The discussion of research at primarily undergraduate institutions often begins and ends with a discussion of the benefits for students. It’s generally understood that research at these schools helps students build critical thinking skills, fosters a foundation for the scientific process, and creates hands-on classroom experiences. While these are true outcomes, they undervalue what research […]
Amid students cutting textiles, making shoes, firing ceramics and making prints at the Parsons School of Design’s Making Center in midtown Manhattan is a whole wall of 3D printers. The 28,000-square-foot center’s 15 MakerBot printers churn out everything from jewelry and lacey sculptures to small figurines and architectural models. Having all the printers in one […]
The Chicago Cubs finally learned this lesson: A baseball team without a good farm system won’t make it to the top. Higher education needs to focus on employee development and start rebuilding their own farm systems. Why do so many colleges look externally for new talent instead of developing their employees? Due to an external-candidate […]
There’s no doubt that higher ed institutions have access to tons of student data these days, but what separates actionable insights from analytics overload? Colleges and universities that crack the code can embark upon data-based decision-making as it relates to student success initiatives. Others, struggling, get lost in the numbers. “Most institutions are data rich […]
No institution can be better than its faculty. An institution can be better than its president, its football team, its library and its food service—but if the faculty are weak, the institution is weak. We are in an exciting time for faculty in that their roles are expanding with new opportunities in online education, MOOCs, […]
Trademark licensing is big business for big universities. The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association estimates collegiate licensing programs raked in $209 million in 2015. Large universities with internationally recognized brands and large alumni bases—such as Notre Dame, the University of Texas at Austin and Florida State University—top the list of highest licensing revenue earners. These […]
Q: Campus testing centers: A. vary in size and resources from institution to institution B. administer national standardized assessments, professional certification exams, and makeup and placement tests C. can serve as an alternative revenue stream D. all of the above Almost every college and university has a version of a testing center, whether it's a […]
The Department of Education in 2015 announced the move to an earlier FAFSA filing date using prior-prior year guidelines. Since then, colleges and universities that receive federal Title IV financial aid have worked tirelessly to assess the potential implications to enrollment and to make the adjustments needed in the first year of implementation. In a […]
A handful of campuses teach Native American languages to support the efforts of local tribes to preserve their language and expand their culture’s influence on public education, film and other arenas. This semester, Niagara University—located near the famous waterfall on New York’s Canadian border—introduced a sequence of three classes in Tuscarora, a dialect of the […]
There are many programs that call themselves "college in prison." Most lean toward job training and teaching skills that prisoners can use upon their release. Bard College's Prison Initiative, also known as BPI, focuses instead on the importance of the liberal arts in public life. Daniel Karpowitz, the prison initiative's director of policy and national […]
