Melissa Ezarik

Giving Story Spotlight: Santa Clara University As a Jesuit university alum, I was not surprised to see donor impact stories on Santa Clara University’s giving site centered around a commitment of service to others.

My latest #HigherEd Giving Site Storytelling post covers how Santa Clara University's #Jesuit values are evident in messaging and narratives on its giving page. The analysis of site content includes ideas other advancement teams can model. higheredgivingsitestorytelling.substack.com/p/giving-sto...

Social, Emotional and Academic Leadership Thrives at SHU Students and alumni share research that is bringing about positive change in schools

I got the chance to attend and cover a fascinating research symposium related to social-emotional learning in academic leadership. Nice to see education leaders focused on this area, which is key to accessing academics in schools. www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/ne... #k12 #research #SEL

3 Impact Storytelling Actions to Take In a guest post for Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action blog, I shared three steps for higher ed communications and advancement professionals looking to increase donor gifts by infusing content into the...

3 Impact Storytelling Actions for #HigherEd #Communications and #Advancement Pros to Take to Increase Donor Giving open.substack.com/pub/highered...

3 Impact Storytelling Actions to Take In a guest post for Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action blog, I shared three steps for higher ed communications and advancement professionals looking to increase donor gifts by infusing content into the...

3 Impact Storytelling Actions for #HigherEd Institution #Communications Teams to Take open.substack.com/pub/highered...

What is the publication called?

Giving Pages Need Impact Stories, & Institutional Leaders Can Help - In this piece for the EdUp Experience, I offer 6 strategies for #highered presidents on encouraging advancement to add storytelling to their content plans. url:https://www.edupexperience.com/blog/giving-pages-need-impact-stories/

The Great Unraveling How the bipartisan center of education reform was destroyed by extremes on both sides, leaving student achievement—the only thing that matters—as the biggest casualty

Important read! Red and Blue have made mistakes and the question remains: How are the children?
open.substack.com/pub/citizen/...

Centering Social Fit, Self-Concept Fit, Goal Fit, and Resource Fit as Core Elements of Students’ Experiences of Belonging at School - Educational Psychology Review A common theme across psychological research on belonging in school has been a focus on the social—on the quality of students’ connections to others in the school environment. In this review, I argue ...

Centering Social Fit, Self-Concept Fit, Goal Fit, and Resource Fit as Core Elements of Students’ Experiences of Belonging at School link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Giving Story Spotlight: Lewis & Clark A bold full-page photo of Lewis & Clark students surrounding a “thank you” sign as they gather the steps of the Odell Annex building is what friends of the Portland, Ore., college see when they click ...

Giving Story Spotlight: Lewis & Clark College - #advancement site strategies include leading with a full-screen photo, presenting a slideshow of student quotes related to financial aid allowing them to attend, and featuring creative stats. open.substack.com/pub/highered... #highered #giving

Giving Story Spotlight: UNC Chapel Hill “See Your Impact” is an option one can’t miss on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s development website. It’s one of five tabs at the top, with prominence at the center, and then just b...

Here's post #2, which spotlights the storytelling on the @uncchapelhill.bsky.social advancement website: open.substack.com/pub/highered...

Institutional Advancement, It's Time to Shine An idea from a University Business magazine article source 12 years ago has stayed with me, and in 2025 it’s more relevant than ever.

Check out my new Substack publication, Higher Ed Giving Site Storytelling. My first post is a call to action for #highered advancement and #communications.
"Institutional Advancement, It's Time to Shine" open.substack.com/pub/highered... #fundraising #giving #donors #alumnirelations

Alumni-in-residence programs aid student development Alumni serve as career counselors and industry experts for students, helping them develop professionally.

Like mentors, alumni in residence hold 1:1 conversations with students to address career goals and answer questions related to work or life after college. But these alums also commit to present on panels, attend etiquette dinners & networking receptions, etc. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

How Trump's executive orders are disrupting academic research As the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation review grants and programming for verboten topics—including DEI and “gender ideology”—many researchers aren’t sure if their pro...

“Injecting new criteria into grant applications based on partisanship & political agenda makes the science weaker,” says a USC psychology professor. “Ironically, it does all the things Trump is accusing the current institutions of doing through DEI.” www.insidehighered.com/news/governm... #edusky

Promoting access to global education in higher ed A new initiative at Bucknell University seeks to bridge participation gaps between first-generation, low-income students and their peers in terms of who’s participating in study away global education.

Listen: A new initiative at Bucknell University seeks to bridge participation gaps between first-generation, low-income students and their peers in terms of who’s participating in study abroad opportunities. #highered #edusky www.insidehighered.com/news/student... @bucknellupress.bsky.social

Trusted Voices Podcast: Being a Critical Friend | Volt Sara Custer, editor-in-chief of Inside Higher Ed, joins Trusted Voices to discuss the current state of the higher ed sector.

Sara Custer, editor-in-chief of @insidehighered.com, joins @erinahennessy.bsky.social and @tvparrot.bsky.social to discuss the current state of the higher ed sector, including the role of media and early impacts of the Trump administration 👇
voltedu.com/podcast/bein...

