Insights · November 1, 2025
Higher Ed Insight Is Now Part of VIA Evaluation
As of November 2025, Higher Ed Insight is part of VIA Evaluation, Inc. Here's what that means for our clients, partners and the work ahead.
Our Work & Insights
Client spotlights, research briefs, and ideas from our team.
Insights · April 3, 2024
Empowering Institutions: How HEI can help IHEs Attract More Adult Learners in Non-Degree Programs
By Elexus Robinson, Research Associate II In response to the declining pool of traditional-age students, higher education institutions are turning to non-degree credentials, particularly,…
Insights · December 19, 2023
Top-of-mind with the Founder of Higher Ed Insight
Kick back and listen to our founder’s latest thoughts on evaluation work, strategic conversations, and what’s exciting in the world of higher education in our new video
Insights · December 18, 2023
Staff Spotlight: Chris Kirk, Research Associate
Our staff spotlight series continues with a deeper dive into the experiences and perspectives of the HEI staff — Continue reading to hear some recent thoughts from Chris
Insights · September 18, 2023
Ask the Expert: Evaluation Planning with Wendy Erisman, PhD
We recently sat down with Wendy Erisman, PhD, HEI’s senior advisor. Wendy shares her deep wisdom about the field of evaluation, how it has evolved over
Insights · September 13, 2023
Client Spotlight: Eureka Scientific and the International Conference for Women in Physics
This summer, HEI was proud to support the 8th International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
Insights · April 26, 2023
Project Spotlight: FIPSE Program Evaluation
In January 2021, a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant was awarded to support Exponential Pathways (XP)–a national career-exploration platform that aims
Insights · April 25, 2023
Client Spotlight: EDL Bridges
By Kathleen Jarman, Research Associate HEI is proud to spotlight our friends at the Education Design Lab’s Building Rural Innovation, Designing Educational Strategies (BRIDGES) program.
Insights · April 18, 2023
Staff Spotlight: Tashera Gale, Ph.D.
…I’d like to be intentional about disrupting paradigms, even in my own practice, and instead prioritize and advocate for human-centered methodologies. Why else do
Insights · February 21, 2023
Client Spotlight: Connecticut State Colleges and Universities – Norwalk CC
By Elexus Robinson, Research Associate HEI is proud to spotlight the work of an innovative, multi-sector client, for whom we serve as an evaluation partner:
Insights · February 8, 2023
Client Spotlight: Hillel International
By Kathleen Jarman, Research Associate HEI is proud to spotlight our friends at Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI). The CCI works collaboratively with higher
Insights · January 27, 2023
Staff Spotlight: Donté McGuire
Our staff spotlight series continues with a deeper dive into the experiences and perspectives of the HEI staff — Continue reading to hear some recent thoughts
Insights · January 19, 2023
Sound Off – HEI Quick Takes
With this post, we’re introducing a new blog feature, Sound Off – HEI Quick Takes, in which our team members share their
Insights · December 8, 2022
Event Summary: CAEL Annual Conference
The Council for Adults and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is a national nonprofit that supports working adults by acting as an intermediary between adult learners
Insights · November 17, 2022
Client Spotlight: Independence Science
By Elexus Robinson, Research Assistant HEI is proud to spotlight and support our friends at Independence Science (ISci), a research center which “seeks to promote
Insights · November 3, 2022
Client Spotlight: The Steve Fund
HEI invites you to get to know The Steve Fund for our latest client spotlight! The Steve Fund is a non-profit
Insights · July 15, 2022
Measuring What You Value
By Kelly Rifelj, Research Assistant The loudest voices in college rankings conversations, like the US News and World Report best-of list, continually
HEI FYI · June 23, 2022
New Research on Adult Learners
HEI is excited to announce the release of a new research study: “Persevering to Completion: Understanding the Experiences of Adults Who Successfully
HEI FYI · June 23, 2022
Client Spotlight: Spartanburg Academic Movement
HEI is proud to spotlight our friends at the Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM), a nonprofit organization and a community movement in Spartanburg, South
HEI FYI · June 23, 2022
Establishing Collaborative Client Relationships
by Donté Maguire, Research Associate At HEI, our group of applied researchers pride ourselves in approaching our work through practices that are
HEI FYI · March 17, 2022
The Top 3 Ways to Remain Flexible with your Research Protocol
By Elexus Robinson The research protocol is the guiding foundation to any good research study. Its detailed design is essential to shaping the necessary steps
HEI FYI · March 17, 2022
Good Data is Everywhere. So What’s the Problem?
