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By Becky Takeda-Tinker - EvoLLLution. As the president of one of the nation’s most innovative and fastest-growing universities, I’m fortunate enough to face daily challenges that require me to draw on my personal values, my creativity and my business management and leadership experience. This opportunity not only allows me to give back to society, but also to be uniquely tested in everything I know — or think I know — on a regular basis. It’s definitely a fascinating time to be in higher education. More...

By Timothy Renick - EvoLLLution. Click here to download the second part of The EvoLLLution’s interview with Tim Renick.
3. When it comes to at-risk student populations, how has the GPS program supported their success?
Some of the early indicators are that the impacts are going to be extremely positive. Since we went live with this tracking system, the retention rate for our incoming freshmen between the fall and spring semester has gone up by five full points. Students are, from the beginning, being better supported; they’re getting the help they need so they can succeed in the courses they take. We’ve also found that throughout the freshman year, these students are [earning] a higher percentage of the credits they attempt. More...

By Joni Finney - EvoLLLution. Click here to download The EvoLLLution’s interview with Joni Finney.
1. Why is it critical for institutions to move from focusing on driving enrollments to focusing on driving completion?
From an economic and a competitive standpoint, it’s very important. The US is really treading water in terms of young adults achieving either associate or baccalaureate degrees while other countries are moving way ahead of us. That’s caused us to look at how well we do in getting students to either their certificate or their degree. Enrollments are still important but making sure that students who do enroll have an educational pathway to a degree is very important for the economy as a whole. More...

By Nan Travers - EvoLLLution. Click here to download The EvoLLLution’s interview with Nan Travers, Amy McQuigge and Mary Beth Lakin.
1. Why has CBE grown so much over the past few years?
Mary Beth Lakin (MBL): There have been converging pressures, challenges and opportunities. There is greater need for more affordable college education, increased access, shorter time to attainment and, from that, the CBE approach has become one of the answers to those challenges. What we’re seeing now is more of an emphasis on “What is learning?” and less of a focus on [seat-time] in a seat in a college classroom. The adult learner population has really changed and expanded in terms of learning experiences and needs.
Nan Travers (NT): As the employment world has been shifting and has become so much more global, it’s harder to get a sense of what somebody knows and how appropriate they are for a position. There’s significant pressure coming to higher education from the employment sectors to really provide better information about a learner and the kinds of knowledge they have in order to help the transition. More...

By Vyacheslav Khrapak - EvoLLLution. In this day and age, individuals have the ability to customize almost anything. People regularly tailor their digital calendars, online shopping preferences and social media outputs — all in the palm of their hand. Significant advances in communicative technologies have cultivated a culture of customization. In order to stay relevant, continuing education (CE) conference planners must use strategies that allow attendees to meaningfully connect to and participate in professional learning experiences. More...

By Dan Beare - EvoLLLution. These days, now that the stresses of thesis writing, paper marking and final examinations are finished, I find myself looking back on my university experiences. It has almost been a decade since I began my studies and several years since I was a full-time student. I have transitioned from being a “recent graduate” to full-fledged alumnus. Alumni services have helped me continue to identify with my alma mater’s community even as the campus has transformed and becomes largely unrecognizable to me. More...

By Tim Moore - EvoLLLution. Clay Christensen predicted that the “bottom 25 percent of every tier” of American colleges will disappear or merge in the next 10 or so years.
That could be up to 1,000 colleges.
If he’s right, it’s time for higher education leaders to wake up. The signs are there: surveys show more and more schools missing their enrollment targets each year, with one survey suggesting that 40 percent of four-year colleges missed their mark in 2013. More...

By Melora Sundt - EvoLLLution. 2. What are the barriers facing non-traditional students in on-campus programs and what advantages might online programs offer?
While there are many benefits to attending a traditional program, these programs, because they cater to a traditional population (ie. 18 to 24-year-olds, single, no children, not working full time and residential), create some barriers for non-traditional students that many online programs have worked around. The first is scheduling. Classes held during the day are less accessible for the working adult than are classes on evenings and weekends, or in an executive, compressed format. Any large program has the advantage of scale; because they enroll many students, they can create many more sections at a variety of times, making it more likely that the working adult, or the adult dealing with child care or parent care issues, can find a convenient class time. Online programs also eliminate travel time to campus, increasing their convenience for working adults. More...

By Terry Rawls - EvoLLLution. How does that Peter Allen song go? “Everything old is new again.” When I think about the challenges higher ed administrators will face in the coming years, that song comes to mind, because most of our challenges have been around for a while now. Some, however, will have a new twist. More...