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  • AI Can Facilitate Mastery Learning in Higher Education

    AI Can Facilitate Mastery Learning in Higher Education

    Learning in contemporary higher education is rooted deeply in calendars and time rather than mastery of the topic of the learning. With an inflexible semester or quarter calendar and an often-inflexible schedule and length of meeting times, learners are marched through the system in the orderly method of an assembly line.

    As long as I have taught at the university level, beginning in the early 1970s, I have questioned this approach that puts time scheduling ahead of depth of learning. It seems to put teaching schedules ahead of learning outcomes. I must confess that over the decades, I have been an easy touch for an incomplete for a student who encountered some unforeseen life disruption or simply took on more than she or he could handle during the semester. My philosophy has been and still is that what is learned is more important than whether it was accomplished in eight weeks, 16 weeks or even longer.

    I am not alone in that view. Back in the 1960s, one of learning’s highly recognized scholars, Benjamin Bloom, probed this very issue: “Bloom’s Learning for Mastery (LFM) strategy evolved and was later on implemented in primary and secondary school settings.” Meanwhile, psychologist Fred Keller developed his Personalized System of Instruction focused on five key principles:

    1. Students should be allowed to work at their own pace.
    2. Students should achieve at least 90 percent accuracy on the assessment before moving to the next lesson.
    3. Lessons should be considered as “vehicles of motivation.”
    4. Teachers and students should consider using written communication in textbooks and study guides.
    5. Teachers and students should get closer through repeated testing, immediate scoring, continuous tutoring and progress tracking.

    These five principles cannot be easily integrated into classes that march forward with a rigid class calendar based on three 50-minute class meetings for 15 weeks! However, recent technological developments have opened the door to reinventing higher education from the assembly-line model to an online, asynchronous, tutor-enhanced, mastery-based learning model.

    To understand the differences between traditional teaching and mastery learning, one can best describe that our current practices place an emphasis on time-based teaching, while in mastery learning, the emphasis is, as the name suggests, on learning. Note that in Keller’s PSI approach, the goal is 90 percent or better learning as evidenced through frequent assessments required to move forward to the next module in the class.

    The PSI stresses personalized scaffolding of learning and evidence of mastery throughout the course, whereas our current common mode of delivery views the class as a whole rather than recognizing differences in background and learning by individuals. Inevitably, the current approach penalizes students for unintended, unrecognized shortcomings in understanding caused by any of a number of circumstances, such as prior knowledge deficits in some aspect of that which they are studying, poorly taught prerequisite or assumed previously taken classes, unanticipated life interventions, or some other inability to learn essential class concepts that had not been anticipated in the development and design of the class.

    If, instead, we were to create personalized learning intervention opportunities at every step of the way that are designed to be responsive to the needs of individual learners on a minimum of learning 90 percent of every module, we could ensure a minimum of mastery of 90 percent of the materials in every class.

    Artificial intelligence employed in an asynchronous or blended online class opens the pathway to mastery learning. An instructor can experiment with this process by folding this prompt into one or two modules of a class. Released by There’s an AI for That (TAAFT) it is a free and openly available prompt that can be inserted into any of the major frontier models, such as Gemini, ChatGPT or Claude. Titled Precision Learning Companion, the prompt is introduced:

    “This prompt turns AI into an ultra-detailed, dynamic personal tutor that doesn’t just quiz, it teaches deeply, layer by layer, until the user genuinely masters the material. It’s built to adapt in real time, constantly diagnosing knowledge gaps, and never moving forward without full comprehension. Every answer, right or wrong, triggers a structured, narrative-style breakdown explaining the what, why, how, and broader context, ensuring true understanding. The AI is designed to feel like having a supportive but meticulous mentor who scaffolds learning: progressively challenging the user if they perform well, slowing down and simplifying if they struggle, and always reinforcing psychological safety through encouragement. It uses textually described visual aids, memory tricks, real-world examples, and step-by-step remediation when needed. Mastery, not speed, is the goal.”

    I encourage readers to test this out, to examine more closely the impact of using AI to deliver learning opportunities. It took me less than two minutes to get my module up and running:

    1. I copied and pasted the page-long prompt from the TAAFT.Notion site into Claude 4 for test purposes and pressed enter.
    2. I entered the topic as “human eye anatomy” (of course you can enter any topic that you might cover in a week or so in your current class schedule).
    3. I was then launched into a congenial conversation with the AI module that probed deeply into my knowledge of the topic in a pleasant and reinforcing way.
    4. I must admit that I was so engaged that I didn’t stop for more than an hour.

