High-impact learning practices can connect varied elements of the college environment to create a more coherent educational experience that facilitates student learning.

In this article, the author illustrates how three campuses have, in their own way, attempted to bring coherence to the student experience and enrich that experience by more closely matching what was promised to what each student actually experiences while enrolled. Fulfilling students' expectations that were purposefully articulated in the mission…

When institutions engage in discussions regarding improving retention and graduation rates, invariably the conversation focuses on entering student characteristics, especially ACT and SAT scores and high school grades. Clearly, attracting and enrolling well-prepared and motivated high-ability students will certainly improve institutional measures…

High school students with disabilities are attending colleges and universities in growing numbers, with their rate of college participation doubling in the past twenty years. Students with disabilities in the secondary educational system are protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004, which requires…

International branch campuses (IBCs) have been established in significant numbers over the past ten years. A common criticism of IBCs is that they cannot recreate the student culture of the home campus. While this is true, some IBCs have gone to great lengths not only to create a comparable culture for their students, but also to integrate their…

The likelihood that students will make a successful transition to the college environment is often a function of their readiness--the degree to which previous educational and personal experiences have equipped them for the expectations and demands they will encounter in college. A key problem is that the current measures of college preparation are…

It is argued that leaders within higher education should examine the culture of their own institutions and academic disciplines in order to respond effectively to faculty who are at the margins. Ultimately, creating a culture of respect will lead to positive change. Yet is this a realistic goal in times of budget constraints, increasing demands…

Entering the UC Merced campus and turning onto Scholars Lane, students saw, in this order, large cow pastures surrounding the campus, tall chainlink fences enclosing construction materials, orange fences stating "limits of construction," and across the small road, the residence facilities. Students who were willing to brave this combination of…

Growing student access and factors associated with globalization affect higher education's organization, purpose, and delivery.

Some conceptual frameworks guide the work of university administrators, informing effective hiring, planning, and budgeting.

The key challenge to academic leadership is to restructure the allocation of academic assets, particularly the organization of the faculty, in ways that better serve emerging societal and scholarly needs.

The role of the college or university chief financial officer in institutional risk management is (1) to identify risk (physical, casualty, fiscal, business, reputational, workplace safety, legal liability, employment practices, general liability), (2) to develop a campus plan to reduce and control risk, (3) to transfer risk, and (4) to track and…

The collegiate ideal, often associated with elitism in higher education, has changed over time to become more pluralistic and thus more accurately reflect increasingly diverse student populations. Colleges are encouraged to better understand and acknowledge the benefits of the college environment for a diverse population, support changes promoting…

Traditional collegiate models for developing the whole student no longer serve the diverse population pursuing higher education. Too much energy is invested in chasing the ideal college student, and not enough is spent on creating the ideal college. A new philosophy focusing on partnerships between student-affairs professionals and faculty is…

The traditional collegiate ideal is institutionalized on many campuses through the structure and types of services offered by student affairs units. To change the collegiate ideal to represent a more inclusive environment, student affairs professionals must examine their policies and procedures and make changes that will help meet the…