The holiday break is a perfect time for leveling up your knowledge, igniting your HR spark, and collecting wisdom to share with your team. These book recommendations have been hand-picked by CUPA-HR colleagues for their insights into topics like change management, inclusion and belonging, and daring leadership. They make great team book club reads, too!
Grab a warm beverage and cozy up with one of these HR reads.
For bold leaders…
Vulnerability might not spring to mind as the most important trait in a leader, but in Dare to Lead, Brené Brown encourages leaders to tune into their hearts as much as their minds.
For the everyday superstar…
In Hidden Potential, Adam Grant, a Wharton School of Business professor, says that we all have the ability to improve. You don’t have to be a prodigy or work yourself to the point of burnout, but instead be willing to learn and develop your character.
For the inventor…
If you’ve ever pondered creative ways to do more with less, check out A Beautiful Constraint by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden. Jay Stephens, vice president of people and culture at the University of Montana, says “it’s a great book for higher ed, where we tend to live with a scarcity mindset.”
For the team leader who’s always learning…
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is a perennially popular book. Written in the form of a fable, it addresses some common team issues, like lack of trust, fear of conflict, and avoidance of accountability.
For those looking to stress less…
Jennifer Moss, a keynote speaker at the 2024 CUPA-HR Annual Conference and Expo, is a leading voice in fighting burnout. The Burnout Epidemic argues that organizations must take the lead in developing an anti-burnout strategy that moves beyond apps, wellness programs, and perks.
For out-of-the-box thinkers…
Miranda Arjona, assistant director of HR at Rollins College, encourages embracing the qualities that make children special (and that we tend to forget when we’re all grown up). Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss “encourages readers to embrace new experiences, face obstacles with courage, and keep moving forward,” while Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey “emphasizes the importance of curiosity, exploration, and learning from one’s mistakes.” Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne “offers insights into the importance of enjoying the present moment, valuing simple pleasures, and appreciating the quirks of those around us.”
Bonus tips for the book club leader (no required reading!)…
As the content specialist in training and development, Corrie Grint hosts two different book clubs at the University of Utah. Here are her tips for success.
Vary book choices. Grint chooses a mix of classic leadership books, new and popular books, and untraditional books.
Build in flexible participation. Grint bases her questions on the general principles of books like Atomic Habits, “so anyone can participate, even if they haven’t read the book.”
Structure clubs inclusively. Participation is virtual and capped at one hour.
Offer pre-session and during-session support. A week before, Grant emails out other options to supplement or replace the reading, such as a book summary PDF or YouTube video. She also provides questions similar to the ones they’ll discuss. During the meeting, she provides a summary of the principles taught, along with quotes, and asks questions along the way.
Here’s the full list of recommendations, chosen by CUPA-HR colleagues:
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Chris Hadfield
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
A Beautiful Constraint: How To Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden
Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay by Liz Fosslien and Molly West Duffy
The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It by Jennifer Moss
Career Self-Care: Find Your Happiness, Success, and Fulfillment at Work by Minda Zetlin
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Joseph Grenny and others
Curious George by H.A. and Margaret Rey
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts
The Dream Manager: The Secret to Attracting, Engaging, and Retaining Talent by Matthew Kelly
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
Endurance: A Year in Space and a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon
First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham
Fish!: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Lundin, Christensen, and Paul
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman and Paul White
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Guide to Good Leading series by Ari Weinzweig
Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion by Steve Browne
I’m No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts: Mini-Meditations for Saints, Sinners, and the Rest of Us by Kristen Chenoweth
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Leadership and Self-Deception, Fourth Edition: The Secret to Transforming Relationships and Unleashing Results by The Arbinger Institute
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
The Long-Distance Teammate: Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges
No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results by Cy Wakeman
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
The Outward Mindset: Seeing Beyond Ourselves by The Arbinger Institute
Own Your Own Work Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change by Edward D. Hess
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei and others
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg
Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara
When Everyone Leads: How The Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride
For school administrators and marketers, the decision to integrate new communication tools is often met with the challenge of identifying which platform can better serve their specific needs. Regarding messaging apps, WeChat and WhatsApp are two powerful contenders that have proven effective for educational marketing, but which one is right for your school audience?
Both platforms offer distinct advantages, and understanding the nuances of each can help you decide which will deliver the most impact in your communication and marketing strategy. Let’s explore the key differences between WeChat vs. WhatsApp marketing, how each platform works, and which is best suited for various school audiences.
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Understanding WeChat
WeChat is widely known for its dominance in China. Why do people use WeChat? WeChat is an all-in-one app that combines messaging, social media, payments, and mini-programs. It makes daily tasks—from chatting with friends to shopping, paying bills, and even scheduling appointments—easily accessible in one place. It’s the go-to platform for seamless communication and convenient, integrated services for users in China and the broader Chinese-speaking community.
