This Week in the News
Enrollment down at California's community colleges
February 19, 2010
Eight states are introducing new courses and a battery of tests for high school sophomores that will allow students who pass to enroll immediately in community college.
Majority of Administrators Receiving No Pay Raises
February 26, 2010
Reversing a five-year growth trend, enrollment at California's community colleges dipped 1%, or about 21,000 students, this school year as campuses pared courses because of state budget cuts.
Pentagon Suspends College, Career Aid for Military Spouses
March 1, 2010
Military spouses were enthusiastic last year when the government started offering them grants of up to $6,000 for college or career training. But the response was so heavy that it nearly exhausted the program's budget, prompting the Department of Defense to suspend it abruptly in the last week, setting off angry responses.
Importance of Research for Undergraduates' Engaged Learning
March 1, 2010
A survey of the University of California's 170,000 students has highlighted the importance of offering research projects to undergraduates at research universities.
Georgia Colleges Grapple with Severe Budget Cuts
March 2, 2010
The chancellor of the University System of Georgia has provided a detailed list of cuts to state legislators, in response to a state plan to cut an additional $300 million from the system's budget. The cuts would include eliminating 20% of the courses at North Georgia College & State University. Here's how the system is responding in a state of financial crisis.
Consternation at Brown U over president's role on Goldman Sachs board
March 2, 2010
Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University, has found herself in the midst of campus controversy over her quiet role on the board of Goldman Sachs, which she held for 10 years.
17 States Pledge to Increase Graduation Rates, Joining a New National Effort
March 3, 2010
17 states have promised to develop specific plans to improve their college-completion rates, announcing that they were joining Complete College America Alliance of States, a national program aimed at helping institutions meet President Obama's goal of having the world's best-educated adult population by 2020.
College Students Nationwide Rally over Tuition, Education Quality
March 4, 2010
College students in 32 states and on more than 100 campuses nationwide plan walkouts, rallies, and other actions for this week to protest budget cuts, layoffs, and tuition increases.
RESEARCH & TRENDS
More Students who are also Parents Need On-Campus Child Care
February 26, 2010
The college drop-out rates of traditional undergraduate students who are also full-time parents is a growing problem, one that may be further exacerbated by the dearth of acceptable child care options for students pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Textbook Rental, Open-Source Textbooks Becoming more Common
February 26, 2010
While not offering much new information, this article offers a summary of some of the options now available to colleges in cutting textbook costs for students.
College Leaders Lukewarm Over Planned Protests
February 26, 2010
Nationwide grassroots protests against education cuts planned for March 4 are meeting with concern from some college leaders, who remember recent occupations of campus buildings and other disturbances.
More States Move to Revoke Tax Exemptions for Nonprofits
March 1, 2010
Faced with steep declines in tax revenue, an increasing number of states and localities are considering eliminating various tax exemptions for nonprofit groups. Here is a review of which states and what measures they are voting on.
Student Demand for Humanities Remains High
March 1, 2010
The results of an important new cross-disciplinary survey of humanities departments make it clear that the humanities remain popular with students, even as tenure-track faculty positions in those fields decline.
529 Plans: Why So Many Flunk Out
March 1, 2010
Less than 25% of college savings today are in 529 plans, and a recent study suggests that the most effective college savings plan may simply be a plain bank account. Here's a look at some of the promises - and shortcomings - of 529s.
Plagiarism Rife in College Applications
March 2, 2010
A study of 453,000 applications submitted to institutions of higher education found that 44% of the personal statements contained matching text and that 36% contained significant matching text, suggesting prevalent plagiarism or use of recycled or purchased documents.
2 Efforts to Provide Data on Colleges to Consumers Fall Short
March 2, 2010
Researchers suggest that two major voluntary efforts under way to measure and report colleges' costs and academic effectiveness are inadequate, and provide parents and students with too little information to make informed choices about where they will get the most from their tuition dollars.
New Calculation Finds Less Savings in Student Loan Industry Plan
March 2, 2010
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has made another review of the latest alternative the student loan industry proposed to President Obama's plan to end the bank-based loan program, concluding that the industry plan would save taxpayers about $8.5 billion less than the Obama administration's plan would.
Prior Learning Assessment and College Completion Rates
March 3, 2010
A new study suggests that prior learning assessment, when done right, can have a significant impact on student success, college completion, persistence, and earlier graduation for adult learners.
Study Finds High School Guidance Counselors Doing Poorly at Preparing Students for College
March 3, 2010
A new study notes that tight budgets have resulted in student-to-counselor ratios well beyond those recommended by experts, and suggests that many guidance counselors are offering preparation and advice that is inadequate in preparing high school students for college.
Younger Professors Voice Discontent
March 4, 2010
In a recent study, faculty members from Generation X reveal what they find appealing -- and not -- about their positions.
Medical Schools Contract while Expanding
March 4, 2010
Economic realities are shrinking classes at a few US medical schools, undercutting the recent push to increase the nation's physician workforce.
NOTABLE PRACTICES
Outreach to Gay Applicants
February 26, 2010
Like many colleges, Penn has undergrads help woo admitted students with similar interests or ethnic backgrounds. Now the university is recruiting based on sexual orientation, as well.
State Board Debates How to Give Oregon Universities More Autonomy
February 26, 2010
Oregon's state board of higher education governance committee is wrestling with the question of how much power state leaders should give Oregon's seven universities if the schools were to become more autonomous public corporations as their presidents have requested.
How Community Colleges Are Building Programs That Fit Immigrants' Needs
March 1, 2010
Here's a look at the unique challenges of immigrant students and the steps one community college consortium has taken to support academic success
State Board Debates How to Give Oregon Universities More Autonomy
March 2, 2010
Oregon's state board of higher education governance committee is wrestling with the question of how much power state leaders should give Oregon's seven universities if the schools were to become more autonomous public corporations as their presidents have requested.