    You can begin by testing it on yourself and perhaps a colleague, teaching assistant or another willing participant. Choose a relevant topic. I chose “physiology of the human eye,” which was a basic module in all of the many Communication Technology classes I offered. I found the AI module to be accurate, comprehensive, reinforcing and clear. If you find that it shows promise, you might choose to use it in one of your classes. Invite your instructional designer to join in a discussion of how this might best be used in your classes. Note how it personalizes instruction for learners by sharing additional information, readings and related learning opportunities to backfill areas that learners who may be deficient in background and need context to relate to the course. You can ask learners to share a copy of the exchanges. They may also share brief reactions on the quality and usefulness of the interaction with AI.

    Over time, with the help of your instructional designer, you may want to go fully into mastery learning, ensuring that every student in your classes masters the material at a 90 percent level. In some cases, you may need to be flexible with offering incompletes to provide time for those who need to complete the additional material triggered by submission of wrong answers.

    I always had an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach when I submitted a C, D or F as a final grade. I felt that I had failed my student. However, I had a full classroom and there was not enough time or opportunity to provide individualized attention to each student. Perhaps the new generation of university instructors who partner with AI assistants will enjoy the confidence that all their learners will master the topic of the class with the help of AI. No learner will be left behind, and none will be victims of the assembly-line model of teaching in higher education.

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  • Texas A&M Professor Arrested on Indecent Exposure Charge

    Texas A&M Professor Arrested on Indecent Exposure Charge

    Johns was supposed to begin teaching at Texas A&M University this fall.

    Texas A&M University professor Russell Taylor Johns was arrested by university police last Wednesday following an allegation that he exposed himself at the University of Texas at Austin earlier this year, KBTX reported. 

    Johns, who hadn’t yet begun teaching but was hired to join Texas A&M’s Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering this fall, worked at UT Austin from 1995 to 2010 and was invited back to campus in April by its department of petroleum and geosciences. Court documents obtained by KBTX allege that Johns exposed his genitals and touched himself inappropriately at the UT Austin student center on April 29. A staff member told police that she saw Johns masturbate while looking at two female students sitting across from him.

    Johns previously taught in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

    Johns was booked at the Brazos County Detention Center and released on a $7,000 bond. His bond conditions require that he not contact the alleged victims or their families, refrain from committing additional offenses, and submit to random drug testing. In Texas, indecent exposure is a Class B misdemeanor and punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

    Texas A&M did not return Inside Higher Ed’s request for comment Tuesday. A university spokesperson told KSAT that the university was not aware of the allegation when Johns was hired and that he is currently suspended.

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  • Colleges Expect to Reduce Student Support Budgets

    Colleges Expect to Reduce Student Support Budgets

    College and university staff often bemoan that they’re being asked to do more with less, and a recent survey underscores that sentiment. Thirty percent of institutions surveyed by Tyton Partners expect decreases of greater than 2 percent to their student support budgets over the next three academic years, while fewer than 25 percent expect an increase in budgets.

    Financial pressures are tied in part to declining enrollments, as well as to changes in federal structures that reduce access to aid, according to the report.

    Eighty percent of institutions expect budgets for support services in enrollment and admissions to shrink, and 50 percent anticipate cuts to student support services. Other student-facing offices expecting declines are academic program delivery and innovation (33 percent), career readiness (29 percent), and research development and funding (20 percent).

    Threats to international student enrollment and visa complications could also significantly harm institutional resources and student success efforts; nearly 50 percent of four-year institutions cited international enrollment as critical to sustaining support budgets.

    Executive orders and state legislation limiting efforts to support specific racial, ethnic and gender minorities have also reduced institutional investment in identity-based programs. Forty-four percent of public four-year colleges have seen programming for affinity groups decrease over the past 12 months, compared to 28 percent of two-year colleges and 25 percent of private four-year colleges.

    While financial threats may hamper institutions’ ability to increase or scale offerings, a majority of student respondents said they’re not using the resources available on campus at this time anyway.

