Learning Resources

Abstract: Originally intended in the late 19th century as a suburban campus for New York University, the Bronx Community College of The City University of New York campus is unique in that it has had three libraries designed and built in the 19th, 20th, and the 21st centuries by leading architects: Gould Memorial Library, a neo-classical gem designed by Stanford White; Meister Hall, a mid-century modern library designed by Marcel Breuer; and North Hall, a thoroughly 21st century library designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects.

Libraries as repositories of knowledge have evolved over the centuries. Bronx Community College represents a case study of how libraries can (or cannot) adapt to changing times, needs, and function. Join us as we discuss the merits of each library and how their design exemplifies their evolving mission of making information more accessible over time.

Abstract: This study examines new student orientation (NSO) programs of 65 four-year U.S. colleges, with a focus on a subset of 39 colleges offering NSOs with available program schedules. The 39 programs were analyzed in detail for content and key elements such as formats, topics, underlying learning theories, and high-impact practice-related activities. Data are drawn from both online orientation schedules for each program and survey responses received from educators at each of the associated institutions. NSOs offered by community colleges and those offered by the four-year colleges studied were also compared. The study results are intended to benefit college administrators and faculty responsible for developing freshman orientations.

Abstract: Leers Weinzapfel Associates recently talked with campus planners and facilities directors nationwide about the big issues driving campus planning. Rapidly evolving pedagogies are demanding radical rethinking of effective teaching and learning spaces. Better use and optimal configuration of these venues is key as the stereotypical “sage on the stage” mode of instruction rapidly expands through a wide range of interactive, hands-on, and socially enhanced settings. Several examples of the firm’s work—the University of Massachusetts Amherst John W. Olver Design Building, the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) Stadium Drive Residence Hall, and the Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston) Multipurpose Academic Building—substantiate these findings in practice.

Abstract: A critical concern of universities today is ensuring that students remain in their selected major and graduate promptly. In addition, there has been a renewed emphasis on scientific education presented to non-science majors. Through the renovation of the Ritenour Building, Penn State’s Eberly College of Science created an Academic Support Center as a hub of advising and assistance for prospective students, science majors, and science education. The center’s layout provides opportunities to share knowledge of science teaching with advising staff and the online learning department. The design of this space has been crafted to enhance these retention and educational goals.

Abstract: Institutions are managing numerous student success initiatives simultaneously, but they lack the necessary data and infrastructure to evaluate outcomes. They also struggle to clearly link a particular initiative to a specific individual outcome. Using prediction-based propensity score matching (PPSM), a methodology compliant with the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse’s requirements, we facilitated the analysis of key initiatives to measure efficacy, ensuring that outcomes of students participating are compared to control students with similar propensity. The recent work explored in this article helps two institutions understand the impact of their innovation and more precisely scale student support.

Abstract: This article introduces an emerging, innovative practice in higher education: Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success (iPASS). A research-based iPASS implementation framework is examined through a case study of Guttman Community College (CUNY), which is one year into its iPASS work. This case study, which shares practices and initial findings that include high levels of student, faculty, and staff engagement, is relevant to practitioners and academic leaders considering the use of, or in the early stages of, an iPASS approach, as well as those interested in effectively integrating technology that leads to improved student success and transformative institutional change.

Abstract: As the challenges that students face become increasingly complex and interwoven, student service providers must innovate in order to continue to connect users to their offerings. Moreover, those services must be planned for holistically with an aligned understanding of why, what, where, when, and how they will be delivered. This article draws on brightspot strategy’s work with more than 50 leading universities as an experience design and strategy consultancy as well as best practices from the field to share some of the approaches, tools, and lessons learned in designing services to meet the needs of today’s students.