WeChat has become a critical hub for creating a complete digital ecosystem for schools looking to recruit international students from China or engage with Chinese-speaking communities. It can be thought of as Facebook, WhatsApp, PayPal, and LinkedIn all rolled into one.
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WeChat’s Audience and Features
WeChat has a massive user base, with about 1.3 billion active users, most of whom are in China and other parts of Asia. If your school targets international students from China or aims to increase engagement with Chinese-speaking parents and alumni, WeChat offers an unparalleled platform to achieve this. With its unique ability to facilitate multi-channel communication, schools can create official accounts, push content, and even handle application processing directly through the app.
WeChat’s “Mini Programs” allow schools to build customized features like event registration systems, virtual tours, and interactive alumni networks. This level of customization allows schools to create tailored experiences for their Chinese audience that go far beyond what other platforms offer.
Another significant feature of WeChat is WeChat Pay, allowing students and parents to seamlessly handle tuition fees, donations, and event payments. For Chinese families, integrating WeChat Pay within the platform removes any friction in making payments, which can be a major selling point in their decision-making process.
In terms of content, WeChat Articles are a powerful tool for pushing long-form content directly to followers, keeping them updated on the latest news from your school. Whether it’s a blog about your curriculum or updates on on-campus events, WeChat Articles allow you to connect with your audience through in-app content distribution, creating an easy flow between information sharing and engagement.
Source: HEM
Marketing Opportunities on WeChat
For schools interested in targeted advertising, WeChat offers some incredibly detailed advertising opportunities. With WeChat Moments Ads, you can reach specific demographics and showcase your school’s brand through native-style ads that appear in a user’s feed, similar to Facebook’s sponsored posts. This form of advertising is especially effective for brand awareness and reaching prospective students.
WeChat also supports group marketing, where schools can create exclusive groups for prospective students or alumni. These groups can foster discussions, share news, and create a sense of community that strengthens engagement and boosts enrollment.
Source: RMIT University | WeChat
Example: WeChat Groups allow you to address up to 40 prospects at once, making them a valuable tool for sharing important news and updates, as RMIT University does here.
The significant advantage of WeChat is its complete ecosystem—it allows schools to build an end-to-end digital experience without requiring users to leave the app. Everything from content marketing to customer service and payments can happen within this one platform, making it a powerful choice for schools targeting Chinese-speaking communities.
Understanding WhatsApp: Streamlined Communication and Global Reach
While WeChat dominates in China, WhatsApp is the global king of messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. WhatsApp is particularly strong in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, offering schools a streamlined and simple way to engage with their audience across various countries. Its ease of use and widespread adoption make it a highly effective tool for schools aiming to communicate quickly and efficiently with diverse audiences.
WhatsApp’s Audience and Features
Why is WhatsApp useful in education? WhatsApp’s audience is significantly more diverse than WeChat’s, and it’s widely used across many different countries, making it ideal for schools looking to attract international students from multiple regions. WhatsApp’s primary strength is its ability to simplify direct communication between schools, students, parents, and alumni.
WhatsApp’s Business API allows schools to create official business profiles, enabling quick interactions with current and prospective students through text, voice messages, and video calls. This personal touch can be a considerable advantage, especially when engaging with younger audiences who prefer fast, mobile-friendly communication.
Unlike WeChat, WhatsApp’s functionality is more streamlined, focusing on core communication services such as text, voice, and video messaging. This makes it a great tool for schools that want to keep communication direct without the added complexity of an all-encompassing ecosystem.
WhatsApp also allows for group communication, where you can create student, faculty, or special interest groups that foster collaboration. Schools can leverage WhatsApp groups to send updates, event reminders and even provide quick support for administrative issues. It’s also widely used for parent-teacher communication, allowing teachers to quickly inform parents about their child’s progress or upcoming events.
Source: HEM
Marketing Opportunities on WhatsApp
WhatsApp may not have the comprehensive advertising ecosystem that WeChat offers, but it does excel in personalized engagement. For schools that rely heavily on maintaining personal connections with prospective students and families, WhatsApp offers a unique ability to build these relationships through its messaging features.
One highly effective approach is using WhatsApp for direct recruitment campaigns. Schools can reach out to prospective students, answer queries, and guide them through the application process all within the app. This personal touch can often be more effective than formal emails or less personal communication methods, especially when converting prospective students into enrollees.
