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By Becky Takeda-Tinker - EvoLLLution. 1. Why is the customer service mentality important for today’s higher education leaders?
We see customer service as key … for student engagement, retention and completion leading to graduation. Regarding engagement, we see today that higher education enrolment is down across the nation. We know from the Gallup poll from the summer of 2013 that 50 percent of Americans did not believe college was worth the investment [according to USAToday]. … With the slower [enrollment] growth and increased skepticism regarding the value of higher education, we really believe institutions need to do more to attract and retain students. On the flip side, we’re seeing an increase in non-degree education and, so, we also see that with increased customer service, you can meet the needs of potential customers that can provide institutions with new students they may not otherwise be able to attain. More...

By Gloria Nemerowicz - EvoLLLution. 1. What are the most significant concerns you have about the proposed federal college ratings system?
It’s still a mystery what the instrument is actually going to look like. Most significantly, everyone is worried about the harm such metrics might have if it’s not well done, especially the chilling effect it could have both on colleges and universities and on students. For colleges and universities, if there’s a way of serving fewer low-income, first generation, communities of color and generally what are called “non-traditional students” … to chill admitting folks who have some significant needs in terms of their learning, that would be unfortunate. More...

By Laura Horn - EvoLLLution. We know from recent surveys of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) users that MOOCs attract a highly educated population. Statistics from Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania, among others, reveal that at least three-quarters of students who sign up for MOOCs hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. As MOOCs evolve, however, the role they can play in preparing more marginal students for the workforce and advancing the skills of those in low-paying jobs holds great promise. Diverse populations — including students in American community colleges or the United Kingdom’s further education sector, or youth in developing countries with limited access to postsecondary education — stand to benefit from occupational training that’s free and open. More...

By Vyacheslav Khrapak - EvoLLLution. Adult and non-traditional learners are constantly on the move. Families and professional obligations often times dictate the learning tempo of these students. They may not have the time or resources to physically be on their respective campuses in order to get the services they need. It’s therefore necessary for educators to innovate pathways to keep non-traditional students engaged in their scholarly and extracurricular activities. More...

By Ramendra Singh - EvoLLLution. It’s no surprise marketers worldwide are getting more advanced in their approaches toward targeting prospects — potential, current and past customers — and influencers. They’re also actively managing their reputation due to the explosion of social media channels and proliferation of information. More...

By Karen Kelsky - Chronicle Vitae. I am currently a visiting assistant professor at a regional campus of a state university system. Should I still be including a letter of recommendation from my grad-school advisor in applications? I'm three years out of grad school, and my advisor is great—always updates the letter, takes into account new work I've published, etc—but does it look bad (i.e., too "grad student-y") to rely on an advisor’s letter at this point in my career?
Terrific question. It shows that you are thinking strategically about the market.
The short answer is: Yes, three years out of grad school, it’s fine to have your Ph.D. advisor still write for you. I generally feel that a Ph.D. advisor can safely write for you for about five years, and some people have their advisors write for much longer than that. See more...

By David Gooblar - Chronicle Vitae. This month, all over the country, thousands upon thousands of college instructors are losing sleep over grade inflation. They’ve worked hard all semester to make their students better thinkers and writers with a wider base of knowledge. They’ve done their level best to assess their students’ performance in class fairly and accurately. They’ve devoted many hours to choosing the most appropriate assessment criteria for the their classes’ objectives. And yet, staring at a long list of A’s, A-minuses, and B-pluses, these otherwise confident and self-assured teachers feel real guilt at adding to what is surely the scourge of American education. See more...

By David Perry - Chronicle Vitae. Last month I shared some tips on how to get ready for a teaching position abroad. Now it’s time to talk about how to get settled once you arrive.
At first you'll probably go through a honeymoon period: Everything about your new home will feel lovely and charming. After some time, however, you'll likely experience what the French call dépaysement, the feeling of not being in one's own country. Going abroad—especially if you go by yourself—means being away from the networks of support that family and friends provide. A language barrier and new culture can heighten feelings of isolation, so it's important to look after your own emotional well-being. See more...

By Stacey Patton - Chronicle Vitae. People have this impression that I have a full life. I have a Type A personality, I’m pursuing my Ph.D., I travel, I stay active. But I recognize that I do all this because I don’t want to be one of those people that sits around wallowing in my sadness. I’m good at masking the reality of my loneliness. I keep moving and try to fill that void of not being in a relationship with other stuff. I spend 99 percent of my time alone. To be without someone holding your hand, to go without a kiss, without physical and emotional contact, is devastating. There’s a whole bunch of us academics walking around feeling alone. Being a single academic is an issue I’ve been grappling with for a very long time. See more...