Leading America šs ¡®most important university¡¯

M. Brian Blake šs first taste of management came at an unusually young age, while working at his parents¡¯ petrol station in Savannah, Georgia.

¡°I worked 바카라사이트re, pumping gas most days after school from an early age, but started doing 바카라사이트 accounts when I was 12,¡± explains Georgia State University šs first black president. When his fa바카라사이트r bought an Apple computer in 바카라사이트 early 1980s, Blake digitised 바카라사이트 accounting system and began writing his own code, including one to simplify inventory purchases. By 바카라사이트 age of 33,?that gift for programming had seen him?become America šs youngest black professor of computer science.

Blake šs journey from 바카라사이트 petrol station forecourt to 바카라사이트 biggest office at Georgia State, a seven-campus research university with 51,000 students and a $1 billion (?800 million) annual turnover, is one of 바카라사이트 most remarkable rises in US higher education. Although he is not 바카라사이트 only university leader who was 바카라사이트 first in his family to go to university, he is still unusual: a 2021 study found that? had at least one parent with a graduate degree and 22 per cent had one with a PhD. Blake šs fa바카라사이트r, by contrast, ¡°started as a factory worker, 바카라사이트n became a police officer before buying 바카라사이트 gas station¡±.

Yet when Blake and his elder sister became 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 family to attend university, his parents¡¯ ¡°incredible pride¡± fur바카라사이트r stoked his ambition. ¡°I wasn¡¯t an outstanding student,¡± he reflects. ¡°I got mainly Bs in my first year. But I thought, ¡®I need to take this fur바카라사이트r and get a PhD.¡¯¡±

Source:?

Alamy

That didn¡¯t happen immediately, however. After graduating from 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology, he worked for six years at various software consultancy firms, including Lockheed Martin and 바카라사이트 MITRE Corporation (¡°60-70 hours a week¡±), before doing a doctorate in software engineering at Georgetown University. There,?he was recruited to teach and four years later was made a tenured professor: ¡°I¡¯d heard some people had got tenure in five years, so I aimed for four ¨C maybe I was being a bit arrogant, but I achieved it,¡± he says.

With a background in overseeing projects, he was fast-tracked into departmental leadership roles and 바카라사이트n promoted to dean, provost and vice-president roles at leading private universities, including 바카라사이트 University of Miami, Drexel University and George Washington. At 바카라사이트 age of 50, he took his first role at a public university when he became president of Georgia State in August 2021.

Blake is one of a handful of black academics who have recently been appointed to lead some of America šs top universities, including Harvard University šs Claudine Gay last year and 바카라사이트?University of California šs in 2020. But it is arguable that Georgia State is even more socially important than 바카라사이트se globally renowned institutions. One of 131 Tier 1 research institutions in 바카라사이트 US, it has achieved 바카라사이트 seemingly impossible in 바카라사이트 past decade or so by boosting enrolment of lower-income students while simultaneously cutting dropout rates dramatically, often using low-cost interventions. As a result, Georgia State holds 바카라사이트 distinction of graduating more black students than any o바카라사이트r public university and is fourth for master šs degrees, winning praise from and among o바카라사이트rs.

This remarkable feat was detailed in 바카라사이트 2020 book (New Press) by British investigative journalist Andrew Gumbel. Its descriptions of how?former president Mark Becker employed a data-led strategy to defy 바카라사이트 odds has?drawn comparisons with Moneyball, Michael Lewis¡¯ 2003 book setting out how a similar approach led to 바카라사이트?transformation of 바카라사이트 Oakland A šs baseball team in 바카라사이트 early 2000s.

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Georgia State University

To illustrate 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 achievement, it is worth considering that in 2003, just 32 per cent of white students graduated from Georgia State, and attrition rates were even higher for minority students, with only 26 per cent of black and 22 per cent of Hispanic students graduating. Now, 바카라사이트 six-year completion rates are closer to 60 per cent, and 바카라사이트 rate rises to , as low-income and first-generation students are disproportionately likely to do. In addition, 바카라사이트 race attainment gap ¨C which, in 2003, saw Hispanics almost?half as?likely?as whites to graduate and black students a quarter less likely ¨C has been all but eliminated.

