International
Time for Bologna to stand up for academic freedom | The Central European University, or CEU, in Budapest has long made a distinctive mark in Hungarian academic life. A postgraduate institution, founded in 1991 by George Soros as part of his post-communist Open Society initiative, it is the Hungarian university that wins the most international accolades for its research.
Confronting racial inequality in the academy | Recent data from the Equality Challenge Unit’s Equality in Higher Education: Statistical Report and its 2011 Experience of Black and Minority Ethnic Staff in HE in England report continue to reveal a dearth of diversification and a lack of representation and visibility for Black and minority ethnic or BME staff in United Kingdom universities, culminating in reduced opportunities for career progression, particularly for those wishing to pursue a career within academia.
OECD expert urges Lithuania to reform higher education system | Lithuania should reform its higher education system as soon as possible in order not to become an “outsider” in terms of higher education among the other countries, an OECD expert said on Monday.
OECD report: Corruption rife in education | In Ukraine, education is perceived as a very corrupt sector, according to the latest report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), published on April 13.
U.S. National
A Focus on Funding | Researchers, academics say communicating about importance of federal funding key to march success.
Education Dept. Announces Moves to Ease Burden of Fafsa Tool’s Absence | Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Monday said the department would relieve some of the burden on students and families affected by the suspension of the Internal Revenue Service’s Data Retrieval Tool, which makes it easier to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the Fafsa.
Graduation Rates and Race | On average, white and Asian students earn a college-level credential at a rate about 20 percentage points higher than Hispanic and black students do, a new report shows.
Opponents Take Aim at Eliminating Department of Education | Abolishing the U.S. Department of Education in the name of saving taxpayer dollars is just a “shell game” that would not save any money but hurt millions of students who rely on federal student aid, an opponent of a proposed measure to get rid of the agency by the end of next year said Wednesday.
Stakeholders Divided Over Accreditation Reform | As Congress seeks to reform the accreditation system for institutions of higher education, it should avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach that fails to take into account the varied missions of different colleges and universities that serve diverse student populations.
U.S. States
David W. Tretter: State higher education being devalued | In his latest budget address, Gov. Rauner again proposed cuts to higher education. He called for a small increase in funds for the Monetary Award Program, but MAP grants haven’t been funded this year.
Institutional
Providing Accessible, Affordable Higher Education | April is National Community College Month and West Virginia Northern Community College joins more than 1,100 community colleges across the nation in acknowledging the contributions these institutions make to the students and communities we serve.
Researchers propose solutions to higher education challenges April 21 | The past 35 years have witnessed rising costs of higher education, dwindling public spending for universities and a widening wage gap. With this backdrop, researchers presented federal and state solutions to higher education challenges at the College of William and Mary School of Education Saturday, April 21.
Purdue U. Buys Mega For-Profit Kaplan U., Plans to Turn It Into a ‘Public University’ | Purdue University’s Board of Trustees voted on Thursday morning to buy the for-profit Kaplan University, which is a division of the Graham Holdings Company. The surprise announcement was first made in a corporate filing by the company on Thursday morning.
Diminishing Returns for Tuition Discounting | Attracting students with tuition discounting has its limits — and one study suggests a surprisingly large number of small colleges and universities are flirting with those limits.