Learning Resources

Abstract: Will online education render the traditional university campus irrelevant? Is there a there there when it comes to online education? What makes the flesh-and-blood, brick-and-mortar material realm still relevant—even essential—to education? While online education has brought with it radical transformation, bringing people together in physical space is and will be essential for student success. The reasons for coming together, however, are changing; institutions must adapt if they are to remain vital. Institutions need to know where they stand. What is their “there”? What can they do “there” that cannot be done online?

Abstract: Change in higher education is ubiquitous. Accountability, assessment, outcomes, competencies, affordability, and quality continue to be of critical importance to stakeholders, policy makers, students, and communities. A three-part strategy for reinventing the paradigm around student success includes analytics, policies, and politics. As stewards of the future, we all need to be aware of the importance of analytics in developing continuous improvement strategies; the role of policies in supporting the framework that allows us to deliver on the promise of education; and the politics that form the complex environment that must sustain and support new approaches to meeting students’ learning needs.

Abstract: The passing of the Complete College Tennessee Act (CCTA) was a watershed moment in how the state’s institutions of higher education operated and would be funded. Under the act, state policy shifted to focus on degree production, efficiency, resourcefulness, and economic growth. This article examines how one public institution prepared itself in a fluctuating leadership climate to navigate a quickly evolving and complex planning environment. It discusses the background and fundamentals of CCTA as they relate to higher education funding, the implications for strategic planning and assessment at the university, and the promises and challenges of new accountability formulas for quality improvement in higher education.

Abstract: Energy efficiency projects can save colleges substantial capital, which helps them hedge against rising operating budgets. By creating a green revolving fund (GRF), a university can support sustainability projects into perpetuity. GRFs are internal financing mechanisms for energy efficiency and resource reduction projects that return achieved cost savings to the fund for future projects. This article illustrates the GRF establishment and management processes through case studies of Catawba College’s Green Revolving Fund and Denison University’s Green Hill Fund. The article further elaborates on additional GRF benefits and culminates with 10 easy-to-follow steps to creating a fund on your campus.