As The Emoji Movie hits theater screens this summer, a new wave of college-themed emojis is arriving on smartphone screens. Higher ed institutions—capitalizing on the popularity of the digital pictographs—now offer customized sets of emojis featuring school logos, mascots and other themed graphics, such as smiling or winking faces. The emojis allow students, graduates, student […]
While executing an eight-building, $157 million construction and renovation project in 2014, officials at Del Mar College in Texas forgot one critical player: the tech expert. Information technology administrators weren't brought on board until just before the design was finalized. At that point, they had to scramble to integrate technology into a range of facilities—from […]
Form a benefits committee. At Lawrence University in Wisconsin, a benefits advisory committee works with an insurance broker to contain costs and determine the best plan designs while providing competitive employee benefits. The committee, which is chartered by the president, includes several administrators from finance and HR along with two faculty members. "The committee is […]
Health insurance is a hot topic in Congress, and that's not the only place. Each year, campus leaders are confronted by a daunting need to contain costs while providing benefits expected by employees. Annual premiums at higher ed institutions averaged $7,059 for employee-only coverage and $19,584 for family plans in 2016, according to CUPA-HR. Reported […]
Over the past decade, some higher education institutions have introduced the next generation of mentoring practices to expand development opportunities to more of their employees, integrate the these initiatives into existing programs, and offer reverse and lateral learning across campus. Consider, for example, Wake Forest University in North Carolina, which launched a mentoring resource center […]
After working in an antiquated mailroom in a windowless basement of a dorm, Linda Barrows was thrilled to occupy space in the brand new, centrally located Center for Communication and Creative Media on the campus of Champlain College in Vermont. Her process has been upgraded as much as her digs. In the "old" days, her […]
Penn State student Timothy Piazza died in February 2017 after participating in pledge acceptance night activities with the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. His death—which a grand jury has called "the direct result of encouraged reckless conduct"—reignited an age-old debate about the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life.
Future use of unmanned aerial systems, more commonly known as "drones," is limited only by the imagination (and physics). Needless to say, the use of drones for both commercial and private purposes will only increase. This emerging technology provides not only opportunities for colleges, but also headaches. Balancing the benefits—from improved academic curriculum to research […]
Every school needs a reliable water supply—no matter the climate—yet it is often the most overlooked aspect of facilities management. It flows throughout the campus, from sinks and toilets to cooling and sprinkler systems. It's essential for dining services, landscape management, research spaces, athletic facilities and academic programs such as agriculture. Even with increasing emphasis […]
Diplomas—those venerable printed documents that lack hotlinks and interactivity features—have lost some of their luster. While employers increasingly demand that new hires have college degrees, the transcripts supporting those hard-earned credentials are no longer the most informative tool students have to exhibit their skills. "The bachelor's degree or Ph.D. will never go away," says Philip […]
