by Jamie Farrell | Aug 2, 2010 | Monday Morning Quarterback
It was Will Durant who stated, ‘Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance”. How then, are we to build successful higher education institutions if the institutions are not progressive and are not willing to admit their own ignorance?
Having managed recruiting (admissions and marketing), operations, and academic retention departments for both for profit and state universities, while also holding executive positions in Education Lead Generation ( marketing companies that advertise and collect information on prospective students looking for information and school options) and enrollment management companies, I have worked in every aspect of higher education and bring a unique perspective to the industry. That perspective is this:
The higher education industry is insane. Our education system has been failing because we continue to employ the same methodologies that are not moving the country forward. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. It’s time for the Higher Education Industry to stop being insane. It’s time for innovation.
1. Don’t be pigs
Schools make a lot of money. Society, as well as our government, places the blame on the for-profit universities and while they are called “for-profit”, a Bachelor’s degree from a for-profit university is less than half the price of a school like University of Michigan. The reason we blame the ‘for-profits’ is because we can see their growth as they’re public companies, but just because we don’t see the Profit and Loss Statements for state universities, does not mean the money is not there. Next time you’re at a state university and walk by the football stadium, think of the cost of building and maintaining it. Now think about the unnecessary costs of the rest of the sports arenas or stadiums. This does not come for free. There are innovative models in the higher education space that are both affordable as well as profitable. If a school like the American College of Education (for-profit university) can offer Regionally Accredited Masters degree programs for $6,950 and still be profitable; why does another for-profit school need to offer the same degree at five times the price? Stop being pigs! If a school needs to, offer the program at two or three times the price; but more importantly, focus on how to decrease your costs pass those savings onto your students. It starts with the commitment to innovation from within a University.
2. This simple concept will reap enormous results:
- Higher Education Institutions cut their prices, more students will enroll.
- Because you will have more “scale” or number of students to serve, you may have a smaller margin, but will bring in more operating income by year’s end.
- Because the rates are less expensive, there will be fewer students taking out student loans; aiding the schools with the 90/10 rule as well as decreasing cohort default rates.
- Ultimately, you’ll have a higher graduation rate (or net tuition revenue) because students will not be dropping out due to financial burdens.
The model has been proven to work. Why have none of the other schools adopted it?
3. Surprise Educators! Higher Education is a business
It may be a business that is non-profit, it may be a business we also consider a “service”, it may be a business with a great mission; but still a business. The academic community’s lack of progressive thinking is impeding the betterment of the higher education industry. Many state universities and community colleges are realizing that it is less expensive, more convenient, and that more students are able to be served online, yet the academics are pushing back. Why?
If I were a teacher, I would want tenure. Tenure is part of the ‘business’ aspect of their jobs. The more revenue a school brings in, the higher the likelihood is that their instructors will obtain tenure. This is business. Stop fighting it. Teachers say that the reason they do not want to go ‘remote’ or ‘scale too quickly’ is because the students may not learn as much; there may not be as much interaction; they may have to change their syllabi. Having taken and built online courses, I can attest that this is all not true. If the teacher wants to have the same interaction as in their classroom, there can be chat rooms, discussion boards, or interactive webinars. There are hundreds of instructional and curriculum designers that have overcome all of the obstacles these teachers are running from. Academics preach to be proponents of learning. However it would appear that the educators are balking against learning how to ‘teach’ in different ways. This is a paradox that makes no sense. We cannot continue to be public university elitists and not think about how to increase your student base while not decreasing your academic value. It is the obligation and the job of the academic departments to aid in figuring out how to do this; not fight against it.
