Why is it so difficult to nurture innovation and academic entrepreneurship at a college or university? My keen and longstanding interest in innovation was first fueled by my doctoral dissertation research, conducted in the early 1990s with a focus on small college resiliency. I studied the financial performance and management strategies of 100 small resource […]
2017 has the potential to be a volatile year in higher education, and that was the case even before Donald Trump took office. Regulatory uncertainty, continued economic and demographic headwinds, and shifts in both domestic and international student enrollment trends are just a few of the rapids that higher-ed leaders will need to navigate. At […]
Networking events, game watches, fundraising activities, and mentoring opportunities all have a place in the engagement strategies portfolio. However, there are a significant number of alumni that want to create deeper bonds through community service work. As community service and civic engagement have become an important part of students’ time on campus, it is also […]
What will student affairs look like, 3 years from now? Looking ahead, what concerns you most? What do we most need to do this year? Recently, we held vigorous discussions of the future of student affairs with a panel of experts that included two vice presidents of student affairs (Les Cook and Paul Marthers), a […]
Recently, we had the chance to chat with Karen Whitney, president of Clarion University, about the future of student affairs – you can read the full interview in our article “Student Affairs: Trends to Watch in 2017-19.” As a past student affairs administrator, Karen Whitney brings a unique perspective both to the presidency (you can […]
Training of new admissions counselors is often, out of necessity, much too hurried and perfunctory. The training that new counselors receive has historically been focused on the everyday duties of the job (travel, reading and processing applications, CRM systems, etc.), accompanied by lots of “just in time” training where other key competencies are concerned. But […]
In higher ed, do we often offer “alternative facts” too, operative myths that don’t accurately reflect the realities of higher education? The term “alternative facts” used by President Trump’s counselor in an interview about the inauguration crowd size has become a media meme. The idea of an alternative fact being something other than a falsehood […]
As institutions strive for new enrollment and increased retention, it is no surprise that many institutions are focusing on recreational facilities in their immediate capital plans. If designed well, a new recreation and wellness facility will serve as more than an immediate invitation for prospective students and families. The physical, social, and communal aspects of […]
What can college and university leaders learn from military leaders about crisis preparedness? Find out from this panel of experts. Colleges and universities all too often face a series of challenges in responding actively and speedily to a crisis or emergency on or affecting the campus, but they needn’t reinvent the wheel: there are proven […]
Series: Costs Down, Quality Up Historically, initiatives to improve quality have also meant added cost—smaller class sizes, more faculty who conduct research, etc.—but this is no longer a sustainable model for all institutions. What are the innovations that can actually drive the cost to educate a student lower while driving critical outcomes like student success and completion higher? This […]
