Category: Blog

Revamping the Computer Lab

A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted a trend in which many US colleges and universities are either phasing out the traditional computer lab or revamping that space to provide more effective opportunities for collaborative learning and group study. The trend is a response to pervasive research on the impact of collaborative learning spaces on student success, and to the pedagogical shift toward more group-based learning. There are an abundance of models for state-of-the-art, forward-looking, revamped lab spaces. However, now more than ever most colleges and universities are needing to repurpose space while operating under tight budget constraints. We asked Andrew Milne, CEO of Tidebreak, Inc. and a leading expert on learning space design, for tips on finding relatively small but impactful investments toward transforming the traditional computer lab into a collaborative learning space. Making a Big Impact on a Small Budget “As you look to upgrade machines,” Milne suggests, “rather than buying the same amount of CPUs, think about having fewer workstations, and then using the saved money to purchase large, movable displays.” Milne recommends providing group stations where students can connect their laptops and engage in collaborative exercises. Whiteboard is also a relatively inexpensive investment. […]

Creating a Crisis-Ready Emergency Notification Policy

Virginia Tech had two contradictory emergency notification policies, which stalled efforts the day of the massacre. What does your emergency notification policy need to include? When the state of Virginia provided its update on the official report on the Virginia Tech massacre, correcting factual errors and revealing details about breakdowns in emergency communications on the day of the crisis, the report found that the campus had two contradictory emergency notification policies, which stalled efforts the day of the crisis. We asked Cindy Lawson — assistant to the chancellor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and one of the leading experts on crisis communications — to speak to what lessons could be learned from the updated report. “Hindsight is great,” Lawson cautions, “and when crises happen at other institutions, it’s important for all of us to learn not just from real or perceived mistakes but also from their successes.” That said, the Virginia Tech incident offers an effective lesson in the importance of having a clear emergency notification policy. What’s Absolutely Critical to Include “I really believe that it’s the “obvious” that is, more often than not, overlooked.”Cindy Lawson, University of North Carolina Wilmington In crafting an emergency notification policy, Lawson notes […]

Campaigns, This Side of the Recession

A Marts & Lundy report recently highlighted the drop in major gifts to colleges and universities this year, and made recommendations that institutions embarking on a campaign expect to rely on fewer multimillion-dollar gifts and concentrate on securing more contributions of under a million. This report came quickly on the heels of statistics from The Chronicle of Philanthropy showing that 2009 to date has seen six gifts over $50 million, compared to 31 in 2008 and 43 in 2007. Given these numbers, we asked Bruce Flessner, principal at Bentz Whaley Flessner and a leading consultant on institutional advancement, to offer his insights on the best decisions development officers can make right now in positioning their shops for the climb out of the recession. Despite the reports on a slow 2009, Flessner emphasizes the need to focus on pursuing major gifts again. Look 6 Months Ahead, Not 6 Months Back “First,” Flessner suggests, “you need to understand that the recession is coming to an end, so focus on the next six months, not the past six months.” The slew of reports coming in about the slack in major gifts in 2009 may be frightening, but the focus needs to be on […]

Student Wellness: Finding The Low-Hanging Fruit

The recent controversy over Lincoln University’s graduation requirement that all overweight graduates lose weight or take a fitness course illustrates the importance many colleges and universities are placing on wellness programming as a vehicle to promote student health and cut the rising costs of student health insurance. Yet many colleges are opting for health and wellness efforts that are narrowly targeted — for example, a required fitness course or an effort to improve food options at the dining hall. The University of South Carolina’s Healthy Carolina initiative is one of the few programs that takes a truly holistic perspective. We asked the program’s director, Michelle Burcin, for her advice on taking a big-picture approach to student wellness and how to identify efforts that represent low-hanging fruit — especially if you are working with limited resources. Look at the Big Picture Taking the example of America’s obesity epidemic, Burcin advises focusing not just on fitness or on dining options, but on both, in addition to a hard look at the campus environment. “Look at the whole picture,” she advises. “It isn’t just the staff who make the hot food who are responsible for presenting healthy options. What are your vending machines selling?” “Are we […]

Quick Environmental Scanning for Workforce Education Needs

With so many displaced workers and unemployed adults, especially in manufacturing, more colleges and universities are working to identify specific workforce needs in their area and launch new workforce education programs in response. While many program directors don’t have the time or resources to conduct a traditional environmental scan, there are some fast steps you can take to identify local needs and measure the demand for workforce education programs in your area. We asked for first steps from Rick Voorhees, Principal of Voorhees Group LLC and past president of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR); Patricia Malone, director of corporate education and training at the Center for Emerging Technologies at Stony Brook University; and Victoria Matthew, director of program development, continuing and professional education at UMASS Amherst. Where to Find Information — and Partners “There’s no such thing as perfect data. Find the pattern, but if you wait until you have perfect data to start a program, you’ve lost an opportunity.” Rick Voorhees, Principal, Voorhees Group LLC Much of the official government data on the workforce is pretty dated by the time it’s available. Voorhees suggests that program directors focus on participation in local industry meetings to get first-hand information on […]

