The Key with Inside Higher Ed

Ep. 32: Student Wellbeing During the Fall Term

Many colleges and universities wrapped up their fall terms before Thanksgiving. We spoke with officials from two institutions -- Paul Quinn College and the University of Notre Dame -- about their efforts to protect the health and wellbeing of students this fall.

Michael Sorrell, Paul Quinn's president, talked about how the work college sought to stay connected with students during an online term. He also described his take on how college leaders should look out for students' best interests.

Christine Gebhardt, the University of Notre Dame's assistant vice president for student services, talked with us about how the university expanded the reach of its counseling and health services this fall. It was all hands on deck, she said.

This episode is sponsored by TimelyMD, a telehealth provider whose mission is to improve the well-being of college students by making virtual medical and mental health care accessible anytime, anywhere. With immediate medical care, scheduled and on-demand counseling, psychiatry and health coaching services, TimelyMD partners with institutions to empower students to thrive in all aspects of their lives. Learn more at timely.md.

Ep. 31: Cal State's Next Chancellor

Joseph I. Castro, Fresno State's president, will become chancellor of the California State University System in January. The system is one of the nation's largest, enrolling roughly 500,000 students across 23 campuses.

Castro talked about his top priorities as he steps into the new role, including to continue Cal State's push to improve student completion rates while cutting achievement gaps. He also discussed the need for state, federal and philanthropic investment to help Cal State students stay on track.

Tim White, the system's current chancellor, joined us in May to discuss the system's early decision to stick with a largely online fall. Castro revisited that move and talked about how it may have contributed to record enrollment levels and improved student retention rates at Fresno State and across Cal State.

Education drives economic mobility. Strategic Education, Inc. is dedicated to helping improve lives through education. Strategic Education’s institutions -- including Strayer and Capella Universities, the Jack Welch Management Institute, Hackbright Academy and Sophia Learning -- create innovative and relevant learning experiences that prepare our students for the workforce -- today and in the future. Learn more at strategiceducation.com.

Ep. 30: The Pandemic and College Athletics

This year has been filled with challenges for college athletics, as programs wrestle with safety protocols, COVID-19 outbreaks, game cancellations and the elimination of some team sports amid widespread financial pain.

To help get a handle on where things stand -- and where they're headed -- we spoke with Amy Privette Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission, a nonprofit organization of college leaders focused on reforming athletics.

Perko spoke about big-time college football's season so far, budget crises, revenue distribution and the commission's top priorities -- including changes to FBS football.

This podcast is sponsored by Strategic Education, Inc. At Strategic Education, our mission is to help advance economic mobility for all. Strategic Education institutions -- including Strayer and Capella Universities, the Jack Welch Management Institute, Hackbright Academy and Sophia Learning -- innovate and infuse technology into higher education to provide a highly relevant and flexible education experience that results in economic mobility for working adults. Learn more at strategiceducation.com.

Ep. 29: Next Steps for Competency-Based Education

Some experts think competency-based learning could get a boost amid the pandemic, in part because of the flexibility CBE programs offer to students.

To get the lay of the land, we spoke with Charla Long, executive director of the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), a national consortium of colleges and systems. Long talked about the outlook for CBE and what might take it to the next level.

We also spoke with Dick Senese, the president of Capella University. Senese described how Capella began focusing on competencies long ago and was among the first to offer direct assessment, which is untethered from the credit hour.

This episode is sponsored by Capella University, a subsidiary of Strategic Education, Inc. Capella University’s online degree programs offer working adults the flexibility of a guided or self-paced learning model so learners can gain the relevant skills and qualifications they need to help advance in their jobs or to launch new careers. To learn more about our competency-based education, visit Capella University at https://www.capella.edu/capella-experience/competency-based-education/. 

Ep. 28: Student Anxiety and Career Exploration

A growing body of evidence finds high student anxiety and uncertainty about what comes after college.

To get a better sense of how students are feeling, we spoke with Livia and Julia Morris, recent UC Davis grads who conducted a survey of college students around the country. The survey featured questions about career exploration.

