SOLUTIONS FOR HIGHER
EDU CA TION MA NA GEMENT
in art M otion
Univer$ity Bu$iness E D I T O R I A L
Getting it Right, Now Earlier this year work began on a document that, at the very least, formalizes expectations and minimum standards for schools and students venturing into online learning.With the growth of MOOCs and distance learning, we are entering a time when these alternate forms of learning will supplement and in some cases supplant traditional education models. Universities recognize that they need to find ways to provide cost-effective, quality education to an expanding base, even as their own funding gets slashed.Efforts sush as Courseera, edx, University Now, and others represent one approach that may radically change how learning takes place around the world. It’s an exciting time, and these are largely uncharted waters.
Write to Tim Goral at tgoral@universitybusiness.com
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TABLE of contents After a successful pilot program where students could use their smartphones for door access, Arizona State is exploring the use of NFC-enabled devises for wayfinding and other applications.
13 21 34 44 48 52 63
OPERATIONS HOLD THE PHONE MONEYMAKING MEALS INVESTMENT MISTAKES ONLINE TESTING WEB DESIGN ART IN MOTION A rash of high-profile firings lessons in starting out By Ron Schachter
Near field communication technology may make campus cards obsolete By David Geer
Campus dining program strategies for giving revenue a boost By Sonya Stinson
Aid administrators support loan repayment relief proposal By Brittany Hackett
A broader look at liberal arts graduates’ futures By Nancy Oliver Gray
The future of marketing for campus retail By Daniel W. Rasmus
Three steps to data driven decisions with web analytics By Jo Ann M. Gora
By David Geer
the
Phone I
While colleges and universities run trials supporting NFC-enabled
smartphones,
which could all but replace campus cards for applications old and new, card reader vendors see more smartphones equipped with the technology just over the horizon. With the number
of
phones
that
new
NFC-ready
phone
vendors
could release this year, a load of campus NFC rollouts could follow.
21
NFC Smartphone Applications
In the second stage, the school added
laundry
vending
and
POS (point-of-sale) registers in dining areas. “With their NFC smartphone
and
application
open, [participants] can tap the phone on a reader instead of swiping a card to pay,� says Gallagher of the POS applica-
enters the laundry room and
NFC-enabled Wayfinding Arizona State University, which
presents
NFC-enabled
previously trialed NFC smart-
smartphone to a reader as
phone door access through a
their credential. Smartphones
collaboration with HID Global,
also provide vending machine
is now looking at NFC-capable
access.
wayfinding
tion. To do laundry, a student the
applications.
Offi-
cials are purchasing wayfinding
ing the campus community to athletic or other events going on. The content would be segmented by the area on campus where
the
event
and
the
signage are located. “Where
technology
rounded, robust feel of what
emblems on LCD panels to
we
identify
digital
needs, we will have a lot of way-
signage. Students simply need
finding content,” says Ploughe.
to
an
The information could include
NFC-equipped smartphone to
the hours and exact location for
get
dormitories or for staff members to get into an administrative building.
They can use it
for more of their experience around explains.
campus,”
Gallagher
tap
putting
nology may be used for point-
“This gives the students a more NFC is. It’s not just for access to
and
Besides wayfinding, the tech-
NFC-enabled the
started,
emblem says
with Laura
have
lots
of
wayfinding
S.
an event and a URL the phone
Ploughe, director of business
can bring up via NFC that links
applications and fiscal control.
to more information.
“We are also looking at how we can incorporate it into
other
areas
on
campus. In the future, we plan to have LCD panels ready
for
students
who
walk up to any classroom or office so they can get information about current class availability via NFC,” shares Ploughe.
22
NFC will help put decision-mak-
so there are not many installs
It could drive down costs by
ing
hands.
on campus. It’s too soon to talk
reducing printing, office time,
Instead of having to find a
about the costs of ramping up
and
different device or computer to
to NFC-enabled digital signage
explains.
log in to and go into their class
applications
into
students’
schedule, they can use their phones and an LCD panel to
State
what
development,
she
vendor
University
is
Benefits of NFC
using, Ploughe says. But with
Smartphone Applications
the installation of prototypes,
Security is an inherited benefit
it’s safe to say deployment is
of
not cost prohibitive. “Putting in
students
digital signage is a cost we
(password) on their phone. If
says Ploughe. This could also
have anyway.” Why not put the
they do lose it, no one can just
free up some time for staff that
additional information in and
pick it up and start using their
assist students in these mat-
make it available via
credential.
ters. ASU is still exploring proto-
smartphones?”.asks Ploughe.
get specific information about that class then and there. “The student
receives
immediate
gratification, making a decision about the class right away,”
23
Arizona
or
web
types
for
embedding
NFC
capabilities into digital signage,
NFC on
NFC
smartphones. use
a
“Most
passcode
If the student loses a card,
Applications
smart-
NFC smartphones could also
however, that card is active
phones are possible anywhere
ease the recruiting process.
until
people
on
“The students could potentially
systems
campus. “You will be able to
put some information on the
manager for the Wildcard ID
use it for age verification and
phones to pass to recruiters at
card program at Villanova. And
sporting events because the
career fairs—something like a
a student always knows where
students will always have their
link to a resume,” says Bonass.
his or her phone is. “We have
phones on them,”
fewer lockouts, fewer students
says Gallagher
the
says
calling
student
Jon
reports
Bonass,
public
safety
it,”
for
swipe
NFC a
card
saying
they can’t find their creden-
Class attendance is another
tials,” says Bonass. In other
option. Hypothetically, students
words, time and person hours
could walk in and present their
are saved.
phones and the teacher could
the
Phone
record
their
attendance,
explains Gallagher. “I think it would be a great benefit for faculty members.” .
