ACE has joined a coalition of higher education organizations—including the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and NASPA—in endorsing Strada Education Foundation’s Principles for Quality Education-to-Career Guidance.| Higher Education Today
ACE and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) have reaffirmed our long-standing collaboration to continue driving transformative change in faculty development and elevate teaching excellence across higher education. For more information about the updates to this nearly decade-long alliance, click here. To learn more and register for an Oct. 29 webinar that will feature ACE President Ted Mitchell and ... The post ACUE and ACE Deepen Alliance, Marking Nearly a Decade of Tra...| Higher Education Today
ACE has joined a coalition of higher education organizations—including the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and NASPA—in endorsing Strada Education Foundation’s Principles for Quality Education-to-Career Guidance.| Higher Education Today
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Maggy Ralbovsky lays out a practical playbook for presidents to prepare, respond, and rebuild after campus crises—including the manufactured kind—so they protect people and trust.| Higher Education Today
Supporting Student Wellbeing in Uncertain Times | Higher Education Today
The Action Network for Equitable Wellbeing has created a new survey—available at no cost—to provide colleges and universities with timely and actionable data to adapt and improve institutional norms, structures, and processes so all students can thrive and flourish.| Higher Education Today
When college presidents become the target and not the issue, hesitation has a cost. Lori Varlotta draws a blueprint for protecting institutions and leaders as misinformation starts to spread.| Higher Education Today
Title: Developing a Multimetric Accountability System for Postsecondary Institutions Authors: Sandy Baum, Erica Blom, and Jason Cohn Source: Urban Institute A new report from the Urban Institute proposes the use of multiple metrics to hold colleges and universities accountable for student outcomes. As core principles in designing the proposed system, the authors emphasize the need for accountability standards to apply to ...| Higher Education Today
Title: Accounting for Demographics and Risk in Postcollege Earnings Source: American Enterprise Institute Author: Jorge Klor de Alva A new report from the American Enterprise Institute highlights the need for an “equitable accountability system” in higher education that considers students’ demographic and economic background in assessing institutional performance. The author cites post-college outcomes as an example to show how students’ demographic ...| Higher Education Today
By David A. Bergeron Delivering high-quality postsecondary education to adult learners has long been a challenge. Traditional institutions of higher education are structured to recruit those soon to graduate from high school and, for the most part, are equipped to educate them once they get their high school diploma. Or at least that’s what they are designed to do best. Despite ...| Higher Education Today
By Louis Soares and Ursula Gross The mismatch between a traditional college education and the vast number of adults who would benefit from a college degree is no small matter. There are at least 35 million adults who have some credit but no degree, and more than twice that have not even attempted postsecondary education, as we report in our new ...| Higher Education Today
By Robert L. Carothers In 2015, I joined the board of College Unbound (CU) after stepping down from serving as the president at the University of Rhode Island for 18 years. I did so because Dennis Littky had a vision of creating a college that would serve marginalized people who had once started college before life got in the way of ...| Higher Education Today
By Jonathan M. Turk & Nicholas Hillman Since taking office in 2009, expanding college access has been a major goal of the Obama administration. While there has been a multifaceted approach to increasing the number of Americans with a postsecondary credential, a key focus has been on informing the college choice process. Specifically, the administration has sought to ensure better information ...| Higher Education Today
Beyond Crisis Management: How Presidents Can Create a Campus Where Everyone Belongs | Higher Education Today
The 2025 U.S. Student Wellbeing Survey finds that while most students now use AI for academic support, many are anxious about its risks and want universities to provide safe, reliable, and equitable solutions.| Higher Education Today
By Johan E. Uvin During my last year as acting assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, I had the opportunity to visit College Unbound twice. The first time, I joined Lul Tesfai, my then colleague, and spent the night meeting students and participating in classes. Students shared their stories and their struggles in higher education before they got to ...| Higher Education Today
The American higher education system, despite its challenges, remains the envy of the world. But to meet the needs of future students and maintain its vaunted status, U.S. colleges and universities must address a few important dynamics. The TIAA Institute’s Stephanie Bell-Rose looks at the path forward.| Higher Education Today
Title: Online by Design: Improving Career Connection for Today’s Learners Authors: William Carroll and Brenae Smith Source: The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP) recently published a report on building new career services and strengthening work-based learning strategies for the ever-growing share of adult, working, and online learners at institutions of ... The post From Non-Traditional Learners to the New Traditional...| Higher Education Today