    Students say they don’t take advantage of the support offices because they don’t see the relevancy (42 percent), because they doubt the service would be helpful, have not needed the service or want to do things on their own. Thirty percent said the services were offered at inconvenient hours, lacked walk-in appointments or had no flexibility in modality.

    Methodology

    Tyton Partners’ “Driving Toward a Degree” report includes responses from 468 administrators, 1,100 front-line support staff members, 1,038 four-year students and 403 community college students. The study was fielded in the spring. Those at public four-year colleges made up the greatest share of respondents, followed by private four-year institutions and two-year colleges.

    Affordability: When administrators were asked how they’d respond to federal financial aid cuts during a time of financial constraint, 41 percent of public four-year colleges said they plan to expand institutional aid to offset students’ lost funding, compared to 25 percent of two-year colleges and 30 percent of private four-year institutions. Four-year private colleges and universities also reported re-evaluating enrollment strategies based on aid dependency, raising concerns about access for low-income students who may not be able to pay the full price of tuition, according to the report.

    Students say financial aid and support are critical to their retention; previous studies point to cost being one of the top reasons why a student leaves higher education. Over half of students (59 percent) in Tyton’s report said financial aid counseling is very important to their decision to re-enroll, compared to 52 percent who indicated academic registration was very important and 49 percent who cited mental health counseling.

    Staffing constraints: Retaining support staff is another challenge that institutions reported; over 60 percent say they’re having a hard time filling vacancies or face hiring freezes in support departments.

    For many students, academic advising is a cornerstone of success in higher education, but many departments are under stress due to high caseloads (42 percent) and frequent turnover in staff (31 percent), according to the report. Despite these headwinds, 74 percent of public four-year institutions and 72 percent of large institutions (those with more than 10,000 undergraduates) plan to increase the caseloads of staff members to recoup lost revenue.

    “Gaps in staffing directly erode advising capacity and quality,” the report authors wrote. “Our survey shows that advisers managing caseloads of 300 or more students are not only less able to engage regularly with those they serve but also more likely to leave their roles. This dynamic fuels a cycle of turnover and declining support quality, undermining institutions’ ability to sustain consistent, high-impact advising.”

    Other popular strategies institutions may employ to combat staffing challenges include reassigning duties across departments, reducing or delaying services, or shifting services to peer advisers or part-time staff members.

    To combat large caseloads, some institutions are considering implementing structured group advising sessions and developing flexible capacity for peak times, the survey noted.

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  • Public Media Cuts Could Limit Students’ Career Exploration

    Public Media Cuts Could Limit Students’ Career Exploration

    Student journalists have their fingerprints on more than 282 public radio or television stations across the country, providing behind-the-scenes support, working as on-screen talent or reporting in their local communities for broadcast content. But over $1 billion in federal budget cuts could reduce their opportunities for work-based learning, mentorship and paid internships.

    About 13 percent of the 319 NPR or PBS affiliates analyzed in a report from the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont operate similarly to teaching hospitals in that a core goal of the organization is to train college students. Nearly 60 percent of the stations “provide intensive, regular and ongoing opportunities for college students” to intern or engage with the station.

    Scott Finn, news adviser and instructor at the Center for Community News and author of the report, worries that the cuts to public media and higher education more broadly could hinder experiential learning for college students, prompting a need for additional investment or new forms of partnerships between the two groups.

    In July, Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public media stations including NPR and PBS. The cuts threaten the financial stability of many stations, some of which are directly affiliated with colleges and universities.

    Working at a public media station provides a variety of benefits for students, Finn said. In his courses, Finn partners with community outlets that will publish students’ stories, depending on the quality and content, which he says motivates students to submit better work.

    “Being published, being broadcast is important. The whole focus of the exercise changes,” Finn said. “It’s not just trying to please me as the instructor or a tick box for a grade. They have real-world consequences. Their story will have an impact. It will move people, it will change policy, and that knowledge them inspires them to work harder.”

    Most students want internship opportunities; a recent study by Strada found students rate paid internships as the most valuable experience for improving their standing as a candidate for future jobs. But nationally, there’s a shortage of available, high-quality internships compared to the number of students interested in participating, according to a 2024 report from the Business–Higher Education Forum.

    A Handshake survey from earlier this year found 12 percent of students in the survey didn’t have an internship before finishing their degree, largely because they lacked the time or weren’t selected for one.

