The Coach Behind the Medal: What the Winter Olympics Can Teach Higher Ed About Academic Advising
Behind every Olympic medalist is someone (a coach, a mentor, a scout) who saw something in them before they saw it in themselves. Someone who understood the sport deeply enough to recognize raw potential and knew how to cultivate it into world-class performance. In higher education, we call those people academic advisors. And the quality of that advising can mean the difference between a student who thrives and one who never finds their footing.
Rubrics That Stick the Landing: Lessons from Olympic Scoring
When the inevitable challenge arrives, the meticulous, defensible standards embedded in your rubrics will be the most effective advocates for student achievement, faculty equity, and the integrity of your degrees. A well-designed rubric provides the most effective mechanism for achieving transparency, protecting instructional consistency, and affirming academic standards. Let's break down what that looks like, Olympic style.
How Not to Write a Syllabus (and What to Do Instead)
The syllabus isn’t your annual report. It’s not a compliance memo. And it’s definitely not a legal deposition written in passive voice. It’s a guide for your students (actual human beings), many of whom are trying to make sense of a new class, a new semester, and, in some cases, a whole new life direction.
Weddings, Rubrics, and IEPs: Falling in Love with Institutional Effectiveness
At its heart, a strong IEP is your institution’s way of saying “I do”—to accountability, to continuous improvement, and to the students and communities you serve. And like any good marriage, the commitment doesn’t end with the ceremony. It’s something you show up for, work on, and grow through, year after year, ‘til death (or retirement) do you part.
Beyond the Emerald City: Essential Skills and General Education Matter in Higher Education
Today's students might not need to fly on a broomstick or lead an army of flying monkeys, but they do need to navigate complex work environments, solve unpredictable challenges, and collaborate with people from all walks of life. A well-rounded education doesn’t just prepare students for a single job; it equips them with the broader skills they’ll need to apply their expertise in meaningful ways.
Institutional Effectiveness: The Prescription for a Healthy Institution
Like a good checkup, institutional effectiveness data collection and analysis might seem like a disruption, but in the long run, it keeps your institution healthy, aligned with your mission, and on track for growth.