Criminal justice professor and public safety expert Robin Engel's extensive background working with both law enforcement and community advocates should give plenty of credibility to her leadership of the police reform initiative launched by University of Cincinnati after an officer-involved shooting near campus this summer. Engel was promoted—to vice president for safety and reform—so she […]
Study abroad has been reserved traditionally for upperclassmen, but institutions that include Michigan State, Kent State (Ohio), Florida State, American University (D.C.) and the University of New Haven (Conn.) are offering students the chance to learn overseas before or during their first year of college. Michigan State launched Freshman Seminar Abroad in 2003 with organized […]
With YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets, virtually nothing escapes the pubic's notice, and judgment. It's one reason higher education is paying much more attention to risk management now than in the past. There are also more risk-generating contingencies, such as mass shootings, and accountability standards, such as for the prevention of sexual […]
After years of quiet evolution, the competency-based education movement is now poised for explosive growth, with several hundred colleges and universities developing programs that fundamentally redefine the college degree. An estimated 34 U.S. institutions now offer some form of competency-based learning, according to research by Robert Kelchen, an assistant professor of higher education at Seton […]
In just three years, enrollment at Lone Star Community College grew by about 50 percent. The six-campus system, located in the north Houston metro area, now has more than 95,000 students and has experienced explosive data growth, as well—from 40 terabytes to 1.6 petabytes. A data collection that big is hard to imagine. But as […]
The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently delivered a wake-up call to both students and administrators about how well prepared college graduates are for the world of work. The survey, which was completed by both college students and employers with more than 25 employees, showed students consistently rated themselves as "well prepared" when employers […]
Most public discussions about the use of race and ethnicity in higher education admissions decisions ignore targeted recruitment and some of the other strategies that have been used most often to increase campus diversity, says a new report by the American Council on Education. The result is more polarized debate that—in seizing on less commonly […]
Higher ed administrators with questions about service dogs on campus can find answers in new guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Justice. Written in FAQ form, it covers the applicability of the Americans with Disabilities Act to service animals, as well as clarifies which animals qualify as service animals and what administrators can ask […]
In today's 24/7, always-on world, students, faculty and other key stakeholders expect institutions of higher education to be on the cutting edge of technology. As CIO of Western Oregon University (WOU), a vibrant campus of 4,992 undergraduates and 1,066 graduate students with our main campus in Monmouth, I know that when it comes to technology, […]
Today's progressive student success initiatives start even before first semester classes convene. The colleges and universities honored in the second round of UB's national Models of Excellence awards program have found that easing students' transition from high school to higher ed increases the likelihood they will remain enrolled and graduate. But an "easy" transition doesn't […]