This month we speak to Tim Ranzetta, founder and president of Student Lending Analytics (SLA), about student loan reform and student debt. In the news and on the Senate chamber's floor, the topic of student loan reform and mounting student loan debt has been front and center. The future of higher education and careers in higher education depends greatly on how institutions and Congress handle student loans in the coming years.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: There is a lot of concern by higher education professionals and graduating students regarding the increase in student indebtedness. Through your work at Student Lending Analytics (SLA), what can you tell us about this student debt crisis?
Tim Ranzetta, Student Lending Analytics: Here are a few facts to consider: two-thirds of students today graduate with an average of roughly $24,000 worth of student debt. Student loan default rates are about 7 percent, based on Department of Education calculations. Those facts don't appear to represent a crisis, since that $24,000 in loans translates into a little over $200/month payment for 10 years (for a federal Stafford loan).
However, beneath these averages lurk what is a crisis for many. There are $50 billion of federal loans in default where students have not made payments for almost a year. This grew about 16 percent last year. An SLA analysis found that over one-third of borrowers were showing some signs of distress in either being late with their payments or requesting that payments be postponed through a process called forbearance or deferment. Recall also that student loans are generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy and they continue to accrue interest and penalties that often lead to loan balances that are multiples of what the student originally borrowed. A student who has defaulted on their federal student loan has a black mark on their credit that persists and will make it difficult for them to rent an apartment, get a credit card, or even find a job since many employers are reviewing credit reports prior to hiring.
Income-based repayment (IBR), which ties a borrower's monthly student loan payment to their incomes, is a step in the right direction in helping borrowers more effectively manage their federal student debt levels (IBR does not apply to private student loans). On the good news front, young workers with college degrees have unemployment rates about one-half of those that don't have degrees. The bad news is that the job market has been particularly difficult for recent grads since 2008 and lender data shows that 80 percent of defaults typically occur within the first year of repayment so their inability to find a job puts them on that track, unless they take the necessary steps to sign up for IBR (income based repayment) or seek a forbearance or deferment.
Hibel: What does SLA consider as its most crucial mission at this time?
Ranzetta: Our principal mission is to help students and families make better decisions about financing their college education. How do we do this? SLA provides independent analysis of the private student loan market to help students and their families make better borrowing decisions. Private student loans are those "gap" loans that help students pay for school after they have maximized other financial aid and federal loan sources first. SLA provides ratings on each lender, based on in-depth research that includes student surveys, mystery loan shopping, and review of all publicly available information that lenders release (such as SEC filings or conference call transcripts). This site is available at www.studentlendinganalytics.com. Importantly, SLA does not receive any compensation from any financial service firm, which provides us with the independence to "call 'em as we see 'em."
SLA analyzes how student loans are marketed, to highlight potential pitfalls, such as lenders who advertise "rates as low as 3.5 percent." Only a very small percentage of borrowers achieve these low rates, so it can be more productive to focus on the lender's maximum rates. SLA's research also highlights the importance of shopping around for a student loan. When I shopped for loans earlier this year (as a cosigner for a nephew who attends an east coast university), I received rate quotes varying from 6 percent to 12.25 percent. This experience clearly demonstrates how a wise consumer can save thousands of dollars by shopping around.
Finally, my experience over the last three years in analyzing the student loan markets has demonstrated to me the importance of improving financial literacy. SLA has gradually moved in the direction of providing more research in this area. I publish a blog that often covers topics such as credit cards, student loans, and the importance of credit scores, and I also do an annual survey on college financial literacy programs. There is no shortage of financial literacy programs out there (some popular websites have hundreds of links and every financial institution seems to offer a program) -- what is missing is a service that highlights those programs that are most effective at improving the link between financial education and financial decision-making. I look forward to playing a role in separating the wheat from the chaff when it comes to these financial literacy programs.
Read more here...http://bit.ly/d8aUyp
Monday, October 25, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Online Learning and the World of For Profit Education
Is online learning the wave of the future? How are proprietary institutions different than traditional universities? What is all the recent press regarding for-profit institutions? The answers to these questions, the addressing of misconceptions and much more are discussed in this month's conversation with Gary E. McCullough, the President and CEO of Career Education Corporation. The colleges, schools and universities that are part of the Career Education Corporation offer education to over 116,000 students across the world in a variety of career-oriented disciplines. We examine the aspects of online education and for-profit education and how it affects students, faculty and administrators in today's market.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Mr. McCullough, you are currently the President and CEO of Career Education Corporation. Prior to joining the company, you served in leadership roles in traditional Fortune 500 companies. What prompted you to make the switch to the world of higher education?1
Gary E. McCullough, Career Education Corporation: When I was first approached about the CEO position at Career Education Corporation, I was skeptical about proprietary education. So I did some homework, which included my own "mystery shopping" of schools. I posed as a parent of a prospective student and had a very positive experience. That convinced me to leave the security of what I was doing and join Career Education. I appreciate the challenge of helping our company evolve as a true leader in postsecondary education. Most importantly, it's tremendously rewarding to see how we're changing lives through education.