By the Founder of HigherEd Insight It’s 2022, and people are literally buried in data. Data is everywhere. We are required to enter it, gather it, store
HEI FYI · December 21, 2021
Client Spotlight: Syracuse University EMPOWER
HEI is always proud to spotlight the work of our clients. This month, we highlight Syracuse University EMPOWER: Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research, for which
HEI FYI · December 21, 2021
Shared Learning: Holistic Admissions, Diversity & Student Success
Photo by Keira Burton from Pexels Recently, HEI’s own Kelly Rifelj attended a learning event on “Connecting Holistic Admissions, Diversity & Student Success.” Below, she shares some key takeaways
HEI FYI · November 18, 2021
New Research on Investments in DEI in STEM Education
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com Higher Ed Insight (HEI), with our colleague Julie Posselt, PhD, associate dean of the Graduate School at the University
HEI FYI · November 18, 2021
Insights of the Moment
HEI staff members share what we’re contemplating this month. We welcome your ideas to consider for next month! Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash Founder of HigherEd Insight
HEI FYI · November 18, 2021
The Power of a Great Question
HEI Research Analyst, Donté McGuire, shares his reflections on the power of a great question… Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I truly believe there are
HEI FYI · October 21, 2021
Insights of the Moment
HEI staff members share what we’re contemplating this month. We welcome your ideas to consider for next month! Sylvia Otieno, Research AssistantEducation Design Lab BRIDGES
HEI FYI · October 21, 2021
The What, Why, and How of a ‘Data Party’…
At HEI, our team of researchers loves an opportunity for participatory learning and intentional activities that involve making sense of data. Enter: the data party. At
HEI FYI · October 21, 2021
Client Spotlight – SIUE IFLIP
HEI is enthusiastic to shine a spotlight on the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) project, “Exploring Faculty Attitudes and Strategies that Support Successful Flipped Teaching”
HEI FYI · September 2, 2021
Insights of the Moment
HEI staff members share what we’re contemplating this month. We welcome your ideas to consider for next month! Tashera Gale, Director of Evaluation ServicesRatchetdemic: Reimagining Academic
HEI FYI · September 2, 2021
Client Spotlight: Eureka Scientific and ICWIP 2021
This summer, HEI was proud to support the 2021 International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).
HEI FYI · September 2, 2021
3 Strategies for Impactful Online Workshops
Our team at HEI is forever hungry to deepen our skill sets in organizational and collective learning. Nothing gets us more excited than a meaningful exchange
HEI FYI · June 24, 2021
Client Spotlight: SIUE GEOPATHS
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com This month, we highlight the work of the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) STEM Center’s GEOPATHS Scholars program, for
HEI FYI · June 23, 2021
Work Colleges and Learner-Focused Innovations in Higher Ed
Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com By Tait Kellogg, PhD, Director of Research and Strategic Services Higher education must change. The sector has been through
HEI FYI · June 23, 2021
What We’re Reading…
HEI staff members share what we’re reading this month. We welcome your recommendations for next month! Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Tait Kellogg, PhD, Director
HEI FYI · June 23, 2021
Staff Spotlight: John Archacki, Senior Associate
HEI invites you to get to know our fantastic staff members. Each month, we highlight a different colleague. This month, learn about John Archacki’s expertise
HEI FYI · June 23, 2021
What We’re Reading…
HEI staff members share what we’re reading this month. We welcome your recommendations for next month! Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Tait Kellogg, PhD, Director of
HEI FYI · April 29, 2021
Client Spotlight: Virginia’s Mellon Pathways Program
Mellon Pathways Program HEI is proud to shine the spotlight on the impactful and exciting work of our client, the Mellon Pathways Program, a partnership
HEI FYI · April 29, 2021
The Ed Tech Surge: Risks and Invaluable Opportunities
Photo by Junior Teixeira on Pexels.com Along with many others working in higher education today, I am keenly observing the explosion of education technology solutions.
