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Beyond Syllabus Week: Creative Strategies to Engage Students from Day One – Faculty Focus
Ever wonder why students don’t read the syllabus, despite the time and effort we put into creating it? It serves as a contract between instructors and students (Eberly, Newton, & Wiggins, 2001), outlining the entire semester’s expectations, assignments, and deadlines. Yet, many students simply aren’t motivated to read it. They often find syllabi overwhelming, unengaging, or even unreadable. In many classes, professors go over the syllabus during the first week (Richmond, 2016), so frequently that students have dubbed it “syllabus week” — not exactly the most exciting start to a semester! Students often form impressions about their courses within the first few minutes of class (Roberto, 2021). Simply standing in front of the room and reading through the syllabus page by page isn’t the most engaging way to showcase what your class has to offer.

What if there were more effective ways to get students to not only read it, but to actively engage with it? Many students skip over it because learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas, Blackboard, and D2L now contain everything they need in one place. Yet, as instructors, we still rely on the syllabus to provide a clear roadmap for the semester.

So, how can we make it more engaging? Below are some strategies to encourage students not only to read the syllabus but to enjoy exploring what your class has to offer and what to expect throughout the semester. Here are five effective strategies to encourage students to engage with your syllabus. While some involve additional technology, leveraging these tools can enhance the experience and make the syllabus more interactive.
1. Use Notebook LM to create a podcast of your syllabus. Professors can use Notebook LM to generate a podcast version of their syllabus by uploading your syllabus and allow the AI to summarize and structure the content into an engaging audio format. This makes the syllabus more accessible and interactive for students.
1. Do polling questions using apps like PollEverywhere, Mentimeter and my favorite, Slido, to create interactive quizzes about key syllabus details. By turning the syllabus into a fun, live Q&A session, students engage actively while reinforcing important information about course policies, deadlines, and expectations in an engaging and memorable way.
1. Think-Pair-Share. Ask students to reflect on the following questions: How does this syllabus compare to others you’ve had? What strengths stand out to you? What challenges do you anticipate after reading it? Have them write down their thoughts individually, then pair up to discuss their responses. Finally, bring the class together for a group discussion, allowing you to clarify any questions or concerns as students share their insights. This activity not only helps students engage with the syllabus but also fosters a sense of community on the first day by encouraging interaction and shared understanding.
1. Have students annotate the syllabus. Have students annotate the syllabus—a great suggestion from an X post by Remi Kalir. In pairs or small groups, students will review the syllabus together, adding annotations that include clarifying questions, opinions on assignments and readings, and responses to course policies. Using a shared document like Google Docs allows everyone to see and engage with each other’s comments in real time. Another tool to use could be Perusall as the annotation tool. This not only helps students actively engage with the syllabus but also serves as a valuable community-building activity on the first day. The professor can then review the comments to address questions and provide further clarification.
1. Syllabus Station. In this community-building activity, students will work in groups to identify three key takeaways from the syllabus. At a designated syllabus station in a gallery walk, each group will review a hard copy of the syllabus, discuss its most important points, and write their top three on a large post-it poster. As groups rotate through the stations, they will add their insights to the poster, creating a collaborative summary of essential course information. This interactive approach encourages engagement with the syllabus while fostering teamwork. (I wrote an article on this in Faculty Focus, highlighting different first-day stations I use in class. Begin the Semester with Classroom Community Building Activities to Increase Student Engagement)
Many of these strategies align with community-building activities that foster a supportive and engaging classroom environment, encouraging student participation and a sense of belonging (Ricevuto & McLaughlin, 2022). By implementing one of these approaches, you not only help students engage with the syllabus but also strengthen classroom connections—creating a win-win situation.

Additionally, many of these techniques can be adapted for online courses with slight modifications. In an online setting, these techniques can be easily adapted:
- Annotation activities can be done using collaborative tools like Hypothesis or Perusall, where students can highlight and comment directly on the syllabus.
- Polling questions using Slido, PollEverywhere, or Mentimeter can be embedded in a live session or asynchronously in a discussion board.
- Gallery walk-style activities can be recreated using shared Google Docs, Padlet boards, or discussion forums where students contribute key syllabus takeaways.
- Podcast versions of the syllabus can be recorded using Notebook LM, making it more accessible for students who prefer audio content.
By making small adjustments, these interactive techniques can work just as effectively in an online environment, ensuring that students engage with the syllabus while also building a sense of community within the virtual classroom.