Greening the Campus Fleet: Tips from Dave Newport

In this week’s news, the University of South Carolina announced its “Genesis 2015 Initiative,” promising a 90% drop in carbon-dioxide emissions from its campus fleet in the next five years. This is the latest in several recent commitments by colleges and universities to green their campus fleets. Other colleges and universities have hesitated to take aggressive steps toward “greening” the campus fleet, but Dave Newport, director of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Environmental Center and co-creator and member of the Steering Committee of AASHE’s new STARS sustainability ratings system for higher education, has some advice on where to find the low-hanging fruit in this effort. Make Decisions Based on Data Many campuses lack either a centralized fleet inventory or a purchase policy. “My sense in talking with fleet managers,” Newport comments, “is that campuses are generally overstocked with vehicles. People get research money and they go to buy a vehicle. Somebody gets a big grant and thinks he needs a big van for the 20 or so trips that research will require.” If vehicles can be purchased without a check against inventory and without lifecycle costing, this will contribute to both carbon waste and high long-term costs for fleet […]

First Steps in Supporting Part-Time Faculty

Among other findings, the recent Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) has highlighted the phenomenon of “part-timerness” prevalent not only among students attending evening and weekend classes but also among adjunct faculty. The survey authors have called upon two-year institutions to take steps to better engage and support part-time faculty. As the percentage of instructors who are part-time grows, supporting adjunct faculty in delivering quality instruction is increasingly important for both two-year and four-year institutions. We asked Richard Lyons, Senior Consultant with Faculty Development Associates and editor of the book Best Practices for Supporting Adjunct Faculty (2007), to comment on the first critical steps in offering effective support and faculty development for your part-time instructors. Training Your Adjuncts Initial training for first-time adjuncts is crucial. Research studies since The Invisible Faculty (1993) consistently show that not all part-time faculty are aspiring academics. Many are specialists and professionals, freelancers, or career enders — passionate individuals who may have little or no formal instructional or pedagogical training. “Consider the 25-year old attorney teaching an evening class. No one ever taught her how to teach. What she knows about instructional design might be what she saw as a student in law school. Maybe […]

Crisis Communications 10 Years After the Texas A&M Bonfire

This week saw the 10-year anniversary of the tragic 1999 bonfire collapse that killed 12 students at Texas A&M University. At the time Cindy Lawson, the university’s executive director of university relations, deployed the university website to relay timely and accurate information to the campus community, and worked proactively with the media to direct the public to the website. A first adopter of the web as a key media relations channel, Lawson ensured that in the wake of the tragedy the university became the primary disseminator of information. The communications landscape has changed rapidly in the past decade, and we asked Cindy Lawson, now assistant to the chancellor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, to comment on how the growth of social media may impact crisis communications today, and how media relations professionals can best prepare for that impact. The Dangers of Social Media in a Crisis “Ten years ago, I had to worry about 300 plus media who were at the site, as well as students or bystanders who might engage in a discussion with media. Today, everyone has a cell phone, everyone can text, everyone can take photos or videos, and everyone has the ability to easily post them […]

Strengthening Library/Faculty Partnerships

Last week, after heated protest from the faculty senate, the Syracuse University Library pulled back from plans to move thousands of books off campus. The tensions at Syracuse University illustrate the importance of communicating with faculty and with academic leaders early and often; as academic libraries continue to grapple with issues of core identity and as they plan to reshape collections, it is critical that library deans and directors find productive ways to involve faculty in the conversations from the start. Charles Forrest, director of the library facilities office at Emory University, offers some tips for launching these conversations. Start Talking Early It is important to establish strong partnerships with faculty champions before the time comes to discuss major changes in the library. If you don’t already have one, Forrest advises, “get a mechanism in place for ongoing dialogue: a library policy committee, a faculty advisory group.” You need to build a core of advocates who understand what the library is facing as an organization and as part of the larger academic institution. Continually look for opportunities to engage new voices from the faculty in dialogue about the role of the academic library at your institution. Get them involved in […]

Professional Development: Making the Right Investments

One state legislator is criticizing the University of Iowa this week for its plan to send 35 hospital workers to several days of training offered at a center in Orlando, FL, at a cost of $130,000. UI officials have replied that now more than ever, training represents a critical reinvestment in the organization. The conversation is one case of a nationwide trend in which campus officials have to negotiate between the need for training on priority initiatives, concerns over the costs of travel, and fears that some investments in professional development will look bad. Larry Goldstein, President of Campus Strategies, LLC, suggests that a budget crisis is not a time to freeze professional development and travel. “The tendency to look inward during a budget crisis is counterproductive,” he remarks. “It’s important to look outward and gather new resources.” Here are some ways that Goldstein suggests rethinking an approach to professional development. Recognize the Cost of Cutting Professional Development “Not all problems can be solved by looking at your own resources. Having access to solutions others have reached is immensely valuable. The cost of cutting professional development is that you rely exclusively on what is known on your campus, instead of relying […]