College towns across the country may be sitting on an economic and tourism marketing gold mine in the form of their local institution’s “tourist attractions.” Consider the thousands of people who go to a school’s concerts, theatrical performances, athletic events, museums, planetarium shows, camps and conferences—not to mention those visiting for homecoming, family weekends and […]
Greencastle, Indiana is home to a unique blend of industrial and commercial businesses as well as a top ranking private liberal arts college – DePauw University. As a State of Indiana Stellar Community grant recipient, Greencastle‘s vision to revitalize its community and downtown area and create the next great college town was in motion. With […]
The University of Vermont offers its students allergen-free, gluten-free and kosher food stations—plus cage-free eggs, fair trade coffee and locally sourced organic food (including Vermont maple syrup). Hunger cravings can be satisfied at any of three dining halls and 12 retail locations on campus, yet meal prices haven’t increased at rates higher than the cost […]
What do you see as the biggest trend in meal plan design? “Meal plans are being designed to provide the greatest balance of convenience and value for the meal plan holder. You are seeing the addition of various types of unlimited access plans, meal plans with large balances of declining balance dollars for retail purchases, […]
Embezzlement originating from any corner of campus can threaten any college and university. As for the losses, they can be big. Take, for example: Emory University in Atlanta. In July, a former employee received an 18-month prison term for stealing over $300,000. As an administrative assistant in the school of nursing, she misled students into […]
In an emerging trend that illustrates the growing importance of digital strategy in higher education, a handful of universities have named a chief digital officer to their leadership teams to merge the worlds of instruction and IT. Universities task these new digital officers—many of whose positions have been created in only the last few years—with […]
Students may forget their campus cards in their rooms or figure they don’t need their wallet for a short walk around the quad. But the one thing they are likely never to be without is a phone. In the consumer space, customers want to use their phones for many purposes, most certainly including retail transactions. […]
With student debt in the trillions and other economic concerns looming over families, college stores often bear the brunt of public anger over course material costs. But stores are working harder than ever to provide students with affordable options that will help them learn, succeed and get that coveted degree. College stores work closely with […]
Every FutureShock story we write is unique and personal. This is where we found inspiration for DroneU. One day while cruising around our lake, we noticed a drone-like mini helicopter hovering above us. When the drone caught up to us, it stopped suddenly, circled us, and then zoomed off in the direction of a nearby […]
Follett Higher Education Group continues to meet the needs of campus communities by staying on the pulse of what professors adopt and how college students acquire course materials, as well as on the latest classroom technologies and other retail environments. We translate these insights into custom operating plans that transform the campus retail experience. Leveraging […]