    For interns or students working directly in the studio, partnering alongside career journalists also gives them access to a professional network and a career field they may not otherwise engage in.

    But student journalists aren’t the only ones who lose out when internship programs are cut.

    Emily Reddy serves as news director at WPSU, a PBS/NPR member station in central Pennsylvania associated with Penn State University. Reddy hosts a handful of student reporting interns throughout the calendar year, training them to write, record and broadcast stories relevant to the community.

    “[Interns] bring an energy to the newsroom,” Reddy shared. “They’re enthusiastic. They are excited to go out to some board meeting that no one else wants to go to. They bring us stories that we wouldn’t know about otherwise.”

    WPSU uses a variety of funding sources to pay student interns, including endowed scholarships at the university and donated funds. But like many other stations, WPSU is facing its own cuts. Earlier this year, Penn State reduced funding to the station by $800,000, or around 9 percent of the station’s total budget. That resulted in a cut of $400,000 from CPB.

    In response, WPSU shrank its full-time head count, laying off five staff members and cutting hours for three. Roles vacated by retirements were left unfilled. In October, the station will lose around $1.3 million as a result of the federal cuts, though Reddy doesn’t know what the full impact will be on staffing.

    WPSU had planned to increase its internship offerings, and Reddy is still hopeful that will happen. However, the laid-off personnel were among those responsible for managing learners.

    “The big thing that I’m concerned about working with students is that you can’t just have the students; somebody has to train them, somebody has to edit them, somebody has to voice coach them and clean up their productions,” Reddy said.

    About 12 percent of the stations in the Center for Community News’s report don’t sponsor interns, and they pointed to budget cuts as a key reason why. For stations experiencing financial pressures, Finn hopes newsrooms find creative ways to keep students involved in creating stories, including classroom partnerships or faculty editors who trim and refine stories. Universities are uniquely positioned to assist in this work, Finn said, because they have more resources than public stations and have a strong motivation to place students in successful internship programs.

    “This is a really important time for universities to double down on their relationship with public media stations and not walk away from it,” Finn said. “A lot of [stations] are these underutilized resources, in terms of student engagement and student learning.”

    Finn also says alumni and other supporters of student learning and public media can help to fill in gaps in funding, whether that’s supporting a paid full-time faculty role to serve as a liaison between students and stations or to endow internship dollars.

    “If public media stations are important to student success, then university advancement has to embrace the public media station as a part of its mission and help raise money for it,” Finn said.

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  • How to Be Interim Dean and Make an Impact (opinion)

    How to Be Interim Dean and Make an Impact (opinion)

    A little more than a year ago, I was appointed interim dean of my college. My predecessor had left us abruptly, and as a former school chair and senior associate dean, I was a predictable choice. Here are some recommendations based on this unexpected journey.

    Before You Even Begin

    Ask your provost to add the option of applying for the dean position to your appointment letter, just in case. I did but soon determined I would not be a candidate. I had become too much of an insider over the prior 13 years to be the improvement agent I thought my college needed. In my experience, external hires are better at bringing about critical change because they arrive without a set reputation and entrenched expectations. The fact that several colleagues encouraged me to apply for the position made clear to me that many people wanted things to stay the same. Many of them seemed to say, “We know you, and we know you won’t rock the boat.”

    Seek the Fellowship of Staff

    As an interim dean, more so than a full-term dean, you quickly need to earn the respect and goodwill of the college staff, associate deans, chairs and directors. I received buy-in by acknowledging that the continued success of the college didn’t depend on me as “decider in chief,” but on the hands-on collaboration from everyone. Send clear signals that “it’s the team, not the dean.”

    ‘Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost’

    I participated in a formal orientation for new administrators by the University System of Georgia about legal, organizational and leadership matters. Other than that, I was mostly left to my own devices, especially when it came to prioritizing among the numerous events and meetings to which a dean gets invited. I ended up wandering into events at which I was the only dean, but ironically this earned me much fortuitous appreciation. When requesting a meeting with a newly elected Faculty Senate leader, they told me my kind of outreach was unheard-of. We had a great convo over a double espresso, and I learned loads about faculty concerns and hopes.

    Seek the Fellowship of Other Deans

    Deans operate at the intersection between senior leadership and department chair, and being wedged in the middle makes for good collegial collaboration. My fellow deans communicated swiftly and reliably and shared draft documents, and we often managed to speak with a common voice on issues. I reciprocated their support by creating a fancy name (“Veritable Decanalia”) for our monthly social gatherings at a hotel bar.