By using these interactive strategies, you can transform the syllabus from a passive document into an engaging, community-building tool. Whether through annotation activities, polling questions, collaborative discussions, or creative formats like podcasts, these approaches help students actively engage with course expectations while fostering a sense of connection with their peers. When students feel involved from the start, they are more likely to participate, ask questions, and take ownership of their learning. Creating a welcoming and interactive syllabus experience not only ensures students understand the course structure but also sets the tone for a supportive and engaging classroom environment—both in-person and online.

Dr. Joanne Ricevuto is the Assistant Vice President for Instructional Success, overseeing faculty programming at her institution and leading professional development workshops on key topics in higher education. She also serves as the managing editor for the Office of Instructional Success website. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, she has taught as a professor of early childhood education and has authored numerous articles on virtual learning and student engagement. She is also the co-author of Engaging Virtual Environments: Creative Ideas and Online Tools to Promote Student Interaction, Participation, and Active Learning.

References

Elberly, M. B., Newton, S. E., & Wiggins, R. A. (2001). The syllabus as a tool for learner-centered learning. The Journal of General Education, 50, 56–74.

Ricevuto, J. & McLaughlin, L. (2022). Engaging virtual environments: Creative ideas and online tools to promote student interaction, participation, and active learning. Stylus Publishing.

Richmond A. S. (2016). Constructing a learner-centered syllabus: One professor’s journey. IDEA paper #60. IDEA Center, Inc.

Roberto, M. (2021, April 9). Engaging students on the first day and every day: 7 strategies for connecting in the classroom. Harvard Business Publishing Education.
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February 26, 2025
Students making changes on transport
Before being elected as a sabbatical officer, I was a commuter student at my university for 5 years.

Over that time, the price of the single student ticket increased gradually from £1 to £1.70. It doesn’t sound like a lot but it soon adds up.

It had a huge impact on my studies. I reduced the number of days I spent on campus as I often did not have the funds to afford it. Eventually, I had to find a part-time job to cover the costs which were easily in their hundreds for each year.

In 2021, following a campaign from youth activists, the “Zoom pass” was introduced in Sheffield, a travel pass often advertised to students that offers discounted tickets and fares to 18–21-year-olds. Sadly, I was already too old.

I watched the service get drastically reduced, the timetable became more inconsistent and the prices of student tickets got increasingly more expensive. And on top of all this – the bus would never even arrive on time.

Commuter students are entitled to the same learning opportunities and experiences that university offers.

Commuter students make up a large proportion of our student population at Sheffield Hallam. In fact, we make up over 55 per cent. Add to the mix that 57 per cent of our students are also mature and more students are working than ever and you’re left with a huge cohort of students who are struggling to afford to attend teaching on campus and who are too busy and tired to engage in campaigning.

The university has made steps to adapt to the needs of our diverse student body – a move towards more online or hybrid teaching, a condensed timetable with longer hours over fewer days. But students are still struggling. The solution must be to make transport cheaper.

Time to campaign

In the last academic year, Hallam Students’ Union launched its third iteration of the cost of living survey and its results were damning.

We created a set of recommendations that would enable us to develop student support and lobby for positive change, at a local and national level, to help ease the burden on our students.

For our “Cheaper Transport Campaign,” we committed to lobbying the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), those responsible for economic development, transport and regeneration of South Yorkshire, for cheaper transport for students.

We want:
1. The Combined Authority to make the “Zoom pass” available to all students across South Yorkshire, regardless of age, on buses and trams
2. A reduction in fares overall
In the meantime, we promoted our campaign on our social media platforms, asking students to share their commuter experiences, with the help of a small cash incentive – the winner having the next few months of their travel expenses paid for.

Eventually, with thanks to our Vice Chancellor, we were finally able to set up a meeting with our officer team and the South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard in October. We discussed all the good stuff: the importance of affordable transport for Hallam students, the student testimonies we had collected, as well as the requests laid out in our campaign.

