ConexED Blog

Compton Police Department Utilizing ConexED Keeping Everyone Safe With over 2,000,000 student users on the ConexED platform, we have seen our Cafe Cards used in many different ways.  But, this one recently caught our attention. Like many other colleges, universities, and K-12 schools, Compton College utilizes ConexED across campus in multiple departments for student success … Read more

Cayuga and ConexED Partner to Provide Better COVID Testing Resources This fall, ConexED teamed up with Cayuga Community College in New York to streamline key processes within their reopening plan. By engaging ConexED’s enterprise academic communication system as part of their required COVID-19 surveillance testing, Cayuga simplified labor-intensive tracking and scheduling practices, allowing them to … Read more

August product releases were hyper-focused on creating smooth, uninterrupted user experiences. Having launched so many new features this year, we spent the month reviewing past designs and builds to make sure everything was in great working order. Our development team held what we affectionately called a “bugathon,” working weekends and into the night to get … Read more

Academic advisors adapt their approach based on the needs and strengths of individual students. In some cases, they may use multiple approaches during one advising appointment. But now, as more institutions announce fall 2020 plans for online or hybrid learning, advisors need to adapt their in-office methods to a virtual environment. The good news is … Read more

Higher Education Fall 2020 Readiness Survey Take the Survey & Share Your Insights ConexED is surveying higher ed staff and faculty about their readiness for fall 2020. We want to find out: How institutions plan to deliver instruction and student services for fall term What precautions institutions are putting in place for in-person instruction and … Read more

What’s New in ConexED? July Product Releases This month, we began launching new features, updates, and bug fixes every other Thursday. Our goal: to continue adding and improving all the features you need to connect and engage with students. Here are the highlights from our July 9 and July 23 releases. ConexED iOS App 2.2.3 … Read more

A growing number of college students are working full time, caring for dependents, and taking classes online. And, in the era of COVID-19, they’re also dealing with anxiety about the future. To succeed in school and in life, they need campus support services that are more visible, flexible, and accessible. By visible, we mean students … Read more

As U.S. colleges and universities explore their options for reopening in fall 2020, more than 65% are now planning for in-person instruction. But as they prepare to welcome students back, they’re also developing contingency plans for fully virtual campuses. While most schools have the infrastructure to manage and deliver online learning (an LMS, SIS, and … Read more

The Necessity of Virtual Admissions In 2019, when prospective students applied for admission, no one had ever heard of COVID-19. Campus tours, overnight visits, and onsite orientations were a normal part of the college application and enrollment process. But in spring 2020, as virtual learning became a necessity at colleges and universities everywhere, so did … Read more

What Is Academic Advising Software? Academic advising software enables colleges and universities to facilitate and track interactions between students and their academic advisors or college counselors. Typical features include tools for appointment scheduling, virtual meetings, instant messaging, student success plans, plus data and analytics for reporting. Why online advising is a prerequisite for online learning … Read more

As COVID-19 forces classes and student services online, many colleges and universities have turned to Zoom for virtual meetings. Used widely by businesses for video conferencing, Zoom is now being stress tested by higher ed. So far, it’s not making the grade. At issue are concerns over privacy and security. Last month, a Zoom user … Read more

By Dennis O. Cambara M.A., DSPS/RISE Counselor/Instructor at the Chabot College Disabled Student Resource Center (DSRC) Last month, the Online Counseling Network invited me to present in a series of webinars about how colleges are using ConexED to increase student access to online counseling and advising. As a counselor/instructor for the Disabled Student Resource Center … Read more

Colleges and universities worldwide are responding to COVID-19 (also known as novel coronavirus). Most campus preparedness plans include a strategy for moving classes and services to an online format. We’d like to help The ConexED platform is uniquely positioned to help schools deliver online advising, support, and instruction. It can be used for student services … Read more

Cory Stokes has a big title for good reason. As Digital Learning Officer and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Utah, he oversees online programs, digital learning infrastructure, the testing center, and curriculum administration service teams. In other words, if it’s digital and designed to improve student learning outcomes, it’s in Cory … Read more

If you’ve ever wondered why so many education technology companies got their start in Utah, the simple answer is proximity. Not to world-class ski resorts and national parks (although they may have helped), but to a hotbed of higher ed and high tech. Silicon Slopes—Utah’s booming startup and tech community—boasts 7,000 tech-focused companies. Most are … Read more

