Being recognized as a “beautiful campus” goes beyond just having curb appeal. In fact, institutions that are consistently chosen for so-called “most beautiful college campuses” rankings put a lot of resources and effort into demonstrating a correlation between campus aesthetics and academic reputation. For many, that commitment is paying off. The allure of an attractive […]
From stand-alone help desks to spaces in bookstores and other high-traffic areas, technology services are becoming more visible on college campuses. With more students carrying laptops and tablets rather than textbooks and notebooks, there’s a greater need for assistance buying and setting up new devices, and troubleshooting problems with old computers, says Julie Simonson, director […]
As the definition of student success continues to expand beyond retention and graduation rates, its physical presence on many campuses is also beginning to sprawl. Student success centers have been emerging for years, and the trend is expected to continue. For each school considering one, decisions involve how to structure and design the space, as […]
It’s an uncomfortable truth for colleges and universities—cheating happens. And by many accounts, it happens a lot. Although cheating isn’t new, technology facilitates it and student culture more readily accepts it. Students may believe outstanding scholastic performance—achieved by whatever means necessary—paves the difficult-to-navigate path to success. Added into this mix is the popularity of online […]
From the earliest days of the modern university, cities have been important partners for institutions of higher learning—largely because universities can bring scholars and students together for creative thinking, while cities can provide the human capital necessary to share innovative ideas with the public. Throughout America's cities, there are examples of universities coordinating urban revitalization […]
Commencement speakers have become another point of financial scrutiny in higher ed, with an annual flurry of students crying foul on both the person selected and fees incurred. Some colleges avoid charges by tapping their own faculty for the task (as University of Chicago has done since 1970). Others pursue prominent speakers willing to donate […]
Anyone who has worked in higher education knows that harnessing and harmonizing many disparate voices representing different academic disciplines and administrative perspectives can be a challenge. That was our experience at Monmouth University during the more than 10-month process to develop our new strategic plan. By the time the plan was endorsed by our board […]
Comprising a three-story classroom building and a two-story advising center connected by a walkway, the Academic Village at Morningside College in Iowa is the first new construction on campus since the 1970s. From state-of-the-art simulation spaces for nursing programs to offices that promote first-year student success, this 35,000-square-foot facility serves a variety of purposes for […]
Institutions collect a wealth of data regarding admissions, financial aid and student success factors. All of these data provide a holistic view of prospective and current students, but it is crucial that this actionable intelligence be used to create and deploy personal and productive messages. In this web seminar, originally broadcast on April 23, 2015, an […]
The variety of challenges facing enrollment leaders are well documented: changing demographics, increased competition for students, scarce outcome data— and the list goes on. Resources are also limited, and so it is critically important for enrollment managers to measure the ROI of the initiatives they take and then adjust as necessary. Collaboration within the enrollment […]
