How many alcoholic drinks do you think the typical female or male college student consumes each week? Some of you may be surprised to learn the results of a 2015 study I conducted. I surveyed a random sample of 496 students at a mid-size public university in New England to determine their weekly drinking habits […]
2015 closed with a flurry of developments for the payment technology industry that stand to impact campuses throughout 2016. Where should colleges and universities begin to make sure they're ready for these changes? We all know that change is a fundamental component of higher education, and with it comes both excitement and uncertainty. Recent months […]
California's colleges and universities have made strides in providing mental health care to students—when higher ed as a whole has struggled to keep up with a growing demand for services. Recent studies suggest that up to one-third of college students suffer mental health problems. California's Mental Health Act, passed in 2004, assesses a 1 percent […]
In the movie The Perfect Storm, a group of intrepid fisherman found themselves in the midst of a colossal and historic storm—a true worst case scenario. Deluged by the overpowering surf, the ship goes down with all hands on deck. Scores of small, faith-inspired tuition dependent colleges are now sensing the turbulent waves under their […]
The purpose of a college education is to give students the wherewithal to thrive in the future. We know that certain skills can quickly become obsolete. We also know, as former President Bill Clinton said, "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist using technologies that haven't been invented in order to […]
Innovation is a word with many connotations. For some, it suggests technological advancement, while for others it is discovering new approaches to old problems. For Elon University President Leo Lambert, it is a continual push for improvement, both institutionally and professionally. To be effective, Lambert says innovation has to become part of the fabric of […]
The traditional model of course content creation and distribution—textbooks written by faculty and publisher-produced—is being disrupted. New digital players and learning content formats—such as courseware, open educational resources and adaptive (or personalized) learning—promise lower costs and better outcomes. Based on a recent analysis of the course content ecosystem by the National Association of College Stores, […]
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 […]
A groundbreaking facility in development at Rutgers University will provide adults with autism opportunities to work on campus and live in apartments alongside clinical staff and graduate students. Unlike many institutions that have short-term transition programs for students, the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services hopes to offer permanent employment to 30 adults with autism […]
Officials at the University of Missouri in 2012 looked at the business troubles of its academic press and decided the most prudent path forward was to shut it down. The community disagreed, lobbying against the closure, and the university recanted. The whole affair emphasizes that academic publishing is not about dollars, but about the proliferation […]