Title: College Enrollment Patterns Are Changing. New Data Show Applicant and Admit Pools Are Too. Authors: Jason Cohn, Bryan J. Cook, Victoria Nelson Source: Urban Institute Since 2020 the world of higher education has changed drastically. Higher education has seen the effects of COVID-19, the end of race-conscious admissions, significant delays in student awards from the new FAFSA, and changing federal ... The post New Data Highlights Demographic Shifts in College Admissions Prior to Enrollm...| Higher Education Today
As Congress reshapes student aid and public benefits, working students—already balancing jobs, classes, and family obligations—may face even steeper barriers to staying enrolled and completing their degrees.| Higher Education Today
Title: Policymakers Role in Expanding Prison Education Access Authors: Jennifer Thomsen and Shytance Wren Source: Education Commission of the States A June 2025 report from the Education Commission of the States outlined ways in which state policy actors can expand access to prison education and therefore reduce likelihood for recidivism and incarceration costs. Policymakers’ Role in Expanding Prison Education Access summarized ... The post Investing in Prison Education Saves Taxpayer Dolla...| Higher Education Today
New America’s ninth annual survey on higher education in America found that despite the politicization and polarization of higher education, Americans are united in their understanding of the importance and value of a college degree.| Higher Education Today
A new report from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) office outlines the far-reaching consequences of the Trump administration’s efforts to defund and dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.| Higher Education Today
As the VA moves to eliminate more than 80,000 jobs, ACE’s Lindsey Tepe and Michele Soires warn that veterans’ access to education benefits could be at serious risk.| Higher Education Today
Policy Proposals Lack Clarity About How to Evaluate Graduates’ Additional Degrees | Higher Education Today
Military learners don’t get to choose when or where they move—but they still show up in college classrooms ready to succeed. Abby Kinch and Michele Spires explore how institutions can support their path forward.| Higher Education Today
Colleges are facing a volatile mix of policy shifts, polarization, and fiscal pressure, and student wellbeing is on the line. The Action Network for Equitable Wellbeing shares three proven strategies to help campuses move from guesswork to insight through real-time data, empathy interviews, and regular check-ins.| Higher Education Today
A new publication from the Data Quality Campaign highlights the current landscape and challenges of state data systems for postsecondary education and offers recommendations to align state and institutional data systems.| Higher Education Today
A new report from the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity examines how 40 chief diversity officers are navigating anti-DEI policies and offers strategies to sustain civil rights leadership amid growing political opposition.| Higher Education Today
A new NCAN report finds that nearly $4.4 billion in Pell Grants went unclaimed in 2024, as about 830,000 eligible high school graduates failed to complete the FAFSA—missing a crucial opportunity for students and state economies.| Higher Education Today
With public confidence in colleges at a crossroads, Ted Mitchell and Timothy Knowles call for a new social contract centered on student success—and offer the Carnegie-ACE classification as a path forward.| Higher Education Today
A recent working paper reveals many dual enrollment students experience long-term economic benefits, although outcomes vary based on race and socioeconomic status.| Higher Education Today
Misunderstanding how endowments work puts scholarships, research, and students’ futures at risk—and distracts from the real threat facing higher education today.| Higher Education Today
After examining success coaching practices at three State University of New York institutions, the authors of new analysis from MDRC offer several policy recommendations to support online learners.| Higher Education Today
Renewing the Social Contract for Higher Education | Higher Education Today
New insights from HCM Strategists highlight how continued state investments in higher education are creating pathways to economic mobility, with the majority of degree programs delivering increased earnings and a solid return on investment.| Higher Education Today
New research from Brookings shows that the rise in Pell Grant recipients at wealthy colleges over the past decade is likely due to increased application and enrollment by low-income students, rather than changes in eligibility or admissions standards.| Higher Education Today
A recent survey of 500 Republican voters nationwide conducted by Third Way and the Republican polling firm GS Strategy Group found that Republicans value and support higher education, are in favor of less invasive reforms, and largely support policies directed at college affordability and accountability.| Higher Education Today
A new report from Trellis Strategies evaluates the impact of the Parenting Students Project (PSP) at Austin Community College (ACC), highlighting the challenges student parents face and the program’s efforts to support them.| Higher Education Today
With the continued increase of alternative, non-degree credentials, education and professional stakeholders have developed quality frameworks meant to guide these credentials. The authors of a new report from PSCWP examine and evaluate criteria and data used in current credential quality frameworks.| Higher Education Today
The latest research from Handshake reveals a troubling reality in higher education: the internship landscape is becoming both more competitive and less accessible, particularly for students already facing systemic barriers.| Higher Education Today
