In July 2021, the National Student Clearinghouse reported that over 40 million individuals had dropped out of post-secondary education without a credential. Nearly half of these individuals dropped out of school before age 25. ThisContinue reading
Empirical Proof that Social Connections Matter in Student Success
For the past decade I have written and spoken about the importance of social connectedness and student success. Recognizing that there are many reasons why a student may not complete their college degree, I’ve triedContinue reading
Have we reached the tipping point in higher education?
I remember the days when everyone knew that earning your college degree would guarantee you a good job. It was practically a universal truth when I was growing up and as such, I believe itContinue reading
Rethinking Student Support and Early Alert Systems
I worked in student support for over a decade at a mid-sized (18,000 FTE) public university. During that time I discovered how challenging supporting students can be. Regardless of where you work, if you areContinue reading
The Kindness Project: traveling etiquette
Today I’m writing about a new project I am starting as part of my weekly blog posts – The Kindness Project. The Kindness Project is my attempt to spread happiness, kindness, empathy, and compassion toContinue reading
How the Right Kind of Community Matters to Student Success
It is no surprise that schools have invested resources to create thriving social communities. Today’s students are not just digital natives, they’re digital ninjas who do everything from banking and paying bills to ordering dinnerContinue reading
Fostering Wellbeing and Helping Students Connect
US colleges and universities are struggling with declining enrollment, an exodus of their talent pool, and an unprecedented number of students and staff dealing with mental health issues. While enrollment and staffing issues are uniqueContinue reading
Re-imagining Higher Education in the United States
The time for change in higher ed was a decade ago or longer. In my last post I discussed the fact that Covid-19 forced change in higher ed that was long overdue, but those forcedContinue reading
Technology Trends: Why Covid-19 Was a Good Thing for Higher Education
The Pandemic was horrible to live through. Covid-19 caused widespread feelings of isolation, economic challenges, and (for many) the shift to remote work. Every human was impacted in some way by this illness. While IContinue reading
Learning During COVID – one year later….
As we wrap up an academic year like no other, it’s important to look back to reflect on our work as educators, the resiliency of our students, and the future of teaching and learning. LastContinue reading