Students enter postsecondary institutions to change their lives in some way, with degree pursuits providing opportunities to grow academically, socially, and professionally. However, significant numbers of students are unable to meet the goals they had set for themselves when they entered college. Developed by the What Works Clearinghouse™ (WWC)…

At its most effective, advising is a collaborative process between a student and an advisor designed to help the student realize their educational potential. Most postsecondary institutions have historically used advisors to help students select and register for courses, but postsecondary institutions are increasingly asking advisors to play an…

Small businesses have been sparking much of the recent job growth in New York City. However, there is a major disconnect in the city's workforce development system when it comes to working with small businesses. This report outlines a number of steps that policymakers, business leaders, and workforce providers could take to make workforce programs…

TransferBOOST (Bachelor's Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) is a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide students with affordable, quality, well-supported two- to four-year pathways. For every 100 students who enroll in community colleges, 31 students transfer to a four-year institution. Of those, only 15…

The WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) has long been interested in multi-institutional consortia and systems that help their member institutions share resources with the goal of increasing the institutional capacity for technology-enhanced courses, programs, and student support services. WCET's Consortia Group has focused on the…

Benchmarking is a widespread practice in all industries today. Higher education is no exception. One need only look at annual rankings in "U.S. News and World Report" to appreciate power of benchmarking in a market-driven society that is seeking the best value in education. To the public, and even to leaders in higher education, measures…

A study determined the degree of success that institutions achieve in meeting their articulation program goals. Data were collected through literature review, questionnaires to 462 secondary and postsecondary institutions, and visits to five exemplary articulation sites. Study respondents reported that they were most successful in reaching the…

Through membership in intergovernmental cooperatives designed to provide liability protection, school districts can achieve greater control over insurance products at all levels. Defines terms, lists self-insurance pool contract provisions, and discusses dangers and miscellaneous issues for self-insurance pools. (MLF)

Fifteen ideas used in the Plainfield (Illinois) schools for saving money and improving instruction are discussed and their costs described. The ideas include hosting specialized conferences and charging outside participants to cover costs; sharing personnel, facilities, and their costs with outside agencies; and providing special, low-cost…

This report contains a study of the feasibility of establishing a major hemispheric studies center affiliated with a consortium of public and private institutions of higher education. The purpose of the Center will be to study hemispheric policies related to social science, commerce, and cultural issues confronting the Western Hemisphere. The…

Describes the characteristics of and relationship between academic libraries and campus computing centers, and presents reasons to support the argument that the two organizations will continue to have distinct, though closely related, identities. Several issues that universities will have to address to formulate a campus-wide information policy…

This document presents a review of cost-containment initiatives relevant to higher education institutions. Originally commissioned to examine cost containment initiatives carried out by institutions affiliated with the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE), the paper was expanded to include a sector-wide review of three types of…

This brief was derived from the discussions of [New England Resource Center for Higher Education's] NERCHE's think tank for coordinators of GEAR UP school-college partnerships. The insights of these coordinators point to the principle that it is the quality of the relationships among the partners that determines the effectiveness of…

Many rural school districts struggling with declining elementary school enrollments will soon face the more complex problems of declining high school enrollment. School districts with only one high school do not have the option of consolidation and must find innovative solutions to the problem of maintaining educational quality with dwindling…

Three crucial factors which have inhibited past school improvement efforts are analyzed in this paper. These factors include: (1) promising more than can be delivered; (2) failing to effectively deal with the reality of limited resources; and (3) failing to recognize and initiate opportunities for collaboration and resource sharing. The paper…