Hibel: As mentioned in Career Education Corporation's background statement on your website, over 40% of your students attend web-based virtual campuses.2 Why do you think it is so important to offer this option to students?
McCullough: It's a challenging economy and most adults recognize the need to stay current, whether their field is accounting, information technology, health care, business or education. Today, for many people it is simply not an option to take a leave of absence or quit a job to complete a degree. People have commitments, whether at work or at home caring for children or other family members.
Online education provides busy people the convenience and flexibility of a 24/7 platform for learning. The majority of our students are working adults over 30 who have returned to school to get a degree to help advance or change their careers. They appreciate the opportunity to receive an education while balancing family and work. It is our responsibility to meet their needs by delivering high-quality education.
Read more here...http://bit.ly/dB5XJx
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Mr. McCullough, you are currently the President and CEO of Career Education Corporation. Prior to joining the company, you served in leadership roles in traditional Fortune 500 companies. What prompted you to make the switch to the world of higher education?1
Gary E. McCullough, Career Education Corporation: When I was first approached about the CEO position at Career Education Corporation, I was skeptical about proprietary education. So I did some homework, which included my own "mystery shopping" of schools. I posed as a parent of a prospective student and had a very positive experience. That convinced me to leave the security of what I was doing and join Career Education. I appreciate the challenge of helping our company evolve as a true leader in postsecondary education. Most importantly, it's tremendously rewarding to see how we're changing lives through education.
Hibel: As mentioned in Career Education Corporation's background statement on your website, over 40% of your students attend web-based virtual campuses.2 Why do you think it is so important to offer this option to students?
McCullough: It's a challenging economy and most adults recognize the need to stay current, whether their field is accounting, information technology, health care, business or education. Today, for many people it is simply not an option to take a leave of absence or quit a job to complete a degree. People have commitments, whether at work or at home caring for children or other family members.
Online education provides busy people the convenience and flexibility of a 24/7 platform for learning. The majority of our students are working adults over 30 who have returned to school to get a degree to help advance or change their careers. They appreciate the opportunity to receive an education while balancing family and work. It is our responsibility to meet their needs by delivering high-quality education.
Read more here...http://bit.ly/dB5XJx
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Cachet of Cool: Why Your Campus Wants It?
This month, we speak to three experts on the topic of "cool." How can an institution's image impact faculty recruiting? The panel is comprised of Paul Baldasare, President of St. Andrews Presbyterian College, a small liberal arts college in Laurinburg, North Carolina; Jason Cook, Vice-President of Communications and Marketing for the Texas A&M University System, a large research university with tens of thousands of students all across the state of Texas; and Tom Gariepy, District Director of Marketing and Communications for Maricopa Community Colleges, which has ten campuses with nearly 250,000 students.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Questions to All Three Schools:
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: When considering your school's brand or image within professional circles, what do you try to highlight?
Paul Baldasare, St. Andrews Presbyterian College: I highlight three qualities that are related to one another -- academic excellence, creative exploration, and the value of community. First and foremost, we strive to maintain academic excellence in all that we do, from the professional qualifications of our faculty, to the expectations and demands we place on our students and on one another. With that commitment to excellence paramount, we also encourage and celebrate creative exploration so that faculty and students feel free to study outside their disciplines as broadly as within it; to take advantage of different opportunities, whether attending or participating in a theater production, a musical event, or a sporting event; and to put forward new ideas. We want faculty and students to be analytically critical when listening to a lecture, reading in an area that may not seem at first glance to connect to their primary areas of interest, or simply solving a problem in the classroom, in a residence hall, in a faculty meeting, or in the president's office. There are no ideas beyond consideration and discussion.
Our first response to a new idea is to analyze it. If it seems like a good idea, then the second response is to think about how we might make it work. And here, a good idea from a junior faculty member is treated with the same seriousness as a good idea from a senior faculty member. It's the idea that matters, not the rank of the person proposing it. Finally, our hope is that all of the members of this academic community will be intentional about living and working creatively and cooperatively in this academic community.
