It's an uncomfortable truth for colleges and universities—cheating happens. And by many accounts, it happens a lot. Although cheating isn't new, technology facilitates it and student culture more readily accepts it. Students may believe outstanding scholastic performance—achieved by whatever means necessary—paves the difficult-to-navigate path to success. Added into this mix is the popularity of online […]
A small group of Tufts University students mounted a six-day hunger strike in May, but their target wasn't fossil fuel divestment or nuclear disarmament. The Tufts Labor Coalition had pitched tents in front of the suburban Boston school's administration building to protest the planned layoff of campus custodial workers. While such staff cuts might not […]
Institutions collect a wealth of data regarding admissions, financial aid and student success factors. All of these data provide a holistic view of prospective and current students, but it is crucial that this actionable intelligence be used to create and deploy personal and productive messages. In this web seminar, originally broadcast on April 23, 2015, an […]
The variety of challenges facing enrollment leaders are well documented: changing demographics, increased competition for students, scarce outcome data— and the list goes on. Resources are also limited, and so it is critically important for enrollment managers to measure the ROI of the initiatives they take and then adjust as necessary. Collaboration within the enrollment […]
Maintaining customer service and compliance goals often creates conflicts at higher education institutions, because of the resources needed to attain success. While laws, regulations and policies may create unintended barriers to service delivery, compliance requirements cannot be ignored in the face of potential penalties. In this web seminar, originally broadcast on April 2, 2015, the assistant […]
Students at Arizona State University today have access to a service-oriented financial assistance website that provides guidance on college planning. It offers cost calculators, links to scholarships and budget planning, and easy access to financial aid office staff. It's an approach that works—and the result of using analytics to unearth a treasure trove of website […]
The wave of first-generation and low-income students now seeking higher ed access is placing unprecedented financial strain on the full spectrum of liberal arts institutions, says James F. Jones, the interim president of Sweet Briar College. But while other higher ed leaders acknowledge this and other challenges, many say the shutting down this year of […]
The Great Recession of 2007-08 had a profound impact on both public and private universities. In How the Financial Crisis and Great Recession Affected Higher Education (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Jeffrey R. Brown, a finance professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and co-editor Caroline M. Hoxby, a Stanford economics professor, examine universities […]
There was a time when colleges and universities could put their best marketing message out to the masses, and wait for students to respond and express interest. Today, it's about being aggressive without being pushy, being more student-focused without being intrusive, and being more open to digital communication without sacrificing authenticity. It's a fine line […]
Today's approach to the complex challenge of ensuring students and graduates are successful is captured by this simple Helen Keller quote: "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." The idea of student success has evolved in higher ed, from a concept focused mainly on academic success and graduation rates to […]
