February 22 - Obama Takes Tougher Stance on Higher Education
By KIMBERLY HEFLING/AP Education Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Access to college has been the driving force in federal higher education policy for decades. But the Obama administration is pushing a fundamental agenda shift that aggressively brings a new question into the debate: What are people getting for their money?
Students with loans are graduating on average with more than $25,000 in debt. The federal government pours $140 billion annually into federal grants and loans. Unemployment remains high, yet there are projected shortages in many industries with some high-tech companies already complaining about a lack of highly trained workers.
Read More…
February 22 - U. S. Supreme Court Hears Texas Affirmative Action Case - Fisher v. University of Texas
WASHINGTON - Yesterday the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in Abigail Noel Fisher v. University of Texas, a case challenging the constitutionality of the University of Texas' (UT) reintroduction of racial preferences in the undergraduate admissions process in 2004.
The Project on Fair Representation, a Washington, D.C.-based legal defense foundation, provided counsel to Fisher. Attorneys for Fisher are Bert Rein, William Consovoy, Thomas McCarthy and Claire Evans at Wiley Rein, LLP in Washington, D.C.
Read More…
February 22 - ACCT and AACC Join Forces to Prepare Future CEOs
WASHINGTON - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) have announced a new collaboration that will align their assets to focus on presidential leadership and community college governance. The two national associations, which represent the presidents and governing boards of more than 1,200 community colleges nationwide, are uniquely positioned to make the necessary commitment to address the leadership challenges facing this sector.
The new collaboration is designed to address three trends that have the potential to erode community college leadership at a time when the country is calling on community colleges to address completion, student success, and to do more with fewer resources. These trends are the graying of the pool of current and future community college presidents, the shrinking pool of potential presidential candidates, and the continuous rotation and re-composition of governing boards.
Read More…
February 22 - AT&T's Hispanic/Latino Association Inspires Teenagers to Pursue Careers in Science and Engineering with National High Technology Day
ATLANTA - AT&T and HACEMOS - AT&T's Hispanic/Latino Association - yesterday announced the return of its annual HACEMOS National High Technology Day on Feb. 23, 2012. HACEMOS National High Tech Day is an annual event that engages teenage students in hands-on technical activities and interactive workshops to inspire them to consider careers in science and technology.
In its 14th year, HACEMOS National High Tech Day aims to reach and inspire more than 1,800 teens and at-risk high school students in 28 cities across the country through collaboration with the AT&T/Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide Job Shadow Initiative, which is a part of AT&T Aspire - a $100 million philanthropic commitment to improve high school success.
Read More…
February 22 - Kentucky Holding Forum on New Education Standards
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Hundreds of educators from 17 states are headed to Kentucky to learn how the state is using a new set of nationwide standards in its public schools to get students ready for college.
The forum on the Common Core State Standards will be held Feb. 27 to 29 in Louisville.
The state's Council on Postsecondary Education says in a news release that more than 300 educators are expected to attend, as well as representatives from organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Governors Association.
The Common Core State Standards are benchmarks designed to ensure a uniform public K-12 education from state to state. Coursework using the new standards began to be implemented this school year in the Kentucky's 1,221 public schools.
February 21 - An Economy Built to Last and Security for Latino Families
By the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
We now face a make-or-break moment for the middle class and those trying to reach it. After decades of eroding middle-class security as those at the very top saw their incomes rise as never before and after a historic recession that plunged our economy into a crisis from which we are still fighting to recover, it is time to construct an economy that is built to last. The President's 2013 Budget is built around the idea that our country does best when everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share, and plays by the same rules. We must transform our economy from one focused on speculating, spending, and borrowing to one constructed on the solid foundation of educating, innovating, and building. That begins with putting the Nation on a path to living within our means - by cutting wasteful spending, asking all Americans to shoulder their fair share, and making tough choices on some things we cannot afford, while keeping the investments we need to grow the economy and create jobs. The Budget targets scarce federal resources to the areas critical to growing the economy and restoring middle-class security: education and skills for American workers, innovation and manufacturing, clean energy, and infrastructure. The Budget is a blueprint for how we can rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded.
Read More…
February 21 - Banner Fundraising Year for Wealthy Colleges
By JUSTIN POPE/AP Education Writer
For the 99 percent of colleges, it was a pretty good fundraising year.
For the 1 percent of super-wealthy elite, it was a much better one that catapulted them even farther ahead of the pack.
The latest annual college fundraising figures show donations to colleges and universities rose 8.2 percent in fiscal 2011, crossing back over the $30 billion mark for just the second time ever, and improving many schools' financial footing after several lean years due to the economic downturn.
