Since 2008 millions of adults have earned college degrees, but
still less than half of the nation’s labor force has completed a
postsecondary education.
The system for funding American flagship public universities is
“gradually breaking down,” said Robert J. Birgeneau, a former
chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and the
co-chair of a two-year project to examine the role of public
research universities and recommend changes to help them stay
competitive.
It’s been six years since one of the worst recessions in American
history officially ended and all
but two states are still spending less per student on higher
education than they did before the markets tanked almost a decade
ago.
In an effort to diversify its faculty, California Lutheran
University is trying a new approach in its hiring.
In a job
posting for an assistant professor position, the
recently designated Hispanic-serving institution specifies
it wants “candidates who can mentor African-American or Latino(a)
students and are able to teach courses that deepen student and
faculty awareness regarding power dynamics related to
race/ethnicity.” The ability to speak Spanish is a plus.
In the Long Beach Unified School District, Superintendent
Chris Steinhauser
actively recruits students to take Advanced Placement classes.
“Hey ‘John,’ according to our data, you qualify for these AP,” he
says he would write in a letter to students in the district. “You
need to talk to your mom and dad.”
According to a leading economist, the public debate over
affirmative action’s role in higher education is missing the
point, and could actually lead to worse academic outcomes for
students who get a boost from a college’s affirmative action
policies. That view, however, is hotly contested by a wide range
of scholars.
It’s a question American college students have asked for decades,
as freshmen huddle in large lecture halls for courses with a 101
in the title wondering when they’ll ever get to classes that
actually have something to do with their majors.
Do college graduates earn more because of the degree they got, or
because of the knowledge they acquired in college? A new federal
study released Wednesday suggests that adult workers with
bachelor’s degrees have job-related skills that other workers
don’t. But Americans still lag workers in other nations on tests
of these skills.
A few weeks ago Reina Olivas got on the phone with a freshman
college student. “She was having a hard time with the cultural
experience, the college experience,” said Olivas, a college
mentor who’s in her third year at the University of Texas at
Austin. “So I asked her this initial question – ‘Have you gone to
office hours?’”
Olivas is part of an eight-person crew at the Dell Scholars
Program that connects with 1,500 college students across the
country who could use a helpful hint from other students who also
are wending their way through higher learning.
Do tests or high school grades better determine whether a student
is ready for college-level math and reading? For public
universities and community colleges, increasingly the answer is
both – or no tests at all, reporters learned during a seminar
hosted by the Education Writers Association in Los Angeles
last month.
Slow Growth in College Graduation Rates
Since 2008 millions of adults have earned college degrees, but still less than half of the nation’s labor force has completed a postsecondary education.
Former Chancellors of Research Universities Warn Their Future Is in Peril
New Report Urges Dramatic Changes to Save a System That’s “Breaking Down”
The system for funding American flagship public universities is “gradually breaking down,” said Robert J. Birgeneau, a former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and the co-chair of a two-year project to examine the role of public research universities and recommend changes to help them stay competitive.
Enrolling Out-of-State Students Might Hurt Diversity at Public Universities
It’s been six years since one of the worst recessions in American history officially ended and all but two states are still spending less per student on higher education than they did before the markets tanked almost a decade ago.
Wanted: Faculty Who Can Mentor Latino Students
In an effort to diversify its faculty, California Lutheran University is trying a new approach in its hiring.
In a job posting for an assistant professor position, the recently designated Hispanic-serving institution specifies it wants “candidates who can mentor African-American or Latino(a) students and are able to teach courses that deepen student and faculty awareness regarding power dynamics related to race/ethnicity.” The ability to speak Spanish is a plus.
Does Expanding Access to Advanced Placement Courses Help Kids?
In the Long Beach Unified School District, Superintendent Chris Steinhauser actively recruits students to take Advanced Placement classes.
“Hey ‘John,’ according to our data, you qualify for these AP,” he says he would write in a letter to students in the district. “You need to talk to your mom and dad.”
The Dispute Over Whether Good Colleges Help or Hurt Average Students
According to a leading economist, the public debate over affirmative action’s role in higher education is missing the point, and could actually lead to worse academic outcomes for students who get a boost from a college’s affirmative action policies. That view, however, is hotly contested by a wide range of scholars.
Two Places at Once: The Growth of Dual Enrollment
Programs that allow students to take college classes in high school have been gaining popularity in schools across the country.
Highlighting Relevance in College General Education Courses
“Why do I have to take this course?”
It’s a question American college students have asked for decades, as freshmen huddle in large lecture halls for courses with a 101 in the title wondering when they’ll ever get to classes that actually have something to do with their majors.
Many will drop out before they ever get there.
Earning a College Degree Means Having Skills Other Workers Don’t Have
Do college graduates earn more because of the degree they got, or because of the knowledge they acquired in college? A new federal study released Wednesday suggests that adult workers with bachelor’s degrees have job-related skills that other workers don’t. But Americans still lag workers in other nations on tests of these skills.
How Colleges Can Help Students Who Are First in Their Families to Attend College
A few weeks ago Reina Olivas got on the phone with a freshman college student. “She was having a hard time with the cultural experience, the college experience,” said Olivas, a college mentor who’s in her third year at the University of Texas at Austin. “So I asked her this initial question – ‘Have you gone to office hours?’”
Olivas is part of an eight-person crew at the Dell Scholars Program that connects with 1,500 college students across the country who could use a helpful hint from other students who also are wending their way through higher learning.
New Ways to Find Out Who Is Ready for College
Do tests or high school grades better determine whether a student is ready for college-level math and reading? For public universities and community colleges, increasingly the answer is both – or no tests at all, reporters learned during a seminar hosted by the Education Writers Association in Los Angeles last month.
Historic Ethnic Studies Program in Financial Trouble
The nation’s first and only freestanding College of Ethnic Studies is struggling to pay its debts.