    Don’t Be Interim

    Don’t think of yourself as a placeholder who just keeps the trains running. You are, in fact, the dean, and it’s OK to improve upon your predecessor’s strategies. While you should think twice about too many radical changes (for example, to your college’s reporting structure), feel free to add your own signature. In my case, the signature moves had to do with a focus on student success. For example, two months after taking charge, I adjusted existing budget priorities based on recent data and moved 40 percent of new funding to support graduate education. I also convinced the college advisory board members to become a “giving board” and help fund additional need-based dean’s scholarships for undergraduate students.

    Finally, I surprised everyone by organizing a Year of the Liberal Arts at my STEM-focused university. Such activities can amplify your college’s reputation, and more so when nobody expects this level of activity while an interim person is dean. And they signal to prospective dean candidates that your college is a vibrant place they might want to join.

    And: Be Interim

    Does that sound contradictory? Well, the temporary nature of your appointment can increase the success of your successor if you take care of essential housekeeping items before they arrive. Your successor should not, as one of their first actions, be obliged to impose a spending freeze on a department whose chair overspent by several hundred thousand dollars, and they should not have to press a unit into a memorandum of understanding to return to their contractually mandated (but clandestinely lowered) teaching load. It’s easier for you to repair such matters, and the new dean can begin their work without turning into Draco, the enforcer.

    Over all, heed Gandalf’s advice from The Lord of the Rings for your interim appointment: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” If being constantly reminded of the limited nature of the position bothers you, don’t go for this kind of job. My appointment as interim dean was announced at the same time as the timeline and details for the search committee to replace me; the search process ran simultaneously with my daily work, and an eager staff member changed the nameplate outside my office door two weeks before I moved out. So it goes.

    If you enjoy, for a window of six months to one year, improving the conditions within which students, staff and faculty may thrive, jump at the chance. Your rewards include a steep learning curve and a better understanding of your own institution and higher education in general.

    Of course, while you are on this exhilarating journey of servant leadership, start planning early on for the time after your appointment ends. I admit to having a momentary feeling of relief about moving out of a position that included, especially since January 2025, more political and budgetary emergencies than I had bargained for. But I was just as swiftly persuaded to support my new dean by remaining part of the college leadership team, albeit in an appointment that honored what I had recently learned.

    Richard Utz is senior associate dean for strategic initiatives in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech.

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  • ON LAMPETER… – HEPI

    ON LAMPETER… – HEPI

    This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Dr. John Cater who recently retired after 32 years as Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University.  He now chairs the Unite Foundation.  He graduated in Geography from Lampeter in 1974.   

    September 1822. The (English) Bishop of St. David’s, Thomas Burgess, determines the creation of a higher education establishment in mid-Wales.

    December 1970. Hitch to Northampton. Train to Rugby. Train to New Street. Train to Shrewsbury. Two carriage Pacer to Dovey Junction. Split.  One carriage Pacer to Aberystwyth.  Two hours and thirty miles on Morgan’s coaches. Dark on departure. Dark on arrival.

    January 2025. The University of Trinity St. David announces that all undergraduate teaching at Lampeter will cease at the end of the 2024/25 academic year, with all such provision transferred to Carmarthen.

    Oxford, Cambridge…  and Lampeter

    The Scottish Ancients existed, of course, alongside Oxbridge, with Durham on the horizon, but the first higher education provider in the Principality and only the third outside the northern Celtic nation was founded in the small Cardiganshire market town of Lampeter.

    But St David’s small size and an initial focus on theological training gave the institution a degree of vulnerability, notwithstanding the introduction of Bachelor of Arts degrees as early as 1865, eventually leading to threats to its continued existence as the number of ordinals declined rapidly in the 1950s. A ‘sponsorship’ agreement with University College Cardiff secured the institution’s future through to the creation of the Federal University of Wales in 1971, the College suspending its degree-awarding powers to become a constituent member.  And the institution diversified, most notably moving from its solely Arts and Humanities portfolio into a broader range of disciplines, including the GeoSciences – the reason behind my circuitous ten-hour journey from the south Midlands to a remote corner of mid-Wales.

