Anthology Blog

The Class of 2020 has been thrown an unexpected curveball due to the events surrounding COVID-19. With canceled graduation ceremonies, an unstable job market, and the lack of social networking opportunities, it is important to shift your events to stay connected with this group.

Universities are facing financial losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with refunds for meal plans and room and board, plummeting endowments, and future enrollment uncertainties. Because donations generally account for half of all university funding, it is extremely important to consider what, how, and who you are soliciting during this unprecedented time.

In a recent blog post, Evaluating Teaching Appropriately, we recommended that educators should choose valid and reliable measures when evaluating teaching. However, in an article published in the February 2020 issue of Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Justin Esarey and Natalie Valdes, of Wake Forest University, argue that even valid and reliable student evaluations of teaching (SET) can still be unfair.

The late Barbara Jordan (1976) once said, “For all its uncertainty, we cannot flee the future.” In today’s environment we can all feel the truth of those words. The quickly unfolding events of the last few days have left us all feeling uncertain, confused and at times afraid.

“Automation” has been the main buzzword in student financial aid in recent years, with many higher ed solutions, including student information systems, touting automation for FAFSA processing, exceptions management and more. Perhaps the new buzzword should be “Verification.”

Have you ever thought that improving teaching should be at least as important as evaluating it? If so, you’ll find much to like about a recent policy brief published by the Division of Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA), titled Addressing Teacher Evaluation Appropriately.

Have you explored the Engagement Metrics Dashboard yet? When you dig in, you’ll not only get a sense of the level of engagement of your population, but you’ll also see how they are primarily engaging, be it through email, events, online giving, and more.

Happy Birthday emails are a valuable touchpoint between you and your alumni, friends, and supporters. It provides your organization with a unique opportunity to celebrate an individual without a needing an “excuse” to connect.

Knowing who your most highly-engaged supporters are is vital to your institution’s fundraising success. It can help you identify those who have not yet given, as well as those who have given but might be able to give more or support you in a different way.

Everyone knows that assessment is all about the use of the data. There’s a reason that “closing the loop” is one of the most used and most loved phrases in the assessment professional’s handbook – it’s always relevant. The assessment cycle (whatever version of it you use) is here to stay – it’s always a loop, and that final step is what matters.