On the road from acceptance to enrollment, would-be students stray, often stepping off the intended path. However, led by admissions offices, higher ed institutions are enticing accepted students to officially enroll by using innovative communication approaches, developing peer connections and making students feel as if they are already part of the family. That process starts […]
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 […]
When it comes to risk management, a key fear is being blindsided by exposure we didn't even know we had. At Meredith College, we have addressed many risks through the establishment of an administrative management council, composed of the direct reports of the vice presidents. Meeting at least twice per semester, this group of about […]
A few months after Boston University's successful merger with Wheelock College, the University of Massachusetts drew a greater degree of scrutiny for its acquisition of Mount Ida College. Families—many of whom had hoped for a merger with nearby Lasell College—were understandably shaken by the news of the quick agreement. Yet they were offered various options […]
In your experience, how common is it for financial aid offices to push in to classrooms with messages to students about financial aid, managing student loan debt, and personal finance—and what may be holding them back from doing this more? "Typically, we only hear of financial aid staff coming in to the classroom as part […]
Every semester, hundreds of freshmen at Champlain College in Vermont gather in a campus meeting room to play the "Game of Life." It's not the traditional board game. Instead, this event simulates financial decisions students will make after graduation. Each student is assigned a salary based on their major and then turned loose in a […]
The cost of college, a daunting concern for many American families, is now the central storyline of a Hollywood movie. In a short-lived summer movie release called The House, Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, a middle-class couple, open an illegal casino to cope with their personal gamble: how to pay for their daughter's college tuition. […]
Some higher ed administrators may be surprised to learn that women hold two-thirds of the nation's $1.3 trillion in student debt. By the end of 2016, this percentage equaled $833 billion, according to a new report by the American Association of University Women, a grassroots organization focused on promoting gender equity in education. Heavier student […]
Lyon College President W. Joseph King and former university president Brian C. Mitchell have written a practical guide for new and veteran leaders. How to Run a College (2018, Johns Hopkins) examines how colleges operate and how they can build on their fundamental strengths. More importantly, it corrects a number of commonly held misperceptions about […]
Are data silos a big problem in higher ed, and what are the most important reasons for taking them down? "It's common to see a divide between interests in graduation and retention on the one hand, and teaching and learning on the other. These are complementary perspectives, yet many times they are siloed despite a […]
