International
European universities ‘losing monopoly’ over research | Universities in Europe are losing their “monopoly” over the production of research, but gaining dominance in the training of PhD students, according to a leading scholar in political economy.
Asia University Rankings 2016: India leads in South Asia, but its neighbours are closing the gap | Pakistan’s and Bangladesh’s institutions are hot on the heels of their regional rival, but investment in higher education remains an issue.
The Changing Terrain of Higher Education | American higher education is experiencing rapid and profound change from many different directions. Some of these changes are highly desirable, while others are necessary to reposition our colleges and universities in a changing world. Yet, it is also true that many of the changes occurring are unfortunate for our students and undesirable for our country—all being driven by some strange mix of politics, profit and meddling.
Graduate ‘over-education’ a ‘legitimate concern’, argues paper | Governments should implement policies to alter the demand for highly educated workers, in order to tackle the problem of graduate “over-education”, according to a recent working paper from the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE).
Australia Institute study leaves Mal’s economic plan in tatters, Labor says | Living standards were higher when education funding was higher, according to a comparison of countries in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Academic reputations: will the TEF be a game changer? | The exercise has the potential to shake up the current hierarchy and will be judged on whether it revises how firms and students view universities.
U.S. National
The Die-Hard University | Despite its critics now and over the ages, the university has somehow endured into its ninth century, writes James Axtell.
Small Changes or Big Revolutions? | Many of us who do research and write about teaching and learning in higher education (present company included) believe fundamentally in the enterprise but see room for improvement. But Blum sees a fatally flawed system and thinks incremental changes won’t cut it.
Scorecard for Accreditors | The Education Department has created new data reports on the performance of accrediting agencies, using measures such as graduation and loan repayment rates at colleges the agencies oversee. | Link: NACIQI full report.
The Father’s Day We Never Discuss | I remember sitting on a bench outside at my school, Winston-Salem State University, reading Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.
Three graduation rates for one college? The baffling government policy that could confuse students. | The existence of multiple graduation rates is in part an outgrowth of the creation of the Scorecard.
ideas42 Tackles America’s College Completion Crisis | A groundbreaking report published today by ideas42 reveals several innovations that college administrators and policymakers can leverage to significantly improve college graduation rates at a time where completion is more out of reach than ever for millions of students. Link: White paper.
ACT Plans Center to Help Underserved Students Succeed in College and Work Force | The company behind the ACT on Wednesday announced plans for a Center for Equity in Learning, which will focus on helping underserved students succeed in college and the work force.
The National Commission on Financing 21st Century Higher Education | These first four papers, released in June 2016, set the stage for the magnitude of the fiscal issues facing higher education and provide initial steps toward solutions.
3 Key Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Decision on Race-Conscious Admissions | To many observers, the Supreme Court’s 4-to-3 decision on Thursday that upheld the use of race-conscious admissions at the University of Texas at Austin came as a surprise.
U.S. States
Some U-M leaders criticize 3.9 percent tuition hike, question affordability | A nearly 4 percent increase in proposed tuition for the University of Michigan in 2016-2017 divided the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents during budget discussions on Thursday, June 16.
LGBTQ Community’s Foothold in North Carolina Could Serve as Activism Blueprint | These HB2 boycott efforts and actions have placed Campus Pride in a vital role as a national organization within North Carolina. In April, we assisted with several protests against HB2 by students within the UNC system. We also reached out to North Carolina private colleges including Davidson College, Guilford College, Queens University and Elon University to issue statements about HB2.
U. of Wyoming’s President Declares Financial Crisis | The University of Wyoming’s president has declared a financial crisis and plans to reduce or cut academic programs and review the institution’s structure, according to a letter on Thursday from the president, Laurie Nichols, to the campus.
How Community Colleges Use Job-Market Data to Develop New Programs | As sites of work-force development, community colleges must be responsive to the demands of the rapidly changing job market. Now, many community-college systems are turning to job-market data that are more up to date and more precise than ever before.
A Critical Moment for LGBTQ Student Success | The mass shooting in Orlando followed months of accelerated anti-LGBTQ legislative actions in the United States. Most prominent is North Carolina’s House Bill 2 (HB2), which recently overturned the state’s antidiscrimination policies that protected LGBTQ communities in public workplaces and public educational institutions.
SIU President Tells IBHE There is a Crisis in Confidence | “Whether you’re looking at applications, MAP applications, people leaving, the applications going to other schools. I happen – in a previous life – to serve as president at one of those Kentucky public institutions, talked to someone there last week, their Illinois apps are up 40% this year.”
Institutional
Relentless data tracking key to MTSU’s success | Middle Tennessee State University is part of EAB’s Student Success Collaborative, which claims about 200 members. Their participation gives MTSU staff access to a proprietary predictive model that identifies students who are at-risk, analytics capabilities to track and evaluate targeted campaigns, and a referral system so staff across campus can coordinate student support.
Accreditor Puts 5 Colleges on Probation | The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has put four small private colleges and one community college on notice, mostly due to financial problems.
As U. of Louisville’s President Steps Down, Kentucky Governor Seeks to Upend Its Board | With two executive orders, Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky has thrown the leadership and governance of the University of Louisville into chaos.
Green River College’s President Resigns Amid Faculty Protests and Budget Cuts | http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/green-river-colleges-president-resigns-amid-faculty-protests-and-budget-cuts/112266?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=d1d16d4572594e3eb0d091db45e839ef&elq=df49e117dc3e4688929acd8a754e91cd&elqaid=9509&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=3368
Censures for Mizzou, Saint Rose | AAUP votes to censure two institutions for alleged violations of academic freedom and calls out two more — including U of Iowa over presidential search — for abandoning shared governance.
‘What Matters Most’ | New book urges colleges to exercise not-so-common sense when it comes to optimizing the undergraduate experience and otherwise striving toward institutional excellence.
Accreditor places Angelina College on probation | The regional association which accredits schools across the southern United States has placed Angelina College on probation for issues with integrity and “institutional effectiveness,” after school officials used language from another institution’s documents and signed off on it as their own.
Colleges prioritize affordability for first-year students | Institutions are developing programs to reduce costs for first-year freshmen and transfer students.