Why flexibility is important for student success

Why flexibility is important for student success

When it comes to flexibility, colleges and universities are rarely the places you’d expect to find it. Sadly, this rigidity is the reason many students drop out of school before completing their degree programs.

But things are changing, thanks to ongoing technological innovation and the rise of data-driven decision-making in higher ed. Taking advantage of new technologies can help your institution improve student retention rates, graduation rates, and more by unlocking more opportunities for flexibility in education.

What is flexibility in higher education?

In the context of higher education, flexibility refers to an institution’s ability to adapt its offerings to meet students’ needs while maintaining its high standard of academic rigor. Those adaptations could take many forms, from allowing students to submit an assignment late to building individualized courses of study for students with unique interests.

According to a recent survey by Inside Higher Ed and New Student Voice, some of the most important elements of flexibility include:

What is flexibility in higher education?
  • Deadlines: The majority of respondents said flexible deadline policies should be available for students who experience extenuating circumstances, such as health issues and family emergencies. Some examples of successful deadline policies include allowing students to request extensions on assignments and providing one “free pass” per term.
  • Class attendance: A flexible attendance policy should ensure students attend often enough to achieve the desired learning outcomes while enabling them to take care of life situations when they arise. That could mean missing anywhere from one to four classes per term without consequences, depending on the instructor.
  • Class participation: Although many professors incorporate strict participation requirements into a student’s overall grade, experts say quality is far more important than quantity. Being flexible with what counts as participation can help instructors increase their educational impact by keeping students’ minds more engaged.

When flexible options are available, students have a better chance of staying engaged and achieving the learning outcomes they need to progress in their courses of study and, eventually, their careers.

The importance of flexibility for colleges and students

Providing a degree of flexibility is critical for maintaining high student engagement — a critical consideration for success. Flexible arrangements help re-engage students who are at risk of dropping out, especially in nontraditional populations such as veterans and working parents.

Other benefits of a flexible learning experience include:

  • Improved retention rates: When your students are engaged with their education, they’re significantly more likely to finish their program within a reasonable amount of time. And because retaining students is often more profitable than enrolling new ones, boosting retention rates can help you improve your institution’s cash flow.
  • Better student outcomes: Engaged students are interested in their studies and motivated to learn, which makes them more likely to achieve the desired academic and non-academic outcomes.
  • Achieving educational equity: Students from diverse backgrounds often encounter barriers that can prevent them from progressing in their studies. Flexible arrangements can aid them in overcoming these challenges, creating a more equitable institution for all. 

How institutions can create a more flexible learning experience

Flexibility can come in many different forms, depending on the resources available to the institution, the preferences of the faculty or administrators involved, and the needs of the student. Ultimately, though, some degree of flexibility is essential for ensuring all students have the chance to shine.

Here are some realistic suggestions for how to offer flexibility to students from all backgrounds.

1. Add more variety to course delivery

Nontraditional students often have to juggle many different responsibilities in addition to their coursework, such as working full-time jobs and caring for family members. 

Few of these students can attend in-person weekday classes unless they are offered in the evening — and if those classes aren’t available, they may be unable to complete their programs on time. Others may live far away from campus, making it difficult to attend in-person classes at all.

Providing flexibility in course structure and scheduling can help these students stay on track with their education even when their lives get chaotic. Some examples of how your institution can accommodate these students include:

  • Evening and weekend classes: Night and weekend classes give students who work the chance to pursue their education without feeling like they need to quit their jobs or burden their families to do so. You could also bring in industry professionals who are busy during the week as guest instructors, providing opportunities for more value.
  • Hybrid schedules: Hybrid courses combine the flexibility and autonomy of online learning with the personal engagement of attending in-person classes for both faculty and students. For example, a class that meets twice weekly could have one session in the classroom and one synchronous online lecture each week.
  • Hyflex schedules: “Hybrid-flexible” (hyflex) courses allow students to choose which days they will attend classes in person or online, which gives them more time to handle other responsibilities without disrupting their studies.
  • Asynchronous online courses: The self-paced nature of online education gives students the flexibility to fit their education into their schedules wherever they can. However, it’s important to remember that this format is only compatible with certain courses and academic disciplines — a fully online program rarely provides the same value as its hybrid or in-person counterpart.

