Monthly Archives: June 2014

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Why You Should Connect With Former Students

Several times over the past few months, I have had the wonderful opportunity to reconnect with some of my former students.  In addition to these times, I try to keep up with others through Facebook, Twitter, or email.  I highly value these connections and gain as much or more than my students from them.

why you should connect with former students

Photo credit: Flickr whologwhy

I didn’t originally intend to get my doctorate to become a professor.  I wanted to get into higher education administration.  Ultimately, I decided to pursue a faculty route but thought it would only be for a few years.  One of the biggest reasons I am still a faculty member today is how much I value my connection with students—current and former.

Many of us get into higher education because of the desire to educate and improve the lives of our students.  The depth and connection I have with my students keeps me energized and challenges me on almost a daily basis.

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5 Things To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed

Are you feeling overwhelmed?  It seems being overwhelmed and overworked has overtaken baseball as the national pastime.  A 2007 study by the American Psychological Association found that three-quarters of Americans feel stressed at work.  The survey also found that this stress hurt productivity .  There are obviously a lot of people who are feeling stressed, but what should you do when you feel overwhelmed?

5 Things To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed

Photo credit: Niki Odolphie

In today’s post, I outline 5 things to do when you feel overwhelmed.  While there are many coping strategies out there, these 5 will help get you back on track.

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The Power of Yes

Every child of the 80’s learned the importance of “Just Say No.”  Former First Lady Nancy Reagan’s campaign against drugs eventually earned pop culture status.  In today’s post, I want to discuss the power of yes.  No, I’m not advocating for illegal drug use!  I’m arguing against what I call the “default no.”

Power of Yes

When approached with a question or idea, too many faculty and staff just say no.  This is a knee-jerk reflex.  No, we can’t do that.  No, that won’t work.  No, there is a policy against it.  No, that’s not how we do things.  This is the default no.  Before giving any consideration to what is being asked or proposed, the response is simply no.

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Current State of Higher Education Costs and Price

In last week’s post, I described the major concepts in higher education finance: costs, price, and subsidy. Today, I describe the current trend data to provide additional context to the debate on higher education costs and price.

Photo credit: goshehe

There are some great resources out there that report on these data each year. I highly recommend you check out the Delta Cost Project and the College Board which use the best information we have available to report on the trend of rising tuition.