Tag: Role

  • Making Higher Education More Affordable: The Role of Financial Aid Strategies

    Making Higher Education More Affordable: The Role of Financial Aid Strategies

    Key Takeaways:

    • Financial aid optimization transforms financial resource allocation into a strategic enrollment tool, aligning affordability for students with institutional goals.




    • By leveraging real-time data and tools like Liaison Othot, institutions can craft tailored financial aid strategies that address individual student needs and enrollment strategies.




    • Optimization enables proactive adjustments to financial aid strategies, ensuring accessibility while supporting student retention and institutional sustainability.




    • Strategic financial aid leveraging balances affordability for students with long-term enrollment and revenue objectives.

     

    The rising costs of higher education and fear of long-term debt have left many prospective students and their families questioning whether they can afford to pursue their academic dreams. For institutions, this presents a dual challenge: attracting diverse students and ensuring enrollment goals align with their mission. An effective and aligned financial aid optimization strategy offers a powerful tool to meet a campus’s enrollment goals. By combining institutional funds with federal and state resources effectively, colleges and universities can increase access and affordability in higher education while achieving broader enrollment objectives.

    From offering enough aid to make tuition manageable to continuously refining financial aid strategies based on real-time information, optimizing plays a pivotal role in strategic enrollment management (SEM). It transforms financial aid awarding from a static process into a dynamic tool that not only attracts and enrolls students but also supports their retention by effectively meeting their financial needs.

     

    What Is Financial Aid Optimization?

    Financial aid optimization transforms the allocation of financial resources into a critical enrollment tool. By aligning the overall enrollment leveraging strategy—regularly and in real-time at the individual level—optimization allows campuses to address student affordability needs in a unique and tailored way.

    At its core, optimization is a dynamic, data-informed process. Institutions develop annual plans for allocating financial aid (leveraging), basing decisions on previous cycles’ successes and challenges. Unlike traditional static leveraging models, modern optimization approaches incorporate continuous adjustments informed by real-time data. This lets colleges and universities respond proactively to shifting enrollment trends and keeps their financial aid strategies effective throughout the year.

     

    How to Make Higher Education More Affordable and Accessible

    More accessible higher education starts with understanding the financial challenges students face. For many undergraduates, the cost of tuition, housing, books, and other expenses can make college seem out of reach, even with federal and state aid. For example, a student from a low-income household may find that even the maximum Pell Grant award leaves a significant financial gap. Similarly, a middle-income family might struggle to cover tuition despite not qualifying for significant need-based aid.

    Financial aid leveraging allows institutions to tackle these challenges head-on by creating tailored aid packages that remove financial barriers for students. This approach relies on a mix of need-based and merit-based strategies, often informed by tools like FAFSA data and predictive analytics.

    One of the key advantages of financial aid optimization is its flexibility. Institutions can use data to fine-tune aid offerings based on unique student needs and behaviors. For instance, Liaison’s Othot platform, a cloud-based predictive and prescriptive analytics tool designed specifically for higher ed, can analyze factors such as a student’s location, academic profile, and campus engagement to build aid packages thatneeds. This granularity ensures that the financial aid awarding strategy not only meets the affordability threshold for students also aligns with the overall enrollment strategy being employed on the campus. An aligned optimization approach ensures that the affordability component is integrated into the strategy for specifically targeted cohorts or students, maximizing the likelihood of their enrollment.

    Optimization also lets institutions adapt aid policies for entire cohorts or demographic groups. For example, schools can address rising inflation in high school GPAs by recalibrating merit-based awards to prioritize equity and maintain fairness in their financial aid distribution. This adaptability keeps aid plans relevant as the dynamics of higher education continue to shift. By relying on data and continuously streamlining their financial aid models, institutions can make higher education more attainable for all students while maximizing their impact.

     

    The Strategic Impact of Financial Aid Optimization

    Financial aid optimization goes beyond simply helping students cover tuition—it’s about achieving a delicate balance between affordability for students and sustainability for institutions. By carefully crafting aid packages that meet the financial needs of students without overextending institutional resources, colleges and universities can enhance their enrollment efforts while maintaining financial health.

    For example, reallocating funds for strategic distribution among students could result in higher net tuition revenue (NTR) without sacrificing enrollment numbers. This demonstrates how strategic adjustments can yield significant results when financial aid decisions are guided by data, tailored to meet institutional priorities, and aligned to overall enrollment strategies.

