BLOG

The Department of Education recently announced the FY 2026 Title III Strengthening Institutions Program awards, and they offer a revealing look at how colleges and universities are responding to the pressures facing higher education. A review of 384 funded-project abstracts shows institutions building connected systems intended to help students enter college, persist, complete meaningful credentials, and move into further education or employment.

This summer, one of our many site visits took us to Nome, Alaska, where we had the opportunity to see place-based instruction in action. We observed an “On the Land” workshop offered through the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus’s High Latitude Range Management program. The workshop exemplified high-quality experiential, place-based pedagogy. Taken together, the week showed what place-based education can accomplish when the land becomes the classroom.

In higher education, Career Services is often treated as a place students go when they are ready to write a resume, search for internships, or prepare for interviews. However, if Career Services only appears at the end of that process, institutions miss one of the strongest opportunities to improve student persistence, completion, and employment outcomes.

Competency-based education (CBE) has emerged as a transformative model in higher education, focusing on the demonstration of skills.

Higher education institutions are increasingly adopting experiential learning to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.