]
Higher Ed Sees a $183.8 Million Investment Injection into Apprenticeship Training
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 […]
North Dakota State University Shadows Students to Better Teach Them
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 Develops Cloud Computing Bachelor’s with Amazon
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 […]
Free college restrictions prevent low-income students from participating
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 […]
Designing live-work spaces on your campus
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 […]
Who owns your online course IP?
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
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 […]
A Certificate-First Degree Path Example for IT Professionals
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 online courses together?
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?
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 […]
Behavioral economics “nudges” didn’t solve college undermatching problem
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 […]
Online is Mostly a Modality Benefit for a Local Audience
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 spike going to come from low-income students?
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 teaches its undergraduate professors to teach
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?
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. […]
An International Enrollment Growth Crisis?
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 universities are doubling down on literacy programs?
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 […]
The enrollment growth benefits of great PR
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 declines 1.7% year-over-year
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. […]
Moving higher education from keepers to facilitators of knowledge
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 […]
New online directory is showing students their alternatives to college
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 […]
Are high school graduates effectively prepared for college?
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) […]
Has the move to increased college accountability helped?
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 MOOC’s missing?
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 […]
Using Video Feedback to Improve Faculty’s Student Engagement
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 Higher Ed Needs to be at the Forefront of AI Training
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 […]
College of the Holy Cross ends need-blind admissions practice
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 parental push toward practical outcomes change higher ed?
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?
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 […]
Using play to re-engage intimidated learners
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 […]
Quick but cautious new program launches
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
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 are enrollment shy as of decision day
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? […]
Colorado babies receive free $100 college savings plan
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?
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 Embrace a Moneyball Hiring Strategy for Tier 2 Institution Graduates
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?
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 Funding Free College in Washington State?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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 data mining can help surface helpful student feedback
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
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, […]
Mental health as an admittance factor
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 launches learning engineering tools
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?
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?
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 Evolution Create a New Market for Online Proctoring?
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 […]
New Neuroscience Study Defends the Arts
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 […]
Unbundling faculty in higher education
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 – […]
Remote faculty in online education
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 […]
Champlain College fights for the promise of affordable online learning at scale
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 faculty’s online teaching chops is an institutional problem
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 […]
Med school admissions officers still wary of online students
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?
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 […]
How legislation can help prevent abrupt college closures
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?
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 to clarify financial package language
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
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 we can better retain the post-traditional learner?
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 seeks to bridge the “purpose” gap
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 Online Learners
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 […]
Students choosing passion over pay in tight labor market
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, whose fault is it?
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 […]
How to support mental well-being at our institutions
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 adds a remedial bridge to college preparation
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 an apprentice starting salary at $60k mean for higher ed?
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
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
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
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 to make higher ed 3x more valuable
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 […]
Colleges Add Support Services for Single Mothers
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 Video can Give Faculty Back Time in Their Day
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
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?
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 […]
The Future of Live-Online Education
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 Sells the “New” Liberal Arts
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 […]
SUNY System Looks to Double their Minority Faculty by 2030
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’s Enrollment Swap
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 Goes All-in on Corporate Partnerships with InStride
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 […]
LabXChange: A MOOC Remix
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 Harvey Mudd’s President is Solving the Gender Gap in Computer Science
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 Piloting Income-Share Agreements
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?
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 […]
Incorporating bootcamps within our degree programs
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?
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 […]
The evolution of writing as a discipline
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 […]
Choosing EdTech in collaboration with good teaching
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. […]
The evolution of the online discussion board
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
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?
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?
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 taking advantage of higher ed’s generosity?
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 valuing skills more than degrees?
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 Launches Netflix-Style Higher Ed Subscription Service
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 […]
Tuition-Dependent Institutions Ignoring High-Need In-State Students
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 Go Test-Optional for Ph.D. Programs
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 […]
ASU’s Move Away from Lectures Toward Active Learning Has Increased their Graduation Rate by 18%
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 […]
Solving Higher Ed’s Completion Problem
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, […]
Harvard University Professor Softened Student Feedback
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 Gamify’s Student Services
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?
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. […]
How Innovation Can Improve Higher Ed Career Services Departments
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 a Classroom Mix-Up Forced One Teacher to Figure out How to Mass Scale Personalized Learning
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 […]
How to Improve Higher Education Work-Study Programs
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 Use Mobile Devices to Complete Their Online Education
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.
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?
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 […]
The Test-Optional Trend Continues
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 Ed Funding?
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 to Develop Effective Employer Partnerships?
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 […]
When Institutions and Industry Collaborate
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. […]
Should On-Campus Courses Be Distraction-Free Zones?
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 […]
A Continued Credentials Disconnect between Academia and Industry
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?