    It was a great place to be. Diminutive and distinct. An Oxbridge tutorial system. In the Department on a Friday? Run Geog. Soc.. Picked up an oval ball? First XV rugby. Bowl a bit of long-hop leg spin? First XI cricket.

    But in that scale and remoteness – and perhaps an inclination to stretch the portfolio too broadly – lie the seeds of the decision in January of this year.  In 2008, the Quality Assurance Agency expressed limited confidence in the University of Wales Lampeter’s procedures and processes, whilst a subsequent review by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) had ‘very real concerns’ about management capacity and leadership.  This led directly to discussions with Trinity College Carmarthen about a possible merger, and in 2010, Trinity St. David was born. 

    There is no doubt that merging an institution with a provider 23 miles away in a sub-region with no rail link and infrequent bus transport, then adding a third provider (the Swansea Institute) 51 miles distant, provides some unique challenges. Possibly only matched by the University of the Highlands and Islands, which has a very different federal model.

    But the key determinant of an institution’s financial viability is its ability to attract students and to operate in a fiscal climate that allows the full recovery of costs. This was always going to be a challenge; the fixed outgoings of three campuses and the necessary infrastructure, physical and human, increasingly exceed a tuition fee that is (even) lower in Wales than in England.  

    Outside the Cambrian News, the silence has been deafening. But the potential effects are devastating.  Perhaps less so for the overall health of the University; a branch plant is always vulnerable in a time of retrenchment, though one may have hoped that the attractions of remoteness, an immersive institution where you both lived and learned, would resonate in the market. For a town where half the population is a student, a present or past employee, or is directly or indirectly dependent on the University pound, the economic consequences, particularly through that long, wet Welsh winter, are immeasurable.

    What of the future? We talk of civic universities, but they can only fully play that integral role if they are in robust financial health. Last month, Ceredigion County Council announced their intention to create a post-sixteen education centre on the Lampeter site.  But, idealistic in principle may be fanciful in practice in a remote rural location over twenty miles from the nearest meaningful population centre.  And it comes with a perceptual threat to the Coleg Ceredigion sites in Aberystwyth and Carmarthen, a threat that will be strongly resisted in both those communities.

    From the outside looking in, fifty years having passed, the dream of the experience Lampeter offered – and, according to the 2025 National Student Survey, continues to offer – lives on.  But in the harsh reality of weak recruitment and financial stringency, that dream dies.

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  • Building a Course from Scratch: When Time is Not on Your Side – Faculty Focus

    Building a Course from Scratch: When Time is Not on Your Side – Faculty Focus

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  • Building a Course from Scratch: When Time is Not on Your Side – Faculty Focus

    Building a Course from Scratch: When Time is Not on Your Side – Faculty Focus

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  • Beyond the Click: Why Students Really Reach Out to Colleges

    Beyond the Click: Why Students Really Reach Out to Colleges

    The Scroll

    Picture this: A high school sophomore is scrolling Instagram at midnight and stumbles on a college reel that feels… real. Maybe it is a marching band. Maybe it is students chatting on the quad. Maybe it is a 10-second video about living in the dorms. Whatever it is, something sparks.

    But here is the twist: what students do next is not always what colleges think they do.

    Take Anna, a 10th grader in Minnesota:

    “I followed my dream school on Instagram for a year before I filled out a form. I wanted to see if it was really for me.”

    Intentional. Curious. Not rushed.

    Blog on why students reach out to colleges: Image of a female high school student on her laptop in her living room

    Nearly 90% of teens use social media, with Instagram and TikTok especially popular among high school students as they shape their opinions about colleges (Pew Research Center, 2024; Statista, 2023). Students now use social platforms as a low-pressure way to assess fit before filling out a form (Šola & Zia, 2021). For first-generation and underrepresented students, social media often serves as a critical window into campus life, offering stories and info they might not find elsewhere (Wohn et al., 2013).

    Here is where the institutional side comes in. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report (RNL, 2025) shows that while colleges rank social media ads as one of their most effective tactics, they still put most of their dollars into Facebook and Instagram. The 2025 E-Expectations Report (RNL et al., 2025) shows that students spend much of their time, but campuses underuse these channels (RNL, 2025). That platform gap is a big reason students scroll without always finding authentic, peer-driven content that sparks action.

