Colleges Can Raise ROI By Creating Classes and Spaces That "Look Like Where Students Will Work"

College students of the millennial generation have a track record of not taking “no” for an answer.

They want more bang for their buck when it comes to college ROI, and use degree tracks to formulate their own education disciplines. As students, they want resources, contacts and a taste of the work world before graduation.

To keep current students happy and boost the number of accepted students, colleges are providing curricula and learning spaces that “look like where students will work.” Students that take advantage of such curricula and learning spaces have the opportunity to see where their degree paths could take them after graduation, and get real world experience during their undergraduate years.

Before 2006, St. Cloud State University (SCSU) had been working with technology that was over 30 years old in its broadcast studio until it decided to upgrade. The upgrade included EditShare‘s bundled work flow solutions, set and robot cameras, revamped production rooms and a master control center.

“We’re always striving for ways to do things differently, yet, we’re still here’s the way it’s done in the real world, this is the terminology, this is the equipment, so forth.”
– Derrick Silvestri, St. Cloud State University

Now, the upgrade enables SCSU to operate its on-campus T.V. station, University Television Station (UTVS), and create an atmosphere for communications and journalism students to use equipment and run the studio like an actual broadcast studio.

Derrick Silvestri, TV studio manager and UTVS advisor at SCSU says the initial role of the updated broadcast studio is to provide a lab space for students.

“It intermingles between UTVS and the mass communications department’s classes,” he says. “We do two live news casts every day and there are at least four classes that have that as part of their classes, from producers to reporters to all the tech positions.”