The Key with Inside Higher Ed

For more than 20 years, StoryCorps has been documenting conversations between Americans and broadcasting them on public radio. In 2017, StoryCorps launched One Small Step, a new project that pairs strangers on opposing sides of the political divide for one-on-one conversations. The organization is now bringing its initiative to college campuses. Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps, speaks with Sara Custer, Inside Higher Ed’s editor in chief, about the power of conversation and how seeing the common humanity in everyone can help foster understanding and belonging among students.   Thanks to our partners The Gates Foundation for sponsoring this episode. 

Matt Bergman, a senior fellow at the Council on Post-Secondary Education, Dallas Kratzer, an expert in credit for prior learning, and Tracy Teater, an advocate for adult education, delve into the challenges and solutions around supporting military-affiliated learners in higher ed. They highlight the crucial role of translating military experiences into academic credits through credit for prior learning. The discussion also covers data's importance in improving educational outcomes and strategies for enhancing inclusivity in adult education environments.

In this discussion, Jenny Billings, an English department leader at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, shares her journey of embracing AI in education, highlighting its positive impact on student retention and confidence. Alongside her is Jenny Maxwell from Grammarly, who explores innovative AI tools that foster student engagement in writing. They delve into the importance of responsible AI use, the shift in student-faculty conversations, and how tools like Grammarly can enhance learning without compromising academic integrity.

Sean Armstrong, Dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, dives into the unique challenges faced by adult learners. He discusses how flexible education programs, including workforce-aligned credentials and community initiatives, empower these students. Armstrong emphasizes the importance of using positive language to uplift learners and highlights innovative options like prison education and career-focused tracks. The conversation also touches on coaching models that help overcome imposter syndrome and foster student success.

Kara Freeman, President and CEO of NACUBO, shares insights on how colleges are adapting budgeting practices amidst economic uncertainty, focusing on flexibility and diversification of revenue streams. Dee Goines, higher education lead at KI, presents findings from a study on strategic and master plans across multiple states, revealing key issues like vague pedagogy and deferred maintenance. Both guests emphasize the importance of inclusive planning and innovative learning environments to meet evolving educational needs.

This series of Voices of Student Success focuses on adult learners in higher education, the various challenges they face and successful support mechanisms to aid their retention and completion.   Credit for prior learning (CPL) is one strategy colleges and states can employ to expedite adult learners’ progress toward degree and promote student success. Past research also shows that students’ who take advantage of f CPL opportunities have higher employment rates and increased earnings after graduation.  But administering CPL can be a challenge in part because of different departmental and academic disciplines’ understandings of and evaluation of prior experience.   In the most recent episode of Voices of Student Success, Colleen Sorensen, Utah Valley University’s director of CPL and student assessment services, discusses how her university is encouraging faculty and department heads to offer and promote CPL pathways.   Hosted by Inside Higher Ed Student Success Reporter Ashley Mowreader, this episode is sponsored by KI.   Read a transcript of the podcast here. 

In this episode, we’re bringing you a conversation between Inside Higher Ed’s senior editor for special content Colleen Flaherty and Stephanie Moore, an associate professor in organization, information and learning sciences, at the University of New Mexico, from the Digital Universities event in Salt Lake City earlier this year. A leading researcher in online learning, Moore addresses what she sees is a false binary between in-person learning and online learning, arguing that more modalities meets more diverse student needs and keeps colleges nimble. She also talks about where belonging fits into to online learning and what strategies educators can use to promote it. And drawing on Seneca and Quintilian she tells Flaherty why she thinks AI will be no more disruptive than any other communication technology that’s come before it.

Edward Conroy, a senior policy manager at New America, and Nick Graetz, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, delve into the pressing issue of eviction threats affecting parenting students. They reveal staggering statistics, showing that those facing housing insecurity are significantly less likely to complete their degrees. The conversation emphasizes the profound stress caused by financial pressures, which forces students to compromise on basic needs. They advocate for universities to implement vital resources and legal assistance, aiming for a comprehensive approach to support these vulnerable learners.

Katherine Knott, News Editor at Inside Higher Ed, dives into the shifts in federal higher education policy following the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill. She discusses staffing challenges at the education department and the implications for institutions like the University of Virginia amid federal pressures. The conversation also highlights new funding reforms, including changes to student loans and the significance of stronger FAFSA applicant rates. With exciting predictions for future legislative battles, it's a crucial update on the evolving landscape of higher education.

This series of Voices of Student Success focuses on adult learners in higher education, the various challenges they face and successful support mechanisms to aid their retention and completion.   Research shows that adults often enter college with a goal in mind, such as a career pivot, further education in their current industry or completion of a degree they previously started,. But returning to the classroom can be challenging, particularly for first-generation students or those who haven’t been in school for a while.  In 2024, Wichita State University launched a college bridge program, the Adult Learner Community and Connections Program, to ease the transition for adult and online learners. The program, part of the university’s “Shocker Pre-Season” series, offers them eight modules of self-paced, online content designed to assist them in their first term at the university.   In the most recent episode of Voices of Student Success, Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for student success and persistence at Wichita State, discusses adult learner pedagogy and the lessons learned in the program’s first year.   Hosted by Inside Higher Ed Student Success Reporter Ashley Mowreader, this episode is sponsored by KI.   Read a transcript of the podcast here.