As a Leader You Need Honest, Direct Feedback – Here’s How to Get It

“If you’re not getting information or feedback on a regular basis that is uncomfortable for you, go seek it out.” One of the traps a higher-ed leader can fall into is in believing that they are receiving accurate feedback when in fact their colleagues and team members are holding back. Here’s a way to break […]

3 Lessons from New Zealand for Advancement Leaders

A COLUMN FROM GETTYSBURG COLLEGEThis article is the fourth in a series by Ashlyn Sowell, Gettysburg’s associate vice president and campaign director. The previous articles are:Developing Your Campaign Reports: Getting it Right the First TimeSpring Clean Your Major Gifts Portfolio4 Lessons Learned from Campaign Volunteers at Gettysburg College Today, Sowell shares some critical reminders that are […]

Spotlight on Innovation: A New Take on Developmental Education at Gateway Community and Technical College

SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION SERIES The US Department of Education has awarded multi-million dollar “First in the World” grants to 24 colleges and universities that are innovating to solve critical challenges with access, recruitment, retention, and student success. At AI, we have interviewed each of the recipients to learn more about the projects these institutions are […]

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 […]

5 Ways to Tell if a Mixed Use Facility Will Work on Your Campus

Mixed Use Facilities are gaining in popularity on campuses across the country, representing a blurring of the line between the edge of campus and the surrounding community.  “Mixed Use” has a broad meaning, encompassing projects that include multiple campus and commercial uses such as office space, incubators, retail, restaurants and hotels.  The projects are only […]

Looking at Student “Grit” and Resilience – from Recruitment to Retention

Series: Managing the Student LifecycleThis new series convenes expert perspectives on student success and predictive analytics. We hope to empower enrollment managers, student affairs professionals, deans, and faculty to think deeper about their student data, predictors of success, and managing the student lifecycle holistically from recruitment to retention to completion.Earlier in this series:Improving Student Success […]

Lisa Endersby

Lisa is currently a doctoral student pursuing a PhD in Educational Studies at the University of Windsor. Her work is within the stream of Cognition and Learning, where she is exploring online communities of practice as a medium for professional development for student affairs professionals. She is also the National Chair of the NASPA Technology […]

Tips for Outreach to Area High Schools

Colleges frequently pursue partnerships with local high schools to improve college preparation and build a stronger pipeline for first-generation students, but these are often focused just on providing brief sessions either at the high school or on the college campus. Really effective partnerships involve more than just a quick one-and-done workshop. We contacted Mary Ontiveros, […]

Forging the Future: Five Considerations for Developing Leaders at Your Institution 

Many have written, studied, and offered advice on the skills higher education leaders need to be successful, and in the wake of COVID-19, some of the needs have shifted and some have reached a fever pitch. Burnout, enrollment declines, artificial intelligence, and political and cultural polarization are just some of the external factors a leader […]

How to Start a Foundation Stewardship Program from Scratch

What does effective private foundation stewardship look like? Grand Valley State has a tightly-knit community – and here’s how they got there. Based on their experience, read 5 steps to get started, 5 steps to get your house in order, 4 ways to learn about the community, and 4 ways to make it personal. Attending […]