We like to think of St. Andrews as "a college where you can..." There are too many places where the greater emphasis is on what you "can't" -- you can't focus on teaching or student advising the way you might want to, you can't develop new courses as easily as you'd like, you can't go a year without a publication, you can't teach an interdisciplinary general education course, and so on. Our ideal is a place where people, opportunities, connections and experiences all come together -- for students as well as faculty members -- to create an exciting, enriching intellectual environment.
Jason Cook, Texas A&M University System: The combination of world-class academics (teaching and research) and our overwhelming spirit of purpose, leadership and service. Typically, universities are strong at one or the other. Here at Texas A&M, we believe that we are strong in both areas.
Tom Gariepy, Maricopa Community Colleges: In terms of the professional circles from which we can attract talented prospective employees, it's important that prospective employees know as much as possible about our mission, vision and values to ensure the best fit possible. So we try to ensure that people know about our emphasis on teaching, learning and student success. We also highlight our size and the fact that each of our colleges has its own proud history and strong ties to its community.
Read more here...http://bit.ly/hyrbOm
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Questions to All Three Schools:
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: When considering your school's brand or image within professional circles, what do you try to highlight?
Paul Baldasare, St. Andrews Presbyterian College: I highlight three qualities that are related to one another -- academic excellence, creative exploration, and the value of community. First and foremost, we strive to maintain academic excellence in all that we do, from the professional qualifications of our faculty, to the expectations and demands we place on our students and on one another. With that commitment to excellence paramount, we also encourage and celebrate creative exploration so that faculty and students feel free to study outside their disciplines as broadly as within it; to take advantage of different opportunities, whether attending or participating in a theater production, a musical event, or a sporting event; and to put forward new ideas. We want faculty and students to be analytically critical when listening to a lecture, reading in an area that may not seem at first glance to connect to their primary areas of interest, or simply solving a problem in the classroom, in a residence hall, in a faculty meeting, or in the president's office. There are no ideas beyond consideration and discussion.
Our first response to a new idea is to analyze it. If it seems like a good idea, then the second response is to think about how we might make it work. And here, a good idea from a junior faculty member is treated with the same seriousness as a good idea from a senior faculty member. It's the idea that matters, not the rank of the person proposing it. Finally, our hope is that all of the members of this academic community will be intentional about living and working creatively and cooperatively in this academic community.
We like to think of St. Andrews as "a college where you can..." There are too many places where the greater emphasis is on what you "can't" -- you can't focus on teaching or student advising the way you might want to, you can't develop new courses as easily as you'd like, you can't go a year without a publication, you can't teach an interdisciplinary general education course, and so on. Our ideal is a place where people, opportunities, connections and experiences all come together -- for students as well as faculty members -- to create an exciting, enriching intellectual environment.
Jason Cook, Texas A&M University System: The combination of world-class academics (teaching and research) and our overwhelming spirit of purpose, leadership and service. Typically, universities are strong at one or the other. Here at Texas A&M, we believe that we are strong in both areas.
Tom Gariepy, Maricopa Community Colleges: In terms of the professional circles from which we can attract talented prospective employees, it's important that prospective employees know as much as possible about our mission, vision and values to ensure the best fit possible. So we try to ensure that people know about our emphasis on teaching, learning and student success. We also highlight our size and the fact that each of our colleges has its own proud history and strong ties to its community.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Growing Role of Hispanics in Higher Education
HACU is a national organization that represents more than 450 colleges and universities that collectively serve two-thirds of the more than two million Hispanic students in U.S. higher education across 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. HACU works to advocate for increased access to higher education for Hispanics, as well as working toward improving the quality of higher education that people receive. HACU is active in helping Hispanic higher education professionals network, interact, and work toward improving both their careers and the institutions in which they work.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) does a lot of work advocating for increased Hispanic access to higher education and for improving the quality and relevancy of their higher education experience. Tell us a bit about some of your current initiatives and other work in this area.
Antonio R. Flores, HACU: A major advocacy thrust is for increased federal funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This set of some 270 colleges and universities enroll more than half the Hispanics in higher education today, but receive only a little over half the federal funding per student as all of higher education. In addition, we are urging passage this year of the DREAM Act, which would allow states to offer in-state tuition to certain undocumented residents and open the way to citizenship.
We have also instituted a Hispanic-Serving School Districts initiative intended to promote collaboration between K-12 and higher ed, especially HSIs, to address pipeline issues.
Annual conferences provide networking opportunities and a chance to learn about promising practices. In addition, we do a number of student, faculty, and staff programs aimed at building institutional capacity and preparing students for college and careers.
Hibel: Hispanics represent the largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States. Likewise, within higher education, Hispanic enrollment is up 15 percent1 in U.S. colleges and universities. Do you think that a similar increase in Hispanic faculty, staff, and administrators in colleges and universities is an important goal, and why?
