To keep Stanford front and center in the minds and hearts of its graduates, the university’s alumni association—like other institutions—is investing time on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The big attraction: instant, interactive, daily engagement—especially with young alumni. “Social media is the digital water cooler,” says Adam Miller, Stanford University Alumni Association’s director of digital and […]
Online faculty at Castleton University don’t just dole out tests—they take them, too. Full- and part-time instructors who have no experience teaching online with Moodle’s learning management system work through a self-paced, six-module course created by associate academic dean Cathy Kozlik. The course resides on a Vermont State Colleges System Moodle Sandbox website, where professors […]
MONTCLAIR, New Jersey—Montclair State had been a university for only a few years when Susan Cole took over as president in 1998. She wanted the job—her second presidency—because she saw vast, untapped potential on the campus of 12,000 students. She also felt certain that she could, pretty quickly, ensure the institution lived up to its […]
In "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" Jane Jacobs reminds us that "Lively, diverse, intense cities contain the seeds of their own regeneration, with energy enough to carry over for problems and needs outside themselves". Among both urban and exurban cities alike schools, colleges, and universities enjoy a time-honored, town-gown relationship where the […]
He holds a law degree and an MBA. He has a background as a dot-com pioneer, corporate chief, consultant, and world traveler. He's an experienced pilot and also sang in an award-winning male chorus. John Williams, president of Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, might well be a contender for Dos Equis' next World's Most Interesting Man. […]
A greater level of accountability around access and outcomes looms on the horizon for higher ed administrators in 2017 and beyond. Experts across the ideological spectrum predict the federal government and the general public to demand more transparency in the data released about how graduates of specific campus programs fare in the job market. This push could […]
How is the way in which institutions address student success expected to evolve in 2017 and beyond? Previously, students were looked at in a very fragmented way: They were either a recruit, an applicant, a student, a potential graduate, a lifelong learner or potential dropout. New tools have caused a shift in how higher ed […]
What are key challenges institutions are facing in achieving efficiencies through technology initiatives? There are three challenges. The first is user adoption, and the technology is good only if your users are using it. The key reason for low user adoption is that the technology is very complicated. That is the second challenge. Technology should […]
How many databases does your campus administer in the broad area of student support? American University uses more than 36 databases for different student-related administrative and learning management functions. Each data system was designed to serve the professional needs of discrete administrative units and is maintained and updated as needed. For the most part, these […]
Over the last three years, adjuncts at 46 colleges joined the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Among the latest are those at Duke, University of Southern California, Northeastern and Hillsborough Community College. Problems involving adjunct salaries and benefits have been festering for years. Compare tenured professors who command six figures to adjuncts who average $2,700 […]