4. There are companies to help; Find them
Numerous companies foresaw a need; a need for companies that serve all facets of the Higher Education Industry. These companies are now thriving and while most of the for-profit schools utilize some of their services, state schools and community colleges have begun to as well over the last few years. If you are an educator and reading this – find a company to partner with that can help you. This is the only way you will stay competitive in the market and scale your school’s student base with no monetary risk to your school. More importantly, these companies will not change your curriculum or requirements; your academic standard remains the same; these companies work with you to put your current curriculum online. Companies like Presidium and ESM are support companies with extensive call center and business process knowledge. While slightly different (Presidium is huge with over 700 clients-many which are community colleges-and offers not only support services, but also technology services; ESM is well-known for their focus on state schools and business processes), both are experts in the student support industry. They both have the business intelligence and operational expertise to manage thousands of calls at any one time. A school cannot afford to support this.
If you truly want to get in the game, there are then companies like Colloquy and Enrollment Online Services Corp (EOServe). I refer to these as the “A to Z” solution. Both partner with schools and manage all aspects of their programs; marketing, enrollment, financial aid packaging, retention support, their own LMS (learning management system) and even work with the academic departments to implement their curriculum online. Again, the academics do not change. EOServe works with historically black colleges and utilizes the eCollege Platform. Colloquy is the only player in the market that does not standardize their solution and has a global understanding and international presence. The relationship between these companies and the schools are symbiotic. They become the university; the relationship is transparent. It is companies like this that every school should meet with.
As the government is furiously seeking out ways to better our education system, we, as an educational community have a choice: We can either fight their ideas of regulation or we can be proactive and be proactive quickly, employing the methods above. This is my challenge to the education industry; employ or test the methods listed above, even pick one or two to start. You will not be disappointed and we, the industry, will continue to better lives without the oversight of government regulations.
Jamie Farrell
Jamie Nacht Farrell is the Owner at BizRelationsEDU. Before becoming a consultant she served as VP of Marketing / Sales and Enrollment Services at Higher Ed Holdings / American College of Education, in Business Development and Operations at Education Connection (Kaplan Inc.), and as a Call Center Director at Education Connection (Kaplan Inc.). She began her career working in Admissions with Kaplan University.
She is also a Top User on Brazen Careerist, where she earned a scholarship for being the most social user on that network.
You can follow her on Twitter @EducationNut and read her blog at http://bizrelationships.wordpress.com
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Jul 27, 2010 | Tuesday Time-Out, Who-Dos
As mentioned in earlier posts, toward the end of each month, we’ll take suggestions for people who are putting their purpose to work in higher education, by doing good things to help the field move forward in some way, to recognize as a “Who-Do.”
Who-Dos are knowledgeable, and highly regarded for their work, but they put that knowledge into action, and actively move conversations along, not just by talking about ideas (they certainly do that, as well) but by teaching others how to do what they know how to do. Unlike self-proclaimed “Gurus,” they are meeting us as equal partners in conversations about the future of higher education, the programs and services we provide, and how we prepare the next generation of professionals to meet the challenges that come with change.
All four of this month’s nominees are moving these conversations along through successful use of new media, especially blogs and Twitter. Please take a few moments to consider who has had an impact on you and the field this month, and cast an advisory vote for one of the nominees (or nominate someone else you think is deserving.) Add some thoughts in the comments section. And look out for a post after the poll closes.
- Ed Cabellon, Director of the Campus Center at Bridgewater State College, has compiled one of the most comprehensive Twitter Lists of Student Affairs Professionals, published tutorials on how to use Twitter, and hosted uStream conversations with some higher ed luminaries through his blog.
- Rey Junco, a professor at Lock Haven University, co-wrote Connecting to the Net.Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Need to Know about Today’s Students and Using Emerging Technologies to Enhance Student Engagement. He was recently featured in a video interview with Ed Cabellon and on the BreakDrink.Com/Campus Tech Connection podcast (along with Cabellon).
- Eric Stoller is an academic advisor, technology consultant and social justice advocate. He recently joined the ranks of InsideHigherEd’s technology bloggers, with his new regular blog, Challenge and Tech Support.