Flores: Absolutely. Students need to see faculty and administrators that look like them; they need to see real-life examples of Latinos in higher education to recognize the full range of their academic and career possibilities. In addition, institutions need to have the experience of Hispanic educators who understand the culture and background of the students, and who can help the institution broaden its own understanding of its mission and methods.
Read more: http://bit.ly/bgrfAB
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) does a lot of work advocating for increased Hispanic access to higher education and for improving the quality and relevancy of their higher education experience. Tell us a bit about some of your current initiatives and other work in this area.
Antonio R. Flores, HACU: A major advocacy thrust is for increased federal funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This set of some 270 colleges and universities enroll more than half the Hispanics in higher education today, but receive only a little over half the federal funding per student as all of higher education. In addition, we are urging passage this year of the DREAM Act, which would allow states to offer in-state tuition to certain undocumented residents and open the way to citizenship.
We have also instituted a Hispanic-Serving School Districts initiative intended to promote collaboration between K-12 and higher ed, especially HSIs, to address pipeline issues.
Annual conferences provide networking opportunities and a chance to learn about promising practices. In addition, we do a number of student, faculty, and staff programs aimed at building institutional capacity and preparing students for college and careers.
Hibel: Hispanics represent the largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States. Likewise, within higher education, Hispanic enrollment is up 15 percent1 in U.S. colleges and universities. Do you think that a similar increase in Hispanic faculty, staff, and administrators in colleges and universities is an important goal, and why?
Flores: Absolutely. Students need to see faculty and administrators that look like them; they need to see real-life examples of Latinos in higher education to recognize the full range of their academic and career possibilities. In addition, institutions need to have the experience of Hispanic educators who understand the culture and background of the students, and who can help the institution broaden its own understanding of its mission and methods.
Read more: http://bit.ly/bgrfAB
State of our States: What will be the lasting effects on higher education?
It seems every year that state funding of higher education becomes an even more critical part of the operation of our state-supported institutions and programs. This year is no different, with so many states facing critical budget issues due to decreased revenue from the recession. What does this mean for higher education and your career? This month, we addressed these questions to one of the foremost experts in this subject, Paul Lingenfelter, President of the State Higher Education Executive Officers association (SHEEO).
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Dr. Lingenfelter, you currently serve as the president of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) association.1 Would you please briefly explain what the role of the association is, along with what your primary focus and responsibilities are as president?
Paul E. Lingenfelter, SHEEO: The members of SHEEO are the chief executives of statewide governing and coordinating boards. Our role is to help them and the states they serve develop and sustain excellent systems of higher education through annual conferences, policy studies, and a variety of related professional development activities. Our primary focus is to increase educational attainment in each of the United States, and our work touches on everything related to that priority -- finance, educational standards, accountability for student learning, financial assistance, governance, and the full range of public policies related to the effectiveness of higher education.
Hibel: Governors from several states including California, Minnesota, Nevada and Rhode Island are proposing large budget cuts to higher education programs. How can the colleges and universities in these states, and other states facing similar cuts, meet the needs of students if the state support isn't available?2
Lingenfelter: The current, especially deep recession (compounded by other issues that exacerbate its impact in some states), is putting great pressure on state budgets. The effects of these conditions on higher education are serious, and should not be minimized. But these conditions are not permanent, and no state has, or is seriously contemplating, ending all support for higher education. The inescapable question facing both states and educators is: How can we generate the numbers and quality of educated people our country needs in the future? That question has an affirmative answer. I'm confident most states, and I hope all states, will find their own version of an affirmative answer. I expect success in this agenda will require changes that increase the productivity and efficiency of higher education, as well as changes in state policy and increases in state support. Eventually we'll make these changes because we have no choice.
Hibel: Senator Seth Harp of Georgia, chairman of the upper chamber's higher education committee, was quoted saying, "We have to come to grips with the reality that we don't have any money. The Constitution mandates K-12 (education). Higher education is one of those areas where every one of us knows it has value -- but we also know there is not a constitutional mandate for higher education." Knowing that this statement most likely infers that the student will be forced to pay more since the state "doesn't have any money" to give to higher education institutions, will students really see the "value" and pay higher tuition rates to attend college?3
Lingenfelter: There is no constitutional mandate for higher education, but there is an economic mandate. And that mandate affects both individuals and the communities and economies in which they live. We have long expected students in higher education to pay some of the cost of their education, and that could well increase. But if those costs lead to lower levels of education in our society and workforce, the negative effects will be widespread. They will affect everybody, not just the people who fail to obtain postsecondary education. This is the issue facing both educators and policy makers.