Since our meeting, the Mayor has opened a public consultation on taking back control of South Yorkshire’s buses through franchising. Bus franchising will give SYMCA powers to decide what routes buses take, when and where they operate, the quality and reliability of the service, as well as the price of fares.

With decentralised decision-making, things can happen faster – local people better understand local issues and can find local solutions.

Ten foot testimony

We began brainstorming how to engage commuter students, including students that use public transport to travel to placements, with the public consultation. But public consultations are boring and commuter students are time poor.

We needed to mobilise, build student support and solidarity to get people to engage with public policy decision-makers and sign the consultation. How do you get students to be active citizens in the local transport agenda?

I enlisted my good friend and fellow artist, Johnsey, to help us facilitate an outreach event to garner some energy, excitement or at least some interest around bus franchising.

The ten foot testimony, we would call it. We secured a huge piece of paper on the floor, in the entrance of our main university building, inviting students to write their public transport experiences.

It was really simple, and I was worried students simply wouldn’t care. Fortunately, passers-by wanted to contribute (staff included) and the ten foot testimony became twenty feet in no time at all.

While the testimony itself is no good to the Mayor, we had the opportunity to speak to so many students, encouraging them to sign the consultation.

We successfully managed to engage students in the conversation, had a fun time doing it, and now have a lovely, long and bright piece of documentation to show for it.

Many students feel disenfranchised when it comes to decision making in their towns and cities. We firmly believe that they should have an active say in how decisions are made and how it impacts them.

Next stop, success

The public consultation closed a few weeks ago, and it might be a while before we hear the official result and the following decisions made on bus franchising.

Recently, one of our largest bus providers in Sheffield, First Buses, announced that they would be keeping the price of the student single fare at £1.50, following the bus fare cap rising. Not only that, but they extended the eligibility of the student ticket for all of South Yorkshire, not just Sheffield. We are hopeful that Stagecoach will follow suit.

By making commuter students visible, we were able to gather their voice and campaign for more affordable and accessible travel. Whilst we’re not there yet, we’ve engaged students as active citizens in transport policy and displayed the benefits of devolution in practice.

When it comes to decision making on transport, universities and their student unions can play a huge part in lobbying for an improved commuter student experience. It’s easy for their voices to go amiss in policy making when they are time poor, busy, not on campus or simply don’t think anything will happen fast but the sector can play a role in empowering students to have a more accessible, affordable and sustainable commuter student experience. It’s not just limited to the classroom, it’s also about getting there.

This blog is part of our series on commuter students, click here to read more.
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February 26, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Ombudsman on what universities can do better now to support students

UTS chancellor Catherine Livingstone told universities they need to rely less on public funding. Picture: UA

By: Erin Morley

in Funding, Policy & Reform, Politics, Top Stories

February 26, 2025

The National Student Ombudsman (NSO) First Assistant Ombudsman Sarah Bendall has revealed details of the 220-or-so student complaints she has received in the first three weeks of operation.

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February 26, 2025
Mary O’Kane to lead ATEC from July, UA chief’s pitch to press

Professor O’Kane will lead ATEC from July. Picture: Cath Piltz

By: Erin Morley

in Policy & Reform, Politics, Top Stories

February 26, 2025

The chair of the Australian Universities Accord is to lead the yet-to-be-established Australian Tertiary Education Commission, Education Minister Jason Clare revealed on Wednesday night.

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February 26, 2025
2024 Shaping Australia award winners announced

The Future Builder award winners. Picture: UA

By: Erin Morley

in Features, Top Stories, Workforce

February 26, 2025

Researchers who developed coffee ground-infused concrete, a rust disease cure for wheat crops and an intellectual-disability friendly playground took home a Universities Australia Shaping Australia award on Tuesday night.

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February 26, 2025
VICTORY: Mississippi town votes to drop lawsuit that had forced newspaper to take down editorial

CLARKSDALE, Miss., Feb. 25, 2025 — After receiving widespread condemnation for obtaining a temporary restraining order that forced Mississippi’s Clarksdale Press Register to take down an editorial critical of the city, Clarksdale’s Board of Mayor and Commissioners voted Monday to drop the lawsuit.

