Over the summer, we visited Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, a bucolic campus surrounded by the splendid isolation of the Adirondack Mountains and blue necklace of lakes and rivers. From its beginning, Clarkson had a highly focused vision for building the kind of school that blended a technology rich curriculum with a diverse liberal […]
The fairness of race in admissions is again under question. A lawsuit brought against Harvard University by the nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions contends the institution systematically discriminates against Asian-American applicants. This is compounded by Harvard's 2013 internal investigation that found the Asian-American representation in its student population would increase from its current 19 percent to 43 […]
NASHVILLE, Tennessee—When Glenda Baskin Glover applied to college, her decision wasn't whether to enroll in a historically black university, she says, but which one she chose to attend. "There were schools I couldn't get into because of the racial climate of the day," says Glover, who graduated from Tennessee State University in 1974 and became […]
When Susan Stuebner became president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire in 2016, she faced a $4 million operating loss and a projected $2.6 million deficit for the following year. Stuebner made significant changes: She cut five majors, laid off employees and, in one of her first moves, initiated financial training for the board of […]
Where do campuses fall short on groundskeeping and landscaping, and what misconceptions do administrators outside of facilities departments have about groundskeeping? "An important piece in efficient management of groundskeeping and landscaping is getting the correct tools, equipment, parts and services in a timely manner and, ideally, staying within budget. Through cooperative purchasing programs, colleges and […]
You might not rank plastic straws up among power plants, gas-guzzling SUVs and Styrofoam containers on the list of big-time environmental boogeymen. Yet the entire country of England, the city of Seattle and several U.S. campuses have targeted the simple drinking straw as a relatively easy way to operate more sustainably. "People would say, 'Oh, […]
Integration between digital learning materials and an institution's learning and administrative systems has gotten better, but instructors, higher ed administrators and providers agree there's more work to be done. That work, providers say, is easier when all parties pitch in to figure out how to best serve students. In the meantime, faculty deal with difficult […]
Imagine a college classroom buzzing with activity: Students conduct research and build presentations using a customized, interactive tool on their laptops. Through the learning management system, the instructor can peek at their work and provide feedback—even to those taking the course online or at a satellite campus. Suddenly, in the middle of class, the research […]
On the road from acceptance to enrollment, would-be students stray, often stepping off the intended path. However, led by admissions offices, higher ed institutions are enticing accepted students to officially enroll by using innovative communication approaches, developing peer connections and making students feel as if they are already part of the family. That process starts […]
1. Tackle issues head-on and promptly. This may be especially important for tech staff who ignore policies, fail to carry their load or can't seem to get along with co-workers. "Don't let the bad behavior of a few poison those who want to work," says CIO Yvette Brown Koottungal at Barry University in Florida. She […]