Application Adoption Challenges Despite all the hype, schools are not moving forward with NFC smartphone applications until more phones arrive with the technology built in. Villanova could have expanded its trial to all POS registers on campus,
but
didn’t.
Why?
“Apple did not add NFC technology in the iPhone 5. We are praying it comes out in the iPhone 6. We are hoping some of the other phone manufacturers will have NFC built in, as well,” says Gallagher. Villanova now enables NFC through a special phone case that users must install on the iPhone 4 or 4S.
23
In today's competitive higher education environment, a college or a university cannot be seen as just another good institution in a landscape filled with many other similar entities-some a little stronger, others a bit weaker. Today, as branding experts will tell us, it's all about differentiation. But at Ball State University, we think it goes much deeper than that for very compelling, even urgent reasons.
63
in art Motion By Jo Ann M. Gora
At Ball State, we are redefining education by creating a high tech and high-touch--immersive learning environment that allows students to engage with learning in a new way: intense, creative, collaborative, personal, and, at times, even in ways that mirror the risk and reward of real-life ventures. We believe this is an essential way to help shape our students for leadership in the 21st century and to orient education toward the needs of knowledge economics in the future.
Ball State is dedicated to offering in-depth immersive experiences in each of the university's seven colleges through a number of special programs, courses, and institutes. We define immersive experiences as typically worth more than three credits. These experiences engage a group of students (frequently an interdisciplinary one) in collaborative work, are mentored by a faculty member, usually establish partnerships with one or more community entities, and result in an end product, such as a book, play, film, business plan, product prototype, or report.
By immersing themselves in a project, students achieve much more than simply a grade. In most cases, they become so engrossed in the projects that they quickly race past traditional grading scales and achieve an unprecedented level of learning, establish deeper connections to their areas of study, build a greater understanding of the relationships between their disciplines and others, glean key insights into their career choices, and develop stronger ties to the communities and industries in which they've worked.
In these experiences, the students drive the learning process and play a critical role in defining the end product. It is "active learning" at its best, and the experiences connect students to the industries in which they want to establish their careers. Chin-Sook Pak, who left the setting of her traditional classroom for one semester to coordinate an immersive course at our Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, acknowledged that it is a different way of teaching. "I wasn't the expert anymore, and that was difficult," she admits. "The students had tremendous autonomy. They were the instigators of action, and actually in some parts, they were braver than I because I'm always calculating the risks."
These experiences are w ell beyond t he p ilot program phase. Throughout the university, we have woven a rich tapestry of immersive learning, from dedicated centers to capstone courses, from c ommunity-based projects t o intensive study a broad opportunities. We are successfully f orging m any models--all adapted to f it our v arious c olleges' and communities' needs. The f ocus o n immersive learning is central to the way in which Ball State conceptualizes i ts m ission. While w e have a h istory o f providing personal attention and exceptional access to professors who are outstanding in their fields, through immer-
sive experiences we are fostering collaboration between f aculty and students. We are creating ways for all students--including freshmen--to participate in these experiences, putting the latest technology i nto their hands, and encouraging them to take creative risks. "I t hink B all State i s a wonderful place because the resources and the constant support a nd nourishment I r eceived were j ust unparalleled--it helped m e evolve into a much stronger storyteller," says Jaron Henrie-McCrea, recent graduate and winner of a 2005 Gold Student Academy Award. "I c ould also g et m y hands o n the best equipment l ike high-definition cameras o r work i n state-of-the-art editing bays at any time.".
We are r edefining academic excellence by building a culture of innovation and creativity. Through the development of experiential learning across our university, w e are e nvisioning a future in which at least one immersive experience is a vailable t o every Ball State student, making this our hallmark of education redefined.
65
It's a formula that i s working, too. The creativity and passion for these experiences are prompting our students to develop their skills outside of the classroom while still using university technology and receiving university support. Henrie-McCrea w as t he first student at Ball S tate--or any university in Indiana--to win a Student Academy Award. This summer, P erspective, a short film by telecommunications m ajors Travis Hatfield and Samuel Day, also won the gold medal in the alternative category. Both of these projects involved i nterdisciplinary teams of students--directors, actors, writers, a nd technical crews--who brought t heir creative visions t o life i n their spare time.