2. Implement personalized learning options

It’s now common knowledge that everyone learns differently, and that each student has unique academic and career goals. And while the standard approach to education has seen few changes over the past few decades, it excludes many students.

“Personalized learning” is a newer trend in higher ed that helps students take charge of their education by building their own academic experiences. For example, students might meet one-on-one with an academic advisor or student success coach to create a program tailored to their specific interests, schedules, and career goals. 

Student data is critical for implementing personalized learning. Insights from summative and formative assessment scores as well as behavioral observations can help faculty collaborate with students to create holistic, unique learning experiences that align with their educational goals and meet their needs.

Additionally, leveraging student success software enables advisors and student success team members to track student progress throughout their time at your institution, making it possible to support individualized programs for students of all backgrounds.

3. Offer mentor programs

Mentorship is a great way to introduce flexibility into your institution, especially for students from nontraditional backgrounds.

Offer mentor programs

For example military students — including veterans and active-duty service members — often experience challenges in the transition from regimented military life to the self-paced culture of academia. They’re also usually older than traditional college students, with personal and professional responsibilities their peers don’t have.

This culture shock often makes military students feel isolated from their institutions, which can interfere with their ability to access the resources they need to help them get through their programs. Sometimes, the best way to accommodate these at-risk students is to provide opportunities to connect with their academic peers and faculty members. 

Mentors can guide at-risk students toward helpful campus resources and provide valuable advice on maintaining a healthy school-life balance, choosing courses, working toward a promising career, and more.

4. Adapt classroom requirements

The greatest impact on student engagement comes from your faculty. Most students interact with their professors more than anyone else on campus, both in and out of the classroom, which builds a rapport and establishes a sense of trust.

As a result, instructors are the ones who are most often tasked with devising flexible arrangements for individual students. Faculty should be open to making accommodations every so often to help students who are struggling to stay on track, but it’s also important for them to strike a balance between academic rigor and flexibility.

Therefore, the degree of flexibility each professor can provide will vary depending on academic discipline, course requirements, department policies, and the instructor’s own preferences. Regular participation in a hands-on chemistry lab, for example, is significantly more important for achieving the desired learning outcomes than it is in an English literature seminar. 

5. Connect institutional systems

Most institutions already use at least one form of digital educational technology (edtech), such as a learning management system (LMS).

And while these programs can help streamline learning for students, using multiple disparate systems can limit visibility into student records and reduce your ability to determine the best course of action for each student’s situation.

Creating communicative pathways between the software programs your institution uses can help you consolidate your tech stack and save some extra money that can be allocated to other areas of your institution.

Integrations with a native mobile app, for example, allow students to get in touch with their support team from anywhere, whether they’re on campus or at home. Student success coaches can check in via the cloud and monitor changes as they occur, providing total transparency for both parties. 

6. Build a strong student success team

An institution’s student success program is more important than you may expect. Student success administrators, for instance, juggle a long list of responsibilities pertaining to enrollment, retention, institutional strategy, career coaching, and more each day.

However, many institutions lack the proper infrastructure and resources to support a robust student success program. Student success software equipped with predictive analytics and early notifications can help your student success team make a greater impact by:

  • Identifying at-risk students: By analyzing historical student data from various sources, predictive analytics programs can uncover trends in student behavior that could indicate the student is struggling. For example, sudden drops in attendance or grade point average (GPA) are clear signs that a student needs help.
  • Notifying faculty: Automated notifications loop your staff in when students face obstacles or change their foals, making it possible to respond before it’s too late. 
  • Prioritizing cases: Predictive analytics can identify which students are most at risk, enabling your staff to triage students for maximum effectiveness. 
  • Integrations: Integrations with the rest of your tech stack help create a single source of truth for all your student data, from grades in your LMS to internships and academic achievements listed in ePortfolios. 

7. Invest in student success software

Often, one of the biggest obstacles to education for students is a lack of institutional transparency. Departmental data silos prevent administrators and faculty from getting a complete picture of each student, which can make it more difficult to identify if and when someone needs help, and determining whether accommodations are necessary becomes significantly more challenging.

