International
Why some Gazan professors are selling their homes | The Islamic University of Gaza — which is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the Gaza Strip — has been battling a financial crisis for 2½ years now.
Academics protest Bennett’s CHE actions, warn of ‘crisis of confidence’ | More than 1,500 academics and doctoral students from universities and colleges throughout the country have signed a petition protesting actions taken by Education Minister Naftali Bennett as chairman of the Council for Higher Education.
‘Building indigenous education, not sending students to US will solve Indian education crisis’ | Since all forms of higher education in India are in English which 95% Indians do not know, the remaining 5% Anglophonic Indians, who belong to the ruling class, are privy to such education.
Funding crisis leaves Dundee University facing research and teaching cuts | In a letter to staff, which has been leaked to The Courier, Professor Sir Pete Downes, the institute’s principal and vice-chancellor, reveals “a real threat to our financial sustainability”.
Visit BPIEF 2016 for higher education needs | KUCHING: Visit the Curtin Sarawak booth during the seventh edition of The Borneo Post International Education Fair (BPIEF) to learn more about programmes for quality Australian education.
The imperative of measuring student learning outcomes | The decision about which higher education institution to study at ranks among the more vital ones taken in life, but how those decisions are made – and the basis on which universities are ranked for their education – has now come under fire.
U.S. National
History Jobs Drop | New data from the American Historical Association add to the bad news for academic job seekers in the humanities.
Geography Matters | Most public college students enroll within 50 miles of home, so location is more influential than policy makers think, a new study finds.
Obama’s Controversial Higher-Ed Legacy | Many college leaders criticize the administration’s lack of two-way communication on key policy initiatives.
College is the new cable bundle. Do students deserve a ‘Netflix’? | College has a lot in common with your cable TV package, according to Michael Horn, a principal consultant at innovation agency Entangled Solutions.
Babson Bids Good-bye to Enrollment Numbers | The 13th and final annual report on online education enrollments by the Babson Group shows how much the market has grown since 2002 — and how little it has changed.
Rich Schools Queried by U.S. Lawmakers on Endowment Spending | With many of the largest U.S. college endowments at record values, two congressional committees that determine tax policy jointly opened an inquiry about how the wealthiest schools manage and spend those funds.
The FY 2017 Budget Request for Education Aims to Increase College Access, Affordability, and Completion | President Obama has made it clear that in the capstone year of his presidency, he’ll continue making education a top priority – including initiatives and investments that place a college degree within reach for millions more Americans.
U.S. States
AASCU Trying Crowdsourcing Approach to Improving Student Outcomes | Can crowdsourcing work as a viable model for determining best practices in student outcomes? The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) will try just that in a new three-year project that will be funded by the Bell & Melinda Gates Foundation and USA Funds.
Coalition demands immediate action on higher education funding | The Illinois Coalition to Invest in Higher Education, an alliance formed to push for urgent action regarding Illinois’ budget crisis, launched a movement Wednesday, Jan. 20 to encourage Springfield to provide state funding immediately.
Wisconsin one of nine states to cut funding for higher education, report says | Wisconsin is one of just nine states that cut funding for higher education this fiscal year and ranks second in the nation in percentage cut, according to a report released last week.
Accreditor Threatens to Step In as Illinois Colleges Wait for State Funds | The Higher Learning Commission sent a letter to Illinois lawmakers on Thursday, saying it is “obligated to move swiftly to protect Illinois students” if the state’s budget impasse continues and public colleges are denied state funds.
Illinois legislators continue assault on public higher education | With Illinois now in its eighth month without a state budget, it has become increasingly clear that the ruling class in Illinois has decided to place higher education spending on the chopping block.
Illinois campuses erupt in protests over budget crisis | College campuses across the state are erupting with protests as Illinois enters its eighth month without a budget.
Gov. Wolf challenges Republicans with his second state budget | With his first Pennsylvania budget still unfinished, Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday delivered a combative second budget address, telling Republican legislators that if they won’t send him a sound proposal, they should find a different job.
N.Y. Assembly Minority Leaders Working to Make College More Affordable | New York State Assembly minority leaders unveiled a legislative agenda Tuesday to increase the affordability of college education for students and families in the state.
Snyder’s recommended $61M boost to higher education would restore 2011 funding levels | Gov. Rick Snyder is proposing a 4.3 percent funding boost for Michigan’s public universities, a move that would restore state support for higher education to levels not seen since Snyder took office.
Just to be clear: Gov. John Bel Edwards says colleges, universities to get 80 percent of TOPS funds, will absorb shortage | In an unprecedented move, the state’s student financial aid office on Thursday notified Louisiana’s colleges and universities that it had stopped TOPS payments because of the uncertainty related to the state budget crisis.
Institutional
Chicago State Declares Financial Exigency as Budget Standoff Continues | Chicago State University has declared financial exigency, signaling the possibility of sharp cuts as the state’s public colleges struggle to find a way forward after seven months without state funding. The Chicago Tribune reports that the university says it does not have enough money to pay its employees through March.
Central Names New Director of Institutional Effectiveness | Central Washington University has appointed Nina Oman, PhD, to be the executive director of institutional effectiveness. Oman’s appointment begins February 16, 2016.
Galloway: Audits to examine higher education affordability, efficiency | Galloway said the recent downgrading of the UM [Missouri] System’s financial outlook by Standard & Poor’s “caught my attention.” UM officials have downplayed the move, saying it has no practical effect on system finances.
Provost Loses Job After Opposing ‘Bunny-Drowning’ Plan | Highest official at Mount St. Mary’s of Maryland who opposed president’s plan to cull students loses his job. Appointee as interim provost received no-confidence vote at another institution.
Apollo Education, U. of Phoenix’s Parent, Is Sold for $1.1 Billion | The Apollo Education Group, the parent company of the for-profit University of Phoenix, will be sold to a “consortium of investors” for $1.1 billion, the company announced on Monday.
‘We Are All Bunnies’ | Academics respond with speed and anger after the president of Mount St. Mary’s — who advocated treating at-risk students as bunnies to drown — fires two faculty members.
Fallout at Mount St. Mary’s Spreads as Scholars Protest Firings | The controversy over a freshman-retention plan that has roiled the campus of Mount St. Mary’s University of Maryland reached new heights on Tuesday, as scholars and free-speech advocates joined a growing coalition of voices condemning the actions of the university’s president, Simon P. Newman.
Who Owns the Colleges The Obama Administration Just Shut Down? | Last week the U.S. Department of Education took the rare step of cutting off federal student aid to two for-profit college chains, each accused of deceiving the Department and their own students.
An Appalling Breach of Faith at Mount St. Mary’s | President Simon Newman, apparently backed fully by his trustees, has aggressively come out in favor of ridding his campus of troublesome people, namely, freshmen who threaten retention metrics (“drown the bunnies,” “put a Glock to their heads”) and the colleagues who spoke out against his preposterous retention plan.
Amid national backlash, Mount St. Mary’s president defends his tenure in letter to parents | The president of Mount St. Mary’s University defended his tenure at the private college in Maryland in a letter to parents on Wednesday, and he said he had taken “the high road” despite intense public scrutiny of his recent actions.
Note:
Generally, we aim for 16-20 “News Items” each week. This week’s items are more numerous due to 1) an unexpected number of news articles from late Friday, Feb. 5th that did not make last week’s items, 2) a spike in news activity regarding the Illinois higher education budget crisis, and 3) the events at Mount St. Mary’s University of Maryland. We will try to get back to a more manageable list next week.