Fran Glazer Urges Universities to Get "HIP"

Today’s students have much to learn in college as they prepare for careers and life beyond the classroom.

In an op-ed published by CNBC, Associate Provost for Educational Innovation Francine Glazer, Ph.D., urges universities to increase their incorporation of high-impact educational practices, or HIP, to help foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills in students.

“These practices can turn academically engaged students into profession-ready graduates,” writes Glazer, who is also director of NYIT Center for Teaching and Learning.

While the job market for college graduates is promising, surveys have indicated that many employers don’t believe graduates are ready for the workforce. Universities, therefore, should try to boost career readiness by integrating research, collaborative projects, and community-based service jobs into courses, Glazer writes, noting that a key component of high-impact educational practices is frequent, rigorous feedback by professors.

“Students improve their work habits and communication skills in response to input from peers and professors,” she writes. “Instead of toiling away at solo homework assignments and term papers, students operate in an environment that actually approximates the working world.”

Glazer notes that NYIT provides excellent internship and project assignments for students that allow for real-world experience and meaningful results.
“Universities must evolve to better empower students to succeed once they’re in the workforce,” she concludes. “High-impact educational practices should be a central part of that equation.”

Read Glazer’s entire op-ed on CNBC.com.

This op-ed is part of an NYIT thought-leadership campaign designed to help generate awareness and build reputation for the university on topics of national relevance. Read more op-eds by NYIT experts.