Classrooms, libraries and residence halls may appear to be the key points of interest on campus tours—but dining halls can generate even bigger buzz. Students scrutinize menus, looking for labels such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly, kosher or halal. Spotting those options could mean the difference between enrolling or choosing another school. “We’ve had students see […]
Launching new athletic programs—a go-to strategy for driving enrollment and boosting campus enthusiasm—usually comes with some major costs. But some institutions have added a rapidly growing, co-ed sport that doesn't require an expensive new athletic complex or a big travel budget. Competitive, online video-gaming, also known as e-sports, checks several inclusive and low-cost boxes, and […]
“The company will make an initial investment of $50 million in a new and ongoing education program specifically designed to cover tuition costs for hourly employees—a result of the recently enacted tax reform and representing a total allocation of more than $175 million in this fiscal year.” Continue reading. —The Walt Disney Company “Good news: […]
Several years ago I participated in a UB article called “Spotlight on Procurement.” The focus was on the emerging recognition of procurement as a key strategic contributor to the financial health of a university— rather than simply serving the tactical, back office transaction shop and “compliance cop” roles in which it was historically cast. After […]
Editor's Note: This is part 1 of a 3-part series on b-school survival. With the number of traditional MBA students dropping, business schools must get creative to survive and ultimately thrive. One major strategy is creating more robust offerings for part-time and online students for whom a traditional program presents an insurmountable opportunity cost—giving up […]
Clouds that emerged throughout 2017 are hanging over the heads of campus administrators, posing potentially huge impacts to higher ed as a whole. Just a few of the significant national developments include: the proposed $9 billion in cuts to the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal year 2018—which if implemented will affect Stafford Loan financing, […]
As higher education continues to feel pressure to reduce costs and improve efficiency, campus IT environments are rapidly changing and the speed of cloud adoption is increasing. More schools are utilizing cloud technology to modernize systems, cut costs and analyze data to gain insights about more cost-effective ways to run the institution. But it is […]
What are some of the trends Jenzabar is seeing in higher ed for 2018 and beyond? There is a focus on fiscal responsibility. As we see budgets tighten, business officers are going to be tasked with being very responsible about the fiscal situation at their institutions. This strategy aligns perfectly with the Jenzabar ethos. Our […]
As colleges and universities find new ways to partner with each other to improve services and reduce costs, the idea of sharing an LMS is starting to gain traction. For instance, selecting and sharing a learning management system was key to an online teacher training and certification partnership established in 2017 between the schools of […]
The closure of Amazon’s virtual bookseller at UMass Amherst underscores once again the need for campus stores to diversify services. It also highlights ongoing efforts by administrators to reduce the cost of course materials through online textbooks, open educational resources and other initiatives. “I don’t think anybody assumes Amazon isn’t a pretty sharp outfit,” says Bob Walton, […]
