By Matt Reed. Although much of the debate about higher education policy happens at the Federal level, the decisions that matter the most on the ground are usually made by the states. That’s why I was so pleased to see this piece by Jessica Bowen, of the New America Foundation. Read more...
Montreal still top Canadian city in which to attend university
By . They’re gaining on us.
Montreal still has bragging rights to being the top Canadian city for university students, according to a new ranking — but Toronto and Vancouver are catching up. Quickly.
The ranking of the world’s top cities for students, compiled by the QS World University Rankings team, has Paris in the top position for a third consecutive year. London dropped to third place from second, while Melbourne gained three places to come in second. More...
More of This, Please
Does Kean U. Need a $219,000 Conference Table?
Many students and legislators are angry that Kean University paid $219,000 for a custom-built conference room table, NJ.com reported. The university did not seek bids on the project and used a Chinese company as part of an effort to build ties to China. Read more...
Americans Are 'Internationals,' Too
By Shari Motro. International Education Week, which begins today, aims to “prepare Americans for a global environment.” As part of this preparation, perhaps we should rethink the use of the word “international” as an adjective describing people. Read more...
Default Rate Adjustments Panned
By Michael Stratford. The top Democrats on the U.S. Senate and House education committees on Tuesday criticized the Obama administration for tweaking the student loan default rates of some colleges, a policy that allowed those institutions to avoid penalties. The U.S. Department of Education earlier this year adjusted downward the default rates for certain colleges whose high default rates would have otherwise placed them at risk of losing federal aid. Read more...
Gaming the System
By Paul Fain. Performance-based funding is increasingly popular among both state and federal policy makers, who want public institutions to graduate more students, more efficiently. Yet colleges may cope with these funding formulas by using grade inflation or admitting fewer at-risk students. Read more...
Community-College Leaders Expect State Appropriations to Recover Slowly
By Chronicle Staff. Report: “Recovery Continues, but Competition Is Fierce”
Organization: Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
Summary: The annual survey of the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges shows that states continue their slow recovery from the recession. More...
Performance-Funding Formulas Spur Some State Colleges to Raise Admissions Standards
By Chronicle Staff. Report: “Unintended Impacts of Performance Funding on Community Colleges and Universities in Three States”
Authors: Hana Lahr, Lara Pheatt, Kevin Dougherty, Sosanya Jones, Rebecca Natow, and Vikash Reddy
Organization: Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College
Summary: New policies in Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee that link significant portions of state budget allocations to colleges’ graduation and persistence rates are causing some four-year colleges to become more selective. More...
Student experience ‘varies widely’ in US
By . The average US student’s experience varies widely between universities, even when the institutions are similarly selective and of a comparable size. More...
Community: Here’s what I’m thankful for in higher education
By - . There’s been a lot of vitriol about higher education in the public and media lately, but for those students and professors on campus, there’s still a tremendous amount to be thankful for in the postsecondary world. More...