Fueled by government agendas, national press and public opinion, higher education has in recent years come under increased scrutiny in the form of calls for heightened transparency and accountability. Some of the U.S. Department of Education's initiatives in response include: The College Affordability and Transparency Center, which provides searchable lists of institutions by largest and […]
While some students in rural communities may have difficulty obtaining access to educational options close to home, students in northern Michigan will have a new opportunity to study CNC programming. This fall North Central Michigan College will implement the “CNC” Digital Fab Lab, a sophisticated mobile educational outreach trailer that gives students hands-on training to […]
Thom Chesney, president of Brookhaven College, often meets donors who have never taken a course at his community college in northern Dallas, nor had children who attended the school. Instead, they have a different type of connection to the college: They simply enjoy walking along the trails crisscrossing the campus. "They give a gift to […]
What if you could create a new kind of university? What would it be like? For Ben Nelson, CEO of the Minerva Project, it would combine a redefined student body, a reinvented curriculum, rigorous academic standards, cutting-edge technology and an immersive global experience. Nelson launched Minerva in 2011 to provide an Ivy League-like education at […]
Five years after the Great Recession's official end, higher ed endowments and fundraising are finally recovering, but there is no rising financial tide that's lifting all boats—especially smaller ones that depend heavily on tuition. Instead, a new "economic normal" is being keenly felt at smaller, tuition-driven universities and colleges, forcing campus leaders to diversify their […]
As violent crime has steadily increased on college campuses in the last three decades, institutional leaders have reacted by creating more stringent policies to restrict visitors from entering their academic, administrative and residential buildings. Along with technology—including surveillance cameras, building access systems and even ID badges with proximity chips that could allow officials to track […]
In the fall of 2012, Connecticut neighbors Fairfield University, University of Bridgeport and Housatonic Community College launched a dual-enrollment program, which initially served 78 high school students. From Bridgeport Public Schools, the students got a chance to take college-level courses for simultaneous high school and college credit. These kinds of dual-enrollment programs date back decades […]
What makes a college or university more likely to attract million-dollar gifts? It may not be surprising to learn that longer presidential tenure, the age of an institution, strong alumni networks, and national college rankings help schools win big donations. But even schools not matching the typical profile are getting large gifts by engaging donors […]