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The College Knowledge Blog addresses the most pressing issues in higher education. From the cost of going to college to employment for graduates and everything in between, this Blog takes a balanced approach to covering issues, identifying challenges, and identifying solutions.
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Holistic Student Success: Now more than ever
A few years ago, I wrote a post confessing some internal turmoil . At the time, it seemed like every conversation about student success...
Ross Markle
Apr 78 min read
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The Faculty Piece of the Student Success Puzzle
One of my first experiences as an assessment professional was working with the University Housing Office. They were so excited to share...
Ross Markle
Mar 46 min read
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2026 is Already Here: Three Tips for Getting Your Student Success Efforts in Gear
The only thing I hate more than listicles – you know, those catchy “Top 5 things doctors say you shouldn’t eat” posts that are the pure...
Ross Markle
Feb 46 min read
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Early Alert: A Puzzle Piece, not the Whole Picture
When I talk with institutions about proactively, intrusively, and holistically supporting students, a common response is something like,...
Ross Markle
Jan 236 min read
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From Predictive Analytics to Support: Philosophy and Application
The “Target and Tailor” Approach During my very first job out of graduate school, I was charged with building our institutional model of...
Ross Markle
Nov 13, 20248 min read
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Building Better Advising Systems: A Roadmap to Holistic Student Support
When I joined DIA in the summer of 2023, my marching orders were simple but not easy: help institutions make use of ISSAQ noncognitive...
Andrea Pope
Sep 14, 202410 min read
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I’m done with noncognitive skills
This probably comes as a shock to many of you. The headlines in Inside Higher Ed, EMIP, and other notable publications will likely read, ...
Ross Markle
Aug 12, 202410 min read
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Learning vs. Retention: It's not a battle
For years, higher education professionals and researchers have drawn a combative line between learning and retention/graduation metrics....
Ross Markle
Mar 6, 20246 min read
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It means nothing without change
I recently picked up Ben Wildavsky’s book, The Career Arts. (It’s a well-written, important work. Book review coming!) Like many other...
Ross Markle
Jan 3, 20245 min read
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Four Questions Every Advising Effort Should be Able to Answer
While we at DIA certainly have a vision for the impact we want to have on colleges and universities, articulating that vision is not...
Ross Markle
Nov 2, 202314 min read
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What Matters Most to Student Success?
In a previous role, nestled within a large, standardized testing organization (like, a really big one… I mean, I’m not going to name any...
Ross Markle
Oct 16, 20237 min read
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A Work-Life Balance Hack
Without a doubt, the coolest aspect of having your own company is the ability to do things however you want. That might sound obvious (or...
Ross Markle
Jul 19, 20235 min read
88 views
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We forgot about student success
After a decade of emphasis on student success, a host of phenomena - the Covid-19 Pandemic, human and civil rights movements, mental...
Ross Markle
Jun 20, 20237 min read
64 views
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When Every Equity Problem Looks Like a Noncognitive Nail
It's an old adage, but one I'm quite fond of: When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Whenever someone presents...
Ross Markle
Feb 16, 202210 min read
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Getting to Work
As 2022 gets underway, I'm reflecting on the nature of starting something vs. building it. I recently put together a letter for all our...
Ross Markle
Jan 13, 20224 min read
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Education is an Intervention
What exactly is education? The obvious consultation of Webster's dictionary could provide an answer, but as with many constructs, it can...
Ross Markle
Aug 27, 20209 min read
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Factor Focus: Sense of Belonging
The "Factor Focus" series is designed to review various noncognitive factors and their relevance to student success. I thoroughly enjoy...
Ross Markle
Aug 11, 20209 min read
123 views
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The Problem with "Best Practice"
There are certain things that, when I step onto a college campus, I just know I'm going to hear. "We tend to have lots of silos here."...
Ross Markle
Jul 30, 20207 min read
346 views
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Can we measure student learning outcomes qualitatively? I don't think so...
... but I could be wrong. Typically I write these posts from a position of knowledge and expertise, seeking to espouse a viewpoint that...
Ross Markle
Jul 24, 202010 min read
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The best book I've ever read about student success
I've never been really good at catching the first wave of trends. Last summer, I came across a very catchy song and, when chatting with a...
Ross Markle
Jul 15, 20208 min read
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