Institutions in nine states are experimenting with using papers and coursework—instead of tests—to judge whether students are learning skills employers need. University representatives from these states will develop standards for judging students’ critical thinking, problem solving, intercultural competence and more. These skills were determined to be what employees most value in graduates, says Carol Geary […]
A 2013 Noel-Levitz E-Expectations Report of incoming college students found that 78 percent have regular access to a mobile device. And while that number has probably crept higher for 2014, what about the approximately one in five college students who don’t have that access? For many low-income and first-generation college students, owning a smart phone, […]
Bard College doesn’t judge the success of its prison initiative by the number of students who stay out of jail. Recidivism is an extremely low bar, says Executive Director Max Kenner. “We judge by how many people are becoming middle-class taxpayers, how many people are involved in deeply meaningful ways in their communities. We think […]
In her 2014 State of the University of New York Address, Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher launched Open SUNY, a systemwide distance learning consortium. Over the near term, it will reduce the time it takes to complete a degree, course or certificate. What is especially distinctive about Open SUNY is that it is one of the […]
Workforce development has long been a bastion of the community college environment. But with student-loan debt topping $1 trillion and enrollments falling, many four-year colleges and universities are devoting more attention to the area, in part as a way to boost their own relevance within a challenging global economy. Because these programs tend to be […]
Not long ago, I asked presenters at the Higher Ed Analytics Conference what the next “big thing” would be. Their answer? Universal Analytics, or UA. Philippe Taza, of the Montreal-based digital marketing agency Higher Ed Marketing, explained that tracking a visitor across multiple devices would be both important and desirable—something UA will make possible. Alan […]
Industry-drivenA Toyota workforce study revealed: Within 10 years, at least 200 employees in their Indiana manufacturing plant would retire.Action: Partner with university to launch the Toyota Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program Pays wellStudent earnings: $17 an hour first year; $19 an hour second year“It’s not a job, it’s a career.” —Art Haase, dean of Vincenne’s College […]
Gone are the days when university CIOs filled their time with trouble-shooting computer bugs and managing servers. While today's university IT staff are still technical experts, they are now expected to be much more than on-campus tech support. "CIOs are at the center of a campus conversation about the proper relationship between technology and education," […]
With funding cuts, falling enrollments and increased competition from MOOCs and other low-cost online programs, higher education has been under enormous pressure in recent years. But pressure often leads to positive change, and many schools are looking at continuing education as an ideal area for that change. Approached strategically, CE offers an untapped opportunity to […]
“Engage with the career center” sounds a bit like “eat your vegetables” to a college student. Students know they should access career planning resources, but other options from the campus activities buffet beckon. In surveys, graduating students from Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business and Management raved about the faculty and facility, but not […]