That’s why implementing an advanced student success software solution is the best way to support greater flexibility in student learning. With powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, your student success department can quickly gain insights into what students may be dealing with, helping them devise suitable plans for overcoming those challenges and getting the student back on track.

Plus, a fully integrated solution enables you to consolidate your tech stack, which can help you eliminate technology your institution doesn’t need and save some extra money for other uses.

Case study: Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is an excellent example of how prioritizing flexibility for students who have special needs can significantly improve outcomes. 

FTCC has a large population of veteran and active-duty military students due to its proximity to Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), the world’s largest U.S. Army base by population. Because service members move from place to place so frequently, ensuring they have taken the necessary courses to progress in their studies is challenging without unified records. 

The same goes for other nontraditional students, which make up a significant portion of the student body at many community colleges like FTCC.

Implementing student success software enabled FTCC to provide more flexible learning options to their students that had been near impossible before. By creating a single source of truth for all their student information, FTCC faculty and administrators gained greater visibility into the challenges students faced — which helped them develop individualized solutions to overcome them. 

Now, though, when students need assistance, all their records are easily accessible from the program’s centralized, cloud-based hub. Where FTCC had once lacked a robust mandatory advising program, it now reaps the benefits of custom advising for individual students — and it’s all thanks to the power of their data.

Accommodate student needs with Watermark Student Success & Engagement

Accommodate student needs with Watermark Student Success & Engagement

At Watermark, our mission is to help higher education institutions harness the power of data for continuous improvement in an increasingly complex world. Watermark Student Success & Engagement is an intuitive software solution designed to help improve student outcomes using the information your institution already collects. 

Deep integrations with leading LMS and SIS as well as all other solutions in our Educational Impact Suite (EIS) create a single source of truth for seamless data transfer across your entire institution. Advanced predictive analytics capabilities analyze this data and flag signs of student disengagement, sending an automated alert to your student success team so they can intervene right away. 

And our solution has proven results — within just one year, institutions that implemented Watermark saw a 6% increase in student retention.

If you’re ready to transform your student success operations, Watermark can help you through every step of the journey. Contact us today to request your personalized demo.

MORE HELPFUL ARTICLES
Teaching creative problem-solving: Strategies for advisors and professors
Blog

Teaching creative problem-solving: Strategies for advisors and professors

Read Blog →
How to help students understand and navigate the FAFSA
Blog

How to help students understand and navigate the FAFSA

Read Blog →
Blog

Engaging modern learners: 9 innovative tools and techniques for success

Read Blog →
Go beyond retention: How to strategically plan for student success
Blog

Go beyond retention: How to strategically plan for student success

Read Blog →
An assessment of high-impact practices (HIP) for educational institutions
Blog

An assessment of high-impact practices (HIP) for educational institutions

Read Blog →
Blog

Legislation’s impact on diversity in higher education

Read Blog →
Gen P: How to anticipate their expectations
Blog

Gen P: How to anticipate their expectations

Read Blog →
Blog

Evaluation 101: What higher education institutions should consider when evaluating professors

Read Blog →
Blog

11 tips for choosing an educational intelligence software partner

Read Blog →
Blog

3 tips to improve your online teaching

Read Blog →
Blog

3 ways disruption makes assessment more relevant

Read Blog →
Blog

4 best practices for sustaining institutional effectiveness in a crisis

Read Blog →
Blog

4 questions every campus should ask about assessment

Read Blog →
Blog

4 ways to improve student engagement

Read Blog →
Blog

4 ways to make curriculum mapping easier

Read Blog →
Blog

4 ways to simplify the accreditation process

Read Blog →
Blog

10 best practices for higher education data security

Read Blog →
Blog

5 criteria for effective goal management

Read Blog →
Blog

Assessment Planning with Watermark Outcomes Assessment Projects

Read Blog →
Blog

Assessment innovation at community colleges: a NILOA-led conversation

Read Blog →
Blog

Assessment: how to write clear outcomes

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark’s responsible use of AI statement

