Higher Education are some of the most innovative folks who work in just about any space. Just about any technological or theoretical innovation is embraced by higher ed leaders with speed and voracity. We are truly early adopters. The same holds true for information. We love to report and disseminate the latest findings and ideas. And we love our websites! I have my blog. So, I wanted to do a fairly short post of the five websites I hit up often. I often go to these sites at least once a week and I am into each one for different reasons. I often look for ideas in three areas: news and policy, data and research, and cool advancements.
New York Times Colleges and Universities
I really go to this site often because it provides more than news. If I want higher ed news I do what most of us do and I go to the Chronicle website and go for it. But this site has the kind of insight and total coverage that you can expect from the New York Times. In addition, I get the site, along with the entire NY Times digital catalog for $5 a month with an educator’s discount. I do have to mention that The Wall Street Journal also does some good work with higher education data as it refers to employability. Their partnership with EMSI is good.
I do not think this is much of a surprise here. Josie has had a great personal site dedicated to digital learning and communication for some time. She is whip smart, her page is very easy to navigate, but what makes her great is her ability to reach beyond the pages and to form digital communities among my peers. I really appreciate how she creates thought provoking content and fun posts. I honestly really want to be Josie when I grow up. I honestly do not know how she does it all. I can barely get my posts up on time and by time I post this she has retweeted, posted on facebook, and dropped another podcast (and her podcast name, Josie and the Podcast is super cute!)
I think that InsideHigherEd is an edgier and more engaging version of the Chronicle of Higher Education. An online news and commentary source, this website is my daily go to as to what is happening all over Higher Education. As of today, there is a good article on Rutgers requiring COVID-19 vaccinations to return to campus and the disaster that was Suzi Orman’s keynote at NASPA. I also really like InsideHigherEd because it features voices from higher ed professionals who I know, and respect and it is likely that most of my friends will be featured on this site at some point. This really personalizes our work and brings a level of trust I enjoy.
I liken this site as the Fast Company of Higher Education. It is mainly about technology in higher ed, but not really. There are lots of thought provoking, longer form articles and they are usually written from a literary perspective. I generally like their work because it is really engaging but also not too high brow. There is even attempts at humor and lighter fare. But I also like how well it holds a mirror to higher education without being judgmental. This is a good site to hit up once a week.
I think this is my favorite site for data and insight into higher education. They produce and amplify a lot of ideas and research and dig into polices I care about. I am often impressed with the level of authorship and craft in their work, and I have used their information many times in my own job. I am on their site about every other week and when I want to start a new project. There is also another part of their site that I really enjoy, it offers practical and sensible insights into how to recruit and retain students based on gender, culture, and socio-economic status. These pieces offer more than ideas, they offer solutions that I can build on and work with. It is a data done practically.
Considering Outloud 