Last week, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression first called national attention to the plight of the Press Register after the city sued the small-town Coahoma County newspaper to force it to take down an editorial criticizing local officials. On Friday, FIRE agreed to defend the Press Register, its editor, and parent company in court to have the unconstitutional restraining order lifted.

“The implications of this case go beyond one Mississippi town censoring its paper of record,” said FIRE attorney David Rubin. “If the government can get a court order silencing mere questions about its decisions, the First Amendment rights of all Americans are in jeopardy.”

By Monday, Clarksdale’s Board had convened, voted not to continue with the lawsuit, and filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with the court. That means the city’s suit is over and with it the restraining order preventing the Press Register from publishing its editorial.

“While we are relieved the city has voted to drop its vindictive lawsuit, it doesn’t unring this bell,” Rubin said. “The Press Register is exploring its options to ensure that the city refrains from blatantly unconstitutional censorship in the future.”

The controversy began when the city of Clarksdale held an impromptu meeting on Feb. 4 to discuss sending a resolution asking the state legislature to let it levy a 2% tax on products like tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. By state law, cities must notify the media when they hold such irregular “special-called meetings,” but the Press Register did not receive any notice.

In response, the Press Register blasted the city in an editorial titled “Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust,” and questioned their motive for freezing out the press. “Have commissioners or the mayor gotten kick-back from the community?” the editorial asked. “Until Tuesday we had not heard of any. Maybe they just want a few nights in Jackson to lobby for this idea – at public expense.”

“For over a hundred years, the Press Register has served the people of Clarksdale by speaking the truth and printing the facts,” said Wyatt Emmerich, president of Emmerich Newspapers. “We didn’t earn the community’s trust by backing down to politicians, and we didn’t plan on starting now.”

Rather than taking their licks, the Clarksdale Board of Commissioners made a shocking move by voting to sue the Press Register, its editor and publisher Floyd Ingram, and its parent company Emmerich Newspapers for “libel.” Last Tuesday, Judge Martin granted ex parte – that is, without hearing from the Press Register – the city’s motion for a temporary restraining order to force it to take down the editorial.

By silencing the Press Register before they could even challenge Clarksdale’s claims, Judge Martin’s ruling represented a clear example of a “prior restraint,” a serious First Amendment violation. Before the government can force the removal of any speech, the First Amendment rightly demands a determination whether it fits into one of the limited categories of unprotected speech or otherwise withstands judicial scrutiny. Otherwise, the government has carte blanche to silence speech in the days, months, or even years it takes to get a final ruling that the speech was actually protected.

Judge Martin’s decision was even more surprising given that Clarksdale’s lawsuit had several obvious and fatal flaws. Most glaringly, the government itself cannot sue citizens for libel. As the Supreme Court reaffirmed in the landmark 1964 case New York Times v. Sullivan, “no court of last resort in this country has ever held, or even suggested, that prosecutions for libel on government have any place in the American system of jurisprudence.”

But even if the Clarksdale commissioners had sued in their personal capacities, Sullivan also established that public officials have to prove not just that a newspaper made an error, but that it did so with “actual malice,” defined as “knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false.” Clarksdale’s lawsuit didn’t even attempt to prove the Press Register editorial met that standard.

Finally, libel requires a false statement of fact. But the Press Register’s broadside against city officials was an opinion piece that expressed the opinion that there could be unsavory reasons for the city’s lack of candor. The only unique statement of fact expressed in the editorial — that Clarksdale failed to meet the legal obligation to inform the media of its meeting — was confirmed by the city itself in its legal filings.

“If asking whether a politician might be corrupt was libel, virtually every American would be bankrupt,” said FIRE attorney Josh Bleisch. “For good reason, courts have long held that political speech about government officials deserves the widest latitude and the strongest protection under the First Amendment. That’s true from the White House all the way down to your local councilman.”

Like many clumsy censorship attempts, Clarksdale’s lawsuit against the Press Register backfired spectacularly by outraging the public and making the editorial go viral. After FIRE’s advocacy, the small Mississippi town’s lawsuit received coverage from the New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News, and CNN, and condemnation from national organizations like Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Other Mississippi newspapers have stepped up and published the editorial in their own pages to ensure its preservation.