Read Blog →
Blog

Accelerating faculty activity reporting

Read Blog →
Blog

Increasing course evaluation response rates at your institution

Read Blog →
Blog

7 tips To avoid survey fatigue

Read Blog →
Blog

How AI will transform higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

6 lessons from educational insights to increase student engagement

Read Blog →
Blog

7 ways a survey solution connects you with students and each other

Read Blog →
Blog

6 keys to effective communication with students

Read Blog →
Blog

How curriculum mapping helps students learn more

Read Blog →
Blog

Conducting a curriculum gap analysis

Read Blog →
Blog

10 ways ePortfolios support distance learning

Read Blog →
Blog

6 reasons to use Faculty Success (formerly Digital Measures) to power faculty web profiles

Read Blog →
Blog

6 things peer reviewers wish you knew about HLC accreditation

Read Blog →
Blog

6 tips for conducting effective academic program reviews

Read Blog →
Blog

7 best practices for engaging faculty in activity reporting with Walden University

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Student Data for the Improvement of Student and Institutional Success

Read Blog →
Blog

How emerging technology can help you fulfill the promise of assessment

Read Blog →
Blog

How faculty profiles can help track progression toward tenure

Read Blog →
Blog

How having labor market data can help colleges and universities

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Watermark Student Learning & Licensure for colleges of education

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Watermark Student Learning & Licensure for colleges of social work and counseling

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Student Learning & Licensure To Support Faculty and Students With edTPA Templates

Read Blog →
Blog

How to use data to improve campus learning

Read Blog →
Blog

How technology can improve how you’re building, managing, and supporting the faculty and academic affairs staff

Read Blog →
Blog

Using technology to make assessment more meaningful and sustainable

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Technology to Support Prospective Students

Read Blog →
Blog

ePortfolios for students: digital portfolio tips & tricks for success

Read Blog →
Blog

How to ensure education equity in the age of AI

Read Blog →
Blog

How higher ed can benefit from open data

Read Blog →
Blog

How Howard University Makes Use of Technology for a Competitive Edge

Read Blog →
Blog

The analysis of assessment professional roles and activities

Read Blog →
Blog

A foundational guide for mentoring students

Read Blog →
Blog

How Often Do You Need To Submit an Accreditation Self-Study?

Read Blog →
Blog

What is educational impact?

Read Blog →
Blog

How academic program reviews help ensure curriculum relevance and future readiness

Read Blog →
Blog

Effective data-sharing strategies for assessment professionals

Read Blog →
Blog

The secret to student success at community college

Read Blog →
Blog

A comprehensive guide to conducting academic program reviews in higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

How Online Course Evaluations Help Improve Instructional Course Quality

Read Blog →
Blog

How to align your campus around your strategic goals

Read Blog →
Blog

How our tools can assist with assessment

Read Blog →
Blog

An overview of SACSCOC accreditation

Read Blog →
Blog

How to assess internship readiness of students

Read Blog →
Blog

Insight-Inspired Progress at Engage 2022

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark Insights vs. EAB

Read Blog →
Blog

How To Use Faculty Evaluation Data

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark vs. Element451

Read Blog →
Blog

How predictive analytics helps improve student enrollment

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark vs. Starfish

Read Blog →
Blog

The Key to Achieving Equity in Education

Read Blog →
Blog

How to empower students with edtech solutions

Read Blog →
Blog

Identifying and Supporting Gifted Students

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark Partners With Concourse Syllabus to Offer a Comprehensive Syllabus Management Solution

Read Blog →
Blog

How to implement data-driven decision-making in higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark Shares: The Teachers Who Inspired Us

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark’s focus on creating accessible systems

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Leverage Curriculum Mapping to Meet Your Institution’s Needs

Read Blog →
Blog

How to prevent summer melt this year

Read Blog →
Blog

What are IT leaders saying about tech transformation in higher ed?