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 […]
Determining a Student’s “Demonstrated” Interest in Enrolling
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 […]
The University of Miami is Moving Away from MBA toward Specializations
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 Only Mentally Priced Out of Higher Education?
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 Faculty Need a Better Understanding of Neuroscience?
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 the Future of Work Means for the Future of Higher Education?
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 Students Exactly What They Expect
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. […]
The Problem with Competency-Based Learning
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 […]
How to Scale Personalization in our Biggest Classrooms?
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 […]
The Rural Tax in Online Education
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 Declines for Second Straight Year
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 […]
What Lessons Can We Learn from Green Mountain College’s Closure?
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 […]
Does Tutoring Make Better Teachers?
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 […]
University of Nebraska at Lincoln Experiments with 1-Hour Pop-Up Courses
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 […]
The Growing Problem of Food Insecurity on College Campuses
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?
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?
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 […]
Students Don’t Find Their Alumni Networks Helpful
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 […]
Why do Adult Learners Go Back to School?
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. […]
Top Ten In-Demand Job Skills for 2019
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?
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?
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 […]
Will Competency-Based Education Ever Go Mainstream?
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 […]
Another Major Research University Has Launched Income Share Agreements
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 […]
Do We Need to Talk About “Liberal Arts” Less When Selling the Value of Higher Education?
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 […]
How to Offer a Computer Science Minor by Outsourcing It
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 CUNY Increased Diversity in their Graduate Programs
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 […]
Black Students at Rutgers University Find Community Through Group Chat Service
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 […]
Pizza-delivering Robots Have Taken Over George Mason University
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
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 […]
Denison University Reverse-Engineers Mentorship as Central to the Student Experience
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 […]
Providing Online Faculty with Technical Support
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 to Encourage Interaction Amongst Online Students?
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 […]
NYU’s Medical School Move to Free Tuition Impacted Underrepresented Groups Most
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. […]
Do Black Schoolteachers Improve Black Student Enrollment?
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. […]
Will Esports degree programs be a winning trend?
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 […]
Nudging Students into Better Study Habits
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 in town in 2019 is…
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 Universities Need to Launch an Internet of Things Degree?
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 […]
Are Faculty Becoming Less Bullish on Open Educational Resources?
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 […]
How to Avoid the Disruption, and Be a Disrupter
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
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 […]
Creating Leadership Opportunities for Women in Higher Ed
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.
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 […]
Fayetteville State University Incorporates Student Feedback to Evolve Courses
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?
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’s Online Arm, HBX, Re-Branded as Harvard Business School Online
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 Value Mentors, Only 25% Have One
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
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 Mean for 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, […]
The University of Kentucky’s Enrollment Strategy of Adding Fun, Non-Major Courses
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 Costs Hit an 11-Year High
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 […]
Higher Ed’s Response to Amazon’s New HQ2 Headquarters
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, […]
The Importance of Segmented Student Communications
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 […]
An Online Marketplace for Short-Term Student Internship Opportunities
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 […]
Admissions Officers are Focusing More and More on Transfer Student Strategies
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 with Montana Universities
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 […]
New Grocery Store Brings Healthy Meals and Campus Jobs to University of South Florida
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 […]
Student Completion Rates Rise to 58%
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 […]
Brigham Young University-Idaho Pioneers Certificate-First Pathway Program
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 Be More Affordable Than On-Campus?
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 […]
Best Practices for Teaching Online Synchronous
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 […]
Yale and Harvard Launch Coding Camps
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, […]
University of Michigan Targets High-Achieving Low-Income Students
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, […]
The Diversity of Master’s Degree Programs
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 […]
Preparing for the Upcoming Student Drop-Off
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 Find Career Services Advice Helpful
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 Employs Northern Illinois University Students On-Campus
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 Makes Their Machine Learning Training Available for Free to the Public
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 […]
Online Course Sharing Consortium Lets Students Enroll in Partner Courses
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 […]
Trinity College of Connecticut’s 4-Year Aid Packages
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 […]
University of Memphis’ AutoTutor
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’s Virtually Inspired Offers Free Online Instruction Best Practices for the Higher Ed Community
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 […]
Higher Ed IT Leaders Don’t Approve of Their Institution’s IT Investments
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 […]
SC Codes Offers Free Coding Courses for All South Carolina Residents
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 […]
College Dropouts are Returning to North Carolina Schools in Record Numbers
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 […]
Long Beach State University Crowdsources Innovation Ideas
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, […]
MOOCs High Dropout Rate Because Students Don’t Care About Getting Credit?
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 […]
1/3 of All Students Now Take At Least One Online Course
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? […]
Public Schools Progressively Prioritizing Out-of-State Students for Budgetary Reasons
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 Paying Students to Move to Kansas for Free Education and Guaranteed Job Placement
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 […]