    Retention and persistence are critical factors to consider when determining how to optimize financial aid. An effective leveraging model doesn’t stop at enrollment and the conclusion of a successful first year—it considers the long-term success of students. By analyzing which cohorts are more likely to persist and graduate, institutions can refine their aid offerings to improve outcomes for all students. This approach ensures that financial aid strategies not only attract students but also support their success throughout their academic journey.

     

    Aligning Financial Aid With Student Success and Institutional Goals

    Financial aid optimization is a powerful way to make higher education more accessible while helping institutions achieve their objectives. By combining institutional, federal, and state resources with data-driven optimization tools, colleges and universities can craft aid strategies that address affordability, bolster student retention, and maximize their impact.

    Institutions looking to enhance their financial aid and enrollment can benefit from Liaison’s suite of solutions, including Othot. Whether your team is just beginning to explore financial aid leveraging or has years of experience, Liaison’s tools provide the flexibility and insights needed to meet your unique goals. From devising an initial plan to optimizing existing processes, our solutions are designed to assist schools at every stage of their journey. Contact us today to learn more.

     

     

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  • Technology’s Role in Helping Educators Navigate the Future of Learning

    Technology’s Role in Helping Educators Navigate the Future of Learning

    Our panel of experts discusses the biggest challenges facing educators today and how educational technology can help — if used properly.

    Melinda French Gates

    Philanthropist, Businesswoman, Author

    What is the biggest challenge you see educators facing today, especially women educators?

    The worst thing you can do is put a lot of pressure on yourself to fit in. I know because I’ve been there. What I learned is that I was much happier — and much more effective as a professional — when I found my own leadership style. My advice to anyone in that position today is this: You will succeed because of who you are, not in spite of it. In the meantime, surround yourself with people who believe in you and will bring out the best in you.

    What would you tell today’s educators to help them ignite a passion for STEM subjects in the next generation of female innovators?

    The best educators understand that many girls are interested in STEM subjects — and many girls are really good at STEM subjects — but they get interested in them at different times and for different reasons. For example, because girls don’t always get the same early exposure to STEM that boys do, their interest tends to develop later. While boys often get into tech through video games, girls are more likely to develop an interest in the subject when they see it as a way to solve real-world problems. Educators can help by introducing STEM to girls early, bringing these subjects to life, and telling the girls in their classes, “Hey, I think you’d be good at this.” 

    Sean Ryan

    President, McGraw Hill School

    What is the biggest challenge you see educators face today?

    The social context in which teachers operate poses immense challenges. Educating a child — though all are natural learners — has become more complex in recent years; more complex than I’ve seen in my entire education-related career. Poverty, social media, gun violence, ideology, belief systems, and the unrelenting advance of technology mean that what worked yesterday might be less relevant today, and what we might need tomorrow is harder to discern. That’s why as a curriculum and technology provider, we must stay in close contact with educators to ensure that we remain a worthy, agile, and, most importantly, trusted partner.

    Where do you see the adoption of education technology headed in the next year?

    Education technology has been deployed in a piecemeal fashion to serve a variety of specialized needs. Together, the promise is immense. Separately, confusion and frustration can ensue. The key, in my view, is systems integration to create an increasingly coherent digital learning environment that complements the physical classroom. However, this takes time. I’m less interested in new features and functionality and more enthusiastic about what happens to the teacher’s workload when core, intervention, and supplemental solutions work in harmony to ease the teacher’s burden. There will be progress next year, but it will be of an evolutionary nature, not revolutionary. You might not even notice it.

    With the increased use of education technology, how can we help keep teachers from burning out and ensure that technology enhances, rather than complicates, their instructional practices?

    Teachers have a near-impossible task of educating a class of students with a wide variety of demonstrated performance levels across subjects. The year of a child’s birth is a poor organizing principle. Given that principle is not likely to change any time soon, technology must be deployed thoughtfully to handle the administrative, logistic, and computational work that supports personalization at scale. Automation should absorb time-consuming tasks that teachers are taking home or missing lunch to complete. Let’s empower teachers to get to know their students, to create a vibrant learning environment that goes beyond a universal and rigid scope and sequence with a single subject.

    What advice would you give to educators, administrators, and policymakers as they navigate the increasingly complex landscape of educational technology solutions?

    Despite daily pressures, try to think long-term. Despite political difference, try to think universally. What is in the best interest of the students today? What is in the best interest of all of us outside of the classroom tomorrow? An educated polity is vital to improving the human experience. We are constantly planting and replanting democracy and the precursors of prosperity in the minds of the next generation. For it to take root, flourish, and grow, there must be constancy of purpose. It’s through the lens of that purpose that we can evaluate new technologies to determine if they serve or, perversely, demand servitude. Technology in isolation is neutral. Only in the context of human wants and needs can we determine if a technology is useful or harmful.

