| International |
Why India is still not able to attract global faculty | It was reported recently that there are just 40 foreign teachers at all of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) – 1% of the total faculty of 5,400 – despite the government’s goal to attract 20% international faculty to the IITs. Internationalisation in general, and the appointment of global staff in particular, is central to the new ‘Institutions of Eminence’ programme. The goal is even more lofty after the IIT Council last year recommended the recruitment of foreign faculty on a tenure basis.
Quality doctoral programmes are vital for development | Should Ghana’s National Accreditation Board (NAB) also evaluate the quality of doctoral degree programmes in Ghanaian universities? Such evaluation functions undoubtedly fall within the orbit of NAB’s legal role as state external quality assurance agency. The need for these evaluation functions arises from the statistical fact that doctoral degree enrolment and graduation from Ghanaian universities are increasing steadily. According to tertiary education statistics published by NAB, in the academic years between 2011-12 and 2015-16, doctoral degree enrolment in public universities averaged about 900 students. At private universities the number was 39 for 2014-15 and 85 for 2015-16. The total doctoral degree output of public universities for 2012-13 was 65 students compared to 1,854 students for 2014-15.
| U.S. National |
5 tips for reporting on ‘free college’ and ‘college promise’ programs | “Free college” has become a key talking point among Democratic presidential hopefuls who believe eliminating tuition at public colleges and universities will help curb student debt and encourage more Americans to earn degrees…This is a complex topic, so we asked one of the country’s foremost scholars on college access and affordability for advice on how journalists can improve their coverage of this issue. Laura W. Perna, an education professor who’s also the executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (AHEAD), shared a variety of recommendations and insights.
The pros and cons of ‘free college’ and ‘college promise’ programs: What the research says | These initiatives often are referred to as “free college” — even when they only cover tuition — and as “tuition-free” programs. A number of cities, counties and states have introduced “college promise” programs, which also pay students’ tuition and, sometimes, other expenses at two- and four-year institutions. To help journalists understand the implications and impacts of these efforts, we’ve gathered and summarized a sampling of research on “free college,” “tuition-free” and “college promise” programs. Because most programs are relatively new, scholars are continuing to study them. We will add new research to this collection as it is published or released.
Navigating $1.5 trillion of debt | In a country that treats higher education like a business and values profit over quality education, it’s no wonder that the student debt crisis has gotten to the point it’s at today. This mindset is typical in the American higher education system; capitalist principles prevail and education somehow loses value to profit margins.
Black women bear largest burden in student debt crisis | So often, student loan debt is talked about in wide-ranging terms that mask the true impact on a community, particularly on women of color. Women hold almost two-thirds of the outstanding student loan debt in the United States, according to a key study by American Association of University Women, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that promotes equity and education for women and girls. Black women have the highest student loan debt of any racial or ethnic group, according to the AAUW report.
High student debt threatens America’s future | Young people saddled with student debt often postpone adult decisions, like purchasing homes or getting married, hoping to start “real life” with a clean slate. When these folks delay buying homes, they also postpone the purchase of everything that goes with home ownership – furniture, appliances, and more. Millions boomerang home, living with their parents into their late twenties, or even longer. Some default on their loans, ruining their credit, and impeding other purchasing.
| U.S. States and Territories |
Newsom Signs College Aid, Admissions, Accountability Bills | Governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills into law Friday focused on affordability, transparency and integrity in higher education. The bills expand access to financial aid for students, strengthen integrity in college admissions and enhance oversight of for-profit colleges in California.
Gov. Newsom signs bills to expand college student aid, target admissions scandal | Newsom also signed legislation that would significantly increase financial aid for students. Days after being sworn in as governor, Newsom proposed extending the state’s tuition-free community college program from one year to two. The state’s 2019-20 budget includes $42.6 million to support the second year of free tuition for approximately 33,000 students. The budget also includes $41.8 million to increase the number of competitive Cal Grant scholarships.
Illinois higher education in disarray; can it be saved? | Once a poor stepchild of UIUC, UIC was ranked this year by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 10 best universities in the nation for quality and cost. Just a chip shot down old Route 66 and Amtrak, Illinois State University is well-managed and going strong. The same can’t be said, however, for the directional state universities out in Carbondale, Charleston and Macomb, which now enroll less than half the numbers of a decade or so back.
New Report Explores How State Policy Impacts Access to Higher Education | [S]tate investment alone, while crucial, isn’t enough to make higher education accessible, according to a new report by Ithaka S+R, a higher education consulting company. The brief advocates for states to create strategic plans for three financial factors – appropriations, tuition and financial aid – to better support underrepresented students. Each one is a facet of affordability, it argues, so when the three aren’t aligned and considered together in a state-specific context, that leads to inefficient funding.
| Institutional |
UConn President Katsouleas announces free tuition program at ‘big fat Greek inauguration’ | Katsouleas also used the moment to announce an aggressive campaign to raise additional funds for the needs-based scholarships to fund the program, which he estimated will benefit approximately 6,000 UConn students over the next four years. He said he also hopes to increase the income threshold over the next five to seven years.
Bold Move in Graduate Education | Chicago’s biggest change, which applies to doctoral students in the humanities, social sciences, divinity studies and social service administration, is financial. Whereas doctoral students are currently funded for up to six years, depending on their programs, the new framework promises all students in good academic standing who enrolled in summer 2016 or later full funding until they graduate, with no limits.