Branding may have historically been considered too commercial an endeavor for higher ed, but this mindset has clearly evolved. It's no longer a question of whether a college should brand itself, but of how it can create an accurate embodiment of its mission and student experience. Branding a university is fundamentally different than branding a […]
The academic landscape is fraught with risk—everything from hazardous chemicals and internal fraud, to flu outbreaks and budget shortfalls. It seems obvious that any college or university would invest effort to identify and rank its current top risks, if just to assign the right level of attention and resources to each. Yet many academic institutions […]
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 […]
The temperature around higher education unionizing efforts often runs hot. Officials are reluctant to have outside labor groups on campus or to relinquish control over important personnel decisions—including pay, benefits and other sensitive employee issues. But should higher ed leaders fear unionization efforts? One primary area of worry for institutions whose employees are beginning to […]
Donald Farish President, Roger Williams University, Rhode Island Topic: Tuition and financial aid Trend: Well over half of the nonprofit private colleges failed to meet either their enrollment or revenue targets this fall. Despite this, I predict that the overwhelming majority of these schools will continue to increase both tuition and discount rates next year, […]
Committed to being a true partner to colleges and universities by supporting student success, Barnes & Noble College recently partnered with Why Millennials Matter to launch a national study on the state of student career preparation and student perceptions about careers after college. In this web seminar, originally broadcast on October 23, 2014, attendees learned […]
Experts in higher education administration and management predict that 2015 will bring intense and sometimes surprising governance, financial and legal challenges to the sea of potential worries for university leaders. A few critical issues that will bubble to the surface involve financial health, academic performance, student wellness and continuity in leadership. Creating financial sustainability Answering […]
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in North Carolina has undertaken an ambitious technology strategy across the institution to simplify the student experience, increase access to technology for students regardless of socioeconomic status and enable access to multiple tools that students will use later in the workforce. Key to these initiatives has been implementing Google Apps for Education […]
Higher ed's reliance on adjunct faculty, hardly a secret anymore, has gotten much scrutiny in the past few years. Institutions of all types benefit from the fact that adjuncts—provided they don't become eligible for health benefits by working more than 30 hours a week—can be employed for a fraction of the investment needed for full-time […]
The needs of those who work and learn in institutions of higher education require environments that reflect their preferences and culture more than ever before. That's why experiential branding and wayfinding have become integral parts of an institution's architectural expression. While the brand—the story of who you are and why you exist as an institution— […]
