New football teams continue to take the field at colleges and universities each fall, overcoming criticism—from within higher ed and from outside—that sports programs not only suck up money desperately needed by academic departments but also drive up tuition and student fees. Some experts also predict that the wave of lawsuits the NCAA faces could push […]
Stable, reliable and adaptable. Those are the key descriptors for a successful learning management system. When the current LMS doesn’t provide a needed functionality, schools can often add new features or configurations to achieve the desired outcome. But in some cases, it’s time to scrap the old system. “Universities change on a dime; they’re constantly […]
#ivorytower—The CNN Films broadcast of “Ivory Tower” on Nov. 20 started a social media frenzy, inspiring more than 12,000 tweets as of mid-December. When the piece first aired publicly, many viewers live-tweeted—for a total of nearly 9,400 tweets on Nov. 20, according to Topsy, a social web search engine. The film’s central question asks, “Is […]
Three exciting keynote speakers have been locked in for UBTech 2015, University Business's annual technology and leadership conference, being held June 15 to 17 in Orlando. Laurie Leshin, the first female president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, will be addressing "How Innovation is Unleashed by Answering an Unanswerable Question." In addition to her past […]
In the last few years, video in education has gone from a luxury addition to a must-have item. Video-use cases went from simple lecture capture to a myriad of creative possibilities—from teacher-student collaborations, to CampusTubes, to in-video quizzes and interactive tools, and more—available anywhere, on any device. Cross-campus video deployment serves to engage students and […]
Wright State University invested significantly in printing equipment only to see demand decline. That lead administrators to overhaul the Ohio institution’s entire printing system. By switching to a variable pay-per-print model based on volume and relying on one supplier to manage all its equipment, Wright State is saving $750,000 per year. Sharing assets with two […]
The roster of people flowing in and out of campus buildings changes frequently. New students come in, others graduate. Adjunct faculty and visiting scholars join the campus for a limited time; corporate partners and parents stop over for a day. Giving everyone access to the appropriate buildings is a challenge that’s compounded when a mix […]
Supporting local economic and civic projects is a central part of the mission for community colleges that rely on voter approval for funding. In Kansas, for example, voters elect the six members of their community college’s board of trustees, which levies taxes to pay for the school’s operating expenses. Residents, however, can challenge the board’s […]
There exist an endless number of articles, books, blogs, and interviews on the state of higher education (HE) in America. The themes are consistent – fewer resources, fewer students, bloated administrative staff, less affordability, unsustainable student debt, poor graduation rates, unimpressive employability skills and what the heck is a MOOC and why should I care. […]
Financial aid is in a state of flux, but an institution's size and selectivity offer clues to what kind of student assistance gets prioritized. Some public flagships and less-selective private schools are using increased merit aid to lure higher achievers from more prestigious private schools, while some highly selective colleges and universities are phasing out […]
