Donna Salak knew the financial aid office at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, was not using its Banner student information system to full capacity. Salak, who is Xavier's director of financial aid, had staff with a user-level understanding of Banner, but there had been knowledge loss on the technical side due to staff turnover. Salak […]
Health insurance is a hot topic in Congress, and that's not the only place. Each year, campus leaders are confronted by a daunting need to contain costs while providing benefits expected by employees. Annual premiums at higher ed institutions averaged $7,059 for employee-only coverage and $19,584 for family plans in 2016, according to CUPA-HR. Reported […]
What do you see as today's biggest challenge in operating a campus mailroom? Is there anything colleges tend to do that makes the problem worse? "One of the biggest problems for campus mailrooms is lack of space! You can hire more workers and buy more software, but it's practically impossible to get more space. If students […]
Every school needs a reliable water supply—no matter the climate—yet it is often the most overlooked aspect of facilities management. It flows throughout the campus, from sinks and toilets to cooling and sprinkler systems. It's essential for dining services, landscape management, research spaces, athletic facilities and academic programs such as agriculture. Even with increasing emphasis […]
Diplomas—those venerable printed documents that lack hotlinks and interactivity features—have lost some of their luster. While employers increasingly demand that new hires have college degrees, the transcripts supporting those hard-earned credentials are no longer the most informative tool students have to exhibit their skills. "The bachelor's degree or Ph.D. will never go away," says Philip […]
Q: Campus testing centers: A. vary in size and resources from institution to institution B. administer national standardized assessments, professional certification exams, and makeup and placement tests C. can serve as an alternative revenue stream D. all of the above Almost every college and university has a version of a testing center, whether it's a […]
The Department of Education in 2015 announced the move to an earlier FAFSA filing date using prior-prior year guidelines. Since then, colleges and universities that receive federal Title IV financial aid have worked tirelessly to assess the potential implications to enrollment and to make the adjustments needed in the first year of implementation. In a […]
Purdue University surprised its faculty and the general higher ed sector this spring with its plans to acquire Kaplan University for a symbolic $1 (with a revenue-share plan spanning 30 years). Less noted is the opportunity Purdue has to learn from its new unit. Purdue, an Indiana land-grant institution, will form a new, public university […]
Most Institutions of Higher Education (IHE's) have issued plastic Campus Cards for decades based on a 30-year business model. Perhaps it is time for administrators to review this process in light of current technology and dramatic shifts in generational expectations. Development of a contemporary business model, which may include migration to a "virtual" Campus Card, […]
In April 2015, Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa., decided to create a new rehabilitation sciences department—but we knew these wouldn't be traditional classrooms. We wanted students to master the physical sciences using hands-on learning and cutting-edge technologies – and we recommend a similar approach for any higher-ed facility looking to boost interest and enrollment. We […]
