Learning Resources

Abstract: A key component of student success is socialization. In this session, we'll explore ideas on how to engage students through virtual learning and how the physical campus can supplement those socialization efforts. Panelists from three different institutions will discuss the past, present, and future state of their campuses' built and virtual environments and how they impact student success. Join us to learn how you can employ virtual student engagement and socialization practices—including how to leverage facilities—to enhance the student experience on your campus.

Abstract: Four distinct waves can be discerned in the history of American higher education. The 85 years before the Civil War were characterized by the founding of hundreds of liberal arts colleges. The post–Civil War era saw the majority of these small colleges disappear, replaced by public land-grant schools. Around the turn of the last century, the giants of American industry led the founding of the great private research universities. The term "megaversity" entered the American lexicon after World War II, when thousands of returning GIs swelled the ranks of higher education; the second half of the 20th century also witnessed the proliferation of community colleges. The fifth great wave is now breaking, with for-profit competition and revolutionary teaching technologies among its main characteristics.