By Karin Fischer. A year ago, Wellesley College found itself embroiled in a debate about academic freedom in China.
Led by Thomas Cushman, a sociology professor at the college, a group of faculty members rallied support for a Peking University professor who said he was under fire for his political views. Mr. Cushman and others argued that the case raised questions about Wellesley’s work in China and challenged the administration to reconsider a nascent partnership with the university. More...

By Liz Fedor. People in powerful positions often have access to the best information. Minnesota high school students now have the ability to expand their power base. When they are agonizing over technical school and college choices, they can now look at marketplace data that show which academic programs have high placement rates and what recent graduates are being paid.
For the first time in its history, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is making this information available to the public on its website. More...

By Christopher Doering. South Dakota State University will receive a $3.6 million grant from the White House to promote access to college and graduation for Native American and low-income youth throughout the state, the Obama administration said Tuesday.
The university was one of 24 schools across the country selected by the White House to receive a total of $75 million in "First in World" grants. An estimated 500 U.S. schools applied for the funding. More...

By Neal McCluskey. Unless you follow education policy closely, you probably don’t know who Representative John Kline is. But just a few weeks ago, lefty talk-show host and comedian Bill Maher declared the district of the Minnesota Republican his top target for flipping from red to blue. Why? First and foremost, because Kline chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee and gets donations from, apparently, the worst villains this side of the Joker and Lex Luthor: for-profit colleges. More...

By Scott Travis. Florida Prepaid College plans go on sale again Wednesday, and this time it may really seem like a sale.
After six years of rapidly increasing prices which made Prepaid unaffordable for most families, this year's prices are the lowest since 2007.
The cost of a four-year university plan for the family of a newborn has dropped from $53,729 to $27,379, or from $350 to $173 a month. More...

By Mike Bush. A move by some congressional Democrats to strengthen oversight of private, for-profit colleges and universities got a boost this month when it was endorsed by 14 state attorneys general, including New Mexico’s Gary King.
However, none of the state’s five-member congressional delegation, including the two Democratic senators, has signed on. More...