Another significant advantage of WhatsApp is its support for status updates—a feature similar to Instagram Stories, where schools can post time-sensitive updates or content that will disappear after 24 hours. This allows schools to engage their audience with dynamic content reflecting real-time campus events or application deadlines.
WhatsApp is also owned by Meta (Facebook). For this reason, it offers seamless integration with Facebook, making it a powerful tool for educational marketers and administrators. This connection allows schools to leverage Facebook’s vast advertising network to directly reach prospective students, parents, and alumni on WhatsApp.
By integrating WhatsApp with Facebook’s ad campaigns, you can create targeted messaging that leads users straight into WhatsApp chats. This provides a convenient way for prospects to ask questions, receive guidance, and engage with admissions. This integration enhances lead generation efforts, enables personal interaction, and smooths the communication process, strengthening the overall impact of your school’s digital marketing strategy.
Additionally, WhatsApp’s integration with WhatsApp Web means that schools can easily manage communications via desktop, streamlining the process of answering student queries or sending mass updates to a group of contacts.
Source: Online School of Hotel Management | WhatsApp
Example: Here, the Online School of Hotel Management responds directly to a potential student who has reached out with a question. WhatsApp streamlines your school’s communication with students, guiding them down the admissions funnel in a personalized manner.
WeChat vs. WhatsApp: Which Platform Suits Your School?
What is the difference between WeChat and WhatsApp? In review, they serve different purposes and audiences. WeChat is a multifunctional app primarily used in China, offering a comprehensive ecosystem that includes messaging, social media, payments (WeChat Pay), and even mini-programs for custom features like event registration or virtual tours. It’s ideal for schools targeting Chinese-speaking students and parents, providing an all-in-one solution for communication and engagement.
On the other hand, WhatsApp is more streamlined, focusing on direct messaging, voice, and video calls. It has global appeal, especially in Latin America, Europe, and Africa. It’s perfect for schools that want to maintain personal, direct connections with students and families worldwide through simple, efficient communication. Choosing between WeChat and WhatsApp largely depends on your school’s audience and your communication goals. Here’s a deeper dive into how each platform aligns with specific audience types and regions.
If Your School is Targeting Chinese Students or Families
If your school focuses on recruiting students from China or engaging with Chinese alumni and parents, WeChat is, without a doubt, the best choice. WeChat’s cultural relevance within China makes it indispensable for schools looking to build long-term connections with this audience. Its ability to integrate payment systems, post long-form content, and offer an all-in-one solution for admissions, tuition, and engagement puts WeChat miles ahead regarding Chinese student recruitment.
In addition to the functional advantages, Chinese students and families will expect your school to be present on WeChat. It’s a platform that they trust and are familiar with, and being active on WeChat signals your school’s commitment to engaging with this audience in a culturally relevant way.
Source: Northampton Community College | WeChat
Example: This WeChat ad for Northampton Community College provides the institution’s Chinese name, the QR code leading to their landing page, account IDs for Weibo, Youku, and Zhihu, and a CTA. By following this structure, you can make your institution easily accessible to students and families in China.
If Your School is Targeting Global or Multicultural Audiences
WhatsApp is a far better choice for schools casting a wider net and needing to reach global audiences, particularly in regions like Latin America, Europe, Africa, and South Asia. Its universal appeal and ease of use make it ideal for communicating with students from diverse backgrounds. WhatsApp is especially useful for managing international recruitment efforts across multiple countries, as it’s a platform that students and families worldwide are likely already using.
In these regions, WhatsApp provides a more personal touch. Its focus on direct communication allows you to build meaningful connections with prospective students, making them feel valued and supported throughout the admissions process. WhatsApp is the right platform if your school prioritizes fast, personal interactions with a broader international audience.
If Your School Needs a Comprehensive Marketing Ecosystem
For schools ready to invest in a comprehensive marketing system to manage everything from social media engagement to payments, WeChat is the platform to choose. Its versatility allows schools to build custom mini-apps within the platform, offering a wholly branded experience for students and parents. WeChat’s ecosystem also allows for a more immersive marketing experience, making it an excellent choice for schools looking to create long-term engagement.
If Your School Prioritizes Simplicity and Personal Communication
On the other hand, if your school values simplicity and needs a platform that prioritizes direct, fast communication over elaborate marketing systems, WhatsApp is the better choice. It’s the platform for schools that want to keep communication simple, efficient, and highly personal. WhatsApp excels at building authentic relationships for student recruitment, parent communication, or handling alumni relations on a more personal level.
Source: WhatsApp
Source: McMaster University
Example: McMaster University shares a list of WhatsApp Channels for its students. McMaster shares casual, authentic, and personable content on its various channels, as pictured above.
