What is the most important factor in ensuring an e-textbook initiative is successful, and is there anything administrators tend to miss in planning that, if handled better, would result in a more successful program? “We’ve seen that successful programs often start as small pilots. Instructors might begin with simple e-books and then move into more […]
Like most universities—particularly in rural areas—western Maryland's Frostburg State University has learned to do more with less. Shrinking state support left fewer resources for professional development. Traditional options such as national conferences, seminars and outside consultants quickly became too costly. We understood that we risked compromising quality, but how could an institution on a shoestring budget […]
In response to the White House's Executive Order titled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States," we as leaders at colleges and universities have had to take decisive action to protect our foreign students and faculty members, and to allay the fears of the many domestic students who travel overseas to study. […]
A campus bookstore director relayed a conversation he’d had with the administrator to whom he reports. “I asked my boss whether he expected the store to generate as much profit as possible, or whether he wanted the store to ensure prices on course materials and other necessities were as affordable as possible for students.” The […]
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 […]
Universities welcome media coverage of college sports, groundbreaking research and alumni achievement—all of which generate recognition and revenues supporting their educational mission. Too often, however, racially charged events at universities have dominated those headlines. Racial diversity, inclusion and equality in higher education are hot topics. Low numbers of minority faculty, students and administrators, as well […]
With headline after tragic headline, and demands from angry constituents and stakeholders to do more, colleges and universities are facing the harsh reality that just complying with the minimum requirements of the Campus SaVE (Sexual Violence Elimination) Act isn’t enough to prevent sexual assault. What’s more is that it’s not only the Title IX coordinator’s […]
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Maryland—As a child, Freeman Hrabowski marched in Martin Luther King's peaceful civil rights protests in Birmingham, Alabama, in the mid-1960s. He wound up in jail for a week. Hundreds of miles away on the edge of the American South, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County opened its doors. It was the only campus […]
Loan default rates and an expanding focus on student success have made strong student financial literacy efforts a higher ed norm. But as students and their parents continue to grapple with paying for school, money management lessons from colleges are becoming a family affair. “Encouraging students and their families to communicate about financial responsibilities and […]
Getting tripped up on the latest accessibility standards when planning or renovating campus buildings—and then having to make costly changes later—is hardly a project team’s idea of a good time. The mistake may be innocent enough. Take the concept of completing a project in steps, which may have accessibility-related complexities. “There is a lot of […]
