by Shelley Seale There is a lot of talk about cheating in colleges and universities — but how prevalent is it, really? A new study from The Ohio State University suggests that when students feel there is a “culture of cheating” at their institution — that in which academic dishonesty is ignored or condoned — they are more likely to engage in cheating behavior themselves. The research team call this link “moral disengagement,” in which students may feel that if cheating is not taken seriously at their college or faculty look the other way, or if they somehow feel justified in bending the rules ..read more

by Shelley Seale Contract cheating — students paying a third party to complete university assessments for them — is a dominant problem of academic integrity for many institutions of higher education. How can universities respond in an effective, collaborative way? While we can certainly improve our ability to deter students from engaging in cheating behaviors, there is also value in investing time, energy, and resources into developing the capacity to detect instances of contract cheating.  Cheating Behaviors and Problems A 2019 study conducted by Australian universities found that only a ..read more

by Shelley Seale Colleges and universities may never look the same again. Over the last decade or so, student demographics at institutions of higher education have been changing rapidly. Far from the “typical” post-high-school college student who attends full-time and obtains her degree in four years, today’s students are just as likely to be older when they enter university, a first-generation student, working while enrolled, a parent — or more than one of these. Nearly half of people entering college today are more than 25 years old, and nearly half also work at least 30 hours a week. When ..read more

by Terri E. Givens When we considered rebranding The Center for Higher Education Leadership, I focused on helping institutions as we all faced a series of existential crises from a pandemic to an economic downturn. I have always been bullish on higher education prospects, even though I could see a clear need for change.  Our new landscape is already challenging the status quo and requires innovation and agility. Students facing a changing job market and learners of all ages pivoting to new careers need higher education more than ever. Our organization will play a leading role in creatin ..read more

by Terri E. Givens As a political scientist I am acutely aware that the November election was an indicator of the ongoing divides in our country. I wrote my book, Radical Empathy, in part to address those divides, but there are many divides that are impacting our country, leading to divisions within families and across communities. Institutions of higher education often find themselves in the middle of these divides as they work to address longstanding practices that hurt women and minorities, as well as student demands for more inclusive spaces and an end to biased policing. With the forthc ..read more

by Dawn DiPeri The American Council on Education surveyed 2,000 college students in April 2020 and found that 20% of them were unclear about their plans for the 2020/2021 school year. Instead of returning to campus, several of these students embarked on a gap year. The gap year is a common practice in Europe, but since the pandemic it has become a popular choice for college students all over the world. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a gap year as “a period, typically an academic year, taken by a student as a break between secondary school and higher education.” Although students usual ..read more

by Dawn DiPeri A curated list for higher-ed administrators. How to work from home – with breaks from the screen, exercises for the eyes and body, and tips for reducing the need for excessive online meetings.  Since COVID-19 arrived, record numbers of higher-education administrators and staff working remotely have been inundated with web conferences, online meetings, and webinars using various online conferencing software such as Zoom, Google Meets, Google Hangouts, Facetime, Skype, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, Jitsi, and more. These are excellent tools that help us to keep in touch durin ..read more

by Gary Stocker June 30th was the last day of the fiscal year for many private colleges. It typically takes from six to 18 months to see audited financial statements from private colleges. It can take up to two years to see the financial data appear in a usable format comparisons at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and its IPEDS database. Since there is substantial financial viability risk for many small- to medium-sized private colleges, we now recommend private colleges publish their 2019-2020 financial statements within 90 days of the end of their fiscal year. In my exp ..read more

by Dawn DiPeri Here is our curated list of suggestions to help traditional universities offer some of the components of a ground-campus experience online. August is typically an exciting time for both the college and the student. Prior to COVID, it was fairly typical to see large-scale orientations, events and parties on campus. College sports kicked off and students everywhere could be seen tailgating and enjoying the games. Dorm life was full of the hustle and bustle of moving in, meeting roommates, and tearful goodbyes. This year college students are choosing not to say goodbye to their p ..read more

by Dawn DiPeri The virtual college visit may be the way of the future. Here’s what to look for, and how to tell if a college is right for you. This article addresses the ways in which high school students and their families can visit and research colleges without even stepping foot on campus. With COVID-19, families may choose to skip the tour and instead use virtual tools to navigate the online college shopping experience. I argue that prior to the recent pandemic families were able to feel confident in their college-choice decisions because they were able to attend college fairs in person ..read more