Better academic performance. Increased student retention and graduation rates. Improved sense of campus community. Online exclusive: Edtech providers on student/faculty ties These are just three benefits that closer ties among faculty and students can yield. Here are nine places to foster such connections. Service-learning sites Tactic: Engage with the community through formal and informal service-learning projects. […]
Sometimes a simple math solution is all it takes to reverse a complex enrollment dilemma. Like most community colleges, Rowan College at Burlington County in New Jersey was experiencing a series of challenges—most notably declining enrollment and resources—that threatened our ability to fulfill our mission and transform lives. With the benefit of an innovative partnership […]
In a higher education landscape marked by a shrinking student population and increasing uncertainty, institutional longevity—if not short-term survival—is top of mind for most. What many at-risk institutions fail to see, however, is that a primary focus on competition is a precarious survival strategy that more often than not, backfires. Cooperation, not competition is the […]
Institutional resiliency is a daunting challenge for smaller, tuition-dependent, change-resistant institutions. Indeed, the most vulnerable of these fragile colleges and universities may soon face extinction. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics tells us that there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of degree-granting postsecondary institutions in America over the past decade. […]
Whether you call them huddle rooms, breakout rooms or collaboration rooms, small group spaces cropping up in various campus buildings are changing the way academic facilities are used. The trend has extended beyond the campus library, where these spaces were traditionally located. Now small breakout rooms for student collaboration are becoming a mainstay in engineering […]
Community colleges bet on a wide variety of scheduling options to attract and retain students whose lives are already filled by jobs and families. Late-start courses that commence a few weeks after the semester begins are gaining popularity, as institutions discover this accelerated learning option supports both students and faculty. At Roane State Community College […]
Contrary to popular misconception, our student-athletes in higher education are persisting and completing their programs of study on time. According to Gallup and collegiate athletic association reports, student-athletes actually outperform their non-athlete classmates in persistence and graduation in a wide and varied range of program majors. Increasingly, student-athletes have chosen to study the diversified fields […]
Three new buildings added 800,000 square feet to Notre Dame's football stadium. The Indiana university touts the four-year endeavor, completed in fall 2017, as the largest construction project in its 175-year history. Challenge: Over the years, activity surrounding the stadium had greatly diminished—except on seven days per year during football season. In addition, the anthropology […]
Mentorship is widely regarded as a high-impact practice in various learning environments—from hospitals to science laboratories to leadership development programs. With proven examples of the power of mentorship in place, it is time to approach this educational practice more systematically and intentionally. One area with tremendous promise for such a systemic approach is helping students […]
Discourse around mental health may be increasing, but awareness doesn’t always lend itself to action. New research shows that while faculty and students may recognize signs of psychological distress in others on campus, many feel unprepared to approach and help those in need. There has been a visible push to improve student well-being on campus—manifesting […]
