The CSU Student Success Network’s Post

What’s the real purpose of higher education and how might we tame its wicked challenges? ‘Sometimes we can’t see how we could make a change because we can only see the barriers to doing things differently.… To move forward we need to know, or at least to ask, why are we doing this work? What’s the real purpose? What is it that students want to pay their fees for? What’s the value students gain beyond the economic?’ These are the questions that Professor Claire Hamshire and Neil Barrett rightly argue we need to be asking in HE. But having redefined our ‘why’, how then do we tackle the wicked problems confronting the sector? Over recent weeks I too have been reflecting on the Wonkhe Festival of HE in November and warmly welcome and endorse the participatory, inclusive, designerly, systems thinking approach that Professor Claire Hamshire and Neil Barrett outline as a way forward in their timely #Wonkhe article 👏 #systemsthinking #designthinkinginhe #HE

With our Fall convening quickly approaching, let us reflect on our March convening takeaways. We covered: ♠️ College Admissions advice straight from admissions officers ♠️ Practical measurement for practitioners with limited time and resources ♠️ Understanding of accreditation for the first cohort of programs See what you missed: https://ow.ly/WayQ50ThJNG #CollegeAdmissions #CollegeAccess #Measurement #STEM

New report not to miss, from CAEL and Strada Education Foundation and Stanford Pathways Network: How #AdultLearners Make Sense of Postsecondary Education and Why It Matters (Preview: one recommendation is to “bundle alternative credentials with college credit”) #HigherEducation #AllLearnersCount #AllLearningCounts

In 2020, Chapman University needed a rapid digital transformation. But what started as a quest to virtually and efficiently answer student questions quickly grew into an initiative aimed at delivering on Chapman University’s brand promise to students: a tailored higher education experience from application to graduation and beyond. Read on to learn more about how Chapman transformed their student engagement lifecycle and gave students the confidence and guidance to navigate their higher education journey at every stage. 📖 : https://hubs.li/Q02VLzHK0

🏗️✨ Excited to share that the plan for the new Academic Learning Center at Penn State Harrisburg has advanced! This 47,000-square-foot facility will feature advanced classrooms, collaborative spaces, and a versatile common area designed for multiple uses. We are excited to be part of a project that will enhance academic excellence and foster a culture of innovation! Read more at the link below. #TheGoldStandard https://lnkd.in/emYtRAx3

For those of you who want to understand more about the value and history behind DEI efforts, check out this article co-authored by my father Carlton Brown and several others. There is a short video of his thoughts as well.

As higher education institutions undergo rapid transformations, libraries are at the forefront of redefining their roles as ‘temples of knowledge’ and community hubs. Explore eight key shifts that you can leverage to maximize the design of your college library spaces in our latest insights. #NationalLibraryWeek #HigherEdLibraries #LibraryTransformation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology just changed the future of education forever. MIT’s decision to provide free tuition for all undergraduate students is nothing short of revolutionary. By removing financial barriers, they’re unlocking the doors of one of the world’s most prestigious institutions to talented individuals from every walk of life. This bold move proves that access to quality education shouldn’t depend on your bank account but on your potential to contribute, innovate, and thrive. What excites me most about this is imagining the breakthroughs and ideas that will emerge from students who might never have had this opportunity before. These are the minds that will go on to tackle the biggest challenges facing our planet—climate change, public health, equitable technology—and shape a future we can all be proud of. MIT’s initiative isn’t just an investment in these students; it’s an investment in the solutions our world desperately needs. This step by MIT resonates deeply with anyone who values inclusivity and innovation. It’s about nurturing the minds that will solve tomorrow’s challenges and giving them the resources to succeed. As someone who’s spent years working at the intersection of creativity and strategy, I find it inspiring to see institutions take risks that align so perfectly with shaping a better future. Here’s hoping this sparks a movement—because the world needs more of this. Can you imagine the impact these graduates will have on the world?! For more insight, ingenuity, and ideas, follow Toby Bartlett.

✨ 2024 was a year of impact for us because of YOU. 👏 From our alumni, faculty, staff and students receiving dozens of awards, to our college ranking among the best in the world and breaking another record for research, the College of Education at NC State leaned into its strategic focus areas around innovation, interdisciplinarity and inclusiveness to make a transformative impact on the field of education in 2024 for North Carolina and beyond. 🔍 Take a look at how NC State's College of Education deepened its impact and put its strategic focus areas into action over the past year: https://lnkd.in/eD3j2gpt #ExtraordinaryEducatorsPrepareHere

Enjoyed working on this project that explores current trends/perceptions in college value and then narrows in on specific solutions that center access, completion and value for all students: Discover innovative ways key stakeholders are working to ensure postsecondary education remains a powerful driver of both economic and noneconomic value in Inside Higher Ed’s newest (free) compilation, “Redefining Value in Higher Education: Prioritizing Equitable Access and Economic Mobility Over Selectivity.” Download it here: https://lnkd.in/eNEkmP-J