Hibel: Given the current political environment, has that economic mandate changed and, if so, how do you think it has affected the ability to fund higher education?
Lingenfelter: I think the mandate has become stronger in this economic climate. So it creates some cross pressures -- discretionary money is harder to find, and we need to increase investment in things essential for our future. This affects students, their families, and public policy makers. We all will have to evaluate tradeoffs and make decisions.
Hibel: Senator Harp goes on to say, "We're asking sacrifices be made by students. We're asking sacrifices be made by programs. All we're asking is that the Regents, in using the toolbox, have shared sacrifices." There have been talks of "a 77 percent increase in tuition, thousands of layoffs, closing of some satellite campuses, ending of popular programs, gutting of course sections and limits on the number of incoming freshmen." Since other states might be in similar situations, do you think this is an acceptable "sacrifice" that must be incurred?4
Lingenfelter: I've not met Senator Harp, but I imagine he believes some aspects of higher education are discretionary, disposable. "Sacrificing" such items is not really a sacrifice, but making a statement about priorities. I don't know anybody in higher education, even people who share my view of its vital importance, who believe everything in higher education is of equal value. Especially when money is scarce, people have to make more difficult decisions about priorities. Good decisions about priorities consider value -- present value, future value, and options for maximizing value. The value of public investment in higher education needs to be gauged in these terms. I think higher education will come out well in any serious consideration of these issues, but I don't think institutions of higher education can afford to be complacent about the conversation. If higher education does nothing to respond to public demands for greater affordability and productivity, we will miss an opportunity to build a stronger public commitment.
Read More: http://bit.ly/arGvPS
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Dr. Lingenfelter, you currently serve as the president of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) association.1 Would you please briefly explain what the role of the association is, along with what your primary focus and responsibilities are as president?
Paul E. Lingenfelter, SHEEO: The members of SHEEO are the chief executives of statewide governing and coordinating boards. Our role is to help them and the states they serve develop and sustain excellent systems of higher education through annual conferences, policy studies, and a variety of related professional development activities. Our primary focus is to increase educational attainment in each of the United States, and our work touches on everything related to that priority -- finance, educational standards, accountability for student learning, financial assistance, governance, and the full range of public policies related to the effectiveness of higher education.
Hibel: Governors from several states including California, Minnesota, Nevada and Rhode Island are proposing large budget cuts to higher education programs. How can the colleges and universities in these states, and other states facing similar cuts, meet the needs of students if the state support isn't available?2
Lingenfelter: The current, especially deep recession (compounded by other issues that exacerbate its impact in some states), is putting great pressure on state budgets. The effects of these conditions on higher education are serious, and should not be minimized. But these conditions are not permanent, and no state has, or is seriously contemplating, ending all support for higher education. The inescapable question facing both states and educators is: How can we generate the numbers and quality of educated people our country needs in the future? That question has an affirmative answer. I'm confident most states, and I hope all states, will find their own version of an affirmative answer. I expect success in this agenda will require changes that increase the productivity and efficiency of higher education, as well as changes in state policy and increases in state support. Eventually we'll make these changes because we have no choice.
Hibel: Senator Seth Harp of Georgia, chairman of the upper chamber's higher education committee, was quoted saying, "We have to come to grips with the reality that we don't have any money. The Constitution mandates K-12 (education). Higher education is one of those areas where every one of us knows it has value -- but we also know there is not a constitutional mandate for higher education." Knowing that this statement most likely infers that the student will be forced to pay more since the state "doesn't have any money" to give to higher education institutions, will students really see the "value" and pay higher tuition rates to attend college?3
Lingenfelter: There is no constitutional mandate for higher education, but there is an economic mandate. And that mandate affects both individuals and the communities and economies in which they live. We have long expected students in higher education to pay some of the cost of their education, and that could well increase. But if those costs lead to lower levels of education in our society and workforce, the negative effects will be widespread. They will affect everybody, not just the people who fail to obtain postsecondary education. This is the issue facing both educators and policy makers.
Hibel: Given the current political environment, has that economic mandate changed and, if so, how do you think it has affected the ability to fund higher education?
Lingenfelter: I think the mandate has become stronger in this economic climate. So it creates some cross pressures -- discretionary money is harder to find, and we need to increase investment in things essential for our future. This affects students, their families, and public policy makers. We all will have to evaluate tradeoffs and make decisions.