    How can K-12 schools address concerns of the digital divide, especially when it comes to equitable access to devices, internet connectivity, and high-quality content?

    It begins with measurement. Don’t assume national headlines reflect your local reality. Take time to understand the computing environment across buildings and between the homes of your students. We should neither assume a problem nor that there isn’t one. Once you know the state of things, administrators can go to work with trusted technology partners to close known gaps. Today, with the near ubiquity of devices and high-speed connectivity, there’s no reason to leave anyone out. This requires communication and cooperation between home and school. With respect to high-quality content, take the time to understand the differences between solutions. The lower the quality, the more grandiose the promises.  

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  • Role of Dean in Higher Education: 8 Strategies for Engagement

    Role of Dean in Higher Education: 8 Strategies for Engagement

    Tune In To Our Audio Blog

     

    Hello Deans, you are crucial in determining how education will develop in the future because you are the designers of your higher ed’s academic vision. Building successful learning environments where faculty and students flourish depends on your leadership. We’ll look at the role of dean in higher education and how deans can foster innovation in higher education institutions, and their creative approaches in this blog that can improve instruction and student participation, turning your classrooms into places where learning happens and ideas are generated.

    We’ll also demonstrate how the Creatrix suite can help you at every stage and provide you with the resources you need to have a significant, long-lasting influence. Let’s get started and support your academic community in realizing its greatest potential!

     

    The Role of Dean in Higher Education – Understanding the Dean’s Influence on a Campus

    With your influence over all facets of your institution’s learning environment, deans are the beating heart of academic leadership. Your influence greatly influences student outcomes, research, and teaching in addition to administrative tasks. Here is the common role of dean in higher education that demonstrates your impact:

     

     

    • Decide on the priorities and institutional culture.
    • Take the lead in implementing cutting-edge instructional strategies and technological advancements.
    • Make certain that the courses adhere to the most recent developments in education.
    • Motivate and assist educators in investigating novel teaching strategies.
    • Promote initiatives that increase student involvement and academic performance to increase student engagement.
    • Faculty and students can flourish in a dynamic learning environment when your vision serves as the cornerstone for educational excellence.
    • You take the initiative to implement tactics that raise student retention and success and involvement while fostering engaging learning environments.

     

    What’s Working Globally: 8 Proven Strategies for Deans to Elevate Teaching & Engagement

    While researching how deans can foster innovation in higher education institutions we arrived at a stunning analysis; we discovered how effectively leading deans from all around the world are changing education by pushing the envelope and implementing cutting-edge tactics. And we have documented on what’s working with them and the reasons these strategies are spreading throughout institutions worldwide for you to help you better!

     

    8-untold-proven-strategies-for-deans-to-boost-teaching

     

    1. Synergy across disciplines

    The most progressive deans of today are bringing students from various disciplines together to work together on real-world issues. Students studying business and engineering at the University of Michigan collaborated to develop ground-breaking solutions that enhanced critical thinking and teamwork, an approach that is quickly becoming recognized as a hallmark of academic innovation.

     

    2. Using Technology to Accelerate Learning

    Deans from the best universities across the globe are utilizing technology to transform education, from virtual reality to AI-driven tools. We figured out that Virtual reality (VR) and Gamified Learning were implemented at Stanford University recently! The main intention behind these initiatives was to enhance student engagement and understanding in subjects like anatomy and architecture! These technologies indeed allow students to study complex subjects in immersive and interactive ways.

     

    3. Investing in Faculty Development as a Strategic Move

    Giving professors the freedom to take the lead in innovation is crucial in the rapidly evolving field of education. At UC Berkeley, deans arranged workshops on active learning strategies, equipping teachers with the means to design more engaging, student-focused classrooms and demonstrating how supportive faculty members contribute to student retention and success.

     

    4. Innovation through research and experimentation

    It is also surprising to witness institutions such as Arizona State University provide faculty with resources to experiment with cutting-edge curricula. This is so welcoming indeed. By funding experiential learning projects, deans and decision-makers enable educators to test new models of teaching, and curriculum mapping, resulting in programs that increase student engagement and academic achievement.

     

    5. Change-Driven Loops of Student Feedback

    The next best strategy we figured out was that the academic institutions globally are utilizing student feedback to enhance their pedagogical approaches. They throng on 360-degree courses and faculty evaluation tools to listen out students’ opinions for improvement. It has been demonstrated that listening to students can significantly improve the learning experience. Georgia State University’s “Student Engagement Surveys” revealed insightful feedback that resulted in significant improvements in course delivery.

