New to Higher Education



A welcoming introduction to how higher education works, how to navigate it, and how to find your place within it

New to Higher Education is an intentional, supportive onboarding experience designed for professionals who are new, or still feeling new, to working in colleges and universities. Whether you’ve been here for three months or three years, this program helps you make sense of the structures, culture, and relationships that shape daily life in higher education.

Through approachable explanations, practical guidance, and relatable stories, you’ll learn how institutions function, how to build connections across campus, and how to confidently navigate your role. Along the way, you’ll begin to see how your work connects to broader institutional priorities and how you can contribute more effectively from where you are.

The goal is simple: help you feel more confident, connected, and grounded as you build your career in this unique and complex environment.

Learning Goals

  • Understand the basic structure, terminology, and culture of higher education to navigate your institution with confidence.
  • Build relationships across campus by recognizing key stakeholder groups and applying trust-building communication and collaboration strategies.
  • Explain how institutional priorities and resources influence decisions, and apply simple tactics to align your work with these priorities and departmental goals.
  • Create a personal 30–60–90-day plan that supports early wins, connection, and professional growth as you transition into higher ed.
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    Duration

    A total of 4–5 self-paced hours over one month, with a 30-minute kickoff and 1-hour closing session.

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    Who Should Attend?

    Professionals new to higher education who want a clearer understanding of how institutions operate and how to navigate day-to-day work with confidence.

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    Delivery

    Self-paced online learning with a brief live kickoff and closing session.

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    Credential

    Earn the New to Higher Education digital microcredential upon successful completion.

Modules

Higher ed has its own rhythms, structures, and language. This module gives you a simple, friendly introduction to the essentials. You’ll learn about different types of institutions, common cultural norms, and how decisions typically get made. By the end, you’ll have a clearer sense of how your campus operates and how your role fits into the bigger picture.

Success in higher ed relies heavily on relationships. This module introduces the key groups you’ll interact with, including staff, faculty, administrators, and students, and offers practical tips for building trust, communicating respectfully, and working across different roles and departments.

Higher education institutions are shaped by structures, priorities, and resource decisions that can sometimes seem unclear in the day-to-day view. This module introduces how institutions are organized, how funding and resources influence priorities, and how these factors shape the work happening across campus. You’ll also explore simple ways to think about where your role fits and how to better align your work with departmental and institutional goals.

This module brings everything together and turns it into action. You’ll create a simple, personalized plan to guide your next few months, focusing on early wins, relationship-building, and opportunities for growth. As you move forward in your role, you’ll also consider how to stay adaptable to change in a higher education environment that is constantly evolving, while finding ongoing support, mentorship, and learning within your institution and beyond.

Upcoming "New to Higher Education" Offerings

 
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