Urban University Blog

Advancements in technology have often led to technological unemployment. A new object or machine is invented that can accomplish a task once assigned to a human. The replaced person is out of work until he or she can find a similar job or retrain. Since the Luddites of the early 19th century, we have seen this pattern periodically. Recent trends tell a slightly different story. New advancements in automation have led to the replacement of large numbers of mid-skilled jobs wit

This blog was originally published on the EDUCAUSE Review, Transforming Higher Ed blog on April 28, 2017 Last year, as program manager for the Personalized Learning Consortium of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and with a video production crew on hand, I visited five colleges and universities. These institutions, all five of them, successfully increased student success through the implementation of campus-wide, proactive advising systems, support

Entrepreneurs play a critical role in our economy. The innovations they develop have a cascading effect on job creation, standards of living, and growth in related industries. Teaching talented individuals to become entrepreneurs themselves and supporting them as they launch their own companies is one thing that universities can do to strengthen the economy in their communities. At California State University, Los Angeles, we understand the importance of this approach, which

What does it take for an institution of higher education to be excellent in assessing student learning and using results to drive systemic, campus-wide improvements?  That question guided the development and implementation of the Excellence in Assessment (EIA) designation, which was launched last year by the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), in conjunction with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the National Institute for Learning Outcom

Ever since the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, technology has been used to disrupt, advance, and transform the education sector. In recent years, an entire industry has developed around ed tech, with dozens of conferences and events around the world each year. The pace of innovation is accelerating, and universities are now presented with a dizzying array of software platforms, devices, and applications that promise to guarantee student and faculty succes

“I know I’m supposed to go to college after high school, but is it really worth it?” This question, asked by high school student Patience Johnson in the University of Cincinnati (UC) Academic Health Center’s new recruitment video, is common among urban youth who lack college-educated role models. High school students in distressed communities may find it difficult to gauge the value of a college degree or see themselves in career fields that require higher education. For urba