More knowledge. More skill. More potential. No matter what reason a student enrolls in college, the ultimate goal is usually the same: a degree that will expand opportunities. But for many students, earning a degree and finding work in their chosen field may pose stark and unanticipated challenges. And for many of their communities, turning colleges and universities into reliable places to find qualified candidates for the jobs that are available may prove easier said than done.
Join the Education Writers Association Sept. 18–19 in Orlando, Fla., for a journalists-only conference to explore what helps and hurts students' efforts to complete their studies and find in-demand jobs in their fields. Hosted by Valencia College—the first-ever winner of the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2011—EWA’s 2015 Higher Education Seminar will examine such key issues as developmental education courses, transferring from two-year to four-year colleges, partnerships between universities and employers, and the impact of minority-serving institutions.
More knowledge. More skill. More potential. No matter what reason a student enrolls in college, the ultimate goal is usually the same: a degree that will expand opportunities. But for many students, earning a degree and finding work in their chosen field may pose stark and unanticipated challenges. And for many of their communities, turning colleges and universities into reliable places to find qualified candidates for the jobs that are available may prove easier said than done.
Join the Education Writers Association Sept. 18–19 in Orlando, Fla., for a journalists-only conference to explore what helps and hurts students’ efforts to complete their studies and find in-demand jobs in their fields. Hosted by Valencia College—the first-ever winner of the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2011—EWA’s 2015 Higher Education Seminar will examine such key issues as developmental education courses, transferring from two-year to four-year colleges, partnerships between universities and employers, and the impact of minority-serving institutions.
Is College for Earning Bigger Bucks or Learning Deeper Thinking. Can It Be Both?
What’s the point of college?
At Arizona State University, it’s often about “the entrepreneurial mindset,” as Sethuraman Panchanathan put it, who helps lead the university’s research and economic development efforts.
Philosophers vs. Welders: Can’t We Have Both?
There was plenty of levity on Twitter in the wake of Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio’s declaration that “we need more welders, less philosophers.”(This English major would have preferred he said “fewer” philosophers, by the way.)
Saving on College by Doing Some of It in High School
Last week the White House announced a new higher education experiment that will direct federal grants to some high school students who want to enroll in college classes.
The plan is to start small, with the administration offering $20 million to help defray the college costs of up to 10,000 low-income high school students for the 2016-2017 academic year. The money will come from the overall Pell Grant pot, which is currently funded at more than $30 billion annually and used by 8 million students.
How Community Colleges Are Helping Transfer Students
Students who transfer between colleges and universities on their path to achieve a college degree often encounter obstacles — barriers, like lost credits, that could keep them from finishing their degree altogether. At EWA’s recent seminar in Orlando focused on higher education, reporters got a lesson in the data on transfer students and heard from experts who are making the process of transferring and going on to earn degrees easier for students at their community colleges.
Florida Colleges Face Life Without Remediation
Each year, hundreds of thousands of new college students arrive on campus unable to handle freshman level work and wind up in remedial classes. That’s a major frustration not only to the students but also to lawmakers who believe public dollars are being used twice for the same instruction – once at the K-12 level, then again in postsecondary financial aid.
Bill My Boss: Why Employer-Paid Tuition Is on the Rise
With a tepid economic recovery and wage growth that fails to meet expectations, some workers may be wondering whether there’s an antidote to the fiscal malaise.
Four Thoughts About New Education Department College Reforms
The Obama administration is giving a late-game push to its higher education initiatives this fall, rolling out a flurry of new accountability measures aimed at helping students and families make more informed choices when it comes to choosing colleges.
Debt-Free College: Why It’s News Now
As Democratic presidential hopefuls assemble in Las Vegas today for their first formal debate, one topic that has received little airtime during the Republican face-offs is likely to garner far more attention: the high cost of attaining a college degree.
Ten Higher Ed Story Ideas for 2015-2016 (Plus One Bonus)
In a word, perspective.
Getting Beyond Ratings and Rankings to Find What Works for Minority-Serving Institutions
Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell knows his campus won’t be rated highly by the U.S. Department of Education’s new College Scorecard. In fact, Paul Quinn has “the worst numbers you can possibly imagine at the federal level,” Sorrell told reporters at EWA’s recent higher education conference Sept. 18-19 in Orlando.
Debt-Free College: Adding It Up
Higher Ed 2015
From calls for eliminating community college tuition to plans for allowing all students to leave public colleges debt-free, momentum is building to change the way families pay for college. But what does debt-free really mean, given that not all of the proposals add up the same way? What role will this issue play in the presidential election, and what effect would debt-free options have on private institutions? Is it really economically feasible for the nation to ditch student-loan debt?
New Developments on the Federal Higher Ed Landscape
Higher Ed 2015
A top U.S. Education Department official discusses key issues on the federal postsecondary education agenda in a conversation with a leading reporter who covers higher education policy.
College Ready, Without Remediation?
Higher Ed 2015
It’s been a year since Florida prohibited public colleges and universities from requiring students to take the tests that determine who needs remedial education courses, meaning that any students could immediately enroll in courses that award college credit. As Colorado, Connecticut, North Carolina, Texas and other states similarly look to change how they approach remedial education, what do the early data on such moves indicate the impact of such changes might be?
Top 10 Higher Ed Stories You Should Be Covering This Year
Higher Ed 2015
What issues will have the most impact on the shape of postsecondary education in the 2015-2016 academic year? A top higher education journalist shares his insights.
Scott Jaschik, Editor and Co-Founder, Inside Higher Ed
Does the United States Need a Department of Talent?
The United States government needs a Department of Talent to coordinate its education, labor and immigration agencies, the head of one of the nation’s largest education foundations said last week.
The New Effort to Link College to Careers
As tuitions swell and student loan debt climbs further, one aspect of higher education that has been overlooked is the recipe required to transform a college education into a set of skills that prepares students for the workspace.
As it turns out, neither colleges nor employers have a firm grasp on what flavor that special sauce should have, reporters learned at “The Way to Work: Covering the Path from College to Careers” – the Education Writers Association’s seminar on higher education held in Orlando Sep. 18-19.
2015 Higher Education Seminar Agenda
The Way to Work: Covering the Path from College to Careers
Friday, September 18
Campus Tour
10:00–11:30 a.m.
Our host, Valencia College, has arranged a special tour of its campus for seminar attendees. Meet in front of the Special Events Center.
Lunch Presentation
America Needs Talent: Attracting, Educating & Deploying the 21st-Century Workforce
12:00–1:00 p.m.