Read More…
February 21 - Junot Díaz to Speak at Rutgers Commencement
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) - Rutgers University says Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and Rutgers alumnus Junot Díaz will be the keynote speaker at its commencement in May.
Díaz graduated from Rutgers in 1992.
He won the Pulitzer for fiction in 2008 for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, a novel set partly at Rutgers. He is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Commencement at Rutgers is set for May 13.
February 20 - U.S. School Was Degree Mill for Foreign Students
By DALE WETZEL/Associated Press
BISMARCK, North Dakota (AP) - A university in the rural U.S. heartland awarded hundreds of degrees to foreign students - many Chinese or Russian - who didn't earn them, signed up students who couldn't speak English and enrolled a handful without qualifying grades, according to an audit report.
The report, obtained by The Associated Press, depicts Dickinson State University as a diploma mill for foreign students. Agreements with foreign universities have been “seriously lacking controls and oversight,” the audit says.
Read More…
February 20 - University of Kentucky Program Helps First-Generation College Students
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A new program at the University of Kentucky (UK) aims to help first-generation college students meet challenges and stay in school.
The First Generation Initiatives was spawned from a project in 2010 called First Scholars that offered mentoring and scholarships to 20 incoming freshmen whose parents didn't go to college. After a year in the program, all 20 were still enrolled in school.
Read More…
February 20 - More Students from Michigan Seek, Get Federal Aid
DETROIT (AP) - More Michigan residents are seeking and getting federal financial aid to help pay for the cost of higher education.
The Detroit Free Press reports the number of Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms filled out by Michigan residents rose 53 percent to more than 300,000 between the 2008-09 school year and the 2011-12 school year.
Read More…
February 17 - National Hispanic University Celebrates 30 Years of Higher Education
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The National Hispanic University (NHU) will honor Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa during its 30th anniversary celebration event on Friday, Feb. 24. Villaraigosa will be the keynote speaker, addressing students, faculty, alumni and members of the community.
NHU President Dr. David P. López will present the mayor with an honorary doctoral degree in recognition of his commitment to education and for his involvement in improving access to education on behalf of the Hispanic community.
Read More…
February 17 - For College Bound, a Look at Financial Aid Changes
By CANDICE CHOI/AP Personal Finance Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – The mad dash to cobble together college funding will soon be under way.
In the weeks ahead, colleges will begin mailing out their much-anticipated acceptance letters and financial aid packages. The notices will alleviate pent up anxiety and finally give high school seniors a clearer idea of what their futures will hold.
Read More…
February 17 - Students Carrying Greater Burden of College Costs
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) – In the past 10 years, the state has gone from covering 55 percent of Tennessee’s public college and university budgets, to just 30 percent. The other 70 percent is covered by the students, according to data from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
The state’s HOPE scholarship for high achievers used to cover about 60 percent of university tuition. It’s 45 percent now.
Read More…
February 16 - Class of 2011: Top Pay for Finance Grads in Financial Manager Positions
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Top pay among class of 2011 bachelor's degree graduates went to finance majors landing financial manager positions with banks, according to a report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
NACE's Winter 2012 Salary Survey shows that the average starting salary for these graduates in this position and industry was $67,700.
Read More…
February 16 - Suffolk Law School to Offer Summer Program to Undergraduates Through $300K PLUS Grant Aimed at Encouraging Diversity in the Legal Profession
BOSTON - Suffolk University Law School will offer a summer program to a diverse group of undergraduate students who are interested in learning about legal careers through a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Law School Admission Council.
The DiscoverLaw.org Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars program at Suffolk Law School, or SU+PLUS, will host 20 freshmen and sophomores from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession. These undergraduates will participate in an intensive four-week residential summer institute beginning in June 2012.
Read More…
February 16 - National University College Launches Spanish Online Associate Degree in Entrepreneurship
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico - National University College's Online Division, providing online degree programs taught in Spanish, has announced the addition of a new associate degree in business administration with a major in entrepreneurship.
The associate degree program provides students with administrative and managerial training with a focus on the entrepreneurial skills needed to plan, implement, develop and operate their own businesses in today's changing economy.
Read More…
February 16 - Report Highlights Positive Impact of Maryland Immigrants
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ/Associated Press
BALTIMORE, Md. (AP) - A new report highlights the positive impact of foreign-born residents in Maryland and criticizes efforts to deport or deny services to illegal immigrants and their children.
The University of Maryland last week released the report by the Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland. It was prepared for Maryland lawmakers.