Hibel: Senator Harp goes on to say, "We're asking sacrifices be made by students. We're asking sacrifices be made by programs. All we're asking is that the Regents, in using the toolbox, have shared sacrifices." There have been talks of "a 77 percent increase in tuition, thousands of layoffs, closing of some satellite campuses, ending of popular programs, gutting of course sections and limits on the number of incoming freshmen." Since other states might be in similar situations, do you think this is an acceptable "sacrifice" that must be incurred?4
Lingenfelter: I've not met Senator Harp, but I imagine he believes some aspects of higher education are discretionary, disposable. "Sacrificing" such items is not really a sacrifice, but making a statement about priorities. I don't know anybody in higher education, even people who share my view of its vital importance, who believe everything in higher education is of equal value. Especially when money is scarce, people have to make more difficult decisions about priorities. Good decisions about priorities consider value -- present value, future value, and options for maximizing value. The value of public investment in higher education needs to be gauged in these terms. I think higher education will come out well in any serious consideration of these issues, but I don't think institutions of higher education can afford to be complacent about the conversation. If higher education does nothing to respond to public demands for greater affordability and productivity, we will miss an opportunity to build a stronger public commitment.
Read More: http://bit.ly/arGvPS
Friday, June 25, 2010
Enrollment Management: Art, Science, or the Job that Everyone's Job Depends On?
The privilege of having a career in higher education is helping students learn. The enrollment management professionals at your school are responsible for formulating and implementing a plan that attracts the best students to your institution. This month, we were able to gain many insights into this critical role by sitting down with an accomplished professional in the field, Steven Klein, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Angelo State University.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: You are currently the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Angelo State University and have spent the better part of 20 years practicing enrollment management. Would you briefly explain what encompasses enrollment management at your university and how you chose this profession?
Steven Klein, Angelo State University: Enrollment management is a rational, data-informed and systematic approach to understanding the dynamics of enrollment at a particular institution and to optimize enrollments based on those dynamics. Angelo State has created an Enrollment Management Division for the first time in its history as it is poised to grow from 6,000 to 10,000 students over the next decade. Admissions, financial aid, registrar and career services make up the direct reports to this unit, but we touch so many other areas to achieve our results. We work with student life, residence life, the academic community, multicultural services, athletics, alumni, development on a regular basis -- there is really no part of a campus community with whom we don't partner at some point. I chose the profession because I can make a difference in people's lives and the satisfaction I get from knowing that I am part of a team.
Hibel: What are some of the major challenges in general in the field of enrollment management today? How have these challenges changed from 5, 10, or 15 years ago?
Klein: Clearly, the economy is top of mind for so many in enrollment management. Families are not as comfortable with paying for higher education as we experienced just a few years ago. Couple that with the overall decrease in high school graduates, the demographic changes of those seeking higher education (more single heads of family, low-income families, a higher proportion of underrepresented and underprepared students), decreases to federal and state support to campuses and student aid, changes to family income and concern about job security, the hits that family income and investments have taken -- and campuses are faced with significant new realities. Campuses that had been investing heavily in direct student aid, infrastructure improvements, enhancements to residential living programs, and the like are suddenly faced with a wholly different approach to the services they can provide.
Hibel: Following up from the previous question -- you discussed some challenges. However, often from challenges, unique opportunities are developed. What positive changes or opportunities have you seen in enrollment management over the past few years?
Klein: Technology improvements allow us to reach more students in ways that were unimaginable 10 years ago. Ten years ago, texts were the words that made up a book! Today, it has a whole new meaning. The focus on rapid and continuous new student enrollments remains, but the demographic changes are causing much of the enrollment discussions to focus on retention efforts as well. There is a greater awareness of the financing challenges faced by families. The reality of shrinking state and federal budgets has put a renewed emphasis on finding ways to support students -- especially those from low- and middle income families. The recent federal legislation to shift funding from bank-based subsidized loans to increased Pell Grant funding is one example. The changes are helping us connect and think outside the traditional box.
Read more at: http://bit.ly/azIEje
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: You are currently the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Angelo State University and have spent the better part of 20 years practicing enrollment management. Would you briefly explain what encompasses enrollment management at your university and how you chose this profession?
Steven Klein, Angelo State University: Enrollment management is a rational, data-informed and systematic approach to understanding the dynamics of enrollment at a particular institution and to optimize enrollments based on those dynamics. Angelo State has created an Enrollment Management Division for the first time in its history as it is poised to grow from 6,000 to 10,000 students over the next decade. Admissions, financial aid, registrar and career services make up the direct reports to this unit, but we touch so many other areas to achieve our results. We work with student life, residence life, the academic community, multicultural services, athletics, alumni, development on a regular basis -- there is really no part of a campus community with whom we don't partner at some point. I chose the profession because I can make a difference in people's lives and the satisfaction I get from knowing that I am part of a team.
