Friday 5 Live: Higher Education Podcast

What exactly is basic needs insecurity, and why must it be addressed in our colleges and universities? Join Amanda Key, the inaugural Director of Opportunity, Success and Achievement, and Phillip Smith, inaugural Assistant Dean for Student Basic Needs at Rutgers University as they share insights into the most common forms of insecurity among college students. Amanda and Phillip provide strategies that have transformed students' access and success.

Struggling to help motivate students or help them understand the concept of motivation? In this episode of Friday 5 Live, Dr. Amy Baldwin and Dr. Laurie Hazard share their firsthand experiences and examine how motivation can be cultivated and sustained, even in the face of challenges. We examine the psychological underpinnings of motivation, discuss the importance of setting clear, achievable goals, and the transformative potential of a supportive community. Want to continue the conversation? Connect with Amy at the Curious Professor and Laurie at Recognize Your Potential.

Additional Resources:- Jean's Slide Deck- View the video recording of our podcast

According to data from the Community College Research Center (CCRC), two-year institutions lose about 45% of students within their first year. How can colleges reimagine students' first year of college in a way that centers on students exploring and entering a program of study? Join us as Dr. Hana Lahr of CCRC shares her research on whole-college guided pathways reforms. We will learn about the Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan framework and other initiatives to improve long-term outcomes like completion and transfer.

Seventy-four percent of college students today are considered nontraditional students. At the same time, more than 39 million Americans have some college but no degree, a number which has grown by 3 million students in 3 years. Dr. Anne Khademian has a term for these students: fluid learners. Join us as Dr. Khademian, the Executive Director of the Universities at Shady Grove, shares her insights into the shifts institutions must make to support and retain nontraditional students as we look to what the future holds for higher education and our workforce.

As we begin the fall semester, many institutions are examining how they can become student-ready. Join us as Dr. John Donnelly shares his insights into what makes a college or university student-ready and how institutions can do this important work to focus their efforts on student success. Drawing from his career as a community college administrator and faculty member, John has recently been appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on Student Success which works to improve student success outcomes for community college students.

As we emerge from pandemic learning, students are struggling to find their footing and to be successful in their classes. Listserve discussions for organizations like the POD Network, FYE, and LRNASST are ripe with faculty and staff expressing their concern about failing students and their surprise that as instruction has returned to in-person there has not necessarily been a correlation to fewer grades of D, F, and W. Jessica Tinklenberg, Program Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Claremont Colleges, shares her insights into how we can better understand the learning environment from a student perspective while sharing ways we can provide the support they need NOW.

As we wrap up this school year and our conversations on leadership in honor of our colleague Dr. Denise Swett, Kate Mueller reflects on this year: things learned, surprises found, and how this year of continued pandemic learning will inform the upcoming academic year. Kate shares her recommendations for how we can lead from where we are and resources for our own growth and renewal.

College enrollments hit a record low in the fall semester. Coupled with that, new data released in early May shows that FAFSA applications are down almost nine percent compared to last year - a concerning trend that suggests another year of downward college enrollment. How can institutions work to address enrollment challenges? What are strategies colleges and universities might take to encourage growth in applications but also examine student success? Join as Aaron Basko, enrollment growth specialist and author, shares his insights into the challenges institutions are facing with enrollment and strategies to consider for institutional growth and health!

As the spring semester wrapped up, faculty and staff expressed concern about disengaged students. Looking to the new school year, what are strategies institutions can use to create opportunities for students to feel heard and valued? How can we foster campus connections leading to student engagement and success? Dr. Dan Maxwell, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services - UH System, shares with us unique ways that he is creating connections with students like his Donuts with Dr. Dan initiative.

Jessica Gifford has spent her professional career creating supportive learning opportunities for students. An expert on resiliency, Jessica has shifted her focus to the concept of building connections. How can institutions create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to make meaningful connections? Join us as Jessica shares her insights and strategies for how institutions can focus on connection and community building to impact mental-health, student, faculty and staff retention and, ultimately, success.

Jessica Gifford has spent her professional career creating supportive learning opportunities for students. An expert on resiliency, Jessica has shifted her focus to the concept of building connections. How can institutions create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to make meaningful connections? Join us as Jessica shares her insights and strategies for how institutions can focus on connection and community building to impact mental-health, student, faculty and staff retention and, ultimately, success.Check out Jessica's resources:Free resources for building connection with studentsFree resources for building connection with staff and facultyProjectConnect website

As the spring semester wrapped up, faculty and staff expressed concern about disengaged students. Looking to the new school year, what are strategies institutions can use to create opportunities for students to feel heard and valued? How can we foster campus connections leading to student engagement and success? Dr. Dan Maxwell, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services - UH System, shares with us unique ways that he is creating connections with students like his Donuts with Dr. Dan initiative. 

College enrollments hit a record low in the fall semester. Coupled with that, new data released in early May shows that FAFSA applications are down almost nine percent compared to last year - a concerning trend that suggests another year of downward college enrollment. How can institutions work to address enrollment challenges? What are strategies colleges and universities might take to encourage growth in applications but also examine student success? Join as Aaron Basko, enrollment growth specialist and author, shares his insights into the challenges institutions are facing with enrollment and strategies to consider for institutional growth and health!

As we wrap up this school year and our conversations on leadership in honor of our colleague Dr. Denise Swett, Kate Mueller reflects on this year: things learned, surprises found, and how this year of continued pandemic learning will inform the upcoming academic year. Kate shares her recommendations for how we can lead from where we are and resources for our own growth and renewal. 

As we emerge from pandemic learning, students are struggling to find their footing and to be successful in their classes. Listserve discussions for organizations like the POD Network, FYE, and LRNASST are ripe with faculty and staff expressing their concern about failing students and their surprise that as instruction has returned to in-person there has not necessarily been a correlation to fewer grades of D, F, and W.  Jessica Tinklenberg, Program Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Claremont Colleges, shares her insights into how we can better understand the learning environment from a student perspective while sharing ways we can provide the support they need NOW.  

The pandemic has spotlighted a concerning enrollment trend in higher education: a decrease in Black male students at U.S. colleges and universities. Dr. Reginald Stroble, coordinator of the Black Male Initiative at Anne Arundel Community College continues our conversation from the fall semester on recruiting and retaining Black male students. Reggie, and his former student Juwon, shared their insights and critical considerations for our work with male students. This promises to be an informative conversation you won't want to miss!

Join us for this next discussion in our Don't Sweat It: The Denise Sweat Conversations on Leadership Series! Dr. Celia Esposito-Noy, Ed.D, the Superintendent/President, Solano Community College District, shares insights from her extensive career in higher education. Celia provides insights on crafting strong and diverse teams as well as sound advice on how to create stystemic change at our institutions to better address equity and access. 

Declines in enrollment and FAFSA applications from students of color and low-income families are a concerning trend we've seen dominate higher education headlines this academic year. As a result, institutions are grappling with how to best support students from these populations, often the very ones identified for participation in TRIO programs.  Listen in as Dr. Pinkey Stewart shares with us strategies and techniques for supporting TRIO students and under-resourced students. Dr. Stewart draws from her extensive career in higher education to understand the challenges facing under-resourced students and their families and best practices in enrolling and retaining this important student population.