UCONN HESA Blogger....stretching Sue's limited skills....

Hi UConn HESAs---alums, 09ers, 10ers, faculty and friends.

It's supposed to be summer here in Storrs, but with 60 degree, rainy "April-like" weather, it's a bit tough to believe. But it does inspire me to be a bit more industrious---since a trip to the pool is clearly out of the question. Today is a great day to start a project that I've wanted to try for a long time---starting a UCONN HESA BLOG!!

So, what is this UCONN HESA BLOG anyway...

HESA Grads 2008

After our lovely 2008 commencement reception where 15 extraordinary new professionals were hooded, I began seriously thinking about my desire to stay connected to recent grads and to strengthen our growing HESA community. And I suspect that others in the UCONN HESA community--faculty, more seasoned alums, current students, and our newest students--might want to join in. Thus, a BLOG is born!!





This is a free flowing adventure. This blog will be a place for all of us to share news, discuss a concept, give advice, debate an idea. It is my hope that we will all get to know each other better and will enhance our life-long opportunity to refine our thinking through the views of others. Let me start by sharing some news--about HESA, about my summer plans, about an article I find interesting.





HESA NEWS---Thanks to Billy Dunn and Evelyn Lang, from SAIT, we are just about ready to launch our new HESA website. It contains just as much interesting information, but is more attractive and easier to use. And yes, there are many more pictures of students.... Stay tuned for the unveiling, since you'll be the first to know when it launches.





NEWS OF HIGHER ED--Donna Korbel and I have been working on a presentation for a conference in Portland, ME next week. Our topic focuses on the changes in higher education and our students. So, we've been immersed in reports about demographic changes. And I've gotten so fired up that I'm making bar charts, looking up YouTube videos--to spice up the presentation, and generally having a terrific time digging into the statistics. Yes, I am a proud Higher Ed Geek!!!Here's some of what I've learned--

• The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) predicts that higher education will continue to be a "growth industry" for the foreseeable future. Although others predict a slackening of enrollments over the next 7 years, the NCES believes that there will be more students in secondary schools and that more women and more minority group members are enrolling in higher education.



• The other bit of good news from the NCES is that our college populations will be increasingly diverse with more students of color and more students with disabilities. We will also be challenged by that diversity, which is another good thing. The most interesting article that I've read about the NCES statistics is from the Chronicle of Higher Education, May 30, 2008, Higher Education is in Flux as Demographics Change. (If you'd like to read any Chronicle article, but don't have a subscription, please email me at sue.saunders@uconn.edu and I'll send you a copy.)



• But the June 4th edition of the Chronicle brought some not so happy news. The NCES determined that overall less than 40% of full-time students graduate within 4 years and only 58% graduate in 6 years. With all that we are doing to improve success rates of college students, these graduation rates have not improved substantially over the past few decades.

I have to wonder why? Are we not adequately addressing student needs? Are students just not motivated enough? Do we admit students without sufficient capacity to meet the demands of college today? Is there some other reason that we are missing? What's student affairs' role in improving graduation rates? Please share your thoughts about these and other related (or unrelated) questions.

OTHER NEWS---The summer has been a joy for me thus far, with time to read, think, and even explore Connecticut. Last week we went to Fany's town--Somers, CT--and dined at a lovely old inn. During the first 3 weeks in July I'll be in North Carolina cleaning out my father's house, since he has moved into a retirement community with as many activities as the Student Union. But I suspect that ballroom dancing might be a little different with the 80 year olds!!

Anyway, I wish you all the best of a good summer. Please add a post and get the dialogue going. Since we are a HESA community, we should be doing what communities do---we should be communicating!!

I can't wait to hear from you....

Sue