- Women in Housing is a hashtag chat on Twitter (#wihsg) where women working in housing can share perspectives on issues, connect with other women who work in housing, and highlight the voices of women in the field.
All of these people are deserving of recognition, as are many more. I’ve chosen 4 nominees who have been mentioned to me several times this month for their recent accomplishments or interactions. Now I’d like your input. Please take a few moments to participate in the TWTPOLL and help decide who will be recognized this month. Please be sure to add your comments, as well.
At the end of the academic year, there will be a process for choosing someone to recognize as a “Who-Do” of the year.
by Scott Helfrich | Jul 19, 2010 | Monday Morning Quarterback
Questions were posed last week on “Monday Morning Quarterback” related to accountability, institutional change, and what institutions of higher education need to learn for the future. These are very critical and timely questions, given the current status of the economy, and its impact upon institutions of higher learning.
Here are five lessons that institutions of higher education (IHEs) need to learn:
1. How to better provide for the global developmental care and success of its students.
It is my contention that IHEs need to learn how to better provide for the global developmental care and academic success of their students, which in many ways has been lost. When I say “global developmental care,” I am referring to intentional and planned initiatives to help students successfully transition into adulthood in all aspects of their lives: emotional, spiritual,vocational, intellectual, physical, financial, etc. I think everyone can agree that a college career naturally lends itself to much more than simply book learning. It truly does indeed touch every area of a student’s life. And I think I can safely say that most college and university mission and vision statements were originally written with this in mind.
Unfortunately, it has been my experience within the realm of higher education that there is a growing sense that the ultimate developmental care and academic success of a student is “somebody else’s” responsibility: a veritable “tag-you’re-it” type of mentality. Once the admissions folks get them in the door, everyone and no one is responsible for that student. However, when a student has a goal, we should ALL share it. If a student has a problem, we should ALL own it. Student success is systemic, and we ALL have parts to play in it. As they say, it “takes a village” to raise a child. I urge that it “takes a village” to develop a successful college student.
Additionally, with a fever-pitch consumerist mentality of parents amidst an ever-increasing litigious atmosphere, IHEs in many regards have been making decisions that may be antithetical to educational success. Now this is not to say that every professor and administrative staffer needs to be on their desk inspiring students to vehemently recite “O Captain! My Captain!” Furthermore, this does not mean that a student is not ultimately responsible for his or her own success. But I think there needs to be better coordinated efforts between all institutional employees, to develop S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Limited) outcomes and corresponding educational interventions and programs for our students.
2. How to be more transparent about the perils of higher education.
Additionally, I feel that IHEs must also be more transparent and forthcoming about the challenges that a college education can bring. While admissions personnel are hard-working warriors for their team’s cause, I have witnessed (and have personally experienced) admissions staffers veritably telling parents and students what they want to hear so that they attend that particular institution. But in the 18 years that I’ve been in the higher education environment, I’ve never heard an administrator talk to a visitation group about the statistics related to post-secondary education, including low graduation and large attrition rates, the staggering amount of debt a student can face after college, and the possibility that their student will not find gainful employment in their field of study (or any employment at all!) Also, the pitfalls related to alcohol and other drug use are rarely discussed either.
While making students and their parents aware of the perils and pitfalls related to the college experience, administrators can balance this discussion by also providing strategies for how students can be more successful, including the possibility of advising NOT to go to college, attend at a later time, OR attend another institution more suited for a student’s particular goals.
3. How to promote reasonable expectations.
It should be the duty of institutions of higher education to establish a set of rights and responsibilities as well as fully explain what students and parents can expect from their institution. The online shoe and apparel company Zappos is well-known for offering employee trainees $2,000 to NOT work for the company. They do this to ensure that all employees that work for the company are there because they truly believe in the vision of the company, and that they will truly contribute to the company’s culture and core values. Although I’m not advocating that colleges and universities offer money to potential students for not choosing to attend their institutions, I think it is crucial to be honest and up-front about what is expected of a student at that particular institution AND what the student can expect from their school. This conversation should be revisited throughout a student’s time there, if they choose to attend. Thomas E. Miller, Barbara E. Bender, John H. Schuh and Associates offer more insight on how institutions of higher education can align student and institutional views of the college experience.
