What We’re About

We, the editors of About Campus, feel strongly that in order to challenge and inspire our colleagues in higher education—and to address hard issues honestly and directly—we need to present the experience and knowledge of a unique mix of researchers, public figures, professionals, faculty members, students, and those working in both student affairs and academic affairs. Although you may recognize many of our contributors, we reach beyond widely published researchers and professionals to include the insights and perspectives of the many other practitioners who are thinking creatively about higher education, testing new ideas and practices, and assessing the effects of the policies put in place on our campuses.

**What An About Campus Article Should Do**

In each article, authors take a stand on how to advance our shared agenda of “enriching the student learning experience.”
Authors have something original, timely, and interesting to discuss.
Each article discusses a topic of general interest to a broad audience of educators including administrators, faculty, and staff. For example, even if an article is specifically about classroom teaching, the authors don’t assume that the reader is a classroom teacher.
Each article speaks to a broad audience by using clearly defined and inclusive language (i.e., an article either explains clearly or does not contain phrases that only a select group of the educational community might understand, such as holistic learning or metacognition).
Each article relies on a thorough understanding of current literature but does not include or sound like a traditional literature review. Technical or discipline-specific terms are used only when necessary; when such terms are used, they are clearly defined.
Authors write in an engaging and sophisticated style that includes examples, specific stories, and even metaphors to help ground the topic and show the readers, as opposed to just telling them about it. Readers “meet” the authors and the subjects of the stories, but the stories are not too chit-chatty or unnecessarily autobiographical.
The article is not overstated or overreaching. The author doesn’t need to have a “Final Answer” that solves or fixes everything, but the article does address possible solutions or new approaches.

**The About Campus Article Types**

Features

Leading thinkers and researchers, practitioners on the front lines, and leaders in higher education explore far-reaching and critical topics, analyze new research, and detail implications for practice. Features provide an in depth look at issues in a range of areas affecting higher education. They draw upon current literature to offer appropriate background for the issue (although they do not include a traditional literature review), present results of new research, and explore new perspectives. Each feature approaches a timely topic from an original angle and shows how the topic affects student learning in a variety of contexts.

Length: Between 4000 and 5000 words.

In Practice

In Practice articles profile innovative campus practices that foster student learning. Describing best practices in a college or university setting, each article describes the purpose, context, and players involved in implementing the practice; uses assessment data to report the learning outcomes of the practice; and includes implementation challenges and strategies to address them. Articles offer readers key insights to help them adapt this practice to multiple contexts.

Length: Between 1800 and 2400 words.

Taking the Pulse

Formerly “Assessment Matters,” Taking the Pulse articles examine one of the most essential, but also most challenging, issues involved in successful educational practice: how to determine whether students are learning. These articles profile assessment practices that are accessible to a wide audience and useful in a variety of contexts. Each article should provide readers with practical ideas and principles about using assessment as a tool to inform their everyday work.

Length: Between 1800 and 2400 words.

Views from Campus

Formerly “Campus Commons,” Views from Campus has candid first-person portraits and stories that model how educators work with students in various contexts to promote learning. These stories shed light on the special issues and challenges faced by those who live and work on our campuses — students, faculty, and staff alike. Stories can range from the humorous to the heartbreaking. These articles can examine personal experiences, campus events, everyday life events, or special moments.

Length: Between 1800 and 2400 words.

Bottom Line

These provocative, persuasive articles bring readers’ attention to a particular issue or challenge facing higher education. Authors clearly state their position, draw upon evidence as necessary to make their case, and show how the issue or challenge affects student learning. These articles should call readers to action and help them consider how the issue or challenge affects their own practice.

Length: Between 1800 and 2400 words.

Note: For general inquiries, please contact the About Campus Editorial Team at [email protected]