College graduates who showed paltry gains in critical thinking and little academic engagement while in college have a harder time than their more accomplished peers as they start their careers, according to a report released today.
Reacting to the higher-education proposals President Obama unveiled last week, the leader of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities said Monday that the organization was committed to “good faith” negotiations with the administration but would oppose any efforts by the federal government to encroach upon the independence of its institutions. David L. Warren, Naicu’s president, said that the proposals represented a “pivotal moment” for higher education and that “incredible consequences” hung in the balance.
A week after President Barack Obama warned colleges and universities in his State of the Union address that they were “on notice” to keep tuition increases in check or risk losing federal money, senior White House education adviser Zakiya Smith and three private college presidents will address higher education affordability on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at a panel session titled “College Affordability: Issues and Solutions.”
An ambitious research project is proving the payoffs of predictive analytics in higher ed, and early findings overturn conventional wisdom about student success.
Will Lee joins the Performa Higher Education team as the Associate Vice President of Admission Solutions. Will has been in higher education and consulting for more than 18 years. Prior to joining Performa Higher Education, Will served as the Director of Admissions at Queens University of Charlotte. During his nine years as Director of Admissions at Queens, Will increased the size of the freshman class by 80%. He has also held strategic enrollment positions at the University of Evansville and the Leysin American School in Switzerland. Will earned a B.A. in Communication and a M.S. in Organization Development from Queens University of Charlotte.
For more information, email Will directly. We welcome Will to our team!
You can visit the exhibit at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Norwegian-American Lutheran Colleges: Institutions of higher education shaped by religious and ethnic identity. The exhibit is available through April 7, 2012.
U.S. News & World Report has published its first-ever guide to online degree programs—but distance-education leaders looking to trumpet their high rankings may find it more difficult to brag about how they placed than do their colleagues at residential institutions.
Universities have started banding together to negotiate favorable contracts with software vendors. With new effort, a group of them aims to exercise similar leverage with publishers on behalf of students.
More college and university presidents are teaching classes at their institutions, leading courses that range in topics from constitutional law to freshman orientation to “real-world” life lessons.
A $3.35-million grant from the National Science foundation will enable Mr. Hewlett’s project team to run workshops for 16 community colleges nationwide. The grant will pay for their supplies, equipment, faculty and curriculum development, and stipends for student research assistants. The goal is to give students of biology in community colleges the chance to do research on open-ended, real-world questions with no predetermined answers – and experience all the rewards and frustrations that come with that work.
Last week our team visited Alvernia University to oversee the construction of phase 2 of their Founders Village complex. Below are pictures from the visit.
This phase involves the construction of two additional residence halls similar to the ones we designed two years ago. Building 3 has approximately 86 beds in two, four and five person apartments with minimal public space. Building 4 is comprised of 12 person suites and houses 100 students. There will also be a new community building attached to building 4 that will contain a new fitness center, residence life offices, student organization offices and other student lounge spaces.
As you can see, building 3 is starting to rise up from the site and building 4 will be following next month. The community building will start in a few months as well. For more information, contact Phil Bolender, Project Architect.
Last year Performa Higher Education partnered with Point University, formerly Atlanta Christian College, began the project of designing an entire campus into one building. The University had outgrown their existing campus, which is located in Atlanta. Their facilities were serviceable, but showing their age and they were land locked on their current campus. The decision was made a few years ago to relocate the campus. After looking at several options, the West Point site was selected. They purchased an office building that was once the headquarters for a large textile company that had once flourished in the area. The building had been sitting vacant for more than five years, but was in good shape and had been maintained during this period. The building has about 77,000 SF on three floors.
The University currently enrolls around 400 students, but can grow immensely in this new location. Below are some pictures from our team’s recent construction site visit to new academic center in West Point, GA. The project is on schedule and moving ahead at full speed for an anticipated May completion. For more information on this project, email Phil Bolender, Project Captain at Performa Higher Education.
Nan Perkins, Performa Higher Education affiliate and former Vice President at Elon University recently received an Elon Medallion for her 32 years of service to the University. The award is the highest honor the University bestows on individuals for their service to the institution. Other recipients include Chaplain Emeritus Richard McBride and Trustee Dr. William Herbert. Take a look at the full article below from The Magazine of Elon.
With the college admissions season in full swing, every high school senior is wondering what schools they should apply to and where they’ll get in. Sure, if you have a 2.5 GPA, you know for sure that you have zero chance of getting into Harvard.
Last week’s annual snapshot of American living standards from the US Census Bureau offered plenty of statistics to show just how bad the past decade was for most Americans’ paychecks.
An Altimeter Group paper presents research on how advanced companies in the corporate world prepare for social media crises; this blogger notes that while many institutions of higher education are currently developing policies only around acceptable use of social media, the possibility of a social media crisis is something that should be expected and could be planned for more intentionally.
U.S. projects that by 2019, gender gap in college-going will grow, Latino enrollments will outpace all others, and completions won’t come close to meeting the Obama goal.
On Wed., Sept. 21, Alvernia University (PA) rededicated its most historic building on campus, Francis Hall. After several months of transformational renovations, the University’s original building was restored from the inside-out. Renovations include the creation of a contemporary entryway and foyer that provides access to the Theater and Recital Hall; a new art gallery, music studios, and recital spaces; and third floor renovations that added a fine and performing arts suite and new offices.
The Francis Hall Renovation and Restoration project is a key component of the Values and Vision Capital Campaign currently underway on campus. For more information about the transformation, read the full article.
Francis Hall is a four-story structure of Pueblo red brick built in the California Mission style in 1920. It includes many offices, such as the President’s Office, Bursar and Registrar Offices, as well as classrooms, an auditorium, a conference room, and a chapel.