“If the board had grumbled and gone about their day, this whole brouhaha wouldn’t have traveled far outside our town,” said Emmerich. “But when they tried to censor us, the eyes of the nation were on Clarksdale and millions heard about our editorial. Let this be a lesson: if you try to silence one voice in America, a hundred more will take up the call.”

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.

CONTACT:

Alex Griswold, Communications Campaign Manager, FIRE: 215-717-3473; [email protected]

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February 25, 2025
AI Jumpstart Webinar | Collegis Education
AI is the latest buzzword in higher ed, but without a clear strategy and solid data, institutions risk overinvesting in additional products, platforms, and applications they can’t fully support or operationalize. Instead, take a step back and ask, “What’s the impact I want to achieve, and how can AI fit or support my broader goals?”

AI Jumpstart Kit
How to Build Toward IMPACT with AI in Higher Ed
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm (Eastern) / 1:00 pm (Central)

In this webinar, AI Jumpstart Kit: How to Build Toward IMPACT with AI in Higher Ed, Collegis Education’s AVP of Analytics & Technology Solutions, Dan Antonson, and Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation, Wes Catlett-Miller, will guide attendees through an interactive discussion about how to approach key use cases with AI in higher education. We’ll whiteboard out what an AI-enabled institution can look like, how it all works, and live demo actual AI initiatives Collegis has deployed for its partners.

No clunky PowerPoint slides. Just a clear path for approaching AI enablement.
What you’ll walk away with

A thorough understanding of how AI fits into the broader ecosystem (add-ons vs. platform)

A model for making decisions on when to build and when to buy

A clear understanding of the role tech and data play in AI enablement

Who should attend:

Presidents + Provosts

CFOs + COOs + CMOs

Enrollment + Marketing leaders
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February 25, 2025
Modern Learners, Modern Strategies: The New Rules of Engagement
Brett is a working professional with a packed schedule, balancing career growth with personal responsibilities. He knows that advancing in his field requires new skills and credentials, but he needs a program that fits his life, one that is flexible, aligned with his career and worth the investment. Brett is just one example of Modern Learner, a growing population of students who prioritize efficiency, affordability and real-world outcomes in their education.

Higher education has undergone a decade of transformation, from evolving enrollment patterns to advancements in technology and changing student expectations. As the landscape continues evolves, so do the behaviors and preferences of students like Brett—giving rise to the Modern Learner.

EducationDynamics’ latest report, “Engaging the Modern Learner: The 2025 Report on the Preferences and Behaviors Shaping Higher Ed,” examines these emerging trends. For over a decade, we have tracked student behavior and preferences, adapting our research to reflect the evolving higher education environment. Previously known as the Online College Students Report, this study has expanded in scope to provide a more comprehensive understanding of Modern Learners and their needs.

Explore the most significant changes over the past ten years, key findings from our research and actionable strategies to help higher education leaders challenge the status quo and drive innovative outcomes.

How Have Student Behaviors and Preferences Changed in the Last Decade?

Student search, decision-making, and engagement behaviors have shifted significantly over the past decade. Strategies that once drove enrollment may no longer be as effective, requiring institutions to adapt. By examining these changes, we can identify emerging patterns that will shape the future of higher education.

Modern Learners Expect Immediate Admit Decisions

With greater access to information through technology, prospective students are making decisions faster than ever before. As a result, Modern Learners expect rapid responses from institutions. In 2015, 43% of fully online learners said that they would enroll at the first school that contacted them. By 2025, the urgency has increased significantly, with nearly 75% of online learners indicating that they would enroll in the first school that admits them. This shift underscores the growing need for institutions to streamline their admissions processes, ensuring quick response times and efficient decision-making to remain competitive in enrolling Modern Learners.

Search Initializes at the Brand Level

Student search behavior is another trend that has faced a significant shift in recent years, with more students starting their search by focusing on schools rather than specific programs.

Recent data reveals that 58% of respondents begin their search by considering schools first. This trend is even more pronounced among online learners, where approximately 60% prioritize finding a school before narrowing down their program options. Following school, the next most common search is subject area, with students increasingly exploring broader categories before selecting a specific program.