    The 2024 College Planning Report (RNL & Halda, 2024) adds another layer: many students describe the early stages of college exploration as “confusing” and “overwhelming,” especially when they do not see affordability clearly explained. Social becomes a safe space to watch, wait, and observe before risking that first outreach.

    Digital dominance: The top outreach methods

    According to the 2025 E-Expectations Report, nearly 90% of first college contact happens digitally.
    Students most often make that first move by:

    • Filling out a form on the college website (31%)
    • Sending an email (28%)
    • Following the school on social media (27%)

    That last one? Not just casual scrolling. One in three 9th graders is already following colleges online, long before they are ready to apply (RNL et al., 2025).

    Students are also more likely than ever to use digital inquiry forms and direct email, confirming that a digital-first mindset is now the norm (JohnXLibris, 2024; Pew Research Center, 2024).

    On the college side, the RNL Marketing Practices data reinforces the digital-first story: email and SMS are the most effective outreach methods (RNL, 2025). That is one place of alignment. But here is the catch: colleges often lead their early campaigns with brand identity, facilities, or rankings. Students, meanwhile, are looking for something more practical: programs, scholarships, and campus life glimpses. It is not just about being digital. It is about being relevant.

    The 2024 College Planning Report shows why: when asked about their top concerns in the process, students point first to affordability (42%) and finding the right academic fit (31%) (RNL & Halda, 2024). If early outreach misses those notes, students scroll past.

    What sparks a student to reach out?

    The top motivations for contacting a college are (RNL et al., 2025):

    • Information about a specific major or program
    • Details on how to apply
    • Financial aid questions
    • Talking to an admissions counselor

    Among first-generation students, financial aid is even more central; they are more likely to initiate contact specifically about affordability (Affordable Colleges Online, 2024).

    Barriers like complex forms and confusing language make it harder for first-generation and low-income students to confidently reach out (Inside Higher Ed, 2024). That is why clear, transparent messaging matters from day one.

    The College Planning Report reinforces this finding: students consistently name financial aid and cost as their most significant barriers, with 55% saying affordability worries may limit their options (RNL & Halda, 2024). The 2025 Marketing Practices Report makes the contrast clear: Colleges invest heavily in brand storytelling and polished digital ads. Students, however, are motivated to act when they see clear pathways, majors, application steps, and affordability details (RNL, 2025).

    Read the E-Expectations Report

    How can you increase engagement with prospective students? How you can you better align your recruitment strategies with their expectations. Find all this and more in the E-Expectations survey of college-bound high school students, with findings on:

    • What they expect from college websites
    • Which communication channels they prefer
    • How they use AI in the search process
    • How they value video when learning about campuses

    Download now

    From social scroll to serious inquiry

    Social media is a leading gateway for college exploration among younger students, particularly those in 9th and 10th grades (RNL et al., 2025). At this early stage, students are not necessarily ready to fill out inquiry forms or attend information sessions; they are observing. Following colleges on Instagram, watching TikTok videos, or seeing a YouTube dorm tour gives them low-pressure insight into student life, culture, and fit (Šola & Zia, 2021).

    Over half of high school students report using social media to explore colleges (Statista, 2023). Instagram and TikTok are now more popular among teens than Facebook or X/Twitter (Pew Research Center, 2024).

    However, here is the rub: the Marketing Practices Report shows that institutions still prioritize Instagram and Facebook for ad buys, with TikTok and YouTube trailing (RNL, 2025). Students are signaling where they scroll, but colleges are not always meeting them there. The result? Missed chances to connect when students are most curious and impressionable.

    The 2024 College Planning Report echoes this generational divide: while older students lean into email as their primary channel, younger students treat social media as their first stop, often months before they enter the formal admissions funnel (RNL & Halda, 2024).

    Do not sleep on the follow-up.

    Once a student reaches out, timing and tone are everything.

    • 68% of students prefer follow-up via email.
    • 40% favor text messages for quick updates or deadline reminders.
    • Only 32% are willing to share their home address (RNL et al., 2025).

    Teens are increasingly skeptical of institutions that over-collect data or send irrelevant messages (Pew Research Center, 2024). They expect transparency about why information is collected and how it will be used (EDUCAUSE, 2021).

    Here, too, we see both alignment and friction. Colleges know email and text work; the 2025 Marketing Practices data confirms these are the most effective channels (RNL, 2025). But colleges also continue to lean on printed materials and phone calls for first contacts, even though students rank them not as high (RNL et al., 2025).