Completely c ommitting t hemselves t o
One of t he m odels we've created is t he
creating t hese films, being a ble to c ollabo-
Virginia B . Ball C enter f or C reative I nquiry.
rate w ith telecommunications a nd t heatre
Each year, three or four faculty members are
students--all while being supported by Ball
selected to participate by proposing a topic
State's C enter f or M edia Design ( CM-
to b e explored, and they, in t urn, e ach
D)--gave the students a "film school" experi-
recruit an i nterdisciplinary team o f 15
ence without the university having an official
students to be in their seminar. In these sem-
film school."Without a doubt, winning gold
inars, t he p rofessors a nd students work
medals at the Student Academy Awards in
side-by-side for one semester to investigate
two consecutive years is an example of the
a subject in o rder t o create s omething
strength o f our d igital c inema program,
new--a book, a play, a radio program, a DVD,
which says a great deal about us since we
or a m useum exhibit--that can b e shared
don't have a film school," says Rodger Smith,
with the community to stimulate dialog and
associate d irector of t he CMD a nd t he
awareness, s ays Joe Trimmer, t he c enter's
film's executive producer.
director
Money Making Meal$ By Son ya Stinson
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Campus dining progr am str ategies for giving revenue a boost In the summer of 2012, the University of Pennsylvania completed a sweeping renovation of one of its largest dining facilities—a three-story space that now includes a traditional dining hall, retail operations, and specialty dining concepts like a pizza oven and global cuisine.
A Starbucks in the building was remodeled to include a study area and conference room. It’s now open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., when previously it opened later and closed at 9:30 p.m. most days. The changes paid off. In the first semester after it reopened, the coffee shop experienced a 3 percent revenue increase, says
Doug Berger, the university’s executive director for business services. Replacing a small convenience store with a gourmet market, meanwhile, resulted in a 48 percent increase in sales and a 24 percent increase in the average check compared to the previous year, he shares.
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Much of the inspiration for these changes came from the success of a new dining space added to the university’s Whar ton School of Business a year earlier. Working with Bon Appetit Management Company, which operates all dining facilities at UPenn, university officials decided to replace an outdated coffee shop in a building that was being renovated at the business school. The new shop is called Joe’s Café, after school namesake Joseph Whar ton.
Designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects of Philadelphia, Joe’s Café earned LEED Gold cer tification for commercial interiors. A local coffee roaster created a Whar ton Blend just for the café, and the food menu boasts fresh, local fare. In the two years since Joe’s opened, university dining managers have expor ted some of its most successful ideas to other dining facilities.
“We’ve kind of used Whar ton as our laboratory to see how things would work,” Berger says. Boosting the revenue of university dining programs usually boils down to finding ways to attract more customers, but the methods can be as varied as the menus at a mall food court .
Mor e
“Everybody’s interested in different ideas and newer concepts that are outside the box,” says Bob Sempek, regional director for Treat America Food Services in Omaha, Neb., who notes that it’s typical for meal plan participation to drop off as students go off campus in search of more variety and more convenient dining times. “Colleges are looking at ways for vendors to reduce that missed meal factor and to increase par ticipation.”
O ptions For some institutions, a strategy for raising dining services revenue has been to build more flexibility into their meal plans so more students are inclined to par ticipate. A few years ago, surveys rating dining services at the University of Massachusetts, Dar tmouth showed students weren’t happy, says Jeff Augustine, director of auxiliary services. They wanted more choices about when and where they could dine on the university’s meal plan. Deciding that a major change was in order, Augustine put the dining services contract out to bid. Under new management from Chart wells, in September 2011 UMass, Dar tmouth began offering a meal equivalency feature that allowed students on the board plan to eat a limited number of meals outside the campus dining hall.
Since then, students’ satisfaction levels and perception of the quality of the food service program have increased, Augustine says. There has been an increase in meal plan par ticipation among the 2,000 or so students not required to sign up, and those who choose declining balance plans over the traditional model with a set number of meals are picking the more expensive plans. Along with the residential dining halls, nearly all of the retail dining outlets on campus accept equivalency payments, says Ed Gilmore, resident district manager for Chart wells. “Students between classes who can’t make it back to the dining hall can go into one of those retail outlets and swipe
off their meal and get a sandwich or salad, a beverage, and a bag of chips,” Gilmore says. In fall 2012, the University of California, Irvine and its food service contractor, Aramark, introduced an all-access option, providing unlimited meals in either the residential or retail dining facilities. Since the change, the par ticipation rate counting the number of students going through the doors of campus dining facilities more than doubled, according to Jack McManus, director of hospitality and dining services at UC, Irvine. The all-access meal plan, which costs about $300 more than the conventional plan, has brought more than $500,000 in additional dining revenue for the university, McManus says..
Southwestern Community College (Iowa) recently switched to an all-retail dining program, introducing Treat America branded concepts such as a hot entrée station called the Comfort Zone, Sempek shares. Students pay for their food by swiping a card carr ying a declining balance. Going retail enabled the college to create an additional revenue stream by selling bottled drinks and takeout food to both resident and commuter students, he says.
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