Read Blog →
Blog

Empowering faculty collaboration and engagement: Tools and techniques for success

Read Blog →
Blog

How program review committees can use labor market data to improve student outcomes

Read Blog →
Blog

Looking to Become Faculty? What Doctoral Students & Postdocs Should Know

Read Blog →
Blog

End-of-course survey 101

Read Blog →
Blog

Program effectiveness survey questions

Read Blog →
Blog

What Is a Course Evaluation?

Read Blog →
Blog

What is Equity in Education?

Read Blog →
Blog

Promoting a Growth Mindset for Student Success

Read Blog →
Blog

The new faculty member’s guide to accreditation

Read Blog →
Blog

What is planning and self-study software used for in higher education?

Read Blog →
Blog

What makes direct and indirect assessment so difficult?

Read Blog →
Blog

The Intrinsic Purpose of Student Surveys

Read Blog →
Blog

The Importance of Co-Curricular Programs in Student Success

Read Blog →
Blog

The Outcomes of Success Coaching

Read Blog →
Blog

How to put your institution’s data to work to make planning easier

Read Blog →
Blog

What’s Your “Why?” Understanding the Value of Outcomes Reporting

Read Blog →
Blog

The Positive Impact of Success Coaching on Community College Students

Read Blog →
Blog

The Importance of Assessment in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Identifying and Implementing Graduate Student Retention Strategies

Read Blog →
Blog

How can higher education reignite a passion for learning?

Read Blog →
Blog

Quality Assurance, Self-Study, and Assessment Technology at Community Colleges: A NILOA-Led Conversation

Read Blog →
Blog

“A radical rethink”: How CV imports transform faculty activity reporting

Read Blog →
Blog

The Secret to SACSCOC Accreditation Success

Read Blog →
Blog

Why data is the catalyst for personalizing education

Read Blog →
Blog

The Top 6 Challenges College Students Face

Read Blog →
Blog

Higher Education Act Reauthorization: What Colleges and Universities Need To Know

Read Blog →
Blog

An Overview of Regional vs. National Accreditation

Read Blog →
Blog

Overcoming the Unique Challenge of Assessment at Community College

Read Blog →
Blog

The Why Behind Curriculum Mapping

Read Blog →
Blog

Responsible AI adoption for higher education instructors

Read Blog →
Blog

Is Retention More Profitable Than Enrollment?

Read Blog →
Blog

Rubric-Based Assessments: Usage and Benefits

Read Blog →
Blog

The Growing Importance of College Course Reviews

Read Blog →
Blog

Engage Conference Throughout the Years

Read Blog →
Blog

Why Faculty Diversity Matters

Read Blog →
Blog

SACSCOC Accreditation: 8 Things Peer Reviewers Want You to Know

Read Blog →
Blog

Three Building Blocks of Essential Course Content

Read Blog →
Blog

Engaging in Service as a Faculty Member or Administrator

Read Blog →
Blog

Setting goals for faculty annual reviews

Read Blog →
Blog

How to improve the assessment process by simplifying process management

Read Blog →
Blog

Why Is Student Success So Important for Higher Education?

Read Blog →
Woman taking notes at her desk
Blog

Three Integration Essentials to Improve Your Course Evaluation Process

Read Blog →
Blog

How to enhance your curriculum to meet current labor market needs

Read Blog →
Blog

Tips for Professors: Strategies to Foster Equity in the Classroom

Read Blog →
Blog

Why It’s a Great Time for New Tech in Higher Ed

Read Blog →
Blog

Why Mentoring Matters

Read Blog →
Blog

Why Predictive Analytics Is Crucial for Maximizing College Retention Efforts

Read Blog →
Blog

How to ensure student support from prospect to enrollee

Read Blog →
Blog

Harnessing data analytics to enhance faculty performance and development

Read Blog →
Blog

The Role of a Student Success Administrator in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Course evaluations: are we asking questions about diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging?