4. How to make the experience prestigious and sacrosanct again.
It was not all that entirely too long ago that college and university students would all go to class in business casual wear. Going to the cafeteria was almost a formal occasion in which students would dress up and be on their absolute best behavior. And I’m not simply referring to the elite Ivy League-type schools. This also included public institutions all around the country. Now students go to class un-showered, adorned in pajamas and flip-flops. Granted, you don’t have to be clad in a suit and tie to learn the liberal arts, but I think there is something to be said about the perception that colleges and universities once conveyed. Aside from a smattering of “old school” institutional culture across the country, that sense of prestige and formality is all but gone.
Anyone that can fill out an admission application (and not necessarily accurately) and pay a fee, has the ability to attend numerous institutions without any question. Does it dilute the product if anyone can attend (especially when statistics illustrate that many high school graduates are not all that ready or prepared for the experience)? Does this become a more salient issue when more tax-paying dollars are being spent on individuals that are not taking the experience all that seriously (potentially depriving more worthy students, who may have a greater financial need)?
5. How to capitalize upon educational psychology and student development theory.
Theory should inform practice. However, there are scores of administrators and faculty members alike that do not have a grasp of the literature that illustrate how students best learn, develop, and benefit from the college environment. With an ever-growing, diverse student body attending our nation’s colleges and universities, it is crucial for all higher education employees to have a working knowledge of student success research.
Does a mechanic need to know how to drive an automobile in order to know how to repair an automobile? Not necessarily. But knowing how to drive an automobile will offer other insights that can indeed lead the mechanic to troubleshoot an issue more quickly, and potentially repair the automobile more soundly. In regard to knowing student development and learning theory, I would say the same would hold true for physics professors, admissions and financial aid counselors, theatre arts professors, maintenance personnel (yes, they are responsible for student success as well!) and every other employee at the university.
Some may balk at this assertion, but in actuality every interaction at the institution is a potential learning opportunity, and shaping the institutional environment will ultimately affect what a student takes away from their college career. This is not to say that every higher education employee needs to have a doctorate in ed. psych or college student development; but again, there needs to be a coordinated effort of institutions to have EVERYONE participate in the student outcomes discussion.
Conclusion:
American higher education has recreated itself many times since the 1630’s when the first college was established on our shores. Given that there are multiple competing priorities in today’s economic climate, higher education is going to have to again reinvent itself before the bubble bursts. With that being said, institutions of higher education will indeed have to learn many things quickly in order to avert a potential crisis. What else do institutions of higher education need to learn?
Our first "Monday Morning Quarterback," Scott Helfrich.
Scott M. Helfrich has been a full-time higher education professional for the past 10 years and has presented nationally and internationally on Student Activities, Student Government, Residence Life, and mental health-related topics. He has been published in the Journal of College Student Development, Student Leader Magazine, Programming, and has been a training module developer and writer for various colleges & universities, online companies, and higher education organizations. He has also been recently accepted to be a guest blogger on the Huffington Post College blog. Scott is currently a doctoral candidate (ABD) in the higher education program at the Pennsylvania State University. You can read more of Scott’s work at studentlifeguru.wordpress.com and connect with him via Twitter at @studentlifeguru
“Monday Morning Quarterback” is a new regular feature on Higher Ed Career Coach. Every few weeks, we’ll introduce a topic related to higher education, student affairs, and/or career development, and dedicate the next 2-3 Mondays afterward to allowing guest bloggers to share their insights on the topic. If you are interested in writing a column for “Monday Morning Quarterback,” contact sean@higheredcareercoach.com.
