How do we scale student participation in high-impact practices (HIPs) on campuses where there is limited supply? Student employment, not an official HIP yet, has potential to fill this gap. This article describes approaches taken by two campuses within the State University of New York (SUNY) system to transform work-study/student employment into…

Each year as tuition costs increase, more students rely on financial aid to attend institutions of higher education. Financial aid packages, which are created to encourage individual investments in education, consist of a variety of types of funding assistance and aid packages, and are highly tailored to individual students. In general, financial…

During the latter half of the 20th Century, the early blooms of spring were also a signal to the nation's teenagers: it's time to find a job. About half of all Americans between 16 and 19 years old spent part of their summer break bagging groceries or slinging ice cream until the early 2000s. Then, the youth employment rate fell sharply and stayed…

In this policy brief, we use research findings to illuminate experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic of U.S. rural college students from poor and working-class backgrounds. We offer institutional, state, and federal policy lessons gleaned from such experiences. We show how rural, poor and working-class students' higher education success was…

National research demonstrates that students working on campus remain enrolled at rates higher than their peers who do not work or work off-campus. Considered by many to be a High-Impact Practice (HIP) (McClellan, Creager, and Savoca 2018), the student employment experience is an integral part of students' education, growth, and development.…

This brief explores the experiences of college students aged 25 and older using data from the Fall 2023 Student Financial Wellness Survey. These modern learners experience financial insecurity and time poverty at higher rates than their younger peers, which can impact their academic success.

While most undergraduates agree that a college degree is worth the investment, perceptions about the value of postsecondary education are not uniform across all learners. This brief discusses perceptions of the financial value of college among three key demographic groups--first-generation students, parenting students, and students who work while…

This chapter highlights several of the significant design and facilitation considerations used to support adult working learners pursuing online learning across educational contexts. These include the integration of inclusive online learning practices, the design and facilitation of quality interactions in the online environment, and application…

Enhancing graduate employability is an increasing focus within higher education, however, although part-time work is a majority experience for students the skills gained through non-professional employment are often treated as having limited value in constructions of graduate employability. This paper engages in dialogue with a series of viewpoint…

Digital literacy is a crucial skill set within the social, political, and economic contexts of 21st-century society. Around the world, governments are making a concerted effort to develop digital literacy within adults, as indicated through Sustainable Development Goal 4. However, working learners from a variety of backgrounds and geographies…

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted libraries tremendously and changed the way services were offered to patrons. Dahlgren Memorial Library was no exception and the library strived to find ways to keep their student assistants employed. This article will discuss how the library trained its student assistants to cover the chat system and work on projects…

As storms become more intense and sea levels rise, coastal cultural institutions are seeking ways to protect and preserve their collections within the challenging context of limited budgets and human resources. These institutions are not alone in their consideration of climate change risk; coastal colleges and universities, which are also…

While grades and course load are the top factors in the college admission decision, highlighting special talents or skills can help students stand out in a crowded applicant pool. Counselors and students must put considerable thought into how an applicant will highlight their talents in a college application. Students should start by identifying…

Using a learning-focused lens, this chapter explores concepts such as recruiting, training, and supervision through the strategic use of leadership learning outcomes. Within a broad context of leadership development, institution-specific promising practices and examples are provided to demonstrate implementation of the concepts.

For decades, Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs) have provided income, career exposure, and real-life work experience for thousands of young people across the United States. Yet year after year, youth and community leaders report that there are not enough summer jobs to go around. Some cities pressure underfunded SYEPs to serve all youth who…