While the report notes that some lower-income immigrants and their children may receive more in the way of services than they pay in taxes at times, it encourages lawmakers to take a longer-term view.
Read More…
February 16 - Pew Hispanic Center: Hispanics to Account for Greater Share of Growth in the Labor Force
WASHINGTON - Hispanics are expected to account for 74 percent of the growth in the nation's labor force from 2010 to 2020, according to new projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A Pew Research Center commentary notes that this is much higher than in the previous two decades. Hispanics accounted for 36 percent of the total increase in the labor force from 1990 to 2000 and for 54 percent from 2000 to 2010. A major reason is that the Hispanic population is growing rapidly due to births and immigration. At the same time, the aging of the non-Hispanic White population is expected to reduce their numbers in the labor force.
Read More…
February 15 - Noted U.S. Latino Scholar “Forgotten” in Birthplace
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS/Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The name George I. Sánchez has been celebrated for years among Mexican-Americans in Texas and California.
A son of an Arizona miner, the Albuquerque-born Sánchez worked his way out of poverty as a rural public school teacher in New Mexico to become a pioneer scholar and education activist. His 1940 classic book Forgotten People brought attention to the plight of poor Mexican-Americans in Taos.
Read More…
February 15 - Court Hears Challenge to Affirmative Action Ban
By TERENCE CHEA/Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Backers of affirmative action asked a federal appeals court Monday to overturn California's 15-year-old ban on considering race in public college admissions, citing a steep drop in Black, Latino and Native American students at the state's elite campuses.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeal heard arguments in the latest legal challenge to Proposition 209, the landmark voter initiative that barred racial, ethnic and gender preferences in public education, employment and contracting.
Read More…
February 15 - Obama Promotes Job Training at Community College
By KIMBERLY HEFLING and JIM KUHNHENN/Associated Press
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) - President Barack Obama called on Congress Monday to create an $8 billion fund to train community college students for high-growth industries, giving a financial incentive to schools whose graduates are getting jobs.
The fund was part of Obama's proposed budget for 2013. The overall package aims to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade by restraining government spending and raising taxes on the wealthy, while boosting spending in some areas, including education.
Read More…
February 15 - UT-Austin to Offer Courses in Guatemala at Historic Casa Herrera
AUSTIN, Texas -The Professional Development Center at the University of Texas at Austin (UT PDC) is about to present a series of personal and professional enrichment courses in Antigua, Guatemala. The courses will be based at Casa Herrera, a fully restored 17th-century Spanish Colonial property owned by the university and located in the heart of Antigua. The series kicks off Feb. 19-23 with Tour Guatemala, a travel and educational tour from Austin to Antigua, followed on May 18-19 by the two-day course Managing Projects for Guatemala's working professionals. UT PDC is an enterprise of the university's Division of Continuing and Innovative Education.
Read More…
February 14 - Hispanic Scholarship Consortium Names New Leader
AUSTIN, Texas – The Hispanic Scholarship Consortium (HSC) has announced the appointment of Octavio A. Hinojosa Mier to head the nonprofit organization into the next phase of its planned development. The community-based HSC and its partners are dedicated to providing financial and mentoring support to the increasing number of Texas’ Latino students wishing to pursue a higher education.
“Octavio Hinojosa Mier is a nationally-recognized executive in the nonprofit arena and brings a wealth of knowledge and success in fundraising, corporate relations and most importantly, a passion for increasing higher education opportunities for our state’s rapidly growing Latino student population,” said Dr. John Hogg, chairman of the HSC Board of Directors.
Read More…
February 14 - Stanford University Nets $6.2B in Five-Year Campaign
By TERENCE CHEA/Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Stanford University’s latest five-year fundraising drive netted $6.2 billion, the largest amount ever raised in a higher education campaign, school officials said Wednesday.
Money from the Stanford Challenge is being used to fund an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research on areas such as education, environment, human health and international affairs, officials said.
Read More…
February 14 - GEAR UP States Collaboration on Longitudinal Evaluation
WASHINGTON – Nearly a dozen states with federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grants have agreed to collaborate on a longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of the nation’s second largest college access and readiness program.
The newly formed GEAR UP College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium will work in partnership with ACT Inc. and the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP). ACT Inc. is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides a broad array of assessment, research, information and program management solutions in the areas of education and workforce development. NCCEP is also a nonprofit and the lead training and technical assistance organization for GEAR UP grantees.
Read More…
February 14 - UMass Boosts Student Financial Aid to $158M
BOSTON (AP) – The University of Massachusetts has announced that it is boosting financial aid for students by $25 million this academic year to a record high $158 million.
