Friday 5 Live: Higher Education Podcast

What exactly is basic needs insecurity, and why must it be addressed in our colleges and universities? Join Amanda Key, the inaugural Director of Opportunity, Success and Achievement, and Phillip Smith, inaugural Assistant Dean for Student Basic Needs at Rutgers University as they share insights into the most common forms of insecurity among college students. Amanda and Phillip provide strategies that have transformed students' access and success.

Struggling to help motivate students or help them understand the concept of motivation? In this episode of Friday 5 Live, Dr. Amy Baldwin and Dr. Laurie Hazard share their firsthand experiences and examine how motivation can be cultivated and sustained, even in the face of challenges. We examine the psychological underpinnings of motivation, discuss the importance of setting clear, achievable goals, and the transformative potential of a supportive community. Want to continue the conversation? Connect with Amy at the Curious Professor and Laurie at Recognize Your Potential.

We are excited to welcome back Dr. La’Tonya “LT” Rease Miles to Friday 5 Live as we examine the hidden curriculum in higher education.In our conversation, we explore the harm caused by the assumption students “know how to college" and discuss strategies faculty and staff can take to address these implicit set of expectations that impact student success. Don’t miss out on this important conversation!

This year in our podcast series we want to explore the idea of engagement - how do we create opportunities for our students that are so meaningful they cannot be disengaged from learning, from our school communities, from their higher education journeys. In this episode, Dr. Shantell Strickland-Davis shares with us strategies faculty and staff can take to build community even before class begins! Shantell’s research, which has recently been published, will provide us with tips and insights into how we can foster a sense of community and connection in classrooms outside of the limits of the semester. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives and tools that will make a positive difference in our students' academic journey from day one!

Additional Resources:- Jean's Slide Deck- View the video recording of our podcast

Approximately 40% of college students nationwide exit before obtaining a degree, with a quarter not making it past their first year. In our latest Friday 5 Live podcast episode, we discuss a recent study published in the journal Science with Dr. Chris Hulleman, exploring how educational institutions can cultivate a profound sense of belonging among students to combat these alarming dropout rates.

About one in five college students, or 22% of all undergraduate students, are parents. Most identify as women or students of color, particularly Black and Latina students. Although student parents often perform better academically than their non-parenting peers, they are less likely to graduate from college. September is designated as National Student-Parent Month. Join us for a timely discussion on how institutions can support their students who are parents to complete their college journeys successfully! Bianca Ramirez, a former student parent and the Founder & CEO of Student Parents Empowered, shares her insights into the needs and experiences of student parents.

Join us as we welcome back Aaron Basko to Friday 5 Live! Aaron, the Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Communications at the University of Lynchburg, shares his insights into college admissions and enrollment, examining what this year has brought and gazing into the future to predict what might shape the coming year as we look to recruit the class of 2028.

More than 40 million Americans have some college but no degree, a number which has grown by over a million students in just one year. How can faculty and staff address the troubling trend of stopping out? Join us as Dr. La'Tonya (LT) Rease Miles shares her recommendations for how we can better understand the reasons behind students stopping out as she shares strategies we can all use to support our students to attain credentials and degrees!

Join us for the reprisal of this special episode with Dr. Quincy Jenkins, Vice President, Organizational Culture and Engagement at Chattanooga State Community College reflects on ways that we can support our LGBTQ+ coworkers and students.

In the last eight years, there's been a 135% increase in depression among college students and a 110% increase in anxiety among college students. Equally concerning is that death by suicide is the third leading cause of death for college students. Join us for an important conversation with David J. Denino, Director Emeritus, Counseling Services and Adjunct Professor, Clinical Mental Health at Southern Connecticut State University. David reflects on his training and share strategies institutions, and individuals can use to support student and community mental health.

Belonging has been a hot topic in higher education news recently. The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article recently on the concept of belonging, as has Inside Higher Ed. Join us as Jessica Gifford, an expert on resiliency, shares her research and insights into belonging and the key concept of building connections. Jessica firmly believes connection and community improve engagement, retention, and well-being. Listen in to learn strategies for how we can support our students to find their place at our institutions.

How can our institutions more effectively support Historically Underrepresented Minority (HURM) students? The National Center for Education Statistics has reported that college enrollment and degree attainment have decreased in Black, Native American/Alaska Native, and first-generation populations. In this episode, Dr. Reginald Stroble, Ms. Nicole Rouse, and Ms. Llyoandra Cooper share their insights into how we can best support our HURM students and create pathways for success.

According to data from the Community College Research Center (CCRC), two-year institutions lose about 45% of students within their first year. How can colleges reimagine students’ first year of college in a way that centers on students exploring and entering a program of study? Join us as Dr. Hana Lahr of CCRC shares her research on whole-college guided pathways reforms. We will learn about the Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan framework and other initiatives to improve long-term outcomes like completion and transfer.

Seventy-four percent of college students today are considered nontraditional students. At the same time, more than 39 million Americans have some college but no degree, a number which has grown by 3 million students in 3 years. Dr. Anne Khademian has a term for these students: fluid learners. Join us as Dr. Khademian, the Executive Director of the Universities at Shady Grove, shares her insights into the shifts institutions must make to support and retain nontraditional students as we look to what the future holds for higher education and our workforce.

Today 1 out of 3 college students identify as a first-generation student, according to The Center for First-Generation Student Success. How can institutions at all levels support the success of first-generation students? Join us as Dr. Shantell Strickland-Davis shares her work on using a cultural strengths approach to create a learning environment that engages our first-generation students. Dr. Strickland-Davis will provide strategies for our classrooms and student services units to impact student success for this critical population of the students we serve.

Jessica Gifford has spent her professional career creating supportive learning opportunities for students. An expert on resiliency, Jessica has shifted her focus to the concept of building connections. How can institutions create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to make meaningful connections? Join us as Jessica shares her insights and strategies for how institutions can focus on connection and community building to impact mental-health, student, faculty and staff retention and, ultimately, success.