Interact Communications’ Post

If you work in higher education, engaging with your population doesn't always require complex surveys. By asking just one simple question a month, like "What's making you nervous in this upcoming transition?" or "Would an X type of event interest you?", we can gather pretty valuable responses and build stronger relationships. This approach allows us to obtain data, understand our community better, and create a more personal connection beyond traditional survey methods.

“[Interact's] Media Prefs changes my overall philosophy,” says our partner Eric Jacobson, Public Affairs Specialist at Western Technical College. “It shapes the view we all take as a team on our marketing strategy.” He says the college’s custom DEI questions help the institution keep its finger on the pulse of student sentiment. Plus, the data allows Western to take stock so they can boldly move forward with their marketing and outreach. He says, “You can take that data to your administration to help justify the moves that you make.” When it comes to making progress on DEI initiatives, Jacobson says the survey helps ensure that the college’s services and messaging are on point. Find out how Western Tech is reaching more students in our latest blog, "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Driving DEI Data for Student Success": https://ow.ly/3zK950QlZt1 #bestpractice #bestpractices #communitycollege #communitycolleges #collegemarketing #educationforall #educationmatters #highereducationmarketing #mediapreferences #mediaprefs #studentdata #2yearcollegeexperts 

“If higher education is going to re-establish itself as a public good, and if individual institutions are going to not only merely survive but also thrive in the future, there are three ways your campus must stop working in silos:” statistics, stories, and support. “[O]n college campuses, and in higher education writ large, we can no longer afford to separate and hibernate, operate in silos, or withhold compelling and critical information and resources. In the future, any college's success, health, and impact, as well as our collective ability to serve as a public good and create an educated, innovative, and thriving citizenry will be directly correlated with the extent of our commitment to relentless collaboration… There is no panacea, but the path forward is paved with statistics, stories, and support.” https://lnkd.in/eEYQhKnF

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education enters its 40th year as the national newsmagazine focused on Equity in Education for the Underserved. The magazine champions equity in higher education by providing trusted information and resources to its readers. Diverse remains the preeminent source of timely news, insightful research, special reports, provocative commentary, and interviews on issues affecting higher education professionals for readers comprising the most diverse pool of potential candidates to target for faculty and administrative recruiting needs. Learn more at DiverseEducation.com. #DiverseTurns40

📢 "I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept." - Angela Davis #DidYouKnow? 🤔 -1 in 5 college students is a parent (Cruse et al., 2019) -In some areas, it's 1 in 3 (Cruse et al., 2019) The alarming stop-out rates: -52% overall (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2019) -72% for Black fathers (Noll et al., 2017) This is a critical #racialequity issue in higher ed. 🎓 It's time to make #studentparents visible and supported! 💪 A team of researchers from the Urban Institute, Child Trends, and the Institute for Women's Policy Research, working together through the SPARK Collaborative, will release updated statistics and insights this September - stay tuned! #StudentParentSuccess #RacialEquity #HigherEd #EducationForAll Sources: Cruse, L. R., Holtzman, T., Gault, B., Croom, D., & Polk, P. (2019) "Parents in College By the Numbers." Institute for Women's Policy Research & Ascend at the Aspen Institute. Noll, E., Reichlin, L., & Gault, B. (2017) "College Students with Children: National and Regional Profiles." Institute for Women's Policy Research. The Hope Center. (2021) "#RealCollege 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic." U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2019) "Higher Education: More Information Could Help Student Parents Access Additional Federal Student Aid." GAO-19-522.

This article points out some important data that higher education administrators and policy makers should pay attention to. Institutions that genuinely care about underrepresented students should collect and analyze their data to truly understand why these students are considering withdrawing from their college or university. Utilizing surveys and conducting focus groups can shed light on why specific students are contemplating leaving. The other steps that should be taken are proactive in nature. Having served as a mentor for institutions attempting to address issues of persistence and degree completion, the challenges of understanding what works and what proactive steps can be taken that are data-informed are always ones that I recommend.

How have American perceptions of higher education shifted in the last 8 years? How do these views compare/contrast across partisan lines? Today, our partners at New America released the latest addition of the #VaryingDegrees report, along with an updated interactive data tool to provide insights into these questions and more. Varying Degrees is one of the only nationally-representative and longitudinal surveys in the field about higher education value and economic mobility. Some topline findings from this round of research show most Americans: 💸 …agree that cost is the biggest barrier to enrollment for most individuals. 📢…would like to see candidates address the issue of college affordability in the coming election. 👀 …want greater transparency on key indicators of education quality. To go beyond the top-line data findings and explore trends in perceptions of postsecondary value, read the full report that presents all eight years of #DataCollection here:

📊 Community College Research Center has released a report tracking the postsecondary outcomes of students who began dual enrollment in 2015. The findings highlight that dual enrollment students show strong success after high school, including higher rates of college-going and completion, than students who do not participate in dual enrollment. Gaps in participation and outcomes exist for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students, but dual enrollment students from those groups had better outcomes than those who did not participate in the program. Explore the report and interactive state-by-state dashboard: https://lnkd.in/etDPeEH3

📌 JUST RELEASED: Do Americans still value a #college degree? How have attitudes changed in the last 8️⃣ years? How do views compare among (D)s and (R)s? Our latest edition of the #VaryingDegrees report—and UPDATED interactive #DataTool—provide these insights and more. The annual and nationally-representative survey includes answers to new questions this year about college affordability and how #education after high school should be funded. Per research and analysis conducted by our #HigherEd experts, Sophie Nguyen, Rachel Fishman, and Olivia Cheche, most Americans: 💸 … agree that cost is the biggest barrier to enrollment for most. 📢 … would like to see the candidates address college affordability. 👀 … want greater transparency on key indicators of education quality. To go beyond our top-line data findings and explore trends in perceptions of postsecondary value, read the full report that presents all eight years of #DataCollection below. 🎓🔗🎓 https://lnkd.in/gXBbpDmV And join our policy team next week to get the (scoop) yourself when we officially launch these new data findings with a summer ice cream party! 📍 New America's DC Offices 📆 Wed, 8/07 🕒 3pm, ET 🍦 https://lnkd.in/gEcAKgp9

How are today’s students faring with their post-college earnings? The Equitable Value Explorer is helping to answer that question. A new research series from our partners at Institute for Higher Education Policy leverages this interactive data tool to investigate diverse aspects of equitable value. Check out the first three papers in the Elevating Equitable Value series:   #highered #postsecvalue #dataanalysis