Susan Chiaramonte

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing the best practices for institutional effectiveness

No matter the size of a company, whether it is for-profit, not-for-profit, public, or private, an underlying goal for any organization is to be profitable. Profitability has many definitions and may not always translate to monetary value, but having sufficient assets available to an organization does allow for growth, freedom, flexibility, and measured risk-taking when moving any company forward. An organization’s financial health is not the sole responsibility of the “bean counters” in the corner. A successful organization makes the financial position… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing the best practices for institutional effectiveness

You’ve heard the terms, “the savvy shopper”, “the crafty consumer”, and the “knowledgeable niche market”. Today, more than ever before, consumers, shoppers, and students have information at their fingertips. They can compare, contrast, write pros and cons lists faster than the 90 second commercial which interrupts your favorite television show or sports event. In a fraction of the time, students will decide whether they attend your school or a competitor’s school. School characteristics which appeal to students vary based on individual needs… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing best practices for institutional effectiveness

Since the launch of a Soviet Union artificial satellite in 1957, the United States government has been working to find ways to make education affordable and accessible to all citizens. Sputnik was the catalyst for the National Defense Education Act of 1958 which started with the federal government offering loan dollars directly, then shifting to privatized student loans providing a government-backed guarantee in 1965, only for the government to take back and again start offering direct federal government loans in 2010 after the… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing best practices for institutional effectiveness

It’s a magical moment when you hear the first few chords of Pomp and Circumstance. Whether you are a graduate, a parent, a faculty, an administrator, or the President, you cannot help, but share the pride and accomplishment of the graduates. The feelings may take on different forms and come from different perspectives, but it’s tangible and resonates with everyone. For some institutions of higher learning the relationship built with students ends after graduation. It may not end by choice, but graduates… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing best practices for institutional effectiveness

Trends in education come and go, especially in today’s technology era. One fact all schools know, or should know, is they are only as good as their graduates. If students are not obtaining the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in a global economy, then why go to your school or any school at all? If there is no documented benefit, then why enroll in a program and finish?

Even if your school does not currently have a formal Career Services… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing best practices for institutional effectivness

In the early days of the disability rights movement, a classic disability awareness poster showed two pictures, side by side. The first picture showed an old-fashioned wheelchair, with its high wicker back and narrow wheels. The occupant faced away from the viewer and the caption read,

                                         “People who didn’t know this man called him a cripple.”

 In the second picture, the man seated… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing best practices for institutional effectiveness.

If you’re honest with yourself, you’ve done it too. You’ve heard the word compliance and without knowing it, a small groan escapes and you realize that everyone heard it. Everyone turns in their chair and looks at you. The next thing you know you’ve become the school’s compliance officer and wonder how did this happen? You’re the one everyone whispers about and ducks out of the way when you cross their paths. You’re seen as the “big brother” of the school. Well, I have… >>>

Excellence in Campus Operations Program ~ 12 courses, 12 blogs, providing best practices for institutional effectiveness.

The admissions department is, generally, the frontlines for every school. They comprise the first impression a student receives and sometimes can be the final impression a student will take with them. Are schools doing enough to provide admissions representatives with the information they need to successfully and ethically convert inquiries into enrollments? As with everything, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach student enrollment. Back in the early 1980s aggressive enrollment processes were in practice often known as “one-off selling”… >>>

When you hear the words “outcomes assessment” what images do those two simple words conjure up? A picture of the looming reports due at the end of the year in which you are accountable for your school’s actions or inactions? Or do you see a picture of teamwork, a culture created to show the student through all of its processes that the student’s success is important? If your immediate picture was the former, then it may be time to change your school’s outlook on outcomes assessment and retention strategies and provide a framework to begin a school-wide shift in how… >>>