Melissa Ezarik
@melissaezarik.bsky.social
Editor, Writer, Content Manager; developed Student Success news hub at @InsideHigherEd, supporting #highered admins & professors in their support of students. Yen for data & sharing via infographics.
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...
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.
higheredgivingsitestorytelling.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:22 AM
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...
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
Social, Emotional and Academic Leadership Thrives at SHU
Students and alumni share research that is bringing about positive change in schools
www.sacredheart.edu
August 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
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 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...
open.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
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 for #HigherEd Institution #Communications Teams to Take 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...
open.substack.com
June 27, 2025 at 7:18 PM
3 Impact Storytelling Actions for #HigherEd Institution #Communications Teams to Take open.substack.com/pub/highered...
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/
May 15, 2025 at 9:55 PM
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/
Important read! Red and Blue have made mistakes and the question remains: How are the children?
open.substack.com/pub/citizen/...
open.substack.com/pub/citizen/...
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
open.substack.com
April 27, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Important read! Red and Blue have made mistakes and the question remains: How are the children?
open.substack.com/pub/citizen/...
open.substack.com/pub/citizen/...
Reposted by Melissa Ezarik
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...
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 ...
link.springer.com
April 12, 2025 at 11:08 AM
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 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: 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 ...
open.substack.com
April 12, 2025 at 3:56 AM
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
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
"Institutional Advancement, It's Time to Shine" open.substack.com/pub/highered... #fundraising #giving #donors #alumnirelations
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.
open.substack.com
April 9, 2025 at 1:12 AM
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
"Institutional Advancement, It's Time to Shine" open.substack.com/pub/highered... #fundraising #giving #donors #alumnirelations
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...
Alumni-in-residence programs aid student development
Alumni serve as career counselors and industry experts for students, helping them develop professionally.
www.insidehighered.com
February 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
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...
“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
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...
www.insidehighered.com
February 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
“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
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
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.
www.insidehighered.com
February 5, 2025 at 11:54 PM
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
Reposted by Melissa Ezarik
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...
voltedu.com/podcast/bein...
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.
voltedu.com
January 30, 2025 at 12:15 AM
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...
voltedu.com/podcast/bein...
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...
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
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.
www.insidehighered.com
January 30, 2025 at 2:51 AM
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...
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
“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...
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.
www.insidehighered.com
January 30, 2025 at 2:30 AM
“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...
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...
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...
www.insidehighered.com
January 30, 2025 at 1:51 AM
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...
Tis the season for a fun story about college students spreading joy by working a carol request hotline. 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.
www.insidehighered.com
December 19, 2024 at 8:28 PM
Tis the season for a fun story about college students spreading joy by working a carol request hotline. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
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
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 ...
www.insidehighered.com
December 19, 2024 at 8:25 PM
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
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...
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...
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.
www.insidehighered.com
December 19, 2024 at 5:08 AM
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...
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...
"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...
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.
www.insidehighered.com
December 17, 2024 at 4:18 PM
"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...
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
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...
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.
www.insidehighered.com
December 12, 2024 at 6:15 PM
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...
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
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.
www.insidehighered.com
December 11, 2024 at 4:03 PM
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
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...
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
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...
www.insidehighered.com
December 10, 2024 at 10:11 PM
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...
www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
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
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.
www.insidehighered.com
December 2, 2024 at 6:01 PM
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
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...
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...
www.insidehighered.com
November 27, 2024 at 9:12 PM
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...