International
University chiefs call for reforms in ‘decaying’ sector | Greater university autonomy, credible appointments to governing councils, integrity tests for prospective vice-chancellors, and a holistic overhaul to stem systemic decay topped the list of recommendations contained in a strongly-worded statement released at the close of the recent third biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
Affordability, accountability among 5 pillars of new education policy: Prakash Javdekar | New Delhi: Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, speaking at silver jubilee celebrations of Pragna Bharati on Saturday said the five pillars of new education policy which are highly important will be accessibility, equity, quality, affordability and accountability.
Higher Ed Innovators Convene to Share Breakthroughs in Driving Student Success Outcomes, Improving Equity | Student success pioneer Civitas Learning today announced that an additional 84 colleges and universities joined its international community in 2016, growing the community of practice leveraging predictive analytics to improve student outcomes.
U.S. National
The More Things Change | Compensation survey from AAUP says faculty salaries are up slightly year over year, but institutional budgets continue to be balanced “on the backs” of adjuncts and out-of-state students.
DeVos Withdraws Obama-Era Memos Focused on Improving Loan Servicing | Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday withdrew three memos, issued during President Barack Obama’s administration, that had been focused on streamlining the student-loan-servicing industry and improving customer service for borrowers.
Report: Associate’s Degree Worth $6K in Additional Pay | A new report from the Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE) out in late March looks at what those outcomes might be. Completing an associate’s degree results in an annual $6,000 bump in income, on average, and completing a certificate brings a return of $2,000 on average.
U.S. States
New York Adopts Free Tuition | SUNY and CUNY students from families with incomes up to $125,000 will not pay tuition. But some aid experts are alarmed by requirement that graduates stay in state for same number of years they receive the benefit.
Experts: NY Free-College Model Positive, Not Perfect | While the state of New York’s new “tuition-free college” program may pave the way for similar and broader programs throughout the country, the way the program is structured makes it so that it will benefit the middle class and do nothing for low-income students.
A Marketplace in Confusion | New York’s freshly signed free public tuition program puts the squeeze on many of the state’s weakest private colleges and universities. Private college presidents know it. But most aren’t yet sure what to do about it.
Expanding community colleges would make higher education more accessible | The Center on Education and the Workforce projects that by 2018 there will be a demand for 22 million college-educated workers and at the current rate, we will be unable to meet that demand of college graduates. This calls for innovative solutions, such as the ones proposed by Texas lawmakers who have filed several bills to allow some or all community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees.
Incentives to Attend Private Colleges Could Save States Money and Raise Graduation Rates | States could save money and increase college-graduation rates by providing modest financial incentives for students to choose private colleges over comparable public ones, according to a report released this week.
Institutional
Morehouse College Overhauls Leadership | Morehouse College replaced its president and the chairman of its board of trustees late on Friday afternoon, after several months of turmoil at the historically Black institution. William Taggart, the college’s chief operating officer since 2015, is now the interim president.
A Critical View of College Admissions | The entire admissions processes (barely changed over the decades apart from the introduction of technology) is troubling on so many levels that it is hard to describe the key levers for possible change… The overall blended collegiate graduation rates at two and four year colleges hover around 50%.