The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although no one is sure what changes are ahead for our country once political outsider Donald Trump takes office, in most ways it'll be business as usual for higher education leaders—who for years have been managing in an economic climate requiring that they accomplish more […]
American higher education in 2016 faced increased pressure on performance—from students with high expectations and an economy in need of qualified workers. Colleges and universities were also being pushed to eliminate administrative and academic silos to help students of all ages and backgrounds succeed. Here's a look back at what made headlines in higher ed […]
A facilities administrator from a suburban institution of 5,000 to 10,000 students says his department faces three challenging realities: increased pressure to reduce operation costs, diminishing resources and a rising deferred maintenance program. Those sentiments are echoed in results from UB's survey of 44 campus facilities leaders. More than half believe deferred maintenance will become […]
Keeping student tuition and fees down is the top priority for 2017 selected by campus CFOs and other finance department administrators in a UB survey—yet tuition revenue and nontuition student fees are the biggest anticipated funding categories for the coming year. Among the 64 administrators responding, 70 percent say these fees will increase modestly or significantly, […]
Ensuring students are prepared for college and then do well academically, emotionally, physically and financially are key goals of student success initiatives on campuses today. And these programs aren't on the minds of only administrators whose day-to-day jobs involve supporting students in these ways. Top institutional officials have student success on their minds—most of them […]
Campus technology leaders report significant new investment to come this year in the area of academic tech tools such as lecture capture, AV equipment and active classroom initiatives. It's the third year in a row academic technology led the list of top significant investments in a UB survey. But while investment in internet/Wi-Fi infrastructure has […]
Enrollment declines will be the most pressing concern keeping presidents and other top officials up at night in 2017. Seven in 10 who responded to a UB survey named it as the area with the greatest potential for causing the institution financial or reputational harm. State budget cuts, at 44 percent, are the next biggest worry […]
Donald Trump's pick for secretary of education, billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist Elisabeth "Betsy" DeVos, is more of a household name in K12 than higher ed circles. DeVos has worked to promote school choice and voucher programs, including creation of Detroit's charter school system. She sits on the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, whose […]
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 […]