Read Blog →
Blog

The Evolution of Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Exploring the “Why” Behind Change Resistance in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Factors That Influence Student Engagement in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Watermark to help faculty close the loop on assessment

Read Blog →
Blog

Building bridges: Strengthening the faculty-student connection for academic success

Read Blog →
Blog

Faculty tips for surviving the end of the semester

Read Blog →
Blog

Finding Solutions: Closing the Gender Enrollment and Retention Gap in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

For efficient accreditation reporting, a culture shift is necessary

Read Blog →
Blog

From professor to product architect: Brian Robinson

Read Blog →
Blog

How To Prepare for End-of-Course Evaluations

Read Blog →
Blog

Getting faculty on board with assessment

Read Blog →
Blog

Get the Important Answers With an All-in-One Course Evaluation Solution

Read Blog →
Blog

Going Above & Beyond: Measuring Faculty Activity During a Crisis

Read Blog →
Blog

Preparing for the Growing Role of Student Affairs 

Read Blog →
Blog

Guided Academic Pathways: Student Success Starts With a Plan

Read Blog →
Blog

High-impact practices in higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

Removing data silos in higher ed with technology

Read Blog →
Blog

How to create a culture of continuous improvement at your college

Read Blog →
Blog

Data management strategies for higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

How higher education can be more environmentally sustainable

Read Blog →
Blog

Cost containment guide: How higher ed tech can help

Read Blog →
Blog

How Student Success Technology Can Help Institutions With Declining Enrollment

Read Blog →
Blog

Accreditation challenges – and how top institutions are solving them

Read Blog →
Blog

A map for your accreditation journey

Read Blog →
Blog

The accreditation process for two-year schools

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Assess Career Readiness in College Students

Read Blog →
Blog

Long-Term Adjuncts: What You Should Know

Read Blog →
Blog

Advancing assessment practices with Watermark Planning & Self-Study

Read Blog →
Blog

9 assessment trends to watch for in 2024

Read Blog →
Blog

Assessing the Reliability of Student Feedback in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Assessment trends: how to evolve your assessment strategy

Read Blog →
Blog

Watermark releases initial results of study aimed at closing the higher education equity gap for minority males

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Become a Higher Education Administrator

Read Blog →
Blog

Benefits of ePortfolios for technical colleges

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Build a Culture of Assessment in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Leveraging Watermark – Blackboard integration: Powerful insights throughout your assessment cycle

Read Blog →
Blog

Tips for success coaching young men

Read Blog →
Blog

9 tips to improve student satisfaction in higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

Three Things You Need for a (Productive) Data-Informed Discussion

Read Blog →
Blog

Tips for Faculty When Writing a Letter of Recommendation

Read Blog →
Blog

Tips for mastering the CAEP accreditation process

Read Blog →
Blog

Why You Should Care About the Performance of Other Educational Institutions

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Improve Faculty Engagement for Student Success

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Choose a Higher Education Assessment Software

Read Blog →
Blog

Tips for Engaging Underperforming Students

Read Blog →
Blog

Why You Should Consolidate Your Tech Stack

Read Blog →
Blog

8 Strategies When Starting a New Academic Position

Read Blog →
Blog

Inspiring students to perform their best

Read Blog →
Blog

Improving institutional effectiveness with Watermark Planning & Self-Study

Read Blog →
Blog

How to connect programs to occupations with curriculum mapping

Read Blog →
Blog

How to keep students engaged over summer break

Read Blog →
Blog

Women in STEM: Stacy Becker Helps Keep Watermark Products Accessible

Read Blog →
Blog

COVID conversations: 5 dos and don’ts for adjusting your course evaluation strategy

Read Blog →
Blog

How to improve parent engagement with data

Read Blog →
Blog

COVID-related resources for higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

5 Tips for Faculty When Writing a Letter of Recommendation

Read Blog →
Blog

Dr. Linda Ludwig mentors Watermark clients; she’s walked in their shoes

Read Blog →
Blog

Top 5 Challenges for Student Retention

Read Blog →
Blog

Student success: 12 higher ed trends for 2024

Read Blog →
Blog

How to improve student academic planning

Read Blog →
Blog

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato: Are Student Performance and Student Learning Outcomes the Same Thing?