     

    6. Real-World Partnerships for Experiential Learning

    Another surprising discovery was this – Through partnerships with industry, top universities are witnessing a thirty percent increase in student engagement. More than 85% of participants at the University of South Florida reported feeling more prepared for the workforce as a result of the tech companies’ collaborative efforts with the university.

     

    7. Diversity and Inclusion as Innovation Drivers.

    We do not want to overlook this particular strategy! Institutions that prioritize diversity benefit from both innovation and engagement. At the University of Toronto, deans launched initiatives to bring diverse perspectives into the classroom, resulting in richer discussions, explorations, and new ideas, demonstrating that inclusive environments lead to more creative outcomes and better attainments!

     

    8. Risk-Taking & Experiencing Safe Environments

    The last thing we observed was promoting an environment where faculty and students feel comfortable taking chances to learn, adapt, grow, and shine. This strategy will for sure enable the upcoming generation of innovators to push boundaries and fail fearlessly, MIT has established “Innovation Labs,” which provide a creative environment where experimental projects flourish.

     

    The Role of Creatrix Campus Suite in Supporting Deans

    To all deans and academic leaders, managing a faculty is no small task, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With Creatrix Campus, it’s easy to foster a culture of teamwork and innovation.

    Encourage a Collaborative Culture: Picture professors working together on projects and easily exchanging ideas with one another. Creatrix makes that a reality.

    Way to Miss the Admin Stress: Turn in the paperwork to Creatrix so you can focus on helping students succeed—that’s what really counts.

    Easy Decisions: With Creatrix’s perceptive analytics, you can easily adjust your strategies to achieve better results by identifying exactly what’s working.

    Create an Engaging Learning Experience: The tools aren’t just for management; they’re here to help improve student outcomes. By streamlining how faculty teach and interact, you’ll be building a more engaging and inspiring academic environment.

    Creatrix isn’t just another platform—it’s your partner in transforming the way your institution runs, making your job smoother and your faculty more effective.

     

    Case Study: University of Otago – Empowering Deans with Creatrix Campus

    But don’t just take our word for it—let’s look at a peculiar student retention and success story from an institution that embraced the Creatrix Suite.

    “Creatrix’s curriculum mind mapping based on learning outcomes, competency standards, and graduate attributes is excellent.” — Stephen Duffull, Dean School of Pharmacy, University of Otago

     

    Client Overview

    The University of Otago, one of New Zealand’s leading institutions and ranked in the top 1% globally, was looking to innovate its academic management systems to support its pharmacy school. Faced with the complexities of curriculum management, EPA tracking, and faculty workload, they needed a solution that could streamline their academic processes.

     

    Key Challenges

    Otago’s Pharmacy Department was juggling:

    Complex curriculum mapping: Multiple layers such as LOs, SLOs, EPAs, competency frameworks, and professional standards were difficult to manage manually.

    EPA tracking and rotational planning: Managing placements across five hubs required a detailed, integrated system.

    Timetabling inefficiencies: Manual scheduling for courses, faculty, rooms, and teaching events slowed operations and led to conflicts.

    Faculty workload management: Needed a more transparent and automated way to measure and balance faculty workload.

     

    How Creatrix Empowered Deans

    Creatrix helped Otago create a connected digital campus, where Deans like Stephen Duffull could:

    Streamline curriculum mapping: A visual mind map that ties in learning outcomes, assessments, and professional competencies, making it easier for Deans to track academic progress.

    Automate EPA planning: A dynamic rotational planner for EPA tracking, reducing manual work and ensuring smooth coordination across hubs.

    Master Timetable Scheduler: Automated scheduling with alerts for conflicts, integrating seamlessly with Google Calendar.

    Faculty Workload Management: Real-time tracking of faculty workloads, helping Deans better allocate teaching, research, and admin duties, with instant visual analysis.

     

    Business Impact

    With Creatrix, Otago saw immediate gains:

    • 2X faster implementation times
    • Seamless onboarding and reduced admin overhead
    • Greater faculty productivity and balanced workloads
    • Efficient curriculum and EPA management—all under one system

    Deans at Otago now had the tools to lead academic innovation, boost engagement, and drive institutional excellence.