Final Thoughts: Aligning Your School’s Needs with the Right Platform
Ultimately, the decision between WeChat and WhatsApp should come down to the specific needs of your school and the audience you’re trying to reach. If you focus on connecting with Chinese-speaking students and parents, WeChat provides an all-in-one marketing and communication solution that can’t be matched. However, WhatsApp is a strong contender if your school aims for global reach and personal, straightforward communication. Its simplicity, ease of use, and popularity worldwide make it a go-to platform for schools that want to maintain direct and personal connections with students, parents, and alumni across different countries.
Combining Both Platforms for Maximum Impact
It’s also worth considering that you don’t necessarily have to choose one. Many schools benefit from using both platforms to target specific audience segments. For instance, if your school is engaged in global recruitment but also targets Chinese students, you can use WhatsApp to maintain personal, direct relationships with your broader international audience while leveraging WeChat’s extensive ecosystem to cater to your Chinese audience.
Integrating WeChat and WhatsApp into your school’s communication and marketing strategy can tailor your approach to suit each audience’s preferences, delivering a more personalized and culturally relevant experience. Whether it’s the seamless payment options and immersive marketing experiences on WeChat or the personal, text-based interactions on WhatsApp, using both platforms strategically can maximize your reach and impact.
Action Steps for Implementing WeChat or WhatsApp for Your School
Once you’ve decided which platform (or platforms) fits your school’s audience, it’s time to take action. Here’s how you can get started:
Define Your Audience Segments: Start by identifying which segments of your audience would best respond to WeChat and which would benefit more from WhatsApp. To tailor your strategy, consider cultural preferences, regional habits, and communication styles.
Create Official Accounts: Whether you’re using WeChat or WhatsApp, setting up an official business account is crucial. For WeChat, this includes creating an official account to publish content, integrate payments, and offer customer service. For WhatsApp, create a business profile with key contact details and a direct line for inquiries.
Build Content for Engagement: On WeChat, use Mini Programs, Articles, and Moments Ads to create a holistic marketing ecosystem. For WhatsApp, focus on conversational marketing, using messaging to engage students directly and build trust through personalized communication.
Train Your Marketing Team: Ensure your team is well-versed in each platform’s features. WeChat’s ecosystem is more complex, so consider investing in training to maximize its potential. For WhatsApp, focus on conversational marketing strategies and direct engagement best practices.
Track and Optimize Performance: Both platforms provide analytics that can help you measure engagement and refine your approach. Use these insights to optimize your marketing campaigns and improve communication with your audience.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best Tool for Your School
When deciding between WeChat and WhatsApp, the key is to align the strengths of each platform with your school’s audience and communication goals. WeChat is ideal for reaching Chinese-speaking students and creating an immersive, all-in-one experience, while WhatsApp maintains direct, personal connections with a global audience.
By understanding the unique features of both platforms and strategically implementing them, your school can enhance its communication strategy, foster better relationships with students and parents, and ultimately drive more successful recruitment efforts. Whether you choose one platform or integrate both, the right tool will help you reach your school’s target audience more effectively, ensuring your message is heard loud and clear.
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FAQ
Why do people use WeChat?
WeChat is an all-in-one app that combines messaging, social media, payments, and mini-programs. It makes daily tasks—from chatting with friends to shopping, paying bills, and even scheduling appointments—easily accessible in one place. It’s the go-to platform for seamless communication and convenient, integrated services for users in China and the broader Chinese-speaking community.
Why is WhatsApp useful in education?
WhatsApp’s audience is significantly more diverse than WeChat’s, and it’s widely used across many different countries, making it ideal for schools looking to attract international students from multiple regions. WhatsApp’s primary strength is its ability to simplify direct communication between schools, students, parents, and alumni.
As I mentioned yesterday, I recently spent some time at the International Association of Universities’ (IAU) annual meeting in Tokyo earlier this month. It’s tough to organize a meaningful international meeting about what you might call the “hard” issues in university management (resources, budget allocations, management styles) because these vary so much from one part of the world to another, and so the program tends to be taken up with more universalist themes like “values.”
The interesting thing about values was the divide in the room(s) about how insecure everyone felt about them. The white folks in the room spoke a lot about “challenging times,” which was mostly code for “holy crap, not Trump again, won’t we ever get out of this authoritarian populist nightmare?” But interestingly, the Africans in particular were not really interested in this discussion. They deal with strong-arming governments nearly all the time, and so there was a slight edge of “wake up, times are always challenging” to some of their interventions.
I’ll spare you the blow-by-blow, but something occurred to me as I listened to the various sessions: “vibes” are really the way that universities keep score of their successes, collectively at any rate. Sure, it’s nice that governments give them money—and they are bloody expensive to run—but what really matters is whether they are loved and respected.
