University and college professors face new and exciting challenges today due to technological advances in smartphones and smartwatches and the implanted devices that are currently being tested. Students' growing dependence on smartphones does not stop at the classroom door. Some students use these hand-held computers during class time to listen to music, check the time, […]
Institutional resiliency is a daunting challenge for smaller, tuition-dependent, change-resistant institutions. Indeed, the most vulnerable of these fragile colleges and universities may soon face extinction. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics tells us that there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of degree-granting postsecondary institutions in America over the past decade. […]
In a higher education landscape marked by a shrinking student population and increasing uncertainty, institutional longevity—if not short-term survival—is top of mind for most. What many at-risk institutions fail to see, however, is that a primary focus on competition is a precarious survival strategy that more often than not, backfires. Cooperation, not competition is the […]
Continued binge drinking and destructive student behavior have driven higher ed leaders to refine off-campus behavior policies. Parents have also asked for more off-campus supervision as students post legally dubious antics online. Many policies give the institution room to discipline students for off-campus behavior, but clears them of legal obligations to do so. "In the […]
Standardized tests, once thought to be the best way to compare students from diverse backgrounds, are criticized as being biased and inconclusive. A small but growing number of colleges have made such testing optional for applicants. Does a test-optional policy result in a more diverse student body or improve attainment and retention rates? Measuring Success: […]
Younger Americans postpone marriages, and put off having children and buying their first home while repaying student loans. And new federal data shows the burden now spreading to their parents: Americans age 50 years and older saw their federal student loan debt grow by $18 billion between the second quarter of fiscal year 2017 and […]
You think there's not enough sun in cold, dark Maine to generate solar power? You say solar panels belong in the deserts of the Great Southwest? Actually, solar panels operate more efficiently in cooler weather, and Maine gets more sun than Germany, known worldwide as a solar powerhouse. Five New England colleges have teamed up […]
What staff and employees from every corner of campus expect from IT often differs from what tech staff can actually deliver. And while white-glove tech service might not always be possible, internal teamwork and enlightened management techniques can help IT departments earn a strong reputation for responsiveness. Of course, developing and maintaining a strong customer […]
1. Tackle issues head-on and promptly. This may be especially important for tech staff who ignore policies, fail to carry their load or can't seem to get along with co-workers. "Don't let the bad behavior of a few poison those who want to work," says CIO Yvette Brown Koottungal at Barry University in Florida. She […]
Providers were asked: How well are colleges using data to measure faculty performance, and what related areas need the most improvements? "Colleges will typically show the faculty how their scores compare to others at the school, usually those in the same department. But they rarely ask the instructors how they plan to improve any low […]