Students at the system’s fives campuses are receiving $736 million in all forms of financial aid during the current year, the $158 million representing grants from the university itself.
President Robert Caret said in a statement last week that the goal is to make the university affordable during a time of declining state support.
UMass students receive an average of $7,100 in financial aid per year.
The university also announced that average student debt upon graduation rose to nearly $26,000 last year, up from about $15,000 five years ago.
The university has campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell and a medical school in Worcester.
February 14 - Georgia Launches Need-Based College Scholarship
By DORIE TURNER/AP Education Writer
ATLANTA (AP) – Some middle school students in Georgia will soon have a $10,000 reason to stay out of trouble.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced last week that he is launching a privately funded, need-based scholarship program aimed at grooming low-income students for college. Participating students must sign a contract in middle school that they will remain crime-free, not have any behavior issues and achieve a high school GPA of 2.5.
Read More…
February 13 - Community Colleges Address Financial Barriers to Success for Low-Income Students
WASHINGTON - Do low-income college students who receive public benefits stay in school longer and complete their studies faster? A new initiative that will launch next summer at select community colleges will test this notion and work to provide models that other community colleges can implement and sustain.
The three-year $4.84 million initiative, Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC), is led by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) with funding from the Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is also contributing to the initiative.
Read More…
February 13 - Perdue Proclaims Feb. 13-19 as Financial Aid Awareness Week in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. - Gov. Bev Perdue has proclaimed Feb. 13-19, 2012, as Financial Aid Awareness Week in North Carolina. The proclamation urges North Carolina students and families to learn more about the process of applying for financial assistance for college. The week culminates with FAFSA Day on Saturday, Feb. 18.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine eligibility for most financial aid programs to assist in the cost of higher education.
Read More…
February 13 - Eastern Connecticut State's Global Field Course to Cuba
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The Department of Visual Arts at Eastern Connecticut State University is conducting a three-credit global field course titled “ART 316 Art and Travel: Cuba” from May 19 to May 29. The course features a 10-day trip to Cuba.
Professor Gail Gelburd, chair of the Visual Arts Department, has been visiting Cuba for 20 years and will lead the study tour. She will share her knowledge of Cuban history, art and culture and will also take students throughout Cuba to explore that country's Spanish and French connections. Other highlights include visiting the home of Ernest Hemingway, as well as visiting the homes and studios of some of today's most important contemporary artists.
Cuba has recently reopened for educational tours this year. Eastern students will be there for 10 days during Havana Biennale, one of the largest art festivals in the world, featuring art of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The festival happens once every three years in the streets of Havana.
For more information, contact Gail Gelburd at (860) 465-0195 or gelburdg@easternct.edu.
February 13 - Nearly Half of All Florida Grads Take an AP Exam
MIAMI (AP) - Florida leads the country in the percentage of high school graduates taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
However, the percentage that score a 3 or higher - the level considered sufficient to receive college credit - is lower.
An annual report released by the College Board Wednesday says 47 percent of Florida seniors took an AP exam in high school.
About 24 percent of Florida graduates earned a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement test, placing the state sixth nationwide.
The percentage of Hispanic and African-American students passing the exam both increased, though a considerable gap remains between the two. Twenty-eight percent of Hispanic students in Florida scored a 3 or higher on the exam, compared to about 7 percent of African-Americans.
February 10 - Decision 2012: Latinos Missing in Action on Sunday Morning Network News Shows
WASHINGTON - Last March 2011, the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) launched the Art of Politics Impact Project to address the lack of Latino commentators and guests on the four network Sunday news shows: ABC's This Week, CBS's Face the Nation, FOX News Sunday, and NBC's Meet The Press. The Art of Politics Impact Project is being implemented in collaboration with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Being Latino (BL), The Libre Initiative (TLI) and 16 other national Latino organizations.
After reviewing 149 broadcasts over nine months, NHFA found that only 10 Latino men were invited as guests and commentators. Most of them appeared more than once, and some were invited both as guest and commentator. The individual breakdown by show is as follows: ABC's This Week included five Latinos; CBS's Face the Nation had two; FOX News Sunday had four; and NBC's Meet The Press had seven.
Read More…
February 10 - Survey: 4 Out 5 U.S. Bankruptcy Attorneys Report Major Jump in Student Loan Debtors Seeking Help, Fears Grow of Next Mortgage-Style Debt Threat to U.S.