Hibel: What are some of the major challenges in general in the field of enrollment management today? How have these challenges changed from 5, 10, or 15 years ago?
Klein: Clearly, the economy is top of mind for so many in enrollment management. Families are not as comfortable with paying for higher education as we experienced just a few years ago. Couple that with the overall decrease in high school graduates, the demographic changes of those seeking higher education (more single heads of family, low-income families, a higher proportion of underrepresented and underprepared students), decreases to federal and state support to campuses and student aid, changes to family income and concern about job security, the hits that family income and investments have taken -- and campuses are faced with significant new realities. Campuses that had been investing heavily in direct student aid, infrastructure improvements, enhancements to residential living programs, and the like are suddenly faced with a wholly different approach to the services they can provide.
Hibel: Following up from the previous question -- you discussed some challenges. However, often from challenges, unique opportunities are developed. What positive changes or opportunities have you seen in enrollment management over the past few years?
Klein: Technology improvements allow us to reach more students in ways that were unimaginable 10 years ago. Ten years ago, texts were the words that made up a book! Today, it has a whole new meaning. The focus on rapid and continuous new student enrollments remains, but the demographic changes are causing much of the enrollment discussions to focus on retention efforts as well. There is a greater awareness of the financing challenges faced by families. The reality of shrinking state and federal budgets has put a renewed emphasis on finding ways to support students -- especially those from low- and middle income families. The recent federal legislation to shift funding from bank-based subsidized loans to increased Pell Grant funding is one example. The changes are helping us connect and think outside the traditional box.
Read more at: http://bit.ly/azIEje
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Current State of the Postdoc Experience
An important step in the career of many higher education professionals starts with a postdoctoral position. These positions provide the necessary experience, mentoring, and networking opportunities for a person's career. For this career topic, we reached out to Cathee Johnson Phillips, executive director of the National Postdoctoral Association for a conversation regarding "postdocs" and advice for people who are looking to obtain a postdoctoral position. The National Postdoctoral Association works to advocate for postdoctoral positions and to help academia and industry understand the vital role postdocs play in their organizations.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: What is a postdoctoral position and how has the job changed over the years? Has this change had a positive or negative impact on postdocs?
Cathee Johnson Phillips, National Postdoctoral Association: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) define a postdoctoral position as "a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path." The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) worked with these organizations to establish this "official" definition, and we fully support it.
I should point out that there are various titles for a "postdoc," usually related to how the position is funded and whether the institution classifies a postdoc as an employee. For example, a postdoc might be called a "research associate," or a "postdoctoral fellow," or a "postdoc paid direct," or... So that's important to keep in mind when looking for a postdoc position.
While the general "job description" of the postdoc has not changed that much, the number of postdocs has. Since the '70s, the number of postdocs has steadily increased, as has the number of fields that offer or require postdocs. The number of postdoctoral scholars in the United States on temporary visas has tripled since 1985. Also, in biomedical fields, a postdoc has become required if a person has any hope of becoming a faculty member on the tenure track or wants to succeed on other biomedical career tracks.
The length of a postdoc also was dramatically increasing from a few years to more than five years or even ten years. That trend seems to have reversed in 2005. Finally, the U.S. scientific enterprise has become increasingly dependent upon postdocs to conduct research and maintain its position in the global research enterprise.
Source for these statistics: National Science Foundation Division of Science Resource Statistics. (January 2008). Science and engineering indicators 2008. Arlington, VA: National Science Board.
The impact of these changes is difficult to pinpoint; we need more data to understand why these changes are taking place as well as the impact they are having. For example, the data that we do have suggests that if a person remains in a postdoc for longer than five years, their chances of having a successful career in science diminishes. Of course, that may depend on how you define "successful." For sure, the postdoc has become a necessary position within the scientific enterprise. And, because the postdoc has become such an established part of the U.S. research system, the issues of appropriate compensation and benefits and working conditions have become paramount within the postdoctoral community. The negative impact is that we have more persons paid inadequately and more persons without benefits, as many postdocs are not considered employees. The positive impact is that the larger postdoc workforce now has a stronger national voice and can work to improve compensation and benefits and the working conditions. That's why the NPA was founded--to represent that national voice.
Hibel: For what type of professional would a postdoctoral position be an ideal job from which one can build a career?
Phillips: The majority of these positions are found in science, especially in the life sciences. Postdocs are increasing in the computer/mathematical sciences, the physical sciences, the social sciences, and engineering, and also outside of science, in the humanities. A biomedical scientist comes the closest to being the professional for whom a postdoc would be ideal, although, used properly, a postdoc can be invaluable for any professional.