Given this shift, higher education marketing strategies need to reflect an approach that encompasses both promotion of programs and the institution itself. As prospective students often initiate their search with a school-focused mindset, schools must position their brand clearly to effectively engage and capture early interest, which will guide students towards relevant programs as they progress through the enrollment funnel.

AI Impacts Consideration Sets

The adoption of AI tools, such as website chatbots and on-demand engagement platforms, has grown steadily over the past decade. Recent data highlights notable increases in the use of chatbots. In 2015, only about 15% of online learners engaged with website chatbots or live chat agents. Now, in 2025, that number has more than doubled, reaching 30% of fully online students.

Moreover, students increasingly turn to AI tools like Search Generative Experience (SGE) for answers to critical questions about schools and their offerings, with 37% of Modern Learners using AI for information gathering. As students refine their consideration sets, AI-driven engagement tools provide timely and relevant information, making them a key touchpoint in the decision-making process. The growing reliance on these platforms calls for institutions to employ the use of informative and accessible AI tools to offer students seamless support throughout their research and decision-making processes.

Preference and Acceptance of Online Modality has Increased

It’s no secret that in the past decade, online education has not only gained traction but has become the preferred education modality for a growing population of students. In 2015, only 32% of fully online students believed their online education was better than their previous classroom study. However, that number has more than doubled for today’s respondents. 71% of online learners express a preference for online higher education experiences when compared to classroom education, indicating a fundamental change in student expectations and satisfaction with digital learning environments.

Engaging the Modern Learner

At EducationDynamics, our research continually seeks to understand the evolving needs of students. Through years of research and emerging insights from our 2025 survey, a clear picture of the Modern Learner has emerged—one defined by a focus on flexibility, career, and a desire for personalized education experiences. Modern Learners are not only looking to complete a degree, they also aim to shape their own learning journeys in ways that align with their personal and professional goals.

Shared Demands and Preferences

Despite their diverse backgrounds, Modern Learners share several key expectations. They prioritize affordability, flexible learning formats and responsive support. If their needs aren’t met, they will quickly seek alternative options. This shift in expectations means that institutions need to rethink how they attract, engage and support students. Meeting the Modern Learner where they are is no longer optional; it is essential for long-term success.

The Power of Brand & Reputation

A strong institutional brand plays a crucial role in the student decision-making process. As students begin their search with a school-focused mindset, a well-established reputation can be the deciding factor in where they apply. In fact, reputation ranked as the third most influential factor in application decisions, cited by 31% of students overall and 51% of traditional undergraduates, in our 2025 survey. To remain competitive, institutions must build a credible and respected brand that not only attracts prospective students but also reinforces trust and long-term value throughout their educational journey.

Value and Affordability

While cost is a significant consideration for Modern Learners, affordability alone doesn’t drive enrollment decisions. A well-rounded value proposition plays an equally important role. Our research shows that 46% of students cite tuition cost as a critical factor, but other factors like program relevance to careers, flexibility, and reputation also weigh heavily in their decision-making process.

Supporting students with financial literacy is crucial, as 38% of students identify it as a helpful resource during the enrollment process. By clearly communicating both affordability and long-term value such as career outcomes, program flexibility and personalized support, schools can resonate with the priorities of cost-conscious, value-driven Modern Learners.

The Importance of Career Focus

For Modern Learners, education is a direct pathway to career advancement. Regardless of age or background, they share a strong motivation to upskill quickly and gain credentials that lead to tangible career outcomes. This focus on career alignment is evident, with 20% of Modern Learners citing a program’s relevance to their career as a determining factor in their enrollment decision.

The Modern Learner Survey reveals that 76% of students feel their institution clearly outlines potential career paths related to their program. While this is positive, gaps remain. Traditional undergraduates are the most informed, with 84% receiving clear career guidance, compared to 73% of non-traditional students and 77% of graduate students. These gaps highlight the need for institutions to consistently communicate career values across all Modern Learner segments, ensuring they understand how their education supports their professional goals.

