Facing Facts: Student Persistence

The study of higher education is professionalizing. Theories are maturing, research is expanding, and we are steadily learning more about what works, and what doesn’t, when people head off to college. The results are sobering. Knowledge can empower – and also humble. Wesley R. Habley, Jennifer L. Bloom, and Steve Robbins recently collaborated on Increasing Persistence:…

Discomfort and Academic Success

Talking with college students about their academic work is a fascinating leap into the familiar and the unknown. “What is your favorite class and why?” opens up discussions about preference, engagement, challenge, and the strengths and weaknesses of faculty. It reveals a forest of shifting variables. As educators, administrators, and advisors, we recognize the format…