Why You Need Your FERPA Policy in Writing

In Academic Impressions’ recent webcast “FERPA Policy and Procedure Audit” (you can order this online training here), FERPA expert Helen Garrett, the dean of enrollment management systems at Lane Community College and recent president of PACRAO (the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), gave an in-depth walkthrough on how to review, update, and […]

Doing More with Less: Moving Information Literacy Instruction Online

During a June 18, 2013 webcast, Academic Impressions asked librarians from academic libraries across North America whether they are looking to move information literacy programming online — and why. The three main reasons offered: Enrollment growth in online and blended courses, where students may have limited access to the physical library or to meeting librarians […]

Mobile Learning: 5 Student Safety and Privacy Risks Every Educator Should Know

As mobile learning and remote teaching increase in popularity, so do concerns regarding personal safety and privacy. As you pilot mobile projects in your classes, are you considering how those projects impact both privacy and security? During a recent webcast, Academic Impressions conversed with mobile learning veterans Stephen Baldridge, assistant professor and baccalaureate program director […]

Conversations that Matter: The Other Higher Ed Bubble

In our recent paper The Other Higher Ed Bubble, we argued college and university leaders need to act now and make fundamental changes to how they operate in order to ensure a sustainable future. This will mean holding critical conversations across your campus, defining the right problems to solve in the next 5-10 years, challenging […]

Special Edition: Boosting Retention for Ethnic Minority Students

How does your campus support the academic success and retention of ethnic minority students? In “Campus Diversity: Beyond Just Enrollment,” Mary Hinton, the vice president for planning and assessment at Mount Saint Mary College, argues that often colleges and universities have prioritized enrolling an ethnically diverse incoming class without planning for the follow-through: academic success […]

Is There a Financial Bubble?

This article is an excerpt from our paper “The Other Higher Ed Bubble: The Bubble We Aren’t Talking About.” To read the rest of the paper, click here. As government-subsidized debt continues to fuel higher ed’s growth, there is increasing speculation as to whether higher ed is the next bubble to burst—following the real estate […]

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Surveys Aren’t Enough

In a recent Academic Impressions webcast, student learning assessment expert John Hoffman polled student affairs representatives from 200 institutions of higher education about their data collection methods for assessing student learning. Participants were asked to select their two most common methods of gathering data. The results were dismaying but perhaps unsurprising: …but, only: The reliance […]

The Other Higher Ed Bubble

Is there a higher education bubble? June 2013. Amid recent discussion of whether higher education is the next big financial “bubble,” It’s my view that what isn’t being talked about is a bubble of another type—a “denial” bubble. In this report, I’ll offer a new diagnosis of the challenges facing higher ed leadership, and a call to […]

Lessons Learned from Institutions Undertaking Program Prioritization

At Academic Impressions, we recently offered a national snapshot of efforts to prioritize academic programs and administrative services at higher-ed institutions. Our report included commentary from Bob Dickeson (who literally wrote the book on program prioritization) and Larry Goldstein (president of Campus Strategies, LLC), in which these two experts identified the prerequisites for success. The […]

Alumni Relations ROI: An Approach

Marquette University has piloted (and refined) an innovative metrics tool for measuring the impact of alumni engagement efforts. Numerical scores are assigned to specific activities that are indicative of alumni engagement and participation, and the scoring is used to measure the return on investment for alumni relations efforts in quantitative terms and to inform allocation […]