News

4 Blind Spots Colleges Miss in Revising General Education

by Amit Mrig (opens in new tab), Daniel Fusch (opens in new tab)

AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF GENERAL EDUCATION REVISION In 2013, Academic Impressions conducted a survey of 308 post-secondary institutions and conducted select follow-up interviews to learn more about how US and Canadian institutions are seeking to revise their core curriculums. We presented our findings and several case studies in our paper General Education Reform: Unseen Opportunities, and based on our research, we designed an intensive and highly acclaimed conference for institutions seeking to revise general education. The article that follows is based on an excerpt from our 2013 paper. Based on our 2013 research into 308 post-secondary institutions in North America, we have identified several common “blind spots” in general education revision—decision points that most curriculum committees skip. We have also identified a handful of institutions that didn’t skip these critical steps, and that were able to develop a more holistic and impactful core curriculum. We hope that this article and our other resources on general education will help you learn from their successes! Blind Spot 1: Are You Talking to Enough Faculty? When most institutions revise their general education curriculum, they don’t seek the input of external stakeholders to help define the goals and outcomes of general education programs—a critical mistake. And our research shows that even many internal stakeholders are […]

Diagnosing the Barriers to Improving Customer Service

In November 2012, Academic Impressions surveyed professionals from 79 institutions of higher education, asking them to grade their institution’s level of customer service and to comment on the challenges faced in improving it. The responses were revealing. A “C” in Customer Service 29 of our respondents rated their institution with a “B” letter grade for level of service offered, and 31 would assign a “C” grade (together accounting for three-quarters of the total responses). Only six would assign an “A.” Among those who assigned a failing grade and those who assigned a “C,” a litany of common complaints emerges: Many of the respondents emphasized that front-line staff are focused on completion of tasks rather than achievement of (student-centered) outcomes, and lack the time and the perspective to provide better service to students. When asked to describe how they see exemplary customer service, overwhelmingly, the respondents focused on responsiveness. And while some respondents cited the need for a “friendly” attitude, among many there is a growing awareness that providing effective service to students has less to do with targeting “customer satisfaction” through an improved demeanor and more to do with eliminating wait times, shortening lines, and ensuring that students receive the […]

The Title IX Gap: Where Campuses Are Less Prepared Than They Think

by Daniel Fusch (Academic Impressions) August 2014. In recent articles, we’ve commented on the fact that there are immediate steps colleges and universities need to take to ensure compliance with Title IX and with new OCR guidelines for grievance procedures in cases of harassment and sexual assault. For complimentary resources on this, see: Title IX Compliance: Steps to Take Today, Next Week, and Next Month Title IX Checklist Reinforcing the urgency of this issue, two recent Academic Impressions surveys — one of campus safety directors and one of Title IX coordinators and campus HR professionals — reveal a lack of awareness of what institutions need to be doing in the short term. What Many Campus Safety Officers Don’t Know We polled 85 campus safety directors at college campuses; of those polled, only two thirds are currently working on updating policies and procedures related to addressing sexual harassment or sexual assault on campus, in accordance with the Department of Justice’s recommendations. Of the 35 who hope to address this in the next year or who have no plans to revisit their policies, nearly all cited one of three reasons for the delay, and all of these reasons are cause for concern: […]

Checklist: Is Your Online Giving Site Donor-Friendly?

In her new book The 4 Pillars of Donor Relations, Lynne Wester of Donor Relations Guru® helps you rethink donor relations practices and offers specific tips for more powerful acknowledgements, stewardship and impact reporting, recognition, and donor engagement. Get this comprehensive guide to donor relations for your shop today, and transform the way you steward, recognize, and engage your donors. The article that follows is an excerpt from Lynne’s book. by Lynne Wester (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) How difficult do you make it for someone to give you money? In the world of “mobile first,” Amazon one-click, deliver-the-next-day customer satisfaction, institutions often don’t think about what the online giving experience is like for their donors. I’m not talking about your “give now” button or your homepage design, but rather the design of your actual giving page mechanism and the experience your donors have when attempting to make an online gift. So I must ask you if you have looked at your online giving statistics lately? Do you know the percentage of your donors that give online? Have you tried making a gift online to your own organization recently? Have you checked out your giving website on your smartphone? What is […]

4 Common Misperceptions about EIT Compliance

by L. Scott Lissner (opens in new tab), Lisa LaPoint (opens in new tab)

Many institutions are not fully aware of the compliance expectations for their electronic and information technology (EIT) and often fail to meet accessibility requirements which can result in costly lawsuits and pesky OCR audits. EIT compliance is complex, yet manageable, and institutions have a duty to comply with the most recent OCR guidelines laid out in March 2014. To help your institution enhance compliance efforts within a reasonable timeframe, we interviewed an expert on disability compliance — L. Scott Lissner, ADA coordinator at The Ohio State University and past president of AHEAD, the Association on Higher Education and Disability. Why EIT Compliance Must Be a Priority This Year Lisa LaPoint: What are the common misperceptions about EIT compliance? Scott Lissner: There are four that are especially common. First, it is NOT just about classes.Discussions of EIT typically focus on web-based course delivery, etexts and virtual labs, but guidance and case law point to much more. A lot of other processes and documents must meet accessibility standards: As well as virtual tools of the workplace, such as: Developing standards will ensure access for students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and the general public who participate in your programs and activities. It is NOT […]

