International
Marketisation could undermine higher education innovation | The ‘business model’ of university governance, the product of what one might call the English experiment in higher education policy-making, because it does not apply or certainly applies with much less force in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, seems in danger of producing an academic climate which represses rather than stimulates creativity and innovation.
Is there a Eurasian Higher Education Area in the making? | The development of Eurasian higher education regionalism is determined by levels of resources and trust in political elites, and at the same time by the interconnectedness of people who used to live in one country and also by the harmonisation of educational systems in line with the Bologna Process. Thus far, resources and trust have both been rather low, and the probability that politicians from the countries of the region will push for a new educational project in the short- or medium-term is also low.
Internationalisation in Higher Education for Society | Firstly, this needs to be seen as the bridge between the concept of internationalisation in higher education and university social responsibility or university social engagement. Internationalisation activities as well as general social outreach activities have the goal of augmenting higher education competences and improving society, and internationalisation can be an accelerator for this. We need a more systematic approach, though, that leverages existing and new internationalisation activities to tackle local and global social issues – including those emphasised in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations – through social engagement.
The Importance of Predictive Analytics in Higher Education | By leveraging predictive analytics, educators can identify patterns of students’ learning deficits and customize the academic experience so they are aligned to learn. It also can help students accelerate their learning by allowing them to move quickly through content they already know and provide them with additional support in areas they have not mastered. Therefore, the data insights and analysis will help change the conversation for educators regarding how to think about students’ progress and sustain success.
Government Spending On Colleges In US Is Higher Than In Countries With ‘Free’ College | Governments in the United States pay more (as a percentage of GDP) toward higher education than many other so-called “peer” countries. According to the OECD’s 2018 “Education at a Glance” report, public spending on higher education in the United States is 1.3 percent of GDP. That’s equal to public spending in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. And it’s higher than spending rates found in Germany (1.2), France (1.2), Canada (1.2), Spain (1.0), Italy (0.8), and Japan (0.7).
U.S. National
Proposals for solving the federal student loan debt crisis | Federal loans, while good for some borrowers, offer a one-size-fits-all approach. Private loans, on the other hand, offer fixed and variable interest rates, various lengths of time to repay and multiple repayment options – options supported by 87 percent of those surveyed. Finally, private lenders consider a borrower’s ability to repay the loan. By ensuring borrowers take out only what they can afford, private student loans set students and their families up for success. [NOTE: Richard Hunt is president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association.]
Can We Wake America Up from its Student Dept Nightmare | In 2017, the national median income stood at $61,372, after three consecutive years of increases and a 1.8 percent increase over 2016’s median of $60,309. But much of Black America was omitted from these financial gains with median incomes of $40,258, more than $2,100 less than levels earned in 2000. Other studies have found that over half of young Black households –54 percent– have student debt, compared to only 39 percent of similar White households…When it comes to higher education, lawmakers must understand that Black America never asked for a free ride —just a fair one.
High tuitions at heart of college debt crisis | In Monday’s announcement, Warren tried to vilify the federal government for “pushing families that can’t afford to pay the outrageous costs of higher education towards taking out loans.” There’s a sliver of truth to that, because Uncle Sam makes loans to virtually all comers, regardless of their ability to repay the money. But Warren leaves out the biggest culprits, the colleges themselves. Colleges hike their tuition every year because they can. The feds have been willing to increase loan amounts to match whatever colleges charge. The result? Every dollar loaned inflates tuition by another 60 cents, according to Federal Reserve research.
What Elizabeth Warren’s Free College Plan Gets Wrong | The broad case for free college is very strong. Many states have slashed public funding for higher learning, shifting the burden to students and parents. Private schools have hiked prices to the stratosphere in pursuit of status and fame. As real public university tuition tripled over the last three decades while middle-income wages stagnated, the federal government’s main response was to lend students ever-larger sums of money to make up the difference, with no control over how much colleges charged or whether the degrees were any good. It was a policy mistake of epic proportions, leaving the path to economic mobility badly narrowed and a generation of collegians saddled with unaffordable loans.
U.S. States
Curb Illinois’ exodus by enticing college students to study at in-state schools | In 2017, nearly half of Illinois high school graduates left the state to study in other states. No state can afford to lose 50 percent of its youth and remain competitive in the long run. This trend of out-migration has been worsening since the Illinois budget crisis during the last administration, and now it’s a genuine statewide crisis. We are fortunate to have dozens of nonprofit colleges and universities in Illinois, including several dozen in Chicago and the surrounding areas. Collectively, they are a key economic engine of Illinois.
This is the crisis in higher education in Pennsylvania | The state system’s problems are not just demographic or administrative. State government support for tuition at state-supported and state-related institutions ranks among the lowest in the nation. That means students and families have to pick up an increasing share of costs.
Institutional
I’m a poor kid at an elite college. Bribes are not the reason my wealthy peers are here. | Here at the University of Chicago, currently ranked No. 3 by U.S. News & World Report, nothing in my purview suggests the college didn’t make an honest and sincere effort to curate a diverse, broadminded and curious assortment of students. Everyone, including much-maligned student athletes, is extraordinarily clever, service-minded and shares a deep passion for learning.
Research Encourages More Support for Black and Hispanic Male Educational Attainment | [T]he Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education at Clemson University…The center’s new infographic “Employment Status by Educational Attainment among African American and Hispanic Males” reveals that Black and Hispanic males who earn a bachelor’s degree or higher hold an employment-population ratio of 77.3 percent and 83.7 percent, respectively. Of those who only have a high school diploma and no college, Black males had an employment-population ratio of 59.7 percent, while Hispanic males had a ratio of 78.2 percent, the infographic shows.