For an empiricist like me, this is really annoying. I can measure investments and can compare them from one university or one country to another. But vibes? Very difficult to measure. Hard even to come up with a definition that makes sense across countries: in Canada we do measure how much the public “trusts” universities, but in other countries the vibes are much more directly about their ability to accept new students, or whether they are helping the country advance economically.
But what the hell? Let’s give it a try!
Below is a 2×2 (it’s not social science unless there is a 2×2!) that shows change in both total financial resources and vibes over the past five years in various countries. Data for the money axis is from my own records and analysis (you can see some of it back here from the talk I gave in Helsinki a couple of months ago), while data on the vibes axis is totally made up, based on my own observations. I’d be happy to discuss a better way to operationalize and measure this axis, but for the moment let’s just say this attempt to visualize how universities are faring is illustrative rather than in any way definitive and move on to the exercise itself
(If you’d like to argue for a specific source of information for various countries, or just argue my choice of placement of a particular country on the vibes scale, get in touch!)
What you can see plainly from Figure 1 is that higher education systems occupy one of three quadrants. There’s the one where both money and vibes are changing for the better (Turkey, India), one where money is going up but vibes are going down (the USA), and places where both money and vibes are headed in the wrong direction (the UK).
What we don’t see, really, are any countries in the top left quadrant where vibes are going up but money is going down. And I think what that tells you is that good vibes are not absolutely required in order for universities to receive new money, but they make it a whole heck of a lot easier. Which is of course why university Presidents are so concerned with public opinion.
Anyways, this is all pretty theoretical. But I think it points to the possibility that perhaps measuring public sentiment about universities in consistent ways across countries might yield some interesting insights into the determinants of public funding. And in any event, if vibes are the way that universities measure their own success, shouldn’t we try to measure that in the same way we measure institutional finances?
The last episode from HEDx’s Future Solutions conference features interim pro-vice-chancellor of teaching and learning at the University of Queensland Professor Kelly Mathews.
She joins Martin Betts to discuss a survey of over 8000 university students about how they use artificial intelligence.
She is followed by a panel that included deputy vice-chancellor (education and students) at the University of Technology Sydney Kylie Readman, deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at Deakin University Professor Lix Johnson, vice-chancellor of Western Sydney University George Williams, president of Torrens University Linda Brown of Torrens, and industry executive of higher education at Microsoft Katie Ford.
They call on universities to partner with students and the tech company eco-system. Is HE brave enough to get out of its lane?
A Strategic Examination of Research and Development review is to evaluate how to maximise Australia’s existing research and development (R&D) spend, and convince industry to adopt innovation.
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This is a popular post each year with high school and independent counselors working with students who are already thinking about a doctorate. It shows the undergraduate institutions of doctoral recipients from 1958 to 2023. (It does not show where the doctorate was earned, to be clear.)
It’s based on data I downloaded from the National Science Foundation using their custom tool. It’s a little clunky, and–this is important–it classifies academic areas differently before 2020 and after, but with a little (OK, a lot) of data wrangling over the long weekend, we have something for the data junkies out there.
This is for fun and entertainment only, because, as I indicated, the categories are not quite the same, and for the sake of clarity, I had to combine similar (but not identical) disciplines.
There are two views, using the tabs across the top. The “All Data” view allows you to filter to your heart’s content. The purple boxes allow you to limit the type of institution of the bachelor’s degree recipients: You may want to look at Public Universities in the Southeast, for instance, or all Catholic colleges (listed as “Roman Catholic” in the filter, by the way). The tan boxes allow you to specify the doctoral degree area (Chemistry, or Political Science, for instance), and to limit the years. You might want to look at 2017 to 2023, or you might want to get nostalgic and look at 1958 to 1965, for instance.
The bars, which are colored by Broad Carnegie type, display the counts. Us the scroll function at the right to see more data.
The “Top 30” view limits to those places that produce the most students earning doctorates. The labels show you the Rank (in orange), the counts (in blue) and the percent of total (in purple). The percents are only calculated on the group you’ve selected, not the grand totals.
This always generates four questions:
Can you show these as a percentage of the graduates of this institution? No, because not everyone who graduates with a doctorate does it in the same time. I’d have to take lots of data and make some wild guesses.
Can you show what these students majored in at the undergraduate level? No, that’s not available in the public sets, and I don’t want to apply for the restricted use license. If you do, and you want me to work on this, let me know.
Can you crosstab this data to show, for instance, where the Stanvard graduates earned their doctorate? Again, it’s not in the public data set, so no.
What about other doctorates, like MD or Pharm.D or DDS? It’s not included: These are research doctorates only.
