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Is Crowdfunding Right for You?

by Erin Swietlik and Gwen Doyle (Academic Impressions) In our introduction to crowdfunding published this past fall (“Higher-Ed Crowdfunding: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?“), we outlined what crowdfunding is and what distinguishes it from other fundraising and donor acquisition tools that are gaining popularity across higher-ed fundraising shops. In this article, we will examine: The pros and cons of employing a crowdfunding model to attract new donors and increase annual fund giving. How to account for the dollars raised via a crowdfunding initiative. How to measure the success of a crowdfunding initiative. As crowdfunding continues to be a key buzzword across college campuses, institutions are leveraging crowdfunding platforms to fund a variety of initiatives, including: faculty or student research (including efforts at the University of Virginia and the University of Utah), student organizations and projects (see Cornell University), and other assorted institutional initiatives (such as the University of California system’s “Promise for Education” campaign). In our research into crowdfunding initiatives, we interviewed a variety of advancement and alumni relations professionals in higher education and providers of crowdfunding tools; these experts had differing perspectives, and here are some of the insights they provided. To help you decide if […]

Practical Strategies for Partnering with Faculty in Student Recruitment

by W. Kent Barnds (opens in new tab)

W. Kent Barnds offers seven strategies for involving faculty in student recruitment in ways that are meaningful and effective. Here’s how to do it right. Admissions teams often ask: “How do we effectively involve faculty members in student recruitment?” This question has even more urgency now, given enrollment pressures throughout higher education. It only makes sense to look to the faculty; they remain the most credible messengers on a college campus. A LOOK AT THE DATAIn fact, in Academic Impressions’ 2013 survey on enrollment declines, 47% of the 190 institutions participating in the survey missed their enrollment targets last year–many by a significant percentage. Years ago I heard Robin Mamlet, who at the time was the dean of admissions at Stanford University, remind a room full of admissions officers that “we work for the faculty.” I’ve been guided by this idea and recognize admissions officers are an extension of the faculty, rather than vice versa. Involving faculty in recruitment activities should be guided by this premise. Admittedly, I don’t always get things right. But, based on more than 20 years of experimenting and listening, I’d like to suggest: 7 Keys to Encouraging Meaningful Involvement 1. Provide guidance, not direction.I once […]

Representing Your Institution Overseas: Leveraging Your Alumni as a Key Resource

by Gretchen Dobson (Gretchen Dobson, LLC) We do it domestically when we are traveling for business: we ask family, colleagues, and friends for recommendations on how to make the most of a free afternoon, where to find local cuisine, and whether public transportation saves us time and money. We need to do the same when traveling internationally. However, in this case we should turn to our “extended family,” our international alumni and valued partners that dot the globe, from Switzerland to Shanghai. And our questions need to go beyond soliciting a Top Ten list for restaurants; making international travel productive requires knowing your destination much more fully, including familiarity with: Cultural norms Vaccinations and health regulations Travel requirements Currency exchange and travel costs Holiday calendars and traditions In this article, I’ll focus on holiday calendars. Planning without knowledge of the holiday calendar and traditions for your destination can threaten your credibility with overseas contacts. Part of your checklist for 2014 international travel should include a thorough review of the 2014 international holiday schedule for regions outside the US and Canada. Getting the Information and Perspective You Need Use every opportunity to poll alumni abroad to gain a deeper understanding of […]

How One Institution Took Space Management to the Next Level

by Araceli Fleet (opens in new tab)

Here’s how the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) completely updated its approach to space management. What We Faced As capital funding becomes more competitive, it is increasingly important that the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) uses spatial data in a strategic fashion to acquire monies for capital projects. Upon creating a spatial database, UTEP recognized the importance of making the data within it robust enough to identify space accurately and understand how to increase utilization and efficiency. In turn, this would help upper-level administrators to make data-driven decisions in order to meet the goals and objectives of the university. What We Did The DatabaseFirst, we created a spatial database that not only addressed the reporting requirements from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, but also addressed the internal university attributes that were deemed important when determining whether a space was being utilized efficiently – such as: When instructors become accustomed to using a certain room, it is useful to be able to list these attributes. Then, we can justify offering them another room that better matches space capacity with course capacity and their teaching needs. The Space PolicySecond, to stress the importance of space management to […]

Checklist: Using LinkedIn to Engage Alumni

During a recent Academic Impressions online training, Keith Hannon of Cornell University asked alumni relations professionals from 81 institutions to share where they have found success in sharing content and starting discussions with alumni via LinkedIn. The lively list of responses provides a quick checklist of content that alumni relations officers are trying across higher education: “All of these represent a good place to start to get the dialogue going,” Hannon remarks. Which of these is your alumni relations office doing? Which could you be doing? The Key to Growing Alumni Engagement on LinkedIn The key, Keith Hannon suggests, is daily engagement. When polled, two thirds of participants in this online training log in to their LInkedIn alumni group on a daily basis; one third do not. “That’s where it starts,” Hannon remarks. “It starts with daily attention to your community. The only way to really get to a thriving community is to give it daily attention and lots of TLC. That can mean: Most institutions understand the value of social media, yet few have a sound strategy across all channels. The barrage of new communities, platforms, and ways to connect can overwhelm even the most savvy social media butterfly. […]