Which type of educational technology comes to mind when you hear the words “teaching and learning”? Like most faculty and staff, you probably think about your LMS. (Then, you think about the fidget spinner that got you through fall semester.) But what about software for student services? Your campus LMS is a central hub for … Read more

Learning online is a vast landscape. If asked, most of us would describe learning online in one specific way: learning on a computer. But learning online is more nuanced and includes a spectrum of characteristics. The terms online learning, virtual learning, e-learning, distance learning, and blended learning are unique; each refers to the act of … Read more

In Part 1, we talked about four effective instructional strategies and ways to implement them in virtual settings. In this post, we’ll explore four more strategies, each of which support student learning by promoting student ownership, metacognition, literacy, and application. Virtual settings pose particular advantages and particular challenges, so in addition to the planning of … Read more

Last week, I presented some best practices for facilitating a successful virtual meeting: checking your technology, creating a professional background, having resources available, using engaging tools and structures, and determining next steps and making sure to follow through. Likewise, participants can contribute to successful meetings by using best practices of their own. Most importantly, the … Read more

I heard once that being a college professor is, objectively, the least stressful job available. Looking through multiple lists from career resource sites highlighting low-stress jobs, the job of professor is almost always in the top 10. The flexible hours and work-life balance, connecting with students and building relationships with them, the enjoyment of inquiry … Read more

Last week, I presented some best practices for facilitating a successful virtual meeting: checking your technology, creating a professional background, having resources available, using engaging tools and structures, and determining next steps and making sure to follow through. Likewise, participants can contribute to successful meetings by using best practices of their own. Most importantly, the … Read more

Virtual meetings provide a great opportunity to meet with students and diversify the circumstances in which to connect. Meeting in person is not always an option, especially for students who commute to campus, who have obligations outside of school that impact scheduling, or who have disabilities or other physical needs. Academic and student service office … Read more

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, passed in 1974, is the guiding legislation for what educational bodies can and cannot do with student information. Similar to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in healthcare, FERPA stipulates that institutions must protect the privacy of student records, and it also governs the … Read more

FERPA is a privacy law that protects student information and stipulates that education institutions must protect the confidentiality of student records. It also governs the release of and access to students’ education records. Students may access their records at any time, but institutions cannot release student information without explicit permission. FERPA is crucial legislation because … Read more

This blog is a series on postsecondary students’ long-term motivation during their degree programs and how student service departments can foster motivation at all points of the student’s journey. Postsecondary academic journeys are simply exciting; embarking on a degree program is an entirely new experience and one fraught with potential. Whether a student is joining … Read more

I am in the midst of training for my new role as a course instructor in a higher education institution. I am, essentially, a new student. I have been in training for almost three weeks and have attended numerous sessions and completed numerous training modules. I am learning the many facets that make up the … Read more

Defining and Adapting to Changing Student Demographics This blog is the fourth in a four-part series about the current demographics of students in postsecondary settings and how to address their specific needs with a multi-tiered system. The reasons for pursuing a postsecondary degree are unique to each student, and the amalgam of experience, goals, and … Read more

This blog is the third in a four-part series about the current demographics of students in postsecondary settings and how to address their specific needs with a multi-tiered system. The reasons for pursuing a postsecondary degree are unique to each student, and the amalgam of experience, goals, and characteristics they possess influences their motivation for … Read more

This blog is the second in a four-part series about the current demographics of students in postsecondary settings and how to address their specific needs with a multi-tiered system. The reasons for pursuing a postsecondary degree are unique to each student, and the amalgam of experience, goals, and characteristics they possess influences their motivation for … Read more

This blog is the first in a four-part series about the current demographics of students in postsecondary settings and how to address their specific needs with a multi-tiered system. The reasons for pursuing a postsecondary degree are unique to each student, and the amalgam of experience, goals, and characteristics they possess influences their motivation for … Read more

Last year, I attended a five-day professional development session in Los Angeles with the Standards Institute to learn best practices in curriculum and instruction. The Standards Institute is designed by UnboundEd, an organization dedicated to student equity and outcomes with an emphasis on standards-based instruction; as part of their mission, they provide free curriculum, such … Read more