WASHINGTON - With student loan debt now topping U.S. credit card debt and few or no options available for distressed borrowers (including unwary parents who co-signed loans and now face the loss of nest eggs, retirement homes and other assets), America faces the very real possibility of another major economic threat on a par with the devastating home mortgage crisis, according to a new survey and report published by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) at www.nacba.org.
Read More…
February 10 - Latino Summit Draws National/State Health Leaders and Welcomes Public
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Second Annual Latino Health Promotion Summit, being held today and tomorrow on the Arizona Health Sciences Center campus, brings together national and statewide experts in Latino health to address critical health care issues affecting the Latino population.
This year's summit, “A Focus on Prevention and Community Collaboration,” will bring together community members, physicians, medical and pre-health students, residents and community health workers known as promotoras.
Read More…
February 10 - Ferrera to Speak at Bunker Hill Community College
BOSTON (AP) - Former Ugly Betty star America Ferrera is coming to Massachusetts to discuss how education helped her become successful and the importance of helping those in need.
Bunker Hill Community College says Ferrera is scheduled to visit the school on Feb. 16. as part of its “Compelling Conversations” speaker series.
The actress starred in the U.S. television series about a wise but wacky New York fashion magazine assistant. In November, she ditched the clunky braces and the thick fake eyebrows of Ugly Betty for sexy, slinky outfits as the showgirl Roxie, embarking on an eight-week theater stint in London in Chicago.
At Bunker Hill, Ferrera is expected to speak about how education has helped her achieve success and discuss the importance of “giving back” to help those who are less fortunate.
February 10 - Rhode Island Faces Fight Over Immigrant Tuition
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island lawmakers are headed for a showdown over a new policy giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates at state universities.
Legislation to reverse the tuition break has been introduced by critics who say a state education board was wrong to approve the policy without legislative consent.
Read More…
February 10 - W.Va. Holding Workshops on College Financial Aid
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission is helping students and parents complete their federal student aid paperwork.
The commission says it will host its third annual College Goal Sunday event on Feb. 12 at nearly 20 locations throughout the state. Nearly 300 financial aid experts will be on hand to help students and families complete and submit the federal forms and explore additional financial aid resources that may be available.
Officials say anyone planning to attend college next fall can participate, including graduating high school seniors, returning college students, or adult students interested in returning to school to earn a degree or certificate.
More information on the workshops and locations is available through the College Foundation of West Virginia website at www.cfwv.com.
Read More…
February 9 - Advanced Placement Results for the Class of 2011 Announced
NEW YORK - In an era when more than 35 percent of college freshmen and sophomores require remediation and less than 40 percent of college freshmen will earn a degree in four years, educators are increasingly using the high standards embedded within Advanced Placement courses to help more high school students develop the critical thinking skills and content knowledge essential for college success. Research indicates that students who succeed on an AP Exam during high school typically experience greater academic success in college, experience lower college costs and are more likely to earn a college degree than their peers. New data released yesterday by the College Board as part of The 8th Annual AP Report to the Nation show a continuation of a multiyear trend: In all but four states, more public school graduates participated in the Advanced Placement Program. As a result of this expansion, a higher percentage of high school graduates succeeded on AP Exams, affirming the vision of educators that many more students deserved access to this type of course work.
Read More…
February 9 - Biden: Obama Tuition Plan Unlikely to Affect Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden says the Obama administration's plans to pressure states into keeping college and university tuition down probably won't apply to Florida
Biden says that's because Florida's tuition rates already are among the nation's lowest. Biden made remarks to students and faculty at Florida State University on Monday
State University System officials had criticized the administration's plans prior to Biden's appearance in Tallahassee to promote tuition affordability
A system spokeswoman later said officials hoped Florida would be spared from any penalties but haven't seen anything in writing yet
President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address that federal aid should be withheld from colleges and universities that don't keep net tuition down and provide good value
Biden later attended a fundraiser for Obama's re-election campaign.
February 9 - As Colleges Obsess Over Rankings, Students Shrug
By JUSTIN POPE/AP Education Writer
When U.S. News & World Report debuted its list of “America's Best Colleges” nearly 30 years ago, the magazine hoped its college rankings would be a game-changer for students and families. But arguably, they've had a much bigger effect on colleges themselves.
Yes, students and families still buy the guide and its less famous competitors by the hundreds of thousands, and still care about a college's reputation. But it isn't students who obsess over every incremental shift on the rankings scoreboard, and who regularly embarrass themselves in the process. It's colleges.
Read More…
February 9 - Forum Probes Immigration, Education Relationship
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Internationally acclaimed social scientist Marcelo Suárez-Orozco recently discussed the effects of immigration on the education of children and teenagers at a lecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Suárez-Orozco is a leading scholar on the social and cultural effects of immigration.