Read Blog →
Blog

Student Success Best Practices: The Perfect Combination

Read Blog →
Blog

Your Strategy for Assessment During COVID: Keep Calm & Collect On

Read Blog →
Blog

Characteristics of a Student Prepared for College

Read Blog →
Blog

10 ways to go beyond orientation for student success

Read Blog →
Blog

Improving Student Retention at Technical Schools

Read Blog →
Blog

How to conquer 5 common assessment challenges

Read Blog →
Blog

Student Success: Fostering a Growth Mindset

Read Blog →
Blog

Success Coaching for a Personalized Student Advising Experience

Read Blog →
Blog

Improve Student Retention With Predictive Analytics

Read Blog →
Blog

The Importance of Success Coaching in Higher Ed

Read Blog →
Blog

How Higher Ed Institutions Can Invest in Supporting Spanish-Speaking Students & Families

Read Blog →
Blog

Improving Community College Relevance

Read Blog →
Blog

Top 5 Reasons to Use Digital Tools for Key Campus Processes

Read Blog →
Blog

Supporting First-Generation Students: The 22 Rules of Success

Read Blog →
Blog

The use of labor market data to respond to declining enrollment

Read Blog →
Blog

The evolution of faculty workload management: Trends and technologies

Read Blog →
Blog

7 labor market insights IE and IR teams can use to evaluate program effectiveness

Read Blog →
Blog

10 ways to support students struggling with classes

Read Blog →
Blog

Using ePortfolios in end-of-semester assessments

Read Blog →
Blog

How College Leaders Can Use Labor Market Data

Read Blog →
Blog

Taking Advantage of Course Feedback in Higher Ed

Read Blog →
Blog

Higher ed technology management guide

Read Blog →
Blog

Using ePortfolios in higher education

Read Blog →
Blog

Taking course evaluation reporting to the next level

Read Blog →
Blog

Using Data to Personalize Students’ Coursework

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Create the Best Course Evaluations

Read Blog →
Blog

The Importance of Technology Due Diligence for Higher Education Software

Read Blog →
Blog

How technology can amplify your educational impact

Read Blog →
Blog

The 5 Stages of Student Success

Read Blog →
Blog

The Benefits of Course Evaluation in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

The Brilliant Underachiever: Coaching Bright Students Who Struggle

Read Blog →
Blog

Using campus data to support student success and steer the institution

Read Blog →
Blog

The four crucial steps to ensure a successful technology implementation

Read Blog →
Blog

The Future of Data Convergence on Campuses

Read Blog →
Blog

How Assessment Foundations Can Help Community Colleges

Read Blog →
Blog

How to ensure adult learning success

Read Blog →
Blog

The Impact of Cognitive Bias on Student Surveys

Read Blog →
Blog

The Importance of Accessible Technology in Higher Education

Read Blog →
Blog

Integrating Artificial & Human Intelligence for Student Success

Read Blog →
Blog

Developing Rapport With Students: Why It’s Important & How to Do It

Read Blog →
Blog

Is aging technology holding back your university?

Read Blog →
Blog

4 Issues Impacting College Administrators

Read Blog →
Blog

How to cultivate a positive faculty culture at your higher ed institution

Read Blog →
Blog

How To Define Student Success

Read Blog →
Blog

How To Do a Course Evaluation

Read Blog →
Blog

Dropout prevention and alternatives for at-risk college students

Read Blog →
Blog

Best practices in faculty recruitment

Read Blog →
Blog

Tips for professors: best practices for online teaching

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Engage Faculty in Assessment

Read Blog →
Blog

Boosting alumni engagement opportunities

Read Blog →
Blog

Closing the loop — applying data-informed insights

Read Blog →
Blog

How colleges and universities adapt to changing job markets

Read Blog →
Blog

How To Find the Best Professors

Read Blog →
Blog

Why flexibility is important for student success

Read Blog →
Blog

We are the champions: Building a case for new tech

Read Blog →
Blog

Unlocking your potential: Could you benefit from a certification?

