Michael Brown

@drsaguilarsmith.bsky.social and I have a new pub out in AERA Open. We analyzed 400 abstracts of community colleges who received grants under the Title V Developing HSI program. This manuscript was so much fun to work on, and SAS is a dream thought partner. #HSIs #HigherEd #AcademicBluesky

And as I near the end of Year 15 post-PhD, looking back, I think the academic race is not given to the swift nor to the strong...

...but to those who have HELP enduring until the end.

Mentoring matters. A good academic mentor is worth the world. Makes such a difference in our careers & our lives.

People and Places: Understanding the Longitudinal College-Going and Residential Pathways of U.S. Adults Who “Went Away” to College - Research in Higher Education While college access and choice processes are well documented, the post-college residential mobility of graduates has ramifications for the long-term benefits of state and local investments in educati...

New Pub at #RIHE: @stephaniesowl.bsky.social, @brownm.bsky.social, and #RachelSmith examine people and place factors related to college enrollment and post-college return migration. Social connectedness mattered for college going and high school engagement for returning home. doi.org/10.1007/s111...

Some key takeaways: 1-Social connectedness is related to increased odds of return 2-Workforce opportunities and educational attainment may shape students return decisions. Places that rely on agriculture & mining jobs were less likely to see returners & communities w > average bachelors attainment.

I have a new article in Resarch in Higher Education led by @stephaniesowl.bsky.social where we continue our work considering post-college migration behaviors. We examine what factors encourage enrollment, how communities change, and whether students return "home" or to places like home
rdcu.be/ebnS8

🚨 NEW PUB ALERT 🚨

I believe in the power of grants to transform orgs & the field in powerful ways.

Yet, competitive grantmaking can also recreate harm, regardless of funders’ good intentions.

Cynthia Villarreal & I show this in our latest pub. Check it out. It’s open access👇🏽

lnkd.in/gE38UJn2

I am excited to share our new pub “Because I’m from a Rural Background”: An Examination of Rural Students in Higher Ed Through a Critical Non-Deficit Framework! Shoutout to my amazing co-authors @sonjaardoin.bsky.social, Nicole D. Cooper, and Vanessa A. Sansone! Thank you so much to The Journal of

Donate to Help R. S. A. Garcia Pay for Cancer Expenses, organized by Arula Ratnakar Hi everyone, I'm Rhonda, also known as R. S. A. Garcia, a speculative … Arula Ratnakar needs your support for Help R. S. A. Garcia Pay for Cancer Expenses

Got confimed for 2 major surgeries this week. I will need funds & soon, but I was fired when I was diagnosed with cancer & my only income now is writing.

I hate to ask because I know we're all struggling, but I'd appreciate any donation.

Thank you & please share.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-r-s-a...

Screenshot of the article that reads: Shapiro explained that institutions’ self-reported data does not differentiate between first-year and dual-enrolled students, but lumps them together. The clearinghouse separates them out by making assumptions based on other data it has access to—namely students’ ages, inferring that any first-year students under 18 are dually enrolled. The research team then augments the findings with data on high school diploma attainment, which Shapiro said usually helps reduce the number of miscounts by allowing them to pinpoint when, or whether, a 17-year-old student has graduated from high school.

Screenshot from prior article that interviews NSC CEO: There was an error in how we imputed a particular category of dual-enrolled students versus freshmen. But if you look at the report, the total number of learners wasn’t impacted by that. These preliminary reports were designed to meet a need after COVID, to understand what the impact was going to be. We basically designed a report on an emergency basis, and by default, when you don’t have complete information, there’s imputation. There’s been a lot of pressure on getting the preliminary fall report out. That being said, you learn your lesson—you gotta own it and then you keep going. This was very unfortunate, and you can imagine the amount of soul searching to ensure that this never happens again.

Now, here's the error explanation. I'll note this does not align with how I would think of an imputation error as suggested by the interview with the outgoing CEO earlier this week. Reaaaal useful example for methods classes on researcher assumptions.

New article on left, CEO interview on right

Screenshot of article that reads: So how did things turn out so differently than expected? The Education Department seemed to predict the uptick last fall when officials noted that changes in aid eligibility calculations on the new FAFSA had resulted in a 5 percent increase in students receiving federal aid and a whopping 14 percent increase in Pell Grant recipients. The new report’s data seems to support a connection between the expansion of federal aid eligibility and rising enrollment. Enrollment from the lowest-income neighborhoods rose by 7.3 percent after two straight years of modest 2 percent growth, and growth was strongest at community colleges and less selective institutions, which tend to serve more low-income students.

