The College Core Curriculum: Enlightenment or Gatekeeper?

By Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D. President and CEO, Educational Policy Institute According to the Community College Research Center[1] at Teachers College, approximately 60 percent of incoming community college students are referred to at least one developmental course, and less than a quarter of students who enroll in those courses complete a degree within eight years. Many of the students who take developmental courses do so … Continue reading The College Core Curriculum: Enlightenment or Gatekeeper?

The Song Remains the Same

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute I’m guilty. I did it. I Googled myself. I’m not sure why, but I did. Ego, I guess. It sounds worse that it is, but in the end, I Googled myself. And what I found astonished me. I found a 15-year old video of me speaking at an event in Washington, DC. The date … Continue reading The Song Remains the Same

Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute Eight years ago I wrote a piece for EPI’s Student Success Magazine titled “Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention.” That seems ions ago, but people still come up to me and comment on that particular writing sample of mine. I came across it the other day and found that, for better or worse, the … Continue reading Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention

A White House Summit on College Opportunity

By Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute This morning, the President and First Lady spoke at the White House Summit on College Opportunity. This was their bully pulpit push to expand postsecondary opportunity, especially to low-income and first-generation students. First Lady Michele Obama spoke about the “limitless capacity” that lies in our young people and reminded us that education is a two-way … Continue reading A White House Summit on College Opportunity

The Right of Passage: A Day in the Life of a College Graduate

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International It’s 7:30am. We’re supposed to be at the Ohio Stadium to begin security screening for today’s commencement exercise for The Ohio State University. Before the afternoon is over, over 12,000 degrees will be conferred in front of approximately 70,000 people.  Over 70,000 people at Ohio State University’s Graduation, May 5, 2013. Today is … Continue reading The Right of Passage: A Day in the Life of a College Graduate