Old Dominion University launches fill-in wellness classes Professors sometimes cancel class when conflicts arise. A new program at Old Dominion University encourages faculty members to schedule guest lectures on key student wellness issues instead.

ICYMI | Old Dominion U's “Don’t Cancel That Class!” program allows Recreation & Wellness Health Promotion team staff to cover a professor's class. Topics include safety with substances; "Burn Bright, Not Out" stress strategies; "Zzz’s for a Better You." #edusky
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Skipping remedial courses impacts students' completion A recent analysis finds placing students directly into college-level courses, rather than a more precise placement system, is key to learners’ success.

“This research finds evidence that colleges should consider increasing the total # of students referred directly to college-level courses" such as "by lowering requirements for direct placement into these courses." #edusky #highered #remedialeducation www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Share a tip or tactic for how you have built trust with students on your campus: form.jotform.com/230186473191...

Survey gauges whom college students trust most Student Voice survey data indicates that students trust professors most and the president and other senior leaders least. What makes students trust certain campus groups more than others and how can t...

New analysis of Student Voice survey data: Nearly all college students have some (43%) or a lot (44%) of trust in professors. They're much less likely to have a lot of trust in financial aid staff (23%) and college presidents (18%). #edusky #highered www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

U of Illinois students sing carols 24-7 during finals The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana staffs a 24/7 Christmas carol call center in a student residence hall, sharing musical holiday joy with callers from around the world.

Tis the season for a fun story about college students spreading joy by working a carol request hotline. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Top 10 college student survey findings for 2024 From what professors can do to boost students’ academic success to how confident students are about their futures, here’s what you need to know from Inside Higher Ed’s Student Voice 2024 survey cycle ...

From what professors can do to boost students’ academic success to how confident students are about their futures, here’s what you need to know from @insidehighered.com’s Student Voice 2024 survey cycle as you prepare to support student success in 2025. www.insidehighered.com/news/student... #edusky

Thanks for sharing. I love when colleges find ways to do new things to help support students even when the approach takes some work.

Bucknell U students help optimize finals schedule A new tool at Bucknell University helps the registrar’s office develop an exam timetable that both accommodates faculty and reduces inconvenient timing for students.

A Bucknell U team ID'ed “inconveniences” that should be avoided in a student’s final exam schedule:
Overlapping exams
3 exams in 24 hours
Back-to-back exams
An evening exam followed by an early-morning exam
4 exams in 48 hours

Here's how they helped students.
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Investing in college student success initiatives that work A December report from the Brookings Institute identifies three evidence-based strategies that promote student persistence and completion and future considerations for higher education leaders.

"Everything about college is too complex. ... Each bit of complexity exists for a reason, but improving college access and success [involves] reducing complexity & increasing transparency in addition to developing effective student services or interventions.”
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Eight best practices in case-study teaching for college College students indicate they have a preference for learning using case studies or real-world applications. Here’s how faculty members can integrate that into their curriculum.

Case studies in coursework (suitable for classes of all sizes, including fully online courses) build capacity for critical thinking, allow for an exchange of ideas and mimic the real world in which decisions are not based on absolute values of right and wrong. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Student success podcast: UT Austin's AI tool for faculty In a new episode of Voices of Student Success, hear from a college administrator and faculty member about how generative AI can supplement student learning and fill prior knowledge gaps.

Great conversation within this podcast episode on how students aren't as used to ethical decision making around AI use as they are around plagiarism, and how professors can help. www.insidehighered.com/news/student... #edusky #highered

Could campus activity involvement keep students in college? Student Voice data looks at what the college experience was like for those who stopped out. Their lack of engagement in activities compared to current students emerges as a key characteristic to consi...

There’s no one reason/collection of reasons that lead to students leaving college. Prior research has looked at financial factors influencing an inability to stay. What roles might education quality, wellness, campus climate or campus involvement play? #edusky
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Half of college students say professors should be mentors Over half of students believe their professors are at least somewhat responsible for being a mentor to them. Faculty weigh in on the feasibility of this effort.

Over half of college students surveyed by @insidehighered.com think faculty should be mentors to them, as part of their job. What does that look like and how feasible is it? www.insidehighered.com/news/student... #highered #edusky

Improving engagement among traditional-age college freshmen The Class of 2028 is the first college cohort to have the entirety of their high school experience disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the areas of health and wellness and campus culture, what’s di...

The Class of 2028 is the 1st college cohort to have the entirety of their HS experience disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the areas of health/wellness and campus culture, what’s different about these learners compared to their peers? #highered #edusky www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Survey: How colleges are supporting students postelection In a new Student Voice flash poll, very few students—even very few Trump voters—say their institution is doing too much to support them postelection.

Survey: Supporting Students Postelection, in 4 Charts—
Very few students (5%), even very few Trump voters, say their college is doing too much to support them postelection. 35% say their school is offering the right amount of support, 31% aren’t sure. #edusky www.insidehighered.com/news/student...