HEI FYI · April 29, 2021
Making Data Meaningful: Education Design Lab
Making data meaningful: HEI formatted data profiles as Instagram slides to help make the data more widely accessible to local communities. For any university
HEI FYI · March 31, 2021
What We’re Reading…
HEI staff members share what we’re reading this month. We welcome your recommendations for next month! Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Tait Kellogg, PhD, Director
HEI FYI · March 31, 2021
The Dawn of the Biden-Harris Higher Ed Agenda
Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash While the country awaits the official White House budget for education, an abundance of pre-election campaigning and post-election positioning
HEI FYI · March 31, 2021
York College’s NASA MAA: Inspiring a Generation of Diverse STEM Professionals
Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com This month, we’re proud to shine the spotlight on our client, York College, for whom we serve as evaluator for
HEI FYI · March 31, 2021
What We’re Reading…
HEI staff members share what we’re reading this month. We welcome your recommendations for next month! Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Tait Kellogg, PhD, Director of
HEI FYI · March 2, 2021
Do you care about college access? Then it’s time to get to know more about ATCs (Area Technical Centers)…
Most of us working in higher ed don’t really understand CTE (that’s Career Technical Education)—and at one time this included me. Through the years, however, I’ve
HEI FYI · March 2, 2021
Client Spotlight: Clarkson University STEM LEAF
This month, we’re proud to shine the spotlight on our client, Clarkson University, for whom we serve as evaluator for its National Science Foundation (NSF)
HEI FYI · January 28, 2021
What We’re Reading – January 2021
HEI staff members share what we’re reading this month. We welcome your recommendations for next month! Founder of HigherEd Insight: Educated by Tara Westover Key Takeaway: Yes,
HEI FYI · January 28, 2021
Planning Retreat: American Youth Policy Forum
An organization’s future is brightest when planned strategically and with collective wisdom. To that end, Higher Ed Insight (HEI) recently facilitated a highly successful year-end
HEI FYI · January 28, 2021
Client Spotlight – 55,000 Degrees: Achieving a More Educated City
In December, HEI had the privilege of writing the final report and hosting a virtual summit for 55,000 Degrees—a nonprofit that started in 2010 with
HEI FYI · November 23, 2020
What We’re Reading
HEI staff members share what we’re reading this month—some work-related and some not…We welcome your recommendations for next month! Founder of HigherEd Insight Spiritual Intelligence:
HEI FYI · November 23, 2020
Work-Based Learning Framework
This is the final post in a brief series on work-based learning opportunities in a virtual environment. HEI’s report on digital tech WBL in the capital
HEI FYI · November 23, 2020
What does Afrofuturism have to do with Evaluation?
By Donté McGuire, Research Analyst The title question is not rhetorical. Neither does this post attempt to fully answer this question. Instead, it is a
HEI FYI · November 23, 2020
Is your organization a learning organization?
Many organizations want to have a learning posture towards their work and mission, yet many don’t take the time to build their own capacity to
HEI FYI · November 21, 2020
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: American Council on Education (ACE)
Congratulations to the American Council on Education (ACE) on the release of their superb report entitled, Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: 2020 Supplement by Morgan
HEI FYI · October 16, 2020
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: WHEF in the Washington Post
HEI is proud to provide evaluation support to the Woodward-Hines Education Foundation (WHEF), whose mission is to help more Mississippians obtain postsecondary credentials, college certificates,
HEI FYI · October 6, 2020
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Tashera Gale, Ph.D., Director of Evaluation Services
HEI invites you to get to know our fantastic staff members. Each month, we will highlight a different colleague. This month, learn about Dr. Tashera
HEI FYI · October 4, 2020
Quality Work-Based Learning
This is the second post in our series on work-based learning (WBL) opportunities in a virtual environment. For more information, please contact us—we’d love to
HEI FYI · October 2, 2020
HEI Tools: Template for a Great RFP
Whether you are a first-time grant award recipient or celebrating the next big win, the importance of finding a good, qualified evaluator or research partner
HEI FYI · August 24, 2020
Tired of Zoom? It’s Not the Platform That’s the Problem
Can anything be done? Are meetings the problem? Is Zoom the problem? It’s complicated but in short: yes, maybe, and no.
HEI FYI · August 17, 2020
How to Do a Virtual Internship: Work-Based Learning During COVID-19
This is the first post in a brief series on work-based learning opportunities in a virtual environment. For more information, please reach out to us—we’d love
HEI FYI · August 10, 2020
Congratulations to Wayne State University & the Belle Isle Conservancy
HEI prepared a report documenting the entire life cycle of this project and offered recommendations for moving forward. We’re excited to see its future.
HEI FYI · August 3, 2020
How to find a good evaluator?
Finding a good evaluator—one who is the right fit for your particular organization or project—is critical to having a successful evaluation experience.
Reports · January 30, 2018
Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
How 22 Cities Helped High School Students Complete More FAFSAs and Get More Financial Aid Dollars The Kresge Foundation partnered with the National College Access
Briefs · January 5, 2018
Finances of Graduate and Professional Education
In partnership with the Urban Institute, HEI developed three briefs that explore the many dimensions and nuances of how students finance graduate and professional school and
Briefs · June 3, 2015
Adult College Completion in the 21st Century
What We Know and What We Don’t HEI conducted an evaluation of Lumina Foundation’s Adult College Completion initiative. This initiative is a coordinated foundation effort
Reports · May 2, 2015
The Diversity Pipeline Programs in Legal Education
Context, Research, and a Path Forward Access Group Center for Research & Policy Analysis commissioned a report to examine effective practices in diversity pipeline programs. The