The Demand for Flexible Learning Models

Flexibility is no longer an educational preference; it is a necessity for Modern Learners. As today’s students move away from traditional classroom modalities and increasingly seek flexible environments, institutions must invest in program models that accommodate careers and family commitments.

When deciding where to apply, 31% of Modern Learners cited flexible course schedules as a key factor. This need is particularly evident among graduate students, who are more likely to be balancing family and work responsibilities. While 53% of respondents do not have children under 18 at home, a notable portion are managing family commitments in addition to their studies. Among fully online students, the number of children at home has increased by 15%, reinforcing the growing demand for learning models that complement busy schedules.

The Role of AI and Social Media

AI and social media play an increasingly important role in shaping student decisions. Social media is no longer merely an avenue for entertainment; it has evolved into a tool for student engagement and research throughout the entire decision-making process. With students interacting across multiple platforms daily, schools must harness these channels to stay visible and relevant as students progress through the consideration phase. To successfully leverage social media, marketing teams should prioritize creating dynamic, visually engaging experiences, particularly through video content, which resonates strongly with Modern Learners.

At the same time, AI enhances this by personalizing interactions and providing real-time insights into student preferences, helping institutions refine their marketing strategies. With the rise of generative AI tools, nearly 70% of Modern Learners now use AI in some capacity, including AI chatbots like ChatGPT, to assist their search for school information. Approximately 37% use these tools specifically to gather information about schools, with tuition fees (57%), course offerings (51%), and admission requirements (43%) being the most sought-after details. This highlights the opportunity for schools to integrate AI into their marketing strategies to provide comprehensive, accessible information that supports prospective students with their enrollment decision.
Modern Strategies to Engage the Modern Learner

As the needs and expectations of students continue to evolve, it’s important for institutions to adapt in ways that truly serve and support Modern Learners. Here are actionable steps to create a personalized, student-centered experience that fosters trust and drives success.

Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making: Modern Learners expect personalized experiences, and data is the key to delivering them. Through leveraging market research and insights, like those from the 2025 Modern Learner Report, institutions can better understand student preferences and behaviors. To turn those insights into action, invest in tools for data collection and analysis that allow for continuous improvement and refinement.

Build a Strong and Authentic Brand: A cohesive and authentic brand is integral to connecting with students. Focus on building a positive online experience that bolsters brand visibility, while garnering trust that your institution can provide timely and reliable information that students seek.

Prioritize Career Outcomes: Career outcomes are top of mind for students as they consider their educational investment. Make career pathways clear by showcasing programs, internship opportunities, alumni success stories and career counseling services to help students see the tangible benefits of their degree.

Create Flexible and Personalized Learning Pathways: Flexibility is essential for meeting the diverse needs of Modern Learners. Offer programs with adaptable schedules and learning formats, allowing students to choose a pathway that best aligns their lifestyle and goals.

Optimize the Digital Experience (Especially Websites and Al): An engaging digital experience is critical to attracting and retaining students. Through regular website updates and the integration of AI-powered tools to offer support, institutions can streamline the user experience to ensure a smooth journey from inquiry to enrollment.

Enhance Communication Speed: Modern Learners expect timely and informative responses and are quicker to make decisions than in years past. Adopt tools that provide real-time communication capabilities, such as chatbots or automated updates, to keep students engaged and informed throughout the enrollment process.

Develop a Dynamic Social Media Strategy: Social media is a powerful tool for building connections and increasing brand awareness among Modern Learners. With platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube playing a major role in their online engagement, video content is especially effective in capturing their attention. By understanding your audience’s media habits and aligning your content with platforms they use the most, you can deliver the right message at the right time, keeping your institution top of mind.

Don’t Forget About the Human Touch: While technology undoubtedly plays a significant role in modern times, students still seek personal connections. Ensure that students can engage with advisors, staff, or faculty to guide them through the enrollment process, while providing the support they need.

Aligning with Modern Learners: A New Era in Enrollment

In this evolving landscape, Modern Learners are placing greater emphasis on career relevance, affordability, and flexibility, demanding more from their education than ever before. The findings from the Modern Learner Survey underscore the importance of aligning educational programs with career paths, improving financial transparency, and providing tailored support to meet diverse needs. The time is now for higher education leaders to challenge outdated enrollment strategies that no longer resonate with today’s highly discerning, cost-conscious, and value-focused students.

