By Michael Stratford. Dozens of colleges and universities have changed the wording of their financial aid web pages since a Democratic Congressman last week accused more than 100 institutions of misleading students about the requirements for obtaining federal grants and loans. Read more...
By Michael Stratford. The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Thursday urged federal policy makers to tighten the regulations on campus debit cards and require disclosure of the agreements colleges have with the companies that offer such products. The recommendations, which were part of a 15-month Congressional study of campus debit cards, were released less than a week before the Education Department is set to begin negotiations over its regulations that govern the cards. Read more...
By Paul Fain. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is moving beyond grades by basing all of its academic programs on "proficiencies" that students must master to earn a degree. University officials announced the planned move to proficiency-based curriculums on Thursday. While many details have yet to be hashed out, the broad shift by the public institution is sure to raise eyebrows. Read more...
By Diana MacKay and Carl Amrhein. Many nations around the world view their postsecondary institutions as the engines of their knowledge-based economies. In Canada, there are a number of challenges to overcome before a similar vision can be fully realized. Canadian federalism doesn’t allow for a formal federal department of education. Another challenge within the education and skills training system is the wide range of participants – from institutions, academics, and employers, to students and parents; all of whom have different views. Read more...
By Alexandra Paul. Nelson notes funding won't start until 2016. Manitoba's aboriginal leadership is predictably mixed on the federal reforms to education. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak leader David Harper was at the prime minister's side for the announcement in Standoff, Alta., in a show of support with other chiefs, including Shawn Atleo, leader of the Assembly of First Nations. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs offered no comment on the reforms that were rolled out in southern Alberta. More...
PetiteBy . Students who attend for-profit colleges are generally satisfied with their experience, reporting effective guidance from counselors, caring instructors and small class sizes, according to a survey by Public Agenda, reported Inside Higher Ed.
But the high cost of attending the institutions concerns many of them, and nearly a third of the alumni said their degree just “wasn’t worth it.” Thirty-seven percent said their degree was “well worth it;” the rest said it “remains to be seen.”
“The for-profit sector warrants scrutiny, particularly on questions of cost and student recruitment, but it's also clear that these colleges are responding skillfully to the needs of a significant number of America’s students," said Will Friedman, president of Public Agenda in a press release. More...
Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio proposed alternatives such as accredited online courses and a student loan program involving private investment firms as ways to bridge the "growing opportunity gap between haves and have-nots, those who have advanced education and those who do not."
Rubio proposed that Congress establish an independent accrediting agency that would assess free online courses as transferrable credits, and that workers earn certifications or degrees obtained outside traditional institutions after passing standardized tests. The Senator made these proposals at an education forum at Miami Dade College on Monday. More...
By Nigel Thrift. Last month’s White House summit on low-income college students underscores a growing consensus in U.S. policy circles: that socioeconomic status should replace race as the basis for affirmative action. The new logic reflects both public opinion and recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings calling for greater scrutiny of race-based affirmative action. Read more...
By . Wake Technical Community College, in Raleigh, N.C., has been staffed by “instructors” since its founding, in 1958, according to the News & Observer. That changed on Thursday as the institution promoted about a third of its faculty members to “professor” status. Read more...
By Beckie Supiano. Graduating on time can save students a lot of money. But for cost-conscious students working their way through college, on-time graduation presents a particular challenge. The amount students can earn in a minimum-wage job covers less of tuition than it used to, and many students work long hours. With that in mind, Temple University announced on Monday a new program that will encourage students to graduate in four years and will reduce the amount of time needy students spend on the job. Read more...
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