Brown U Partners With European School in New MBA Program
March 2, 2010
One of a number of schools retooling their MBA programs in a changing market, Brown University is partnering with with Instituto de Empresa, an elite European business school, to launch a new executive MBA program. The 15-month program will mix online lessons with classroom courses, and participants will be required to attend at the campuses of both schools. The MBA program is designed for executives with more than 10 years of experience, and will combine IE's business management education with Brown's offerings in the humanities and the social, biological, and physical sciences.
A Buyer's Market
March 3, 2010
With enrollments booming and dollars in short supply, some community colleges are looking to vacant commercial properties and land swaps to acquire more space.
Register Your College President's Domain Name
March 3, 2010
This blogger recommends a best practice of registering your college president's domain name, after a resignation hoax launched on markyudof.com, a site designed to look like the University of California president's personal home page.
CURRENT EVENTS
New Spinoff Company Developed by Roswell Park Cancer Institute and U at Buffalo Works to Train Surgeons Around the World in Robotic Surgery
Colorado Considers Bill to Scrap Limits on Tuition Increases
Idaho House Votes to Create Rainy Day Fund for Higher Education
East Stroudsburg U Professor Suspended Indefinitely Over Facebook Comments
U System of Georgia Looks to Cut $565 Million
After audit, former U of Maryland Law Dean Asked to Return $60,000; Another $350,000 Questioned
Eastern Washington U Installs Red Turf, Not Green
Washington State U Mulls Staff Buyout Plan
Tennessee Bill may Make Government Officials Eligible for College Leadership even without Advanced Degrees
T. Boone Pickens Offers $100 Million Challenge Grant to Oklahoma State U
U of California, San Diego Sees Uneasy Race Relations
Late Night Protest at U of California, Berkeley Turns Violent
Second Life Upgrade May Be Friendlier to Students, Virtual Classrooms
Tuition Hike, Job Cuts at Brown U
Alabama State U Reinstates 9 Students Expelled 50 Years Ago Over Segregated Lunchroom Sit-In
US Bank Donates $1 Million for Ohio State U Student Union
U of Wyoming Restructures MBA Program
Kemper Foundation Gives Washington U $3 Million to Support Center for Neurological Disorders
U of Alabama Shuttle Drivers Strike Over Pay
5 U of California Students Protesting Budget Cuts Are Arrested at Capitol
Oklahoma City Community College To Review Security Issues Identified During False Shooter Reports
Students, Officials React to Proposed U System of Georgia Budget Cuts
Racist Incidents, Protests Spread at U of California Campuses
"Foot Powder" Scare Leads to 6-Hour Quarantine and Hazmat Operations at Adelphi U (Garden City, NY)
US Interior Secretary Investigates Allegations of Mismanagement at Haskell Indian Nations U (Lawrence, KS)
Gunman Arrested at Kentucky State U
U of Idaho to Implement Furloughs for 2,600 Employees
U of California Students Protest Cuts; Some Arrests
U of Nevada, Reno Reveals Plan to Close Agriculture School, End Some Degrees to Cut $11 Million from Budget
Baylor U to Receive $200 Million Bequest for the Study of Aging
2 U of Missouri Students Arrested for Hate Crime
U of Illinois Could Hike Tuition by 20%
Facing Severe Cuts, U System of Georgia Plans for Tuition Increases
3 U of Texas Schools to Raise Tuition
Rutgers U Police Investigate Threat Targeting Classroom Building
LOOKING ABROAD
UK: U of Leeds Strikes Suspended after Talks
Chile: Quake Damages University of Concepcion; American Students Are Safe
Nigeria: Minister Proposes Monitoring Students Abroad
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Former congressman Martin Meehan says he has officially given up his position on Suffolk University's board of trustees because he wants to focus on his job as chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Jack Wilson, president of the University of Massachusetts, will leave his post in June 2011 after nearly eight years.
University of Illinois Springfield chancellor Richard Ringeisen has announced his retirement after more than nine years at UIS; he will step down in October.
Florida Atlantic University has selected Mary Jane Saunders, provost of Cleveland State University, as its next president.
Father Robert B. Lawton, who has been president of Loyola Marymount University since 1999, has announced plans to retire in May, two years earlier than expected, and partly because of health problems related to back surgery.
John Stewart III, currently vice president for institutional advancement at Flagler College, will be the next president at the University of Montevallo.
In this Issue...
Top Stories
Research & Trends
Notable Practices
Current Events
Looking Abroad
People in the News
Featured Event
PLA as a Recruiting Tool for Adults and Veterans
Learn how to convert your school's current PLA policy into marketing messages and use it as an effective recruiting tool.
Online
March 29, 2010
Upcoming Conferences
Community College Student Success and Retention
March 17 - 19, 2010
Baltimore, MD
Mastering the Major Gift Process
March 18 - 19, 2010
San Diego, CA
Campus Crisis Simulation: Improving Campus-Wide Response to an Emergency
March 29 - 31, 2010
Chicago, IL
Developing a Comprehensive Retention Plan
May 17 - 19, 2010
Baltimore, MD
Building a Fundraising Partnership Between Development and Academic Leadership
June 21 & 22, 2010
Chicago, IL
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Upcoming Webcasts
50 Things Every Department Chair Should Know
March 12, 2010
Using Facebook to Market Workforce Development and Adult Programming
March 24, 2010
Engaging & Retaining Online Students
April 1, 8 & 15, 2010
Hybrid Learning: Instructional and Institutional Implementation
April 5, 2010
Writing Right for the Web
April 20, 2010
Differentiating Your School for Adult Students
April 27, 2010
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