To navigate these changes effectively, institutions must adopt innovative, data-driven strategies that speak directly to the Modern Learner’s priorities. For a deeper dive into these insights and actionable recommendations, explore the full “Engaging the Modern Learner” report today.
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February 25, 2025
Jon Stewart Reworks Trump & Elon’s Sweeping DOGE Budget Cuts (The Daily Show)

Higher Education Inquirer : Jon Stewart Reworks Trump & Elon’s Sweeping DOGE Budget Cuts (The Daily Show)

Jon Stewart Reworks Trump & Elon’s Sweeping DOGE Budget Cuts (The Daily Show)

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February 25, 2025
Facing NIH cuts, colleges restrict grad student admissions

Several colleges and universities are pausing admissions to some graduate programs, reducing class sizes or rescinding offers to students in an effort to cut costs amid uncertainty in federal funding.

The disruption to graduate school admissions is the latest cost-cutting move for colleges. After the National Institutes of Health proposed cutting reimbursements for costs related to research, several colleges and universities said they would pause hiring and cut spending, Inside Higher Ed previously reported. (A federal judge has blocked the NIH plan from taking effect for now.)

In recent days, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania and several other institutions have stopped doctoral admissions, at least temporarily. Some colleges are pausing admissions to some programs such as in the biomedical sciences, Stat News reported. At others, the pause is universitywide. The University of Southern California and Vanderbilt University temporarily paused graduate student admissions, though both universities later said that they’d ended the pause.

A University of Pittsburgh spokesperson told WESA, a local NPR station, that the university “temporarily paused additional Ph.D. offers of admission until the impacts of that [NIH] cap were better understood … the University is in the process of completing that analysis and expects to be in a position to resume offers soon.”

Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania is planning to cut graduate admissions rates, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported, citing an email from the interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Jeffrey Kallberg, who wrote that the cuts were a “necessary cost-saving measure” to adjust to the NIH proposal.

“This is not a step any of us wanted to take,” Kallberg wrote, according to the Daily Penn. “We recognize that graduate students are central to the intellectual life of our school—as researchers, teachers, collaborators, and future scholars. However, we must ensure that we can continue to provide strong support for those students currently in our programs and sustain the school’s core teaching and research activities.”

Tom Kimbis, executive director of the National Postdoctoral Association, wrote in an email to Inside Higher Ed that academic institutions reliant on federal funding “are being forced to make tough decisions to support these researchers in a difficult environment.”

“The decisions in Washington to pause or cease funding for science and research is impacting early-career researchers across a wide range of disciplines,” Kimbis added. “Slowing or stopping their work, on topics from cancer and Alzheimer’s research to social science issues, hurts Americans in all 50 states.”

In the last week, some faculty began tracking the reductions in the biomedical sciences via a shared spreadsheet that includes verified cuts and unverified decisions based on word of mouth and internal emails. Faculty on social media said the cuts will have long-term ramifications for sciences as fewer students enter the field. On TikTok, several students who had applied to grad school shared their dismay at how the funding cuts meant they might have to say goodbye to their career plans and research.

Accepting graduate students, particularly for Ph.D. programs and in the biomedical sciences, requires universities to make a long-term financial commitment, which is more difficult now that the NIH has stopped making new grant awards and is aiming to cut funds. Colleges receive billions from the NIH to support research. If the proposed rate cuts move forward, institutions say they would have to shut down some labs and lay off employees.

“University research and scholarship operate on a time scale of years and decades,” the Rutgers AAUP-AFT chapter wrote in a letter to New Jersey senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim. “Higher education would become impossible in the face of capricious and arbitrary withholding of funding, elimination of entire areas of grant support for critical scientific research, and cancellation of long-held contracts.”

They went on to warn that the threat to funding would diminish the country’s strength as a research superpower. “The best scientists, the best scholars, and the best students will make the rational decision to take their talents elsewhere. Once lost, the historic excellence of United States universities, including world-leading institutions in New Jersey, both public and private, will not be easily regained.”

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February 25, 2025