Interesting piece in the Chronicle about the student experience at High Point University (where “every student receives an extraordinary education in a fun environment with caring people”). The features apparently include:
- valet parking
- a hot tub in the middle of the campus
- an ice-cream truck that circles the campus giving out free ice creams etc
- live music in the cafeteria
- Snack kiosks around the campus offer free bananas, pretzels, and drinks
- Gifts are left for students in their halls for when they return from breaks.
Perhaps most scarily:
Birthdays are big events at High Point. Each undergraduate — and there are 2,000 — receives a birthday card from the university, signed by the president, with a Starbucks gift card tucked inside. Plus balloons. What’s more, when birthday boys and girls visit the cafeteria, their ID cards electronically alert the kitchen staff. The staff then fixes a slice of cake, and the featured musicians sing “Happy Birthday.”
All is overseen by “a director of WOW!”. How long before we have one of those at a UK university? And might free ice cream help those NSS scores?
I think it’s a great idea – think how successful Google are at improving productivity and happiness – their offices are as modern, happy and fun as you can get. I really do think it will have positive effect – wish they did it at my uni!