International
Why the future is bright for internationalisation | [T]he work of internationalisation is not self-reflexive. We do not internationalise for its own sake. We engage in cross-national research and teaching partnerships, facilitate global learning at home and support student and faculty mobility in order to fulfil higher education’s fundamental purpose, the production and exchange of new knowledge about the world and its inhabitants.
UK heading toward the ‘damaging’ inequality seen in the US, Nobel Prize winner warns | Democracy and capitalism are being threatened by growing economic inequalities in both the U.S. and the U.K., new research warned on Tuesday. The report, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), was published as the organization launched a wider review into inequality around Britain, which will be chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton.
U.S. National
New SAT Score: Adversity | The College Board has for several years been testing an “adversity index” designed to place students’ SAT scores in the context of their socioeconomic advantages or disadvantages. The system has been used by about 50 colleges and universities. On Thursday, the College Board said it would be expanded to about 150 colleges later this year and be made available to all colleges in 2020.
Georgetown Study Explores Privilege and Race in Educational Outcomes | Titled “Born to Win, Schooled to Lose: Why Equally Talented Students Don’t Get Equal Chances to Be All They Can Be,” the study from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) reported that even the most talented disadvantaged youth don’t fare as well as the least talented advantaged youth.
The latest victims of the student debt crisis — parents | And that burden is not just shared by students. Increasingly, parents are borrowing to make up the difference. While the annual limit on federal student loans is $5,500 to $7,500 depending on your year in school, parents can take out up to the maximum of the cost of attendance (minus federal student aid or loans offered directly to the student) with so-called parent PLUS loans to offset any remaining amount that is not covered.
Special Section:
The Creeping Capitalist Takeover of Higher Education [April 1, 2019] | many colleges don’t actually run online programs themselves. They outsource much of the work to an obscure species of for-profit company that has figured out how to gouge students in new and creative ways. These companies are called online program managers, or OPMs, an acronym that could come right out of “Office Space.” They have goofy, forgettable names like 2U, HotChalk and iDesign. As the founder of 2U puts it, “The more invisible we are, the better.”
What Matters Most: Quality, Access, Outcomes and Sustainability [April 17, 2019] | Kevin Carey’s critique of the corporate role in inflating the price of online education singled out 2U. In this essay, CEO Chip Paucek answers back.
Doing It Yourself: The ‘Internal OPM’ Model | According to Howard Lurie, principal analyst of online and continuing education at Eduventures, online program management companies have contracted with roughly 18 percent of possible two- and four-year higher education institutions, which leaves quite a few looking at going online by other means.
U.S. States
Report: More Can Be Done to Assist Undocumented Community College Students in California | The Dreamer’s Project Report, an analysis of the support that the 111 community colleges in California provide for the estimated 50,000 to 70,000 undocumented students in California, highlighted the challenges that these students face in earning certificates, associate degrees and/or transferring to a four-year college or university. The findings were revealing: the current support systems are inadequate in addressing these barriers.
Why Kentucky ranked 40th in US News & World Report’s best states analysis | A new analysis of states and how they perform for their residents ranked Kentucky 40th out of 50, a disappointing showing driven by lags in health care and education. U.S. News and World Report released an extensive analysis of states that took into account a range of criteria — education, health care, infrastructure and the economy. Results from three large surveys with more than 70 metric and thousands of data points were analyzed to capture how well sates serve their residents. Added weight was given to education and health care. Overall, Washington was ranked first, ahead of New Hampshire and Minnesota, respectively.
Penn State Center for the Study of Higher Education marks 50th anniversary | The center was founded in 1969 by G. Lester Anderson to examine higher education as a social institution and as a process, according to a June 1974 document titled “The Center for the Study of Higher Education: The First Five Years 1969-1974.” Its goal was to contribute to the capacity of American higher education to respond to increasing numbers of students of diverse talents, aptitudes, backgrounds and needs who seek a college education. In this way the varied manpower needs of the states, the regions and the nation can best be met, the report said.
Institutional
Can Data Tell If Higher Ed Is Delivering on Its Promise? | Our Gallup study gathers alumni feedback related to many other elements of the college experience, from academic quality and relevance to alumni attachment. The research continues to supply us with invaluable data, which we track annually, that extend beyond retention rates, employer feedback and student satisfaction surveys. Most importantly, the data provide real insight into our progress toward realizing WGU’s vision: to deliver an educational experience that leads our students and their families to great lives.
How Data Improved Our Library Space [Subscription required] | At Humboldt State University, a seating analysis led to several design changes.
New Survey Assesses the Mindset of Adult Learners | In today’s higher education landscape, many colleges and universities are clamoring to attract adult learners and the dollars they bring to the bottom line. To gain insight into the mindsets of adult learners, education research firm EAB recently conducted a survey of current and prospective students attending or interested in undergraduate and graduate degree programs as well as certificate programs.