Hibel: How can a person get the most out of the postdoctoral experience?
Phillips: Network. Network. Network.
And, possibly change one's attitude. Don't look at the postdoc as just a period of advanced research and increasing knowledge of a discipline. Also look at it as a time of professional development and growth in regard to lifelong learning and critical skills such as communication, professional etiquette, leadership and management, and responsible conduct of research.
Ph.D. candidates need to research postdocs while still in graduate school. They need to network with other postdocs and postdoc advisors. Call up an institution's postdoc office (if they have one) and visit with them. They need to understand the nature of the postdoc and know what questions to ask.
BOTH prospective and current postdocs need to ask themselves, "What are my long-term career goals and what do I need from my postdoc to achieve these goals?" In this economic climate, with fewer tenure-track academic positions available each year, they need to consider all of their career options. There are self-assessment tools, such as FASEB's Individual Development Plan (IDP), and resources, such as the NPA's Core Competencies, that can help them to consider what they need to get out of the postdoc to succeed.
Read more here: http://bit.ly/deqnPN
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: What is a postdoctoral position and how has the job changed over the years? Has this change had a positive or negative impact on postdocs?
Cathee Johnson Phillips, National Postdoctoral Association: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) define a postdoctoral position as "a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path." The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) worked with these organizations to establish this "official" definition, and we fully support it.
I should point out that there are various titles for a "postdoc," usually related to how the position is funded and whether the institution classifies a postdoc as an employee. For example, a postdoc might be called a "research associate," or a "postdoctoral fellow," or a "postdoc paid direct," or... So that's important to keep in mind when looking for a postdoc position.
While the general "job description" of the postdoc has not changed that much, the number of postdocs has. Since the '70s, the number of postdocs has steadily increased, as has the number of fields that offer or require postdocs. The number of postdoctoral scholars in the United States on temporary visas has tripled since 1985. Also, in biomedical fields, a postdoc has become required if a person has any hope of becoming a faculty member on the tenure track or wants to succeed on other biomedical career tracks.
The length of a postdoc also was dramatically increasing from a few years to more than five years or even ten years. That trend seems to have reversed in 2005. Finally, the U.S. scientific enterprise has become increasingly dependent upon postdocs to conduct research and maintain its position in the global research enterprise.
Source for these statistics: National Science Foundation Division of Science Resource Statistics. (January 2008). Science and engineering indicators 2008. Arlington, VA: National Science Board.
The impact of these changes is difficult to pinpoint; we need more data to understand why these changes are taking place as well as the impact they are having. For example, the data that we do have suggests that if a person remains in a postdoc for longer than five years, their chances of having a successful career in science diminishes. Of course, that may depend on how you define "successful." For sure, the postdoc has become a necessary position within the scientific enterprise. And, because the postdoc has become such an established part of the U.S. research system, the issues of appropriate compensation and benefits and working conditions have become paramount within the postdoctoral community. The negative impact is that we have more persons paid inadequately and more persons without benefits, as many postdocs are not considered employees. The positive impact is that the larger postdoc workforce now has a stronger national voice and can work to improve compensation and benefits and the working conditions. That's why the NPA was founded--to represent that national voice.
Hibel: For what type of professional would a postdoctoral position be an ideal job from which one can build a career?
Phillips: The majority of these positions are found in science, especially in the life sciences. Postdocs are increasing in the computer/mathematical sciences, the physical sciences, the social sciences, and engineering, and also outside of science, in the humanities. A biomedical scientist comes the closest to being the professional for whom a postdoc would be ideal, although, used properly, a postdoc can be invaluable for any professional.
Hibel: How can a person get the most out of the postdoctoral experience?
Phillips: Network. Network. Network.
And, possibly change one's attitude. Don't look at the postdoc as just a period of advanced research and increasing knowledge of a discipline. Also look at it as a time of professional development and growth in regard to lifelong learning and critical skills such as communication, professional etiquette, leadership and management, and responsible conduct of research.
Ph.D. candidates need to research postdocs while still in graduate school. They need to network with other postdocs and postdoc advisors. Call up an institution's postdoc office (if they have one) and visit with them. They need to understand the nature of the postdoc and know what questions to ask.
BOTH prospective and current postdocs need to ask themselves, "What are my long-term career goals and what do I need from my postdoc to achieve these goals?" In this economic climate, with fewer tenure-track academic positions available each year, they need to consider all of their career options. There are self-assessment tools, such as FASEB's Individual Development Plan (IDP), and resources, such as the NPA's Core Competencies, that can help them to consider what they need to get out of the postdoc to succeed.
Read more here: http://bit.ly/deqnPN
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