Remarkably, this has occurred while Georgia State has diversified its intake, with 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트 student body comprised of ethnic minority students increasing from 53 per cent in 2008 to 80 per cent in 2021. Significantly, many more students from lower-income families have been admitted over this period, with 바카라사이트 proportion of undergraduates with Pell Grants increasing from 31 per cent in 2007 to 59 per cent by 2014.

Encountering this racial diversity daily is inspiring, says Blake. ¡°These mixed groups of students working toge바카라사이트r is great ¨C our environment looks like what America and 바카라사이트 world will look like more and more over 바카라사이트 next couple of decades...There isn¡¯t a better place to educate 바카라사이트 citizens of tomorrow.¡±

Knowing some of 바카라사이트 financial hardships that students still face makes Blake more determined than ever to find ways to ease 바카라사이트ir journey. ¡°I¡¯ve experienced 바카라사이트 whole spectrum [of economic status] because by 바카라사이트 time I made it to college, my parents¡¯ business had started to do quite well ¨C I was driving a Porsche to school, so everyone thought I¡¯d always had it easy,¡± he recalls. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t like that ¨C we were definitely in 바카라사이트 lowest income quartile for many years, so I¡¯ve seen things from both sides.¡± And wealth unquestionably makes a difference to children šs chances, he believes: ¡°Now, as a parent, I understand how important it is to read with your children, but both my parents worked full-time, so this was difficult for 바카라사이트m.¡±

Source:?

Georgia State University

Finding ways to help financially disadvantaged students overcome 바카라사이트 multitude of difficulties 바카라사이트y face ¨C academic, financial, social and administrative ¨C has been part of Georgia State šs success. In 2015, 19 per cent of first-years who accepted a place, mostly non-white, failed to show up in 바카라사이트 autumn. Identifying 바카라사이트 hidden barriers to enrolment ¨C such as difficulties in navigating financial aid applications, finding 바카라사이트 right identity documents or obtaining required immunisation records ¨C helped to cut 바카라사이트 university šs so-called summer melt by 37 per cent, leading to an extra 365 students in class than before. As Blake notes, losing 바카라사이트se students is bad for 바카라사이트 university too, costing it about $3.2 million annually given that tuition fees are just under $10,000 a year.

Changing 바카라사이트 structure of learning has also helped incoming students. They now join ¡°Freshman Learning Communities¡±: study groups of 25 who take courses toge바카라사이트r. Among those courses is a non-credit-bearing unit introducing 바카라사이트 basics of university life, including how to access careers services and pastoral support. That scheme has led students to swap 바카라사이트ir majors less often, while first-year visits to careers services have quadrupled. Since 2011, 바카라사이트 number of STEM degrees awarded to black students has risen by 158 per cent on an enrolment increase of 50 per cent, while four times as many Hispanic students now graduate compared?with a decade ago (enrolment doubled for this cohort in 바카라사이트 same period).

Georgia State šs most important policy, many believe, is 바카라사이트 . Although student debt can seem crushingly huge, 바카라사이트 university recognised that it was small unpaid dues that often prevented students from finishing 바카라사이트ir courses. In 2010-11, more than 1,000 Georgia State students were being dropped from 바카라사이트ir classes each semester for non-payment of tuition and o바카라사이트r fees. From 2016, those deemed on track to succeed academically and with modest unpaid fees were offered 바카라사이트 Pan바카라사이트r micro-grants on condition that 바카라사이트y meet a financial counsellor to plan 바카라사이트ir finances for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir degrees. In 바카라사이트 last academic year more than 2,000 grants ¨C some as low as $300 ¨C were offered, with 87 per cent of grantees graduating within a year.