     

    Conclusion: Empowering Deans to Lead Innovation

    We know that deans are crucial in shaping the future of higher education. Your leadership drives innovation and boosts student engagement. By exploring the Creatrix suite, you’ll discover tools that can simplify operations and enhance your institution’s academic culture. Take the next step—visit the Creatrix Campus suite of solutions and see how deans can foster innovation in higher education institutions. Let’s make a difference together!

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  • Building a Connected Workplace: HR’s Role in Reducing Loneliness – CUPA-HR

    Building a Connected Workplace: HR’s Role in Reducing Loneliness – CUPA-HR

    by Julie Burrell | August 28, 2024

    Editor’s Note: This is the second of two posts that explore the loneliness epidemic and practical ways HR can help combat it in the workplace.

    Social bonds are as necessary to our well-being as a healthy diet, exercise and sleep, according to the Surgeon General’s 2023 report on the loneliness epidemic. The report recommends that workplaces make decreasing loneliness a strategic priority at all levels. Here is how higher ed HR can help prioritize social connection as a vital tool in supporting employee happiness and well-being.

    Increase Inclusion to Fight Loneliness

    Groups most at-risk for social isolation include “people with poor physical or mental health, disabilities, financial insecurity, those who live alone, single parents, as well as younger and older populations,” according to the report. Additionally, marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community may feel increased isolation.

    Your inclusion and belonging initiatives might be the natural place to begin strengthening social connection on campus. Foreground accessibility in these initiatives by asking:

    • Is social programming accessible for people with disabilities and people with mental health challenges?
    • Is your programming inclusive of people who are neurodivergent?
    • Are working parents, caregivers and remote employees unable to participate in on-site or off-hours socialization?
    • Is cost a prohibitive factor for socializing?
    • Are Employee Resource Groups or affinity groups supported in terms of budget and time within the workday?

    Making Connections

    Intergenerational Connections. Research suggests that making connections outside of our own age or social group may reduce the risks associated with loneliness. One inclusion strategy is to help bridge generational gaps by bringing younger and older people together, which also targets two of the most at-risk populations.

    Volunteering with community groups that serve young and older people can also be effective in helping employees forge intergenerational connections (bonus: volunteering enhances employee satisfaction and engagement).

    Campus and Community. Connecting with people of different social statuses has also been shown to improve well-being. How are leaders connecting with employees across campus in low-stakes ways?

    Also consider how partnerships with your leadership, health centers, research faculty and student groups can make the dangers of loneliness a campus-wide concern.

    How is your campus connecting with and enriching the larger community? According to the Surgeon General’s report, upward mobility is improved through relationship-building among people of differing socioeconomic status. (Register for our upcoming webinar to learn more about Duquesne University’s Minority Professional Development Internship Program, which was awarded CUPA-HR’s 2024 Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award.)

    Hybrid and Remote Employees

    According to Gallup, fully remote employees report a higher level of loneliness (25%) than fully on-site employees (16%). At the same time, hybrid, remote and flexible work is an important strategy to retain top talent. And flexible work can be a boon to people with disabilities and neurodivergent employees.

    This means that special considerations should be made for those workers who may not be on site every day.

    Encourage online connections. Water cooler conversations are more difficult virtually. Consider establishing a rotating committee who can schedule casual chats online. Your internal communication tools, such as Teams and Slack, should have social spaces as well.

    Model setting boundaries between work and home. Hybrid and remote opportunities are important in maintaining work-life balance, but remote employees may feel like they’re always “on.” The Surgeon General’s report recommends that workplaces “put in place policies that protect workers’ ability to nurture their relationships outside work.”

    Beware of treating employees inconsistently. It’s important that managers find ways to boost face time with their remote or hybrid employees. For those employees who must be on site, provide what flexibility you can, such as summer Fridays off. Learn more about success in managing hybrid teams in Roadblocks to Supervision: Clearing a Path for Peer-to-Supervisors, New Supervisors and Hybrid Team Supervisors.

    Starting With HR

    Let’s face it: HR can sometimes feel like a lonely place. Whether you’re a CHRO, a department of one, or a member of a team navigating the increased scrutiny of a role in HR, you might feel like few people understand your own daily challenges beyond the CUPA-HR community. HR is so often tasked with helping others, but HR pros need support too.

    Raising awareness about the basic need for social connection might help you and your team reframe social connections at work from a luxury to a basic tool for retention and employee happiness. Socializing replenishes our emotional stores and our physical resilience. Leaders can model setting healthy boundaries at work and convey that self-care is not selfish, but rather a critical tool in the HR toolbelt. (Learn how to use “no” as a complete sentence in this on-demand webinar.)



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