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Find Success Coaches for Your College

Read Blog →
Blog

How to improve student success with community-based learning

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Develop Key Performance Indicators for Community Colleges

Read Blog →
Blog

Why community colleges are our best hope for closing the equity gap

Read Blog →
Blog

Making a Difference in Student Wellness

Read Blog →
Blog

How to keep faculty data reliable and up-to-date

Read Blog →
Blog

Making technology implementation a success

Read Blog →
Blog

Ways community colleges can define, measure, and improve student success

Read Blog →
Blog

How to identify and manage valuable course improvements with Planning & Self-Study software

Read Blog →
Blog

How to know when it’s time for new higher ed technology

Read Blog →
Blog

Maximizing the Impact of Course Evaluations During COVID

Read Blog →
Blog

Microcredentials and How ePortfolios Can Highlight Them

Read Blog →
Blog

How to use SIS data at your school

Read Blog →
Blog

Minority Male Success Initiative (MMSI): A Catalyst for Change

Read Blog →
Blog

What Year Is Most Critical for College Student Success?

Read Blog →
Blog

How to use LMS data to support curriculum development

Read Blog →
Blog

MSCHE Accreditation: 7 Things Peer Reviewers Wish You Knew

Read Blog →
Blog

Use ePortfolios to give students a leg up in job searches

Read Blog →
Blog

The Power of Non-Academic Outcomes

Read Blog →
Blog

Where Are They Now? An Update on our 2020 Watermark Scholars

Read Blog →
Blog

The “who” and “what” of university administration

Read Blog →
Blog

Understanding the Support Needs of Community College Students

Read Blog →
Blog

Faculty Search Committees: What Are They and What Do They Do?

Read Blog →
Blog

How to make assessment simpler

Read Blog →
Blog

Turning Process Into Progress: Using Technology to Drive Institutional Improvement

Read Blog →
Blog

Keeping up with 2024 higher ed trends?

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Prepare for a Virtual Assessment Site Visit

Read Blog →
Blog

Transforming the Student Co-Curricular Experience of Community Colleges

Read Blog →
Blog

Tracking Progress With Student Learning & Licensure

Read Blog →
Blog

Online Course Feedback 101: From the Physical to the Digital Classroom

Read Blog →
Blog

How to prepare for an accreditation peer review visit

Read Blog →
Blog

Overcoming financial obstacles with help from higher education institutions

Read Blog →
Blog

Preparing for Life on Sabbatical

Read Blog →
Blog

Partnering With NCCCS to Help Students Succeed

Read Blog →
Blog

How to reduce faculty workload using technology

Read Blog →
Blog

Positive Change During Challenging Times: How Six Leaders Transformed Higher Education During the Pandemic

Read Blog →
Blog

How to Support Grad Students

Read Blog →
Blog

Best Practices to Reengage Community College Dropouts

Read Blog →
Blog

How to support students struggling with time management

Read Blog →
Blog

How to switch accreditors as a higher ed institution

Read Blog →
Blog

How Your College Can Support Veterans

Read Blog →
Blog

Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics’ Role in Fighting College Attrition

Read Blog →
Blog

How to prepare for a successful CAEP accreditation

Read Blog →
Blog

Top Course Evaluation Questions

Read Blog →
Blog

Top Things to Consider When Hiring a Student Success Coach

Read Blog →
Blog

Continuing education evaluation guide

Read Blog →
Blog

Identifying at-risk students through the course registration process

Read Blog →
Blog

Creating equity solutions

Read Blog →
Blog

5 Creative ways to use end-of-semester assessment data

Read Blog →
Blog

11 community college trends for 2023

Read Blog →
Blog

The importance of data transparency for higher ed success

Read Blog →
Blog

Higher education institutional outcomes – defining a proficiency scale

Read Blog →
Blog

How to democratize data at your institution to improve student outcomes

Read Blog →
Blog

Demonstrating faculty influence on student success with Radford University

Read Blog →
Blog

Developing proactive advising techniques

Read Blog →
Blog

The differences between direct and indirect measurement

Read Blog →
Blog

Discover the secrets of faculty “buy-in”

Read Blog →
Blog

Does the classroom environment matter?

Read Blog →
Blog

Collecting Feedback With Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys

Read Blog →
Blog

Barriers to using assessment results and how to overcome them

Read Blog →
Blog

Engaging faculty in the new school year

Read Blog →
Blog

How to use institutional data to spot students likely to transfer

Read Blog →