If you use this in your business and want to support my time and software and hosting costs, you can do so here. If you’re a high school counselor or a student or parent, just skip that link.
In today’s digital age, ensuring student safety online is a top priority for both parents and schools. Technology has opened new doors for enhancing student learning and engagement, but it also requires thoughtful strategies to ensure students remain safe.
As schools embrace these technological advancements, both parents and administrators must work together to implement safety measures and address the evolving responsibilities that come with digital education. Experts from the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) share their insights on how to navigate these opportunities effectively while keeping students safe.
Evolving safety protocols
Cathy Leavitt, an instructional technologist and AECT member, explains that schools have increasingly adopted tools to safeguard students on digital platforms. “There are great apps and software that record what children are doing on devices,” Leavitt notes, emphasizing the importance of tools that monitor and restrict access to harmful content. However, technology alone isn’t enough. Leavitt stresses that digital literacy is vital to fostering a safe online environment, teaching students how to navigate the digital world responsibly.
The importance of digital literacy
Bruce DuBoff, Ph.D., past president of the NJ Association of School Librarians and nominated Ethics Officer for AECT, identifies a gap between today’s digital skills and the safety practices needed in schools. “We live in a world rocked by Future Shock,” DuBoff says, which describes the rapid technological advancements that have outpaced current educational approaches. He advocates for early education in ethical online behavior, with librarians playing a pivotal role in integrating technologies like podcasting, game design, and web development, which not only enhance learning but also ensure safe online engagement.
Dr. DuBoff argues that the biggest threat isn’t Artificial Intelligence (AI) but the social media algorithms that create information silos, limiting students’ exposure to diverse viewpoints. By educating students on the risks of these algorithms and promoting digital literacy programs like Common Sense Education’s Digital Citizenship curriculum, schools can better equip students to navigate the online world safely.
The role of parents
Parental involvement is essential in maintaining online safety. Leavitt advocates for parents to monitor their children’s digital activities, even if it might feel like an invasion of privacy. She calls for a “unified approach” between schools and parents, with regular communication to ensure parents understand the risks their children face online. Schools play a crucial role by educating parents as much as students and providing ongoing resources to reinforce safe practices at home.
Cybersecurity and administrative challenges
As schools adopt more digital learning platforms, cybersecurity threats such as data breaches and cyberattacks have escalated. Leavitt points out that strong security measures such as two-factor authentication and regular updates are critical to safeguarding student data. However, these measures introduce additional challenges for school administrators, who must balance tight budgets and manage the growing costs of technology maintenance and staff training. Schools need to allocate resources strategically, ensuring that cybersecurity is prioritized without unnecessary overspending.
Moving forward
Keeping students safe in the digital world increasingly requires collaboration and a unified approach between parents, teachers, and administrators at schools. Open communication between all three groups from a common framework of understanding provided in comprehensive digital literacy programs combined with strong cybersecurity measures are essential to creating safer online environments for our loved ones while managing the administrative challenges that come with these advancements.
I spent all last week in Asia, at events put on by the International Association of Universities (IAU) in Tokyo and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Jakarta. As usual, these meetings were interesting for me not so much because I can discover secrets of “how they do things better elsewhere” (they don’t, by and large, we’re all screwed for roughly the same reasons, which is that the public does not want to pay for the kind of institutions that academics want to work in), but simply because they help me get a wider take on the direction that global academia is heading.
And here’s the thing: having sat through five days of meetings, I am more convinced than ever that universities are, globally, caught in a conflict of their basic institutional logics. And also, that for some reason, no one wants to talk about this openly even though it is self-evidently a pretty big deal. Let me explain.
Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, at different paces in different parts of the world, universities went from being purely institutions of instruction to institutions that also engaged in advanced research. In the United States, where this process went the furthest, the fastest, it was shaped substantially by one man: Vannevar Bush, President of MIT and special scientific advisor to President Roosevelt during WWII. Bush was appropriately excited by the strides made by American science during the war, and wanted the party to continue after the war was over only with one difference: instead of giving scientists untold billions and placing them under military control as was the case for the Manhattan Project, Bush thought the correct path forward was for the government to give scientists untold billions and then leave them alone to make their own decisions about how the money should be spent. That’s not quite how things panned out, but there is no question that the system of curiosity-driven research that emerged gave an awful lot of power to individual researchers and left universities as mere intermediaries for funding. Or, as a colleague sometimes puts it, with respect to research missions, universities are simply holding companies for the research agendas of individual professors.
