By Laura Tropp. My son is a self-proclaimed non-conformist, which is something I always have applauded him for. I think most people, if asked whether they would prefer their child be more of a conformist or non-conformist, would probably prefer the latter. In my observations, professors generally prefer to think of themselves as free thinkers. Read more...
Meta Questions for Trolls
By Susan O'Doherty. I know why I am on this blog:
1. I fit the demographic; I am a mama with a PhD.
2. I enjoy exploring, through writing, issues that engage me, and discussing them with intelligent, thoughtful people.
3. I'm getting paid. Read more...
The Other Lesson of Kennesaw
The Problem With Longitudinal Data
This week we got the latest data on our six-year student success rate. It’s supposed to tell us how we’re doing, and in a global sense, it does. But it has a glaring flaw that reduces its usefulness in driving change, and renders it absurd for use in performance funding. Read more...
‘Cause Down the Shore, Everything’s Alright…
After seven years at Holyoke Community College, I’ll be returning to New Jersey. I’ve accepted the position of Vice President for Learning at Brookdale Community College, starting in July. Read more...
Common Ground in a Polarizing Country
Bipartisan Bill on Wage Data
Newly introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives would enable the linking of student-level enrollment information with data on employment and wages. The bipartisan bill would provide post-graduate earnings averages at both the institutional and academic program levels, wrote Amy Laitinen, deputy director of New America's higher education program. Read more...
Report Blasts 'Fantasy World' of Presidential Benefits
An Illinois Senate report will be released today blasting the "fantasy world of lavish perks" for presidents of public colleges and universities, The Chicago Tribune reported. The study criticizes funds given to presidents for cars, homes and clubs as well as large severance packages provided to a number of presidents. Read more...
Students Feel Unprepared for Job Market
Only one in five college students say they feel "very prepared" to join the workforce, according to the results of McGraw-Hill Education's annual student workforce readiness survey. While 45 percent of the roughly 1,000 respondents said they feel "somewhat prepared" to begin a career after college, slightly more than half said they did not learn how to write a résumé. Read more...
Democratic Bill on Pell for Prisoners
A group of six Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday introduced legislation that would reinstate Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated college students. Congress in 1994 banned the use of Pell Grants by prisoners in state and federal prisons. Read more...