Someone asked me how I "got it right" that the "drop" in the NSC October report almost certainly did not happen. Most of it is because of the ED report they mention here which appears to align with the new NSC data. Low-income student enrollment is likely up!

Enrollment passes pre-pandemic levels with first-year surge Total enrollment surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time and first-year enrollment grew 5.5 percent. It’s a shocking finding after last year’s enrollment pessimism—and a complete reversal fro...

So much here! To start, instead of a 5% decrease in first-year enrollment, it's actually a 5.5% increase! Lots of students enrolled in the northeast! Even an explanation on this "error" which is not from imputation but from researcher assumptions! Short 🧵

www.insidehighered.com/news/admissi...

There's still time to register for the Broadening Research & Instructional Designs for Greater Equity in STEM (BRIDGES) Virtual Conference, which is happening on January 31 and February 1, 2025.

Register here: events.zoom.us/ev/AtnaLdDxl...
#AcademicSky #STEMeducation

Text reads: remembering that time in grad school when my advisor, a great ornithologist, got a random call: Drunk guy, bar noises in background: IS THIS THE BIRD PROFESSOR? My advisor: Um…. yes? Drunk guy: DO HUMMINGBIRDS HAVE FEET?? my advisor: …. yes *wild cheering over phone from bar*

Always a classic. #birds #birdmemes #hummingbirds

Yikes

www.studentclearinghouse.org/news/nationa...

16mm film footage of Buzz Aldrin on EVA in low-Earth orbit during the Gemini XII mission on November 11, 1966

A spiral galaxy seen in visible light. The spiral arms appear red/brown, with the centre appearing really bright. Some star clusters can be seen in the arms, appearing blue. Some Milky Way stars are photobombing the image, as well as background galaxies.

These days are not good at all for so many people around here, so I'll try to brighten the mood, even for a second, with a new Hubble image! 🔭

This is the NGC-5530 galaxy, as seen by Hubble earlier today. This galaxy is located some 40 million light years away.

HD: flic.kr/p/2qEpfnz

Burying beetle, Nicrophorus humator. An exciting family of the Silphidae. What can this beetle feel, smell, taste and hear with its sensors on its leg?

A photo of groundcherries (Alkekengi) in a garden in winter. The round, orange, cherry tomato-like fruits are suspended in the center of pendulous, vaguely heart-shaped husks made of networks of dried beige veins. The husks have a delicate, skeletal, lattice-like structure, reminiscent of laser-cut papercraft.

In winter through early spring, you can sometimes find unspoiled, still-bright groundcherries sitting in the latticed remnants of their husks, like hearts suspended in paper ribcages

Noooo. 🤯

Title page of a new publication on two year college faculty

@brownm.bsky.social and I have a new pub on two-year college faculty in the latest volume of the Higher Education Handbook.

Yes, I know it says El Paso, IA. It is what it is. 😆

a man is making a funny face while standing in a park with his hand on his face . Alt: Gif of a man in a hoodie saying, "Psssst.." and waving the viewer to come closer

Attention academics, authors, and creatives! What are your favorite vendors for getting custom swag, whether it be sticker sheets, shirts, or other items?

And to all, what's your favorite swag to receive? We're thinking phone chargers are the new USB drive. And what is NOT useful/wanted?

If the U.S. Department of Education is Dismantled, You Are STILL an HSI The election of the 47th president of the United States has many of us feeling anxious, holding our breath, and waiting to see which campaign promises will come to fruition. For educators, the threat ...

If the U.S. Department of Education is Dismantled, You Are STILL an HSI. Please read and share!!

www.ginaanngarcia.com/post/if-the-...

The #ASHE2024 hang over is real! What day is it? 🫠

It takes me more time to revise a generic chatGPT output than to just write something creative for an assignment on my own. It's not a good use of my time. Also, what it creates is very gameable by chatgpt because it is so generic.

I think you need to resky (or whatever) the QR code here!

Part of the disconnect is they hear the number that their parents or family members owe and they assume this is the cost of tuition. So even students w/ generous aid offers believe that at the end of the day, cost of living and the hidden costs of college will add up in ways they can never pay off

I've been talking to CC students for a project who are vastly overestimating the cost of college, in part, because their parents have lingering debt from their own attempt(s) at college. And their price sensitivity is very much informed by the belief that they will incur 75K+ w/ no degree.

I already created a community for Higher Education & Student Affairs! Feel free to share the link with him & yourself.

go.bsky.app/7asixYJ

A cooked turkey lying on a platter with vegetables. The turkey is holding a lit match! The text reads: Is your turkey a saboteur? Unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires. On average, there are more home fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year. Always stand by your pan!

Thanksgiving is coming.