The short-term and long-term health and educational impact of immigration on various groups, particularly students, were discussed on Monday.
In addition to his lecture, Suárez-Orozco met with students in a psychology of immigration class and a faculty group in the College of Education and Human Sciences.
On Tuesday, he met with invited teachers and administrators from Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln mayor's multicultural advisory group.
February 9 - Access to Higher Education Matters, Says New Policy Brief From AACC
WASHINGTON - Access to higher education matters and is threatened today, says a new policy brief issued this week by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The new policy brief, Why Access Matters: The Community College Student Body, is currently available on AACC's website at www.aacc.nche.edu.
Community colleges provide access to higher education for nearly half of all minority undergraduate students and more than 40 percent of undergraduate students living in poverty. The policy brief paints a picture of today's diverse and expansive community college student body, while expanding on education access for all.
Read More…
February 8 - Obama Hosts White House Science Fair
WASHINGTON - Yesterday President Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The president also announced key additional steps that the administration and its partners are taking to prepare 100,000 effective math and science teachers and to meet the urgent need to train one million additional STEM graduates over the next decade.
Read More…
February 8 - $22M Fund to Kick-Off Effort by Cross-Sector Partnership to Hire, Develop, Retain Excellent STEM Teachers
WASHINGTON - Responding to President Barack Obama's announcement about the critical shortage of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers first made in his 2011 State of the Union address and reinforced yesterday at the second White House Science Fair, the 100Kin10 partnership announced an initial $22 million fund to help support the creative and strategic efforts of the partnership's more than 115 members to meet their respective - and measurable - commitments to bring more, excellent STEM teachers to American classrooms.
Read More…
February 8 - CHCI Congressional Internship Program Brings Diversity to Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the nation's premier Latino youth leadership development and educational services organization, welcomed the arrival of its third-ever Spring Congressional Internship class to Washington, D.C., on Monday. Twelve undergraduates arrived from nine states to take part in the nationally recognized and award-winning CHCI Congressional Internship Program (CIP).
Read More…
February 8 - Universities Say Financial Aid Fund Running Short
By JEFF AMY/Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Recipients of state scholarships could see their aid packages trimmed unless the Mississippi Legislature puts more money into financial aid.
That includes the more than 20,000 students who receive the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant. That money goes to full-time students with 2.5 grade point averages. Freshmen and sophomores get $500 a year, while junior and seniors get $1,000.
Read More…
February 6 - Census-Race – EXCLUSIVE: Many Resist Census Race Labels
By HOPE YEN/Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) – When the 2010 census asked people to classify themselves by race, more than 21.7 million – at least one in 14 – went beyond the standard labels and wrote in such terms as “Arab,” “Haitian,” “Mexican” and “multiracial.”
The unpublished data, the broadest tally to date of such write-in responses, are a sign of a diversifying America that’s wrestling with changing notions of race.
Read More…
February 6 - Community College Students in Kentucky Losing Aid, Leaving
LOUSIVILLE, Ky. (AP) – About 5,500 community and technical college students in Kentucky were targeted to lose financial aid last month because of new federal rules aimed at increasing student accountability.
Students are now required to have a 2.0 GPA, complete two-thirds of courses attempted and not exceed 150 percent of the credit hours required for a particular degree.
Read More…
February 6 - Textbook Rental Programs at College Stores Continue to Grow
OBERLIN, Ohio – College students seeking to save money on textbooks need look no further than their local college store. More than 2,500 college stores now offer textbook rental programs of some kind, resulting in substantial cash savings for millions of students, according to the National Association of College Stores (NACS).
“The number of college stores offering textbook rental over the past two years has skyrocketed from about 300 in the fall of 2009 to 2,200 in fall of 2010, to 2,560 in fall of 2011,” said Charles Schmidt, NACS director of public relations. “Such print-version rental programs can save a student between 45 percent to 66 percent off the price of a new print textbook, and is often less expensive than digital formats.”
Read More…
February 6 - In Washington, More Financial Aid, but Also More Need
By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP/Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) – Despite signs that the state economy is improving, finding money to send children to college is still becoming more difficult.
More students received financial aid last year, but even more families aren’t getting the help they need, according to a new report from the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Read More…
February 3 - White House to Hold Hispanic Community Action Summit in Tampa
WASHINGTON - The White House will host a Hispanic Community Action Summit at the University of Tampa Vaughn Center in Tampa, Fla., today, Feb. 3. The summit is the latest in a series of regional meetings across the country that provides an opportunity for senior administration officials to interact with members of the Hispanic community on a wide range of issues.
