The American higher education system still holds a global appeal, attracting nearly 1 million international students as of July, and more than one-third of these students are traveling stateside to study STEM fields. That’s according to the latest quarterly report from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, “SEVIS by the Numbers.” The Student and Exchange […]
Higher education institutions can venerate or perpetuate hallowed traditions. Institutions have had a reputation for infrastructure conservatism. William Rees’ 2003 article “Impeding Sustainability? The Ecological Footprint of Higher Education” states “the real challenge for higher education is to help articulate an alternative life-sustaining worldview.” Today, campuses lead the transformation to sustainability, demonstrating its value nationwide. […]
To confront today’s financial challenges, every college and university needs to create more operational efficiency. Some of these efficiencies start in the business office. For instance, key aspects of higher education financial management are paper-intensive and outdated —a stark contrast to the first-class technology used in campus classrooms. A primary target for business officers should […]
Colleges and universities that have not yet implemented electronic transcripts may be selling their students short. Not only do e-transcripts require less staff time and ensure better results through trackability and online security, but they also can be delivered almost instantly. “A delay of a few days in processing a transcript request may have been […]
Monetary policy in the United States took a dramatic turn with the introduction of quantitative easing after the financial crisis of 2008. Although it achieved its primary objective by forcing down long-term interest rates, it also increased the supply of money in the economy, which has contributed to inflationary pressures in the past. While we […]
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was developed to encourage and enhance cardholder data security and to facilitate the broad adoption of consistent data security measures globally. The PCI DSS has just been updated to version 3.0, effective January 1, 2014. Some of the changes have far-reaching impacts, and the new version […]
A potentially positive higher ed economic indicator is that more institutions purchased student information systems in 2013 than had done so in any year since 2008, according to a recent market analysis by The Tambellini Group. Two of the main reasons given for the 195 purchases were the need to update outdated software and to […]
When its credit card fees hit $1.6 million in early 2011, Missouri State University officials decided there must be a better way. “Because it became so common for students and their family members to pay by credit card, the fees became unmanageable,” recalls Doug Willson, the bursar for the 23,000-student institution based in Springfield, Mo. […]
By now, big data and learning analytics are familiar buzz words for anyone working in higher education. Thanks to student information systems (SIS) like Banner and Blackboard, universities collect an ever increasing volume of data about campus life and student performance. But knowing what data to collect and leveraging it for better outcomes is not […]
Around 4,000 boxes of paper records fill the shelves in Central New Mexico Community College’s storage area. And many of these boxes—those containing employee personnel files, for example—must remain in storage for up to 55 years before they can be destroyed. It’s a big reason why CNMCC has embraced electronic records management, says Rebecca Turner, […]