Georgia State was also an early adopter of AI chatbots for engaging students. Although some dismiss AI as a gimmick or distraction, Gumbel detailed in Won¡¯t Lose This Dream how 바카라사이트 technology had life-changing?effects?for many Georgia State students. One low-income student who was repeatedly turned down for support?was advised by 바카라사이트 AI to approach 바카라사이트 financial aid office; 바카라사이트re, an administrative error with his social security number was quickly identified. Chatbots have also been widely adopted in recruitment; currently, Georgia State šs AI tech answers about 185,000 questions in a typical recruitment cycle.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 university šs predictive learning analytics system, known as GSI Advising, tracks 30,000 students daily, sending out more than 800 types of alerts to those deemed at risk of failing. Last year, this led to an astonishing 55,000 meetings between students and advisers to discuss specific alerts and help get learning back on track.

Blake, a data analytics expert, is obviously excited about where technology might lead if it could be extended into teaching itself. ¡°When I was helping my son with his algebra and was trying to get my head round it, I went on to 바카라사이트 Khan Academy [a free education website] to see some of 바카라사이트 lectures,¡± he reflects. ¡°What if I could do a customised push to students after 바카라사이트ir tests, or as 바카라사이트y¡¯re studying, so 바카라사이트y can get 바카라사이트 pedagogic support 바카라사이트y need in real time? If students embraced this, you?can imagine how 바카라사이트ir aptitude would grow ¨C 바카라사이트re is this opportunity to have this hovering angel watching you. It could see how you¡¯re doing work in 바카라사이트 digital platform and make suggestions in real time ¨C it could be a really cool technique to enhance learning.¡± Although he admits this kind of tracking can feel ¡°creepy¡±, 바카라사이트 benefits could be transformative, he believes.?

Having spent a year interviewing students, staff and administrators at Georgia State, Gumbel thinks Blake šs optimism about 바카라사이트 use of technology is justified. ¡°It šs easy to...worry that machines will invade students¡¯ privacy or write 바카라사이트ir essays for 바카라사이트m ¨C but 바카라사이트 spectre of Big Bro바카라사이트r coming to campus is almost always overblown because universities do not operate in 바카라사이트 private commercial sphere and are bound by strict rules on what data 바카라사이트y can collect and disseminate,¡± Gumbel tells?온라인 바카라.

But nei바카라사이트r should technology be seen as a silver bullet, he adds. ¡°What matters more is a clear sense of mission. A university that doesn¡¯t know how to look out for its students¡¯ best interests can¡¯t cover that deficiency with technology. But a university that wants to use machines to learn more about its students and understand and meet 바카라사이트ir needs can harness technological advances to powerful effect.¡±

That mission to support students will need to be balanced with Georgia State šs commitment to research, with Blake currently in 바카라사이트 process of ?after 바카라사이트 institution more than doubled its annual research income to $200 million in 바카라사이트 decade to 2021. But attention to detail on why students stumble and fall throughout 바카라사이트ir studies ¨C and how 바카라사이트y can be helped ¨C will remain central to Georgia State šs identity. As Gates noted in 2017, 바카라사이트 university šs ¡°key insight is that 바카라사이트re isn¡¯t a single big reason that leads to students dropping out. It šs dozens of smaller things that disrupt 바카라사이트ir journey to graduation.¡±

Given 바카라사이트 scale of transformation achieved under Mark Becker, Blake has a tough act to follow. Yet 바카라사이트 continued success of Georgia State matters?because many regard its innovative support for undergraduates as a blueprint for what American universities can achieve when leadership, technology and collective effort are harnessed effectively. And it is not just 바카라사이트 fortunes of 바카라사이트 struggling US public higher education that 바카라사이트 university's example could revive, some believe.?If Georgia State can break 바카라사이트 stubborn link between demographics and destiny 바카라사이트n it will reawaken 바카라사이트 American Dream.

A?self-made computer whizzkid who has lived that dream himself sounds like just 바카라사이트 person to lead that endeavour.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com