We also spoke with Kai Drekmeier, the founder and chief development officer at InsideTrack, which offers coaching and other supports to students. Drekmeier talked about rising student demand for crisis help and what that means for higher education.

This episode is sponsored by Pearson. Educators around the world rely on the trusted content and digital learning resources from Pearson to improve outcomes in face-to-face or hybrid learning environments. Visit Pearson for all of your online teaching resources, at go.Pearson.com/teachingonline.

Ep. 27: The State of Student Transfer

Student transfer is down this fall, with new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showing the anticipated influx of students transferring to community colleges from four-year institutions didn't happen.

To make sense of these numbers, we spoke Iris Palmer, a senior advisor for higher education and workforce with the education policy program at New America. Palmer talked about state policies and incentives to help students transfer more seamlessly.

We also spoke with Alison Kadlec, a founding partner with Sova, an organization that works on transfer and student success. Kadlec describe how colleges typically have treated transfer students, and what the enrollment crunch most institutions now face could mean for that dynamic.

This episode is sponsored by Pearson. Educators around the world rely on the trusted content and digital learning resources from Pearson to improve outcomes in face-to-face or hybrid learning environments. Visit Pearson for all of your online teaching resources, at go.Pearson.com/teachingonline.

Ep. 26: Financing Career College Pathways

As higher education faces a potential exodus of students -- particularly lower-income students who attend community colleges -- what role could creative financing play in helping students bridge the gap from college to a career?

Chris Keaveney thinks Meritize can be part of solution. The private lender focuses on reducing risk and friction for students, colleges and employers. Keaveney, the founder and CEO, talked about what the model could mean for skills-based learning.

We also spoke with Carlo Salerno, vice president for research at Campus Logic, a student financial success technology company. A higher education economist, Salerno gave a national perspective on Meritize as well as income-share agreements.

This episode is sponsored by Pearson. Educators around the world rely on the trusted content and digital learning resources from Pearson to improve outcomes in face-to-face or hybrid learning environments. Visit Pearson for all of your online teaching resources, at go.Pearson.com/teachingonline.

 

Ep. 25: Anxiety and Isolation Among College Students

A growing body of research has shown that anxiety and mental health issues have become primary concerns for college students.

To get a leadership perspective on this challenge, we spoke with Elfred Anthony Pinkard, the president of Wilberforce University, who talked about how his students have been coping with the nation's racial reckoning as well as the pandemic.

We also spoke with Dr. Alan Dennington, the chief medical officer at TimelyMD, a telehealth provider focused on college students, who described a spike in demand for mental health counseling among students, and what appears to be driving it.

This episode is sponsored by Cengage, from online to hyflex learning, Cengage supports your changing pedagogy at scale. Learn more at cengage.com/institutional.

Ep. 24: Federal Policy and Part-Time Students

Amid fears about a possible exodus of lower-income students from postsecondary education, and community colleges in particular, what can policymakers do to help vulnerable students stay on track?

For answers, we spoke with Morna Foy, president of the Wisconsin Technical College System. Foy spoke about barriers faced by students across the system and why she and other two-year college leaders want more federal stimulus help for part-time students.

Also featured in this episode is Lexi Barrett, an associate vice president at Jobs for the Future, who leads the group's state and federal policy efforts. Barrett put the enrollment crunch many community colleges are facing in a national context, and talked about some possible policy fixes.

This episode is sponsored by Cengage, from online to hyflex learning, Cengage supports your changing pedagogy at scale. Learn more at cengage.com/institutional.

Ep. 23: The Push for a Learner Record System

The pandemic has brought new urgency to the creation of a learner record system, which could help students more smoothly transfer between colleges and find a job.

We spoke with Scott Cheney, the CEO of Credential Engine, to hear about the potential for such a system, as well as how his organization is seeking to bring transparency to credentials while creating a marketplace for them.

Also featured in this episode is Kendall Bailey, who leads SEI Labs. She spoke about how interoperable learner records could improve equity by helping students more efficiently bridge the gap between postsecondary education and the workforce.

This episode is sponsored by Cengage, from online to hyflex learning, Cengage supports your changing pedagogy at scale. Learn more at cengage.com/institutional.