Category: Advising

2026, admissions, Advising, College Access, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Research/Policy, Retention, ROI/College Outcomes, Student Success, Workforce

Beyond the Earnings Premium: What Provosts/CAOs Need to Know About the New ROI Agenda in Higher Education

The ROI of Higher Education explores the evolving value of college degrees amid rising costs and skepticism. It emphasizes the necessity for institutions to demonstrate educational attainment’s impact on economic and social outcomes. Leaders must prioritize student completion, integrate experiential learning, and align curricula with workforce needs to maintain relevance and value in higher education. Continue reading Beyond the Earnings Premium: What Provosts/CAOs Need to Know About the New ROI Agenda in Higher Education

Unknown's avatarEducational Policy InstituteLeave a comment
2019, admissions, Advising, Retention, Student Success

The Lever Principle for Student Success

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Colleges and universities use many varied strategies to reduce turnover and retain students. There exist amply ways to do this across the many divisions and departments, including student and academic services, teaching and learning, financial aid, and others, to encourage student success. I find that most of the institutions that I work with are cognizant … Continue reading The Lever Principle for Student Success

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2019, Advising, College Access, Retention, Student Success

Defining Student Success

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute At the start of all our Retention 101 workshops, I ask participants how they define student success. I give them a few minutes and make them write it down. Then we share. Over the years, I have collected over a thousand definitions from people. Here are some verbatim (e.g., unedited) samples from recent participants: My … Continue reading Defining Student Success

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2018, Advising, Student Success

Learning When to Take a Knee

By Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute When I was a teenager growing up in Winnipeg, I played football and team handball. Those were my two “go to” sports. I was good at both, better at the latter and decent at the former. I wasn’t a big guy, which hurt me a bit in football. I made up with it because … Continue reading Learning When to Take a Knee

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2016, Advising, Retention, Student Success

Coaching for Student Success

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute I came across a quick article today on Ohio University’s website titled: Are You a Good Coach–or a Great One? At the start, the article says: “Successful coaches are more than great motivators. They are leaders, mentors, and teachers. They cultivate behaviors in their athletes that drive passion and performance.” I am always intrigued that at … Continue reading Coaching for Student Success

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