It takes more than good intentions and extra space to be successful in starting an incubator. Here are three tips to to help campus departments of economic development go from idea to execution: 1. Write a business plan (and be prepared to change it). As with all successful startups, incubators might need to adapt their focus […]
The 18,000-square-foot space in Boston has all the hallmarks of a typical startup: Computers running equations, whiteboards filled with scrawled revenue projections and caffeine-fueled meetings about venture capital in glass-walled conference rooms. But the Venture Development Center (VDC) isn't a startup; it's a business incubator at University of Massachusetts, Boston that houses dozens of fledgling […]
After six colleges and universities in the Boston Consortium launched a self-insurance program in 2012, healthcare costs at Wheaton College ceased their upward spiral. Health premiums at the small liberal arts college had been increasing by 7 percent annually, but now costs have remained flat for the past four years. “We’ve changed the trend line […]
Pom-poms; a marching band; cheering students; a four-by-two-foot, $25 million ceremonial check—all part of college football halftime. At least they were in November when Micron Technology CEO Mark Durcan presented the check to Boise State University President Bob Kustra, other officials and several delighted students on the 50-yard line. The Micron Technology Foundation's gift, which […]
Embezzlement originating from any corner of campus can threaten any college and university. As for the losses, they can be big. Take, for example: Emory University in Atlanta. In July, a former employee received an 18-month prison term for stealing over $300,000. As an administrative assistant in the school of nursing, she misled students into […]
Lone Star College has the fourth highest number of international students among U.S. two-year institutions, but the Houston-area school does not recruit abroad aggressively, says Nithy Sevanthinathan, the executive director of international student services. While officials at Lone Star—which has a total enrollment of 95,000—attend job fairs overseas, its international marketing is a bit more […]
From cashing in on beer sales at football games to providing community members with a safe way to trash old electronics for a fee, administrators are looking beyond tuition and endowments to make up for budget shortfalls. Typically, there have been three types of alternative revenue sources, says Shandy Husmann, managing director of Huron Consulting […]
The governing board of The University of Texas System has selected Admiral William H. McRaven, currently commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, to take over as chancellor in January 2015. A 1977 graduate of UT Austin's College of Communication, McRaven is best known for orchestrating the operation that led to the death of Osama […]
It’s a fact: Responsive websites solve the challenge created by a world of multiple connected devices—from the latest smartphones to the newest tablets and the largest screens of desktop computers or TVs. Responsive web design allows the same website to work on all devices. Its principles were first introduced in 2010 by Ethan Marcotte, and […]
In the epic Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss learns that to survive, it is not enough to know where to be—it is just as important to know where not to be. For higher education, this means knowing what programs to curtail, and what markets to stay out of. Many institutions need to reduce their reliance on […]