White House and Cabinet agency officials will meet with Tampa Bay Region community leaders, small business owners and state and local elected officials at the summit. This all-day gathering includes innovative forums designed to facilitate in-depth discussions on topics from jobs and the economy to education, health care and the need to fix our nation's broken immigration system.
Read More…
February 3 - Student Learning Outcomes Institute Kicks Off in Georgia
ATLANTA - Several prominent scholars and key academic leaders from across the country are attending the Southern Education Foundation's (SEF) Student Learning Outcomes Institute: Connecting Institutional Effectiveness and Student Learning at Minority-Serving Institutions (Student Learning Outcomes Institute), Feb 2-4, 2012, at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta, Ga. The event focuses on improving institutional capacity through the measurement, assessment and articulation of student learning at colleges and universities that serve high percentages of low-income and minority students - otherwise known as Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).
Read More…
February 3 - 26th Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights to Focus on Education Crisis for Men of Color
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas-Austin's 26th Annual Heman Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights begins Feb. 8 with the theme “Awareness to Action: Advancing Solutions for Men of Color in Higher Education.” The symposium includes four panel discussions in February, March and April and culminates with a Heman Sweatt Legacy Award black-tie reception. The symposium also includes the second annual University of Texas Latino Male Symposium on May 4.
A 2010 report published by the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center has generated a growing focus on underrepresented groups of men in institutions of higher education. The report connects the disparate educational outcomes of young men with sobering statistics about unemployment, poverty and incarceration. It reveals the lack of success that males of color experience as they navigate the education system in the United States.
Read More…
February 3 - National Study Will Examine Use of Earlier Income Data in Student Aid Eligibility
WASHINGTON - The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), announced this week that it has been awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study the use of prior-prior-year (or two years prior) income data in place of the prior-year (one year prior) data, which are currently used in determining eligibility for student financial aid. The goal of this exploratory study is to determine whether students and families would benefit from a simple change in required data - from reporting prior-year tax data to reporting “prior-prior-year” (or PPY) data.
Read More…
February 3 - Among Disadvantaged, College Reduces Odds for Marriage
By Ted Boscia
ITHACA, N.Y. - For those with few social advantages, college is a prime pathway to financial stability, but it also unexpectedly lowers their odds of ever marrying, according to an analysis by Cornell University sociologist Kelly Musick in the February issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family (74:1).
The findings suggest that social and cultural factors, not just income, are central to marriage decisions. Men and women from the least advantaged backgrounds who attend college appear to be caught between social worlds - reluctant to “marry down” to partners with less education and unable to “marry up” to those from more privileged upbringings. Lower marriage chances appear to stem from men's and women's mismatched social origins and educational attainment - a phenomenon Musick and co-authors refer to as “marriage market mismatch.”
Read More…
February 3 - Florida Senate Panel Kills Immigration Tuition Bill
By BILL KACZOR/Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A bill that would have allowed in-state college and university tuition for certain U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants died Tuesday on a tie vote in the Senate Higher Education Committee.
Opponents were unmoved by emotional testimony from a 20-year-old Miami-Dade College student. Instead, Sen. Steve Oelrich, a Gainesville Republican who chairs the committee, interrupted Carla Montes to dispute her contention that having to pay out-of-state tuition is unjust and unfair.
Read More…
February 3 - Georgia Bill Would Bar Illegal Immigrants from Colleges
By KATE BRUMBACK/Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) - A legislative committee chairman said Tuesday he's gotten about a thousand e-mails and a thousand phone calls on a bill to bar illegal immigrants from attending Georgia's state colleges, universities and technical schools and wants more time to consider differing viewpoints before allowing any vote.
House Higher Education Committee Rep. Carl Rogers, R-Gainesville, said after a committee meeting that he wants to consider communications from constituents and consult with the university system and the bill's sponsor. He anticipates a vote in two or three weeks.
Read More…
February 2 - College Endowments Show Growth for FY 2011
By KAREN MATTHEWS/Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) – College and university endowments made gains in the fiscal year that ended in June, but many are still struggling to make up ground they lost in 2008 and 2009, according to a report released Tuesday.
Data gathered from 823 U.S. colleges and universities show that the institutions’ endowments returned an average of 19.2 percent for the 2011 fiscal year, the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and Commonfund said. That’s up from 11.9 percent in fiscal year 2010.
