Resource Review: Supporting the New Students in Higher Education Today

Abstract

It would be nice if there were a demonstrable relationship between the price that a college or university charges and the product that it delivers. Institutions with superior market positions most often make that claim, whether true or not, when defending their higher prices—stating that what the student pays for is both a better and a different educational experience. Those vaunted differences ought to include what faculty do before a course begins, how they prepare for the daily challenge of the classroom, how they administer their courses and assess their students' progress, and how frequently they interact with students outside of the classroom.

The National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (NCPI) is supported under the Educational Research and Development Center program, agreement number R309A60001, CFDA 84.309A, as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed by NCPI do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the U.S. Department of Education. The Institute for Research on Higher Education retains the copyright for this column.