As policymakers across both parties consider how to evaluate postsecondary outcomes and earnings data, the authors of a new brief from the Urban Institute pose a major question: How should students who earn multiple credentials be included in data collection for the college that awarded their first degree?| Higher Education Today
Pell Grant Dollars Are Left Unclaimed: What That Means for Students and States | Higher Education Today
Title: Chutes and Ladders: Falling Behind and Getting Ahead with the Simplified FAFSA Authors: Jonathan S. Lewis and Alyssa Stefanese Yates Source: uAspire Prior to the 2024-25 academic year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) underwent significant changes, mandated by Congress through the FAFSA Simplification Act. A recent uAspire survey of 274 students, parents, counselors, and financial aid administrators ...| Higher Education Today
ACE President Ted Mitchell urges the incoming administration to recognize the critical role America’s colleges and universities can play in tackling the nation’s most pressing challenges.| Higher Education Today
An October 2024 report, Beyond Sticker Prices: How States Can Make Postsecondary Education More Affordable, reviews data to evaluate affordability of postsecondary education across nine states, including Alabama, California, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.| Higher Education Today
The Department of Education has launched the 2025-26 FAFSA ahead of schedule, a major win after last year’s debacle. ACE President Ted Mitchell says this milestone, paired with the bipartisan FAFSA Deadline Act, is a crucial step toward expanding college access for low-income students.| Higher Education Today
The problems with the new FAFSA rollout caused delays and fewer students filing, which experts at the National Student Clearinghouse and the Brookings Institution say could lead to a drop in new college enrollments, based on early data and analysis.| Higher Education Today
EDUCAUSE conducted a survey of over 400 IT professionals in roles ranging from director to chief information officer to provide insights into the state of the higher education technology leader workforce. The report illuminates challenges and opportunities that can inform efforts to fortify the workforce and advance higher education in the future.| Higher Education Today
Title: 2024 Trends in Higher Education Source: Hanover Research Drawing from extensive research and experience collaborating with hundreds of higher education institutions, Hanover Research’s 2024 Trends in Higher Education report outlines critical trends and practical solutions to guide college and university leadership in facing current challenges in higher education. Trend 1: Institutions reduce enrollment barriers for a changing prospective student demographic. ...| Higher Education Today
A new analysis from the Brookings Institution examines the different funding sources that families use to pay for four-year nonprofit colleges and how these differ depending on family income.| Higher Education Today
academic credit| Higher Education Today
As the national debate on higher education heats up, state lawmakers are emerging as key players. But beyond the headlines, there's a growing opportunity for collaboration and bipartisan initiatives that strengthen communities and expand educational access. ACE's Heidi Tseu and Katharine Meyer of Brookings look at the real impact of state policies on college campuses today, from student support and institutional mission to workforce development.| Higher Education Today
By Ashley L. Gray, Jennifer R. Crandall, and Morgan Taylor For other posts on succession planning, see A Call to Action Regarding Succession Planning and Sustainability and Takeaways for Career and Succession Planning From the 2018-19 Class of ACE Fellows. The face of the college presidency has changed in recent years, moving slowly away from the monolithic profile of the past (White men ...| Higher Education Today
Making Authentic Optimism the New Normal | Higher Education Today
Colleges are shifting to better support students with disabilities, especially as Gen Z brings new perspectives post-COVID. Kara Seidel and Hollie Chessman discuss how institutions can foster more inclusive campuses by recognizing the unique challenges students face—and offer practical tips for making a real difference.| Higher Education Today
Amidst the flurry of acknowledgments and celebrations we see every March during Women's History Month, there's a deeper conversation to be had about how we support women on their professional journeys in higher education.| Higher Education Today
Drawing on her experience as president of the University of La Verne during active political campaigns, Devorah Lieberman offers strategies to equip students with essential skills that help foster civil discourse and build a thriving campus community.| Higher Education Today
Despite the media narrative of division and unrest, many colleges across the country are focused on building thriving communities where everyone belongs. Devorah Lieberman explores how presidents can create that environment by providing access to essential needs and empowering students to succeed.| Higher Education Today
As 2023 draws to a close, Devorah Lieberman, the former president of the University of La Verne, offers a roadmap for college and university presidents on how to support students, ensure campus safety, and foster a climate of tolerance during national and global crises.| Higher Education Today
Colorado State Chancellor Tony Frank discusses CSU Spur, a unique public campus in Denver that offers free hands-on learning to people of all ages. The goal: to address disparities in college attendance and success, ignite curiosity in K-12 students, and serve as a hub of innovation.| Higher Education Today
As we seek to bring long-overdue inclusion to higher education, it’s time to reimagine the current pipeline to the presidency and eliminate the pitfalls historically marginalized people face. Ashley L. Gray explains how succession planning is a critical part of this process.| Higher Education Today