Read More…
February 2 - APLU Joins 26 Organizations to Call for U.S. Higher Education to Demonstrate Student Learning
WASHINGTON – U.S. colleges and universities must ensure that college degrees reflect a high level of student achievement and commit to publicly reporting evidence of student learning. These principles are the centerpiece of a new publication, endorsed by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and 26 national higher education organizations, that calls on colleges and universities to ask and answer the question, “Are students learning?” at their institutions.
Read More…
February 2 - New Report Outlines Trends in U.S. Global Competitiveness in Science and Technology
ARLINGTON, Va. – The United States remains the global leader in supporting science and technology (S&T) research and development, but only by a slim margin that could soon be overtaken by rapidly increasing Asian investments in knowledge-intensive economies. So suggest trends released in a new report by the National Science Board (NSB), the policymaking body for the National Science Foundation (NSF), on the overall status of the science, engineering and technology workforce, education efforts and economic activity in the United States and abroad.
Read More…
February 2 - Texas Tweaks Tuition Rule for Illegal Immigrants
By JIM VERTUNO/Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas colleges must send illegal immigrants who pay in-state college tuition rates reminders that they promised to seek legal status in exchange, a tweak in state law officials unanimously approved last Thursday.
The tuition break was a flashpoint issue that helped doom Republican Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign for president, and the rule change by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is a small step toward putting more pressure on those students to follow up on their pledge.
Read More…
February 1 - Education Department Invites Higher Education Community to Share What Works in Helping Students Complete Higher Education
WASHINGTON - Continuing its commitment to helping America once again lead the world in college graduates, the U.S. Department of Education has invited the higher education community to share best practices that have been proven to help students successfully complete postsecondary education and convened some of the leading researchers to develop a toolkit for institutions to reference.
“Our task now is to brainstorm more creative ideas and scale up those practices that are most successful in making sure that all students - regardless of income, race or background - are crossing the finish line,” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday at the department's college completion symposium.
Read More…
February 1 - Anti-AIDS Program for Hispaniola Launched at MSU
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Health officials at Michigan State University say they're hoping to improve AIDS prevention efforts on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, home of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The university says its Institute of International Health aims to reduce new infections on the island, which has about 75 percent of AIDS cases in the Caribbean.
Institute director Reza Nassiri says local officials in the Dominican Republic and Haiti “have struggled to respond to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS based upon the resources available to them.”
Nassiri says Michigan State's approach involves providing training and mentoring for nurses, social workers and other local health professionals.
He says his institute will present the plan at the Global Risk Forum's One Health Summit 2012 in Davos, Switzerland, on Feb. 19-22.
February 1 - Kentucky Postsecondary Ed Council Receiving $720K Grant
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky is one of 10 states receiving a recent grant to improve college readiness.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors will give the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education $720,000 over three years in the program called Core to College. The program works to enable long-term collaboration between higher education and P-12 entities to improve student achievement and college readiness.
The council says the grant will be used to extend and coordinate some statewide initiatives already in place including at Morehead State, Western Kentucky and Northern Kentucky universities. Another program that will benefit is the early college program at St. Catharine College. The grant provides $40,000 annually for three years to support the Washington County Commander College, a partnership between St. Catharine, the Washington County School District and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.
February 1 - SUNY Board Outlines Plan to Increase Use of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises
NEW YORK - The State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees recently outlined an aggressive plan for SUNY campuses and System Administration to help New York state meet and exceed its goals for the utilization of Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs).
“Increasing the utilization of MWBEs is an important element of SUNY's contribution to the growth, vibrancy and diversity of New York state's economy,” said Board Chairman H. Carl McCall. “Gov. Cuomo has made access for MWBE enterprises a central part of his agenda. I am proud to say that SUNY is up to the task of assisting the governor to achieve this critical goal.”
“SUNY exceeded overall goals in the procurement of commodities and services for the first time in 2010-2011,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “This is a great accomplishment for each of our campuses and for SUNY as a whole, but we can do even better, and with this renewed commitment, we will do better.”
SUNY's university-wide MWBE goals for 2011-12 include using at least 20 percent MWBE for all construction, construction-related services, nonconstruction-related services, and commodities at state-operated campuses.
February 1 - Minority Corporate Counsel Association Gala to Honor Nation's Leaders in Legal Diversity and Inclusion
WASHINGTON - Bringing the legal community together to celebrate advancements in diversity and inclusion, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) will hold its annual Diversity Honors Gala Sept. 11 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. During the gala, corporate legal departments and law firms from across the country will be recognized for their contributions, and MCCA will bestow its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hosting the event will be Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, multiplatform journalist, CNN legal analyst and contributor for In Session on TruTV. She is also an anchor on ABC News' World News Now and America This Morning.
Read More…
