International
Venezuela’s universities feel the sting of economic and political crisis | Venezuela’s economic and political crisis has sparked food and medical shortages, the world’s highest inflation rate and allegations of a power grab by the ruling socialists. But it is also threatening the country’s future by ravaging higher education.
Australian businesses have a problem with collaborating with unis – and it could be costing them billions | A 2015 Universities Australia report said that “Australia ranked 33rd out of 33 countries on the proportion of large businesses collaborating with higher education institutions or public research agencies on product or process innovation”.
Canada’s troubling downward trend in work-force skills | Canada faces a troubling trend in the skills levels of its work force. Despite more Canadians obtaining a postsecondary education between 2003 and 2012, literacy and numeracy skills have slid. What gives?
Self-reflection is the key to improvement for Indian universities | Focus on rankings risks neglecting the genuine quality improvements that could propel Indian institutions into the global league, says Amarnath Bose.
Admission crisis and Nigeria’s education system | More than ever before though the country will likely witness the highest number of aspiring undergraduates who are denied entry into these institutions because of the country’s failure to adequately address basic perennial issues that have plagued tertiary education for decades.
U.S. National
3 things for Congress to consider in HEA reauthorization | The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is taking a step towards reauthorizing the Higher Education Act with a hearing today, which will focus largely on FAFSA simplification. A full draft of the new bill is expected by the end of December.
A Call to Reform Undergraduate Education | What was once a challenge of quantity in American undergraduate education is increasingly a challenge of educational quality. In other words, getting as many students as possible to attend college means little if they’re not learning what they need to and — crucially — if they don’t graduate. That’s the recurring message of a new report, “The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America,” from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Report: THE FUTURE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION (AAAS) | This report offers practical and actionable recommendations to improve the undergraduate experience. But in its practicality, it is motivated by the highest ideals: faith that every person, from every background, can succeed in America when given the proper training and preparation; confidence that our existing institutions of higher education can and will evolve to meet the needs of today’s and future students; and an unwavering commitment to the free exchange of ideas as the basis of a creative, productive, and democratic society
U.S. States
Oklahoma higher education ordered to consolidate administrative costs to save money | Higher education officials must develop a cost-savings plan for consolidating administrative functions across Oklahoma’s public college campuses, under an executive order from Gov. Mary Fallin.
Lottery doesn’t pay for the poor | A study being done by the S.C. Commission on Minority Affairs is likely to confirm what is already known or suspected — those who spend the most on lottery tickets are the least able to afford them, and that most lottery scholarships are awarded in urban population centers rather than in poor rural areas where per capita lottery spending is the highest.
Interactive report highlights postsecondary and employment outcomes | An interactive report released this week from the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics includes feedback on recent graduates from Kentucky’s public high schools and their transition to college, success in the first year of college, college completion and workforce and education attainment.
Would Public Universities Benefit From a Central Innovation Unit? | [L]ong-standing tensions between systemness and campus autonomy make it difficult to sustain a central innovation unit especially in times of economic stringency.
Latino Resistance in Higher Education: ILACHE coming to Illinois State | With the theme “Latino Resistance in Higher Education: A Legacy of Struggle,” the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education (ILACHE) will hold the 26th Professional and Student Development Conference on Friday, April 20, 2018, at Illinois State University.
Institutional
How to Help the University of Puerto Rico — and How Not To | In the midst of this crisis, the recent reopening of the 11 campuses of the University of Puerto Rico has provided much-needed relief for students longing for continuity and a sense of normalcy… [Yet] A recent report from the interim president estimates damage at $118 million.
Stan State Dedicates Diversity Center| California State University Stanislaus, known as Stan State, recently dedicated a new Diversity Center after students requested such a space on campus.
Posted December 4, 2017.