Debunked: Myths About Peer Mentoring

Recently at Academic Impressions, we asked a panel of experts on peer mentor programs if there were any myths or common misconceptions about peer mentoring that they would like to debunk. This article provides their answers. Included on the panel: Myths About Setting up Peer Mentor Programs Bryce Bunting. One of the most common misconceptions about peer mentoring is that it is some kind of remedial program that is meant to serve only those students who are struggling or underprepared. Nothing could be further from the truth. Any student can benefit from having a peer mentor (or being a peer mentor).  In fact, learning how to be mentored is an important skill that students will need regardless of their field of study or career aspirations. Whether they plan to pursue the arts, teach in a classroom, practice law, or engineer bridges, they’ll find themselves with a need to be mentored by those who are more experienced in their chosen field. So, a peer mentoring program is a great way to orient students to this twenty-first century form of learning. Wayne Jackson. One of the misconceptions is that it doesn’t take much to put one together. That is furthest from the […]

Panel: How Peer Mentoring Can Assist Students in Niche Programs or at Niche Institutions

At Academic Impressions, we have offered a number of articles and other resources on peer mentoring, and our readers and participants at our events have asked, “Is peer mentoring effective in a niche academic program — such as nursing or aviation — or at a niche institution?” We forwarded this question to a panel of experts on peer mentor programs. This article provides their answers. Included on the panel: Should Niche Programs/Institutions Consider Peer Mentoring? Margie Bader: Students coming into niche institutions or programs have no prior experience to draw on to help them cope with this very new material and practicum. Niche programs are rich in specialized content, which makes them stressful and overwhelming to some students. Mentors can help simplify the process, give tips on how to handle the material, the evaluation process and the needs of the professors. Mentors can also help to give a big picture view of where the students are headed as well as details of how to manage the program in the upcoming semesters. Niche programs also often have a practical component or an internship. Mentors who have successfully completed this part of the program can give valuable tips on how to find […]

Reforming the Core Curriculum: When You’re Mid-Process

Earlier this fall, Academic Impressions released a study of general education reform in North America, based on a survey of 308 academic leaders and a series of interviews with leading innovators in core curriculum reform. In the weeks since the release of our report, we have continued to interview provosts and deans at a diversity of colleges and universities, asking follow-up questions about their struggles and successes with the process of improving their core. This week, we reached out to Betsy Beaulieu, dean of the core division at Champlain College, to share some of what we were learning with her and to ask her what insights she would offer for her peers at other institutions. (You can read about Champlain College’s thoughtful approach to the core curriculum in our recent report.) Here is what she had to say: See Other Topics in Academic Leadership

Special Edition: Developing and Evaluating Adjunct Faculty

Recently, Academic Impressions conducted an informal poll asking academics how their institutions develop and evaluate adjunct faculty. When we asked academics about methods for supporting and developing contingent faculty, we learned: And when asked about evaluation methods, we learned: Yet experts in the field suggest that effectively measuring the teaching competencies of adjunct faculty requires going beyond the traditional norms for faculty evaluation. You need a balance of structured and informal assessment processes. If your evaluation strategy is to lead to improved teaching practices, it needs to entail more than student evaluations and class observations—though these can certainly offer value as part of a more comprehensive evaluation plan. Developing Adjunct Faculty A 2010 US Department of Education study found that adjunct instructors teach 60% of the college courses in the US. They represent a critical first line of instruction for many students, yet often receive minimal faculty development and minimal institutional support for serving students. Yet Jennifer Strickland, the interim director for Mesa Community College’s Center for Teaching and Learning, suggests that faculty development for adjuncts should be a priority because it amounts to a concentrated investment in student success. In November 2012, we interviewed Strickland on the support that […]

Selecting the Right LMS: 2 Critical Decisions

A recent Academic Impressions survey found that one third of academics are unhappy with their current learning management system (LMS), and over a third are unhappy with their institution’s process for selecting an LMS. In September, we asked Thomas Cavanagh to respond to the findings; he offered two brief checklists (which you can review here) for selecting the right LMS. In a recent online training, Cavanagh expanded on these checklists and walked through the crucial steps in selecting the right LMS for your institution. As the University of Central Florida’s associate vice president of distributed learning, Cavanagh and his team recently underwent a rigorous LMS review and selection process, including external consultations, vendor demos, comparative feature checklists, pricing, etc. Here is a little of what he had to say about weighing the merits of two key decisions early in the process. Decision 1: Commercial vs. Open Source Here is Cavanagh’s quick list of pros and cons for both options. OPEN SOURCE When considering the open source route, here are the advantages: Here are the disadvantages: COMMERCIAL The advantages: The disadvantages: Decision 2: Self-Hosted vs. Vendor-Hosted Each option entails several critical considerations, and you will want to give thought to these […]

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