    The 2024 College Planning Report drives home why this matters: slow response times can be fatal. Nearly half of students expect a reply within 24 hours, and interest drops sharply if schools take longer (RNL & Halda, 2024). The channel mismatch and speed gap risk undoing the goodwill colleges build digitally.

    Key takeaways for enrollment teams

    1. Email is not dead, but it must become smarter

    • Personalize by name, grade, interests, and inquiry source.
    • Use warm, student-centered language.
    • Keep emails short, mobile-friendly, and action-oriented.

    2. Text messaging is gaining ground, use it strategically

    • Implement opt-in texting early in the funnel.
    • Use for reminders, check-ins, and next steps.
    • Align tone and frequency with the student’s stage.

    3. Trust is the new conversion strategy

    • Explain why each piece of information is collected.
    • Be transparent about data use.
    • Maintain consistent, clear communication.

    4. Follow-up is a test and a turning point

    • Respond quickly and personally after a student takes action.
    • Boost engagement with timely, relevant replies.

    5. Segment by stage, not just grade

    • Use behavioral data to guide segmentation.
    • Share exploratory content early, application and aid support later.

    6. Communication is a relationship, not a task

    • Every message is an opportunity to build rapport.
    • The institutions that win make students feel known and respected.

    Final word: It is about more than a click

    Students are not just filling out forms; they are extending an invitation:

    “I am thinking about my future. Help me see if you are part of it.”

    If your institution can meet that moment with empathy, transparency, and good timing, you are not just capturing a lead, you are building a relationship.

    Talk with our marketing and recruitment experts

    RNL works with colleges and universities across the country to ensure their marketing and recruitment efforts are optimized and aligned with how student search for colleges.  Reach out today for a complimentary consultation to discuss:

    • Student search strategies
    • Omnichannel communication campaigns
    • Personalization and engagement at scale

    Request now

    References

    Affordable Colleges Online. (2024). Guide to financial aid for first-generation students. https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org

    Concept3D. (2024). The state of virtual tours in higher education. https://www.concept3d.com

    EDUCAUSE. (2021). 2021 student technology report: Supporting the whole student. https://www.educause.edu

    Hanover Research. (2024). Best practices in prospective student communications. https://www.hanoverresearch.com

    Inside Higher Ed. (2024). Barriers to first-generation student engagement. https://www.insidehighered.com

    JohnXLibris. (2024). Email communication preferences of college-bound students. https://www.johnxlibris.com

    Ocelot AI. (2024). Personalized communication in higher ed recruitment. https://www.ocelotbot.com

    Pew Research Center. (2024). Teens, social media, and technology 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org

    RNL & Halda. (2024). 2024 high school student college planning report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

    RNL. (2025). 2025 marketing and recruitment practices for undergraduate students. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

    RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus. (2025). 2025 E-Expectations trend report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

    Šola, J., & Zia, A. (2021). Social media as an information source for prospective students: A review. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 31(2), 310–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2020.1866521

    Statista. (2023). Share of teenagers in the United States who use social media to research colleges. https://www.statista.com Wohn, D. Y., Ellison, N. B., Khan, M. L., Fewins-Bliss, R., & Gray, R. (2013). The role of social media in shaping first-generation high school students’ college aspirations: A social capital lens. Computers & Education, 63, 424–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.01.004

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  • Octopus researcher Meg Mindlin on science art and video for social media

    Octopus researcher Meg Mindlin on science art and video for social media

    What’s it like to be an artist and scientist? Meg Mindlin studies octopuses, shares videos for Instagram Reels and TikTok. And, she’s a talented artist who helps people communicate science in engaging way. I felt lucky to attend her thesis defense live on YouTube.

    In this conversation, we talk about her research, dealing with the political spectrum when speaking up on social media, and sharing her art online.

    Bio

    Meg Mindlin (@invertebabe) is a molecular biologist and science communicator. She combines her background in art with an ability to communicate complex science in an engaging manner. She received her Masters in Biology studying octopuses and how ocean acidification effects a molecular process known as RNA editing.

    Meg Mindlin sits on a desk at the front of a lecture hall. She's just defended her master's thesis, titled Tickled Zinc. On the screen behind her is a beautiful title slide for her research presentation which features original art.

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