And let’s face it, this worked well for many decades. The scientific output of universities working under this model has been amazing (see my interview with David Baker on global science from a few weeks ago). And it didn’t require universities to take on a particularly dirigiste role with respect to the faculty. In some ways, quite the opposite. It was during this period after all that a professor challenged then-Columbia President Eisenhower with the immortal words: “we faculty are not employees of the university…we are the university.” So as far as anyone could tell, the public could just dump money on scholars working in hubs and good things would happen.
Somewhere over the past few decades, though, the mission of universities changed. Instead of being asked to provide research, they were asked to promote local economic growth, or provide solutions to “grand challenges” or sustainable development goals. And these were challenges that universities took on—gladly for the most part. “Look!” they said to themselves, “Society wants our knowledge/help/advice, we get to show how useful we are, and then people will love us and give us even more money.” And trust me, this is happening All. Over. The. World. Oh sure, the details vary a bit by place in terms of whether the push is more on institutions to push local economic growth or to help deliver social progress, and the extent to which this obligation is imposed on institutions and to what extent they embrace it on their own…but the trend is universal, unmistakable.
Except (how can I put this?) I am fairly sure that the lessons institutions learned with respect to growing research outputs do not translate well into these new missions. Research is something that can be done within academia; these new tasks require partnerships and relationships. Things which institutions are a lot more capable of delivering reliably than individual professors, whose commitment to particular endeavors may be more transitory, shaped as they often are by the availability of funding streams, changing research interests, the occasional switch of institutions, etc.
It has taken universities awhile to work this out. The initial assumption that universities could take on all these missions could be met in much the same way that the research mission was: just assemble a lot of smart people in one place, and wonderfully imaginative solutions will naturally emerge. No central coordination necessary, and great universities could continue working as they had always done: like a great jazz band, where the anarchy is the point.
But if these new missions actually imply a need for more durable structures to bring stability to partnerships and relationships, then a jazz band approach is probably not such a hot idea. If these missions require institutions to be able to act corporately, strategically, then jazz doesn’t cut it anymore. Neither does Big Band. You need something closer to a symphony orchestra. And boy, the implication of that change is significant. The locus of control and responsibility shifts upwards from professors to the larger institution. Professors, increasingly, would need to be treated as if they are second cello—that is, as parts of a larger musical enterprise—instead of as Thelonius Monk or John Coltrane. It would be a fundamental re-think of what it means to be an academic.
There you have it: an old version of a university in which great things happen just because you put a bunch of smart people in close proximity to one another, and another which requires substantially more organization and (in a Weberian sense) bureaucracy. And it’s not that universities are being asked to choose—they aren’t. It’s worse than that: because these new missions are meant to be in addition to the older ones of teaching and research, universities are being asked to be both of these things at the same time. And that’s a recipe not only for unhappiness, but also for incoherence. Universities are simply becoming less effective as their missions multiply.
None of this has escaped the notice of governments. They were mostly quite enthusiastic about the idea of universities as community resources, places that in effect apply brain power on-demand to various types of social and economic problems and are getting frustrated that jazz-based universities can’t deliver. Despite promises to the contrary, old-style universities simply aren’t set up to deliver the promised results, leaving an expectations gap that is souring relations with that subset of governments that don’t view higher education as the enemy in the first place.
And this, in turn, is contributing to a widespread recession in vibes around universities: simply put, they are not liked and admired the way they used to be. But more on that tomorrow.
When I became president of the University of La Verne in 2011, I often shared the story of why I was drawn to this role—and why it resonated so deeply with my family’s values. My husband and I were committed to raising our daughters in a community that embraced inclusivity, service, and the transformative power of education. These were not just abstract ideals; they were principles we wanted to live by and instill in our children. And sharing this connection wasn’t just about explaining my leadership—it was about building trust and fostering relationships across campus.
Today, as higher education leaders face unprecedented scrutiny—from political attacks on academic freedom and diversity efforts to growing public skepticism about the value of a college degree—this kind of authenticity and connection is more critical than ever. Our institutions are being challenged to prove their relevance and align their missions with the needs of diverse and sometimes skeptical communities. In this climate, personal storytelling offers a powerful way to build bridges, humanize our roles, and reaffirm the values that define higher education. In navigating the complexities of our current environment, storytelling is not just a leadership tool—it’s a leadership imperative.
Why personal storytelling matters
Building authentic relationships: Personal stories bridge the gap between leaders and campus communities. Sharing your experiences, challenges, and successes makes your role more relatable and human. When leaders share stories authentically, we foster trust and encourage deeper connections with our students, faculty, alumni, donors, and other stakeholders. A compelling story has a way of bringing people together, sparking that feeling of connection through common experiences.
