Essays and Other Original Work
Adult Learners
In this essay, I compare the fringe benefit of in-class discussions with fellow classmates and instructor to that of the online learning environment. This. came about after noticing that the same people in my online classroom usually commented on each others discussion posts - especially and because they tend to align with their own viewpoints. The words, “I agree with you”, are much more likely than “I disagree, and here’s why”, in an online discussion environment.
Is the free flow of original thought in an online environment more restrictive than an in-person setting, where the freedom to express controversial ideas may be more tolerated?
Leadership Skills
It seems that everyone wants to be a leader. After all, a leader - especially in an institute of higher education - brings with it titles like Director or VP, and with this comes more money. But it this essay I sought to discover what a person can do to make others want to follow a person to begin with.
I discuss the concept of “warmth” and “competence”, and conclude with the importance of “consistency”. Not many leaders hold these traits but should. And all aspiring leaders should strive for all three. A person with all three are the best predictors of leadership success within higher education and beyond.
Higher Education
In this essay, I argue that higher education institutions are incentivized to abandon their traditional missions and embrace a new north star: the US News and World Report college ranking criteria, and this market shift has created (a) an identity crisis among higher education institutions; (b) misaligned priorities that influence decision-making; and (c) ethical implications that bring into question the duty of loyalty among administrators: the mission in practice often does not match the mission as advertised.
The Community College
The “endowment effect” is used as a catalyst to analyze the efficacy of free community college education programs. I cast doubt on models of the sort because students may not be incentivized to complete a degree if they can just reenroll for free. Rather, I speak to a nuanced model that rewards students that actually complete their program to align incentives for the good of the institution, student and society as a whole.
Programs for Access and Opportunity in Higher Education
Although inclusion is a primary mission of the highest ranking institutions in the US, the reality is that these universities strategically choose not to expand enrollment rates. This decision to not to expand is made to maintain scarcity to secure their positions at the top, which yield inclusion in theory and exclusion in practice.
Social Entrepreneurship
I take a look at the friction between risk-averse social network campaigns at institutions of higher learning which may not yield great results, with the reality that in order to yield followers, the messaging sometimes may need to be controversial. It’s often the risky posts that generate discussion and engagement, but may also alienate others that disagree with the messaging. Walking this messaging tightrope may be the difference between successful social marketing and failed social engagement.
College Teaching
In this video presentation, I survey the first generation college student landscape and address the common challenges they face on their academic journey. These include financial, cultural and college readiness perspectives.
I speak to my own experience as a first generation college student and offer some food for thought.