By Carl Straumsheim. Online education criticism, administrator-faculty quarrels and quality concerns -- the troubles that faced Semester Online and its partner institutions can be summed up in one word: skepticism. One semester into Washington University in St. Louis’s one-year commitment to Semester Online -- 2U’s initiative to create a pool of credit-granting online courses that combined asynchronous content with live online sessions -- faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences there returned to the question last month. Read more...
Promotion by Arbitration
By Colleen Flaherty. Some California State University professors might not even know it’s there. But a little clause in their union contract, Article 10.26K, about the possibility of promotion by arbitration, recently helped one faculty member get the title he'd been counting on for years: full professor.
"This will certainly be new to some people, that this process even exists, and that it even works sometimes,” said Ramon Castellblanch, a newly appointed full professor of public health at San Francisco State University. “That’s why I’d like this story to get around.”
Castellblanch, whose research centers on health policy in state politics, started at San Francisco State in 2002. Read more...
The New Post-Tenure Review
By Colleen Flaherty. Post-tenure review is viewed by many professors with skepticism. To some, it seems like an attack on tenure; to others, a waste of time. And recent announcements by two colleges, Ball State and Suffolk Universities, that they’re considering adopting post-tenure review policies that could in some cases lead to dismissal have brought out those skeptics. Read more...
GSV+ASU EdInnovations Conference: A proxy for ed tech’s big challenge
Inside Higher Ed: “Let’s Make a Deal” – this article compares the rise of ed tech in general to the rise in the conference, but asks about lack of educators and lack of nationwide results (more on this later). Read more...
White House report on big data will impact ed tech
UCF and Temple IPEDS corrections lead to new Top 20 in online enrollment
One post in particular listed the top 20 institutions in terms of how many students take at least one online course, broken down by sector. Read more...
English Language Programs and International Student Recruitment
By Geraldine de Berly - EvoLLLution. The teaching of English in a systematic fashion began with Berlitz in 1890 and, within a decade, there were Berlitz Schools in 16 European countries, and then offshoots (instructors mostly) of Berlitz started their own schools. Universities’ extension units began offering English as a Foreign Language programs, such as Columbia University Extension in 1911. Standalone English language teaching divisions came into existence around 1941, initially providing instruction to graduate students and professionals. Canadian universities (such as the University of New Brunswick and Queen’s University) also began offering these courses in the 1940s. More...
Challenges to Competition: Changing to Compete for International Enrollments
By David Stremba - EvoLLLution. 1. Why are American institutions so highly regarded by international students?
The United States accounts for 137 of the top 400 institutions worldwide and eight of the top 10, as ranked by ARWU [the Academic Ranking of World Universities]. No other higher education “destination country” compares. In fact, the United States has more institutions in the global top 400 than the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada combined. If students have successful experiences and outcomes at American institutions, their degrees will effectively act as a piece of global currency that will enable them to differentiate themselves, particularly in their home countries, and gain access to better career opportunities. Additionally, the prospect of participating in the OPT program, which will give them experience working within the United States, is extremely attractive and will bolster their resumes and experience. More...
The Next Billion Learners: Disrupting English-Language Education Program
By Tuan Minh Pham - EvoLLLution. For the next billion English-language learners, free mobile apps will teach vocabulary, grammar, listening and reading. Meanwhile, domestic-based teachers will improve their speaking and writing skills thanks to emerging-country startups. More...
Learning Without Pressure: English Writing MOOCs for an International Audience
By Maggie Sokolik - EvoLLLution. In my cozy writing class at the University of California, Berkeley, 13 international students pursuing their undergraduate degrees — between the ages of 17 and 20 — read, write, discuss and puzzle over the challenges of academic writing. We spend six hours a week together, reviewing thesis statements, talking about citation practices and working on developing arguments. It’s hard work for everyone. More...