International
Increasing HE enrolment and implications for quality | Sub-Saharan Africa is under increasing pressure to increase enrolment at higher education institutions as a result of recognition of the sector as being vital to development, rapid growth in young populations in African countries and improved access and success at school levels. But what are the implications of such pressures for quality of teaching and learning?
‘Rethink role of HE beyond rankings’, says minister | Singapore’s International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP), which comprises presidents and vice-chancellors of universities in Europe, the United States and Asia as well as CEOs of global companies, has recommended that Singapore should develop a holistic evaluation framework for its universities instead of being fixated on international rankings.
Why Putin’s 5-100 project is doomed to fail | In 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a highly ambitious Russian academic excellence project, known as the 5-100 Project. It aimed at getting at least five Russian universities into the top 100 in world university rankings by 2020.
Tackling Bristol’s ‘educational inequality crisis’ | A lack of opportunities for young people living in disadvantaged areas has resulted in stark differences in progression rates to higher education, ranging from 8.6 per cent in Hartcliffe in South Bristol to 100 per cent in Clifton in West Bristol.
Higher Ed as Brazil Moves to the Right | Bolsonaro’s lack of commitment to science and research may be concerning, but it is the other policies he has thrown weight behind that raise more questions.
Regional inequality has a huge impact on teenagers’ university chances. So how can we fix it? | Department for Education figures offer a striking demonstration of the large regional variations in education prospects, especially for disadvantaged children. The most recent data shows that 20 per cent of disadvantaged 18 year olds from London get in to Universities ranked in the top third (including the Russell Group and Oxbridge), compared to only 6 per cent in the worst performing regions of the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the South West. This 6 per cent for the disadvantaged is a lower success rate than that any race (the lowest is white, with 8 per cent) or type of school (comprehensive schools in areas with lots of with grammars, with 9 per cent).
U.S. National
Falling Confidence in Higher Ed | Just under half (48 percent) of American adults have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, according to an analysis being released today by Gallup. That figure is down from 57 percent in 2015 and represents a larger than typical decline in confidence in an American institution in a relatively short time period, according to Gallup.
Confidence in Higher Education Down Since 2015 | Even though Americans overall are less confident in higher education than a few years ago, this still compares favorably with their confidence in other institutions. Only the military (74%), small business (67%) and the police (54%) engender more confidence than does higher education.
Income Verification for Federal Aid Hinders Low-Income Students | [A] growing number of colleges are finding more low-income students are being flagged by the Department of Education during the bureaucratic process of verifying income eligibility for federal aid, and that those students are not completing the application process as a result. College administrators are concerned that much-needed aid is being left on the table by frustrated and discouraged students who’ve given up on the cumbersome process of applying for financial aid.
U.S. States
Public college access in jeopardy for low-income students as tuition rises: report | The burden of paying for higher education has shifted significantly from state governments to students and families since the Great Recession, and a new report states Louisiana for the most part has been affected by this more than any other region.
California’s Online Community College Targets ‘Stranded’ Adult Learners | Proposed by Governor Jerry Brown and established this June, the California Online Community College seeks to boost social mobility by offering on-demand access to education and workforce training for California’s 2.5 million “stranded” adults aged 25 and older. The college will use a competency-based education model and plans to begin enrolling students in Fall 2019 for short-term credentials in three initial pathway areas – medical coding, information technology and supervisor roles, according to California Community Colleges officials.
Institutional
A Call for Multiculturalism in Higher Education | In an article on the importance of a multicultural education, Geneva Gay, a professor of education at the University of Washington, Seattle, relates that a multicultural education is integral in not only improving the academic success of students of color, but also in preparing all students for democratic citizenship in a pluralistic society.
What Does Equal Educational Opportunity for All Students Really Mean? | First it was Princeton University, then Harvard University, and now Yale. Three of the top ranked universities in the country are (or were) all the subject of investigation by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The complaints allege that the schools’ attempts to ensure racial and ethnic diversity among admitted students unfairly discriminate against White and Asian students. Are these schools’ diversity efforts violating the Office of Civil Rights’ mandate to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for all? It is an important question, with far-reaching consequences.
Wright State won’t recover from budget crisis for more than 20 years, report says | Wright State is trying to recover from a financial crisis that forced trustees to slash more than $30.8 million from the school’s budget in 2017. Those cuts ended up not being enough though and the school ended up reducing spending by around $53 million in fiscal year 2018.
New Roles Focus on First-Generation Students’ Issues | The greater focus on first-generation students includes highly selective colleges. At the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where about 3,400 undergraduates are first-generation, Adan Hussain oversees the First-Generation Student Gateway, a space where students can meet and get help navigating assistance from four offices.