From Tufts, to Johns Hopkins, to Ithaca College, check out The 50 Social Media Innovators in Higher Ed. These schools were recently recognized by collegesurfing.com for having "active Twitter feeds, fan-packed Facebook pages, creative YouTube videos, and compelling blogs" that capture the attention of their target audiences and promote their school in a compelling and technologically up-to-date way.
Congratulations!
A few days ago, I posted a blog asking the following question: "What do the following 13 careers have in common?
1. Federal-government manager
2. Higher-education administrator
3. Program evaluator
4. Corporate executive specializing in global business development or managing global workforces
5. Cognitive-behavioral therapist
6. Immigration expert
7. Researcher with expertise in two or more of these subjects: physics, math, molecular biology, engineering and computer science
8. Health-informatics specialist
9. Optometrist
10. Genetic counselor
11. Patient advocate
12. Physical therapist
13. Veterinarian
Well it's time for the big reveal~! Drum roll, please. J These 13 careers, according to Kiplinger.com, promise income growth, work-life balance and social impact over the next decade. And look, those of you in higher-ed administration actually made the list! Yes!
What do the following 13 careers have in common?
1. Federal-government manager
2. Higher-education administrator
3. Program evaluator
4. Corporate executive specializing in global business development or managing global workforces
5. Cognitive-behavioral therapist
6. Immigration expert
7. Researcher with expertise in two or more of these subjects: physics, math, molecular biology, engineering and computer science
8. Health-informatics specialist
9. Optometrist
10. Genetic counselor
11. Patient advocate
12. Physical therapist
13. Veterinarian
Let me know what you think! Send your response to jp@simpsonscarborough.com
I will post the correct response in a few days. Stay tuned. J
Have you seen "With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them?" It's the first of three reports describing students' views on higher education and college completion. This report includes very interesting myths and realities about why students fail to finish college. Check this out:
Myth # 1: Most students go to college full-time. If they leave without a degree, it's because they're bored with their classes and don't want to work hard.
Reality #1: Most students leave college because they are working to support themselves and going to school at the same time. At some point, the stress of work and study just becomes too difficult.
Myth #2: Most college students are supported by their parents and take advantage of a multitude of available loans, scholarships, and savings plans.
Reality #2: Young people who fail to finish college are often going it alone financially. They're essentially putting themselves through school.
Myth #3: Most students go through a meticulous process of choosing their college from an array of alternatives.
Reality #3: Among students who don't graduate, the college selection process is far more limited and often seems happenstance and uninformed.
Myth #4: Students who don't graduate understand fully the value of a college degree and the consequences and trade-offs of leaving school without a diploma.
Reality #4: Students who leave college realize that a diploma is an asset, but they may not fully recognize the impact dropping out of school will have on their future.
I recently read an article that caught my eye. Here's the first line: "Louisiana State University (LSU) must increase its graduation rate to 75 percent by 2018 and all other public universities in the state must hit at least a 50 percent plateau, according to a recommendation by a statewide college review commission." The article went on to say, "Schools that achieve their goals would receive financial rewards for hitting their marks." Sounds great...Increasing student retention will strengthen Louisiana's colleges and universities--and students, themselves, will undoubtedly benefit, right? I say bravo, Louisiana! Go forward and "make that happen." Oh yeah, that's the real challenge: How does Louisiana actually make that happen? Don't get me wrong, I like setting goals; they are an important first step toward getting things done. But that's the point: setting goals help make things happen; they alone don't make them happen. What's needed? How about a thorough examination of how Louisiana colleges can offer an educational experience that is both meaningful and engaging to students? Once that happens, I bet increased graduation rates will follow. Making retention the goal--in and of itself--is shortsighted. We need to move beyond goal setting and provide our students with a reason to stay.
Here's a classic "good news, bad news situation" for you to think about on this Sunday afternoon. Let's start with the good news: undergraduate enrollment at private colleges and universities, according to a new Moody's survey, is up by almost 1 percent, and freshman applications at private schools rose by 4.3 percent, compared to last year. Sounds good, right? Ok, now for the bad news: Moody's also reported that nearly 30 percent of private colleges are expecting a decline in net revenue from tuition and fees in the 2010 fiscal year. The big reason, Moody's said, is a rise in discounts and financial aid as a result of the economic downturn. That's the real struggle so many private schools are dealing with: how do we maintain enrollment while not giving away more net tuition revenue???
I attended a very interesting presentation last week on enrollment trends in Higher Ed. As I sat there taking in the latest enrollment figures from the College Board, two statistics really got my attention: The percentage of all undergraduates enrolled in the for-profit sector increased from 2% in 1990 to 5% in 2000 to 8% in 2007. And the percentage of full-time undergraduates enrolled in the for-profit sector increased from 2% in 1990 to 6% in 2000 to 10% in 2007. Remember when we thought the for-profit sector would never begin to encroach on the enrollments among the not-for-profit sector?? Well guess again!
We all know the significance of our campus tour program, right? It's one of THE most important factors that influence a student's enrollment decision. In fact, I cannot tell you how many times prospective students have told me, in a focus group setting, that their campus tour directly impacted their enrollment decision. How the campus looked and felt during their tour either "clinched the deal" or was "a deal breaker." With that, have you seen the article that just appeared in University Business, 10 Tips for a Meaningful Campus Tour: It takes more than walking backwards? If not, check it out--It's full of important reminders, like remembering that campus tours should give students a chance to look around to see who they may become friends with. And that we should let students mingle with other students in a casual, less formulaic manner. And that we should be real with students and give them the information they want.
Think of all the time and resources admissions offices devote toward developing fancy publications and high-tech websites---now, here's the question of the day: how much time and money are you dedicating to our campus tour program so that this very important enrollment activity is working for you?
This morning I was watching one of the morning news shows that wasn't on commercial break (it was early, so I don't remember which one), and I heard something like "faculty tweet about 50 times a day." I was running late so I missed the segment, but I did mke sure to look it up when I got to the office today. I think this is just so cool, and a great story to have out there.
This is the article I found about it in the Washington Post (article).The school is GWU and they have been called "The Most Active College for Twitter Use," according to this study. They limited their study to administrators officially affiliated with the university. According to their methodology,
"To narrow the scope of our investigation, only accounts officially affiliated with university administrations were included. This excludes unofficial students groups, fans of sports teams, and the personal accounts of professors, students, and university employees. Limiting our study to official accounts enabled us to examine the Twitter usage of university organizations, rather than the usage of student bodies and the surrounding community."
According to the study, the 17 official GW accounts tweet on AVERAGE 58 times a day. That is insane! I have been trying to get the SS staff to get involved with twitter, and it has not been an easy task. But I guess like everything else, one you get going it is easy to get addicted! I love the idea of twitter and how it can keep you connected, and I love that this story is in the news. To me, it shows a great level of involvement and community, and that i always a great message to send about your school. The research is actually really interesting, and you should check out the full report at http://universitiesandcolleges.org/top-100-colleges-twitter/.
And please, follow Elizabeth on Twitter! I want to boost her "twitter self-esteem" and get a good following! http://www.twitter.com/elizscar
Do you have a good example of someone who is an obsessed twitter fiend at your school? Send me an email at meredith@simpsonscarborough.com. I would love to inteview someone about their twitter skills and how it has worked for them. Thanks!
--Meredith Simpson