Inspiring action and change: Stories are powerful motivators. They show how education can transform lives, encouraging students to pursue their dreams, sparking innovation among faculty, and connecting with alumni and donors. At the University of La Verne’s annual Scholarship Gala, I used to share my mother’s story—how, as an immigrant, she stayed committed to education despite countless challenges. When she, her two older sisters, and their parents first immigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia, they had to build a new life, learn a new language, and adapt to new customs. My grandfather would bring used tires to their home, where the family would cut them into small squares and sew them together to create doormats. He sold these mats door-to-door, and the money they earned not only supported their daily life but was also saved so that my mother could attend nursing school.
Each year following my story, students would respond with their own incredible stories of resilience. Those moments didn’t just inspire greater scholarship donations—they raised awareness about the challenges that so many students face, underscoring just how vital access to education really is.
Shaping institutional culture: Personal stories are a big part of what shapes a university’s identity, creating a sense of inclusion, resilience, and shared values. Early on in my time at the University of La Verne, a board member told me why the university—her alma mater—meant so much to her and why she chose to give back as a donor and leader. She often spoke about how she and her husband met while attending La Verne, and that they both loved the supportive and inclusive environment at the university. Then one of her children enrolled, and a particular professor took him under his wing and helped him with his academic career. She felt La Verne was always there when she and her family needed support.
Her story stuck with me, and I shared it often as an example of how personal connections can inspire others to support the university’s mission. By encouraging storytelling like this, we brought our community closer together and reinforced our shared purpose.
Engaging with diversity: Every story brings something unique to a campus community. When we make room for diverse voices, we naturally build stronger connections and a sense of belonging. Serving on the board of Antioch University, I’ve had the privilege of hearing a wide range of students and faculty share their experiences—some inspiring, some challenging, all meaningful. These moments are a great reminder of how much we gain when we listen to and learn from each other.
Strategies for Effective Storytelling
Connect stories to the institution’s mission: Personal stories are powerful, but they work best when they connect back to the institution’s goals. I once attended a university event where the president’s stories, while memorable, didn’t really support the message of the institution—they overshadowed it, leaving the audience entertained but not necessarily inspired about the university’s future. It’s a good reminder that storytelling should always reinforce the mission and build confidence in what lies ahead.
Balance sharing with relevance: Finding the right balance between personal and professional storytelling is key. Oversharing can make people uncomfortable or distract from your message. A story might be heartfelt, but if it’s too detailed, the audience might lose track of why it matters. The best approach is to share meaningful anecdotes that highlight your points while keeping your audience and the setting in mind.
Maintain honesty and humility: The best stories come from a place of honesty and humility—they build credibility and trust. Think about great leaders: the ones who acknowledge the contributions of others tend to connect more than those who focus on their own achievements. On the flip side, self-congratulatory stories can feel off-putting and even break trust with the audience. Keep it grounded, which always resonates better.
Avoid unethical exaggeration: Stretching the facts or making up stories can seriously damage trust. And people can usually tell when a story isn’t genuine, whether it’s because of over-the-top details or a lack of authenticity in the delivery. It’s important for leaders to stay honest, sharing meaningful details without straying from reality. In today’s world, where fact-checking is everywhere, even small inconsistencies can hurt your credibility—and by extension, the reputation of your institution. Keep it real, and your message will always carry more weight.
Repetition without redundancy: Repeating key messages can really help drive them home, but it’s all about balance. When you tell the same story to different audiences, it can show consistency and authenticity, which is great. But if you overdo it, people might start to tune out, feeling like they’ve heard it too many times. We all recycle our favorite speeches and stories when we speak often, and that’s fine as long as we’re mindful of keeping it fresh. A thoughtful approach to storytelling means your message stays powerful without losing its impact.
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Personal storytelling is one of the most powerful tools leaders in higher education have at their disposal. When done right, it builds trust, inspires action, and strengthens the sense of community. Sharing authentic stories helps connect audiences to the mission and values of an institution, creating a shared sense of purpose and vision.
As higher education continues to navigate challenges like public skepticism and political scrutiny, storytelling offers a way to highlight the transformative power of education. It allows us to address concerns with honesty and integrity, while keeping the focus on the positive impact education has on individuals and society. Reaching beyond the academy, these stories help build connections with the wider community—and ideally, around the world—showing how education shapes lives and strengthens society.
dotEDU Global Voices
This December, ACE will feature a special podcast series, dotEDU Global Voices, which will spotlight personal stories from accomplished international women university presidents. These leaders share their unique challenges, insights, and strategies, offering authentic and inspiring perspectives on leadership.
The series builds on my book, Spotlighting Female Leadership: Strategies, Stories, Perspectives, which highlights the journeys of ten accomplished university presidents. To learn more, download the book here and tune into the podcast for further inspiration.