Upping the Ante on Recreation Facilities for Your Campus

by George Brown, Ph.D. (opens in new tab), Patrick Cain (opens in new tab)

Campus recreation facilities have evolved into hubs for student academic, social, and physical engagement. Institutions as diverse as the University of Alabama, Macalester College, the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, and DePauw University have taken very intentional approaches to designing their recreation facilities in ways that contribute to an improved quality of life for their campus communities. This week, we interviewed George Brown, the executive director of recreation at the University of Alabama. In the podcast below, Brown discusses how his campus has utilized the trends of modern recreation facility design in an on-campus facility that will meet both current and future student needs — and how this effort will help his institution continue to take positive strides in enrolling and retaining students. Podcast: An Interview with George Brown, University of Alabama Key Questions to Ask Your Design Team To ensure a recreation facility that meets student needs, George Brown recommends asking the following questions during the design process: See Upcoming Facilities Events

Identifying the Key Characteristics of True Philanthropists

by Jim M. Langley (opens in new tab)

No matter what the size or budget of the advancement operation, there always seems to be more prospects than we have the time or resources to pursue. That’s why it’s important to focus whatever resources we have on our most promising prospects.  The more time we spend with the truly philanthropic, the more our efforts will pay off. While we have more research than ever before at our disposal, we gravitate too often to the allure of conspicuous consumption – those with grand homes in grand places – than to search for the far more likely prospect, the quiet, unassuming “millionaire next door.” True philanthropists live below their means. They don’t allocate all their earnings to themselves or to maintaining a particular lifestyle. They believe that they are lucky, or privileged, or blessed to have what they have. And because they see themselves as beneficiaries of the American Way, or of the sacrifices of parents, or the generous mentoring of others, or God’s grace, they resolve to share their fortune with others. However, they do not give out of gratitude alone. Gratitude creates a philanthropic heart but true philanthropists seek to make a definable difference in a particular area of […]

Scripting for Acquisition Calls

by Jessica Neno Cloud, CFRE (opens in new tab)

A SERIES ON DONOR ACQUISITION FROM JESSICA NENO CLOUDThis is the third in a series on donor acquisition by Jessica Neno Cloud, CFRE, the author of Successful Fundraising Calls: A Phonathon Scripting Workshop. Cloud is the assistant director for fundraising initiatives and planned giving at the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation. She practices evidence-based fundraising with a focus on return on investment, and has a variety of innovative and effective techniques to share. You may also be interested in the other articles in this series: A Quick Assessment for Your Phonathon ScriptsHow Data Mining Can Increase Direct Mail AcquisitionHow Data Mining Can Increase Phonathon Acquisition To complete this series on acquisition strategies, I want to look at the art of scriptwriting for acquisition (as opposed to the science of data mining). I’ll offer specific tips for: Use Different Language for Acquisition Scripts My first rule of thumb for acquisition work is simple: Don’t use the language of “non-donor,” especially with student callers. Name these segments “future donors” or “yet-to-gives,” and reform your own habits to always use the new, more optimistic name. Psychology and expectation deeply affects fundraisers and we should not be tricking ourselves into believing that these prospects are truly […]

Strategies for Managing Your Enrollment Funnel

by Stefanie Niles (Hollins University), Jeff Papa (SimpsonScarborough), and Patrick Cain (Academic Impressions) Enrollment management in higher ed has never been more complex. For many colleges and universities, technology has allowed for an exponential growth in student applications. This has redefined enrollment funnels and has made recruitment more challenging for modern enrollment professionals. Both Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment and marketing at Hollins University, and Jeff Papa, president of SimpsonScarborough, have seen these challenges firsthand. In this interview, they offer tips and practical suggestions for managing your enrollment funnel, including: Managing your data effectively Updating your recruitment tactics based on your most critical data Leveraging relationships with three critical stakeholders to improve recruitment Data Pitfalls to Avoid Patrick Cain: What do you see as the biggest data pitfall institutions continue to fall into when recruiting? Perhaps it’s how the data is accessed? Or a piece of data that has become more and more irrelevant? Or even how institutions continue to analyze data a particular way that is ineffective? Stefanie Niles and Jeff Papa: Some institutions have a scarcity of data and are unable to make informed decisions.  Others have an abundance, but can’t access or report it properly. Technology […]

Advancement/Academic Partnerships: Using a Team Science Model to Fund Research

by Ed Mason (opens in new tab)

A SERIES ON INNOVATIONS IN FUNDING ACADEMIC RESEARCH Ed Mason, president of EMNR & Associates, is writing this series to assist academic leaders in finding creative strategies to merge public/private funding for existing and new research initiatives. Mason has studied an array of collaborative partnerships between the two offices most focused on external funding (the development office and research & grants), and he will be sharing some of the models he has observed, as well as directions for the future. We hope you will join us for this innovative series: In the traditional model for funding academic research at universities, multiple offices and departments interact with faculty in the administration of grants and gifts from external donors. Commonly, these offices do not interact frequently or communicate effectively with each other, which tends to create a “silo” effect. By moving instead to a team science model for defining and funding research initiatives, you will: What is Team Science, and What Does it Mean to Researchers and Development Officers? Team science is a proven model that creates partnerships between researchers, advancement professionals, and other key stakeholders at your institution. It involves developing strong collaborative teams who will be able to compete and successfully procure funding for high-priority research […]

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