Translating Experiential Learning into College Credit with Prior Learning Assessment

CBE programs are becoming more ubiquitous in higher ed, but there is still a lot of gray area around ensuring accountability that experiential knowledge is commensurate with college-level learning. Many are still trying to answer questions like: what’s the best way to award and represent this learning and knowledge? How can we ensure an equitable […]

Sandy T. Weaver, MS

Sandy Weaver’s responsibilities include validating and maintaining a comprehensive inventory of all youth activities occurring on Penn State campuses as well as university-sponsored activities off-campus. She also is responsible for ensuring that youth programs and their participants comply with university policies and procedures, particularly those related to the safety and security of non-student minors. Sandy’s […]

Incorporating Trauma-Informed Practices into the Classroom

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study in the nineties taught us the prevalence of traumatic experience in society, as well as how trauma influences lifelong learning, health, and behavior. Researchers have found correlations between high ACEs scores (indicating more traumatic experience) and learning or behavior problems, lower grades, and a higher rate of academic failure. […]

The 3 Critical Elements to Include in Department Chair Training

Chairs occupy an essential position on our campuses, sitting at the intersection point that connects our faculty to institutional strategy, context, and culture. They also make some of the most impactful decisions that shape the university, overseeing decisions related to hiring, promotion, and curriculum. Yet for most institutions, the support and training available to chairs […]

Culturally Responsive Customer Service: A Holistic Approach to Student Retention

Service excellence requires an ethic of care and cultural sensitivity that recognizes students’ strengths and unique backgrounds to allow you to meet them where they are. Combining these two approaches into a culturally responsive customer service initiative allows an institution to provide holistic support throughout students’ academic journey, which in turn has a direct impact […]

Michelle Fuko

Michelle has been in fundraising for nearly 2 decades, having worked with donors of all types—from annual fund donors to third-party volunteers, principal gift donors, and corporations and foundations. From start-up non-profits in Tanzania, to complex institutions of higher learning in Canada, Michelle takes great pride in her passion for philanthropy and her drive to […]

Amanda Moore McBride, PhD, MSW

Together, let’s transform higher education to be more just, engaged, and nimble through innovation, culture change, and change management.    Dr. Amanda Moore McBride is a seasoned leader in higher education with nearly 25 years of administrative experience at the intersection of academic leadership, faculty development, and community engagement. Currently serving as professor and dean emerita […]

Applying a Restorative Justice Approach to Student Conduct

A small but growing number of colleges and universities have been adopting restorative justice (RJ) processes as an alternative (in some cases) to traditional, sanctions-focused student conduct proceedings. Taking an RJ approach requires a philosophical shift for the student conduct office – it entails new sets of questions for student conduct hearings and an alert […]

Are We Measuring the Impact of Advising the Right Way?

Here are three commonly used academic advising metrics that fail to measure the impact of advising, and three qualitative measures that DO matter. Advising administrators are challenged with recruiting, training, and retaining effective advisors. They are tasked with positively impacting student success and retention, and are often held accountable for student persistence, academic performance, and […]