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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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January 31 - Obama Decries Rising Cost of College Education
By KIMBERLY HEFLING and JIM KUHNHENN/Associated Press
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - President Barack Obama called Friday for an overhaul of the higher education financial aid system, warning that colleges and universities that fail to control spiraling tuition costs could lose federal funds.
The election year proposal was also a political appeal to young people and working families, two important voting blocs for Obama. But the initiative faces long odds in Congress, which must approve nearly all aspects of the president's plan.
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January 31 - College Presidents Wary of Obama Cost-Control Plan
By KIMBERLY HEFLING/AP Education Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Fuzzy math, Illinois State University's president called it. “Political theater of the worst sort,” said the University of Washington's head.
President Barack Obama's new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach. Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities; they're already frustrated by increasing state budget cuts.
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January 31 - Behind Obama's Financial Aid “Shopping Sheets”
By CANDICE CHOI/AP Personal Finance Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - President Barack Obama wants to make it easier to size up the cost of college.
As part of his broad plans to make college more affordable, Obama said Friday that he would push for financial aid “shopping sheets” that make it easier for families to comparison shop between schools.
Federal education officials say the goal is make adoption of the form mandatory for schools to maintain access to federal aid. That would be a powerful incentive, as the federal government issued more than $140 billion in grants and loans last year.
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January 31 - Senate Democrats Pitch Legislation to Revisit HOPE
By ERRIN HAINES/Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) - Senate Democrats say Georgia's HOPE scholarship is still in crisis and are warning their Republican colleagues that last year's GOP-led overhaul of the program is a “failed reform” that is paying for thousands fewer students to go to college.
Last Tuesday, Democrats - who hold the minority in the Legislature - filed several bills aimed at revisiting at HOPE scholarship this session. Among their proposals is a bill that would restore an income eligibility cap and another that would make the top 3 percent of all high school graduates eligible for the newly created Zell Miller Scholarship, named for the program's patriarch.
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January 31 - UNT Receives $1.2 Million Grant to Train Special Education Leaders
DENTON, Texas - The University of North Texas (UNT) has received a five-year, $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to train and educate future leaders of special education programs.
The program, named Project TELL - Training Effective Leaders for High-Needs Schools through Local Partnerships, will offer a doctoral program in special education within the Department of Educational Psychology in UNT's College of Education.
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January 30 - Obama Touches on Student Loan Interest Rates
NEW YORK (AP) - President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech last Tuesday night might be causing anxiety for families with college-bound students. In addressing the rapidly rising cost of higher education, Obama noted that the fixed interest rates on student loans are set to double in July if Congress fails to act.
Here's what's behind the change referenced by Obama:
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January 30 - ACE President Molly Corbett Broad on President Obama's Higher Education Proposals
WASHINGTON - “President Obama has put forward a thoughtful and important proposal to help students and families finance higher education,” said Molly Corbett Broad, president, American Council on Education, last week in a written statement. “It is also a complex, multifaceted plan, and important details remain to be unveiled. If approved by Congress, it would provide an enormous amount of money to help students and families. Colleges and universities stand ready to do everything they can to help enhance student access and completion.
“Our central concern with the proposal is the likelihood that it will move decision-making in higher education from college campuses to Washington, D.C. In recent years, the federal government has increasingly inserted itself in the day-to-day operations of colleges and universities, including basic academic decisions.
“It is clear the administration recognizes that colleges and universities play a vital role in economic recovery and expansion-this is perhaps the defining issue of our time. As President Obama noted in his speech, 'There is no greater predictor of success than education.' We strongly agree. We are committed to working with the administration and Congress to make certain that affordable, high-quality higher education is available to all Americans and that colleges and universities are accountable for every dollar they receive.”
January 30 - Obama Education Exec in Rhode Island Praises Work-Study Plan
By LAURA CRIMALDI/Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A top White House official working on improving education for Hispanics said Wednesday that President Barack Obama's plan to double work-study jobs is a potential “game changer” for the skyrocketing number of Latinos who want to earn college degrees.
During a visit to Rhode Island, José A. Rico, the executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, told The Associated Press that the number of young Latinos enrolling in college has exploded but students still face significant challenges in earning their degrees.
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January 30 - New Jersey's Christie Seeks Shake-up in Higher Education
By GEOFF MULVIHILL/Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday proposed turning a former teacher's college into New Jersey's second major public research university in a shake-up of the state's higher education system that's intended to raise the standing of Rutgers University and other institutions from “good to great.”
The first-term Republican governor has long been concerned that top high school graduates go elsewhere for college - and often stay there - rather than staying put in New Jersey, one of the few states where the flagship public university doesn't contain the state name.
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January 27 - Hispanics Say They Have the Worst of a Bad Economy
WASHINGTON - A majority of Latinos (54 percent) believe that the economic downturn that began in 2007 has been harder on them than on other groups in America, according to a new national survey by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.
Large shares of Hispanics report that they or someone in their household has been out of work in the past year (59 percent), that their personal finances are in “only fair” or “poor” shape (75 percent), that they canceled or delayed a major purchase in the past year (49 percent), or that they are underwater on their mortgage (28 percent of Latino homeowners).
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January 27 - Assistant Secretary Ochoa Participates in Panel Discussions at 98th Annual Meeting of AAC&U
WASHINGTON - U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Eduardo Ochoa yesterday served as a panelist at the 98th Annual Meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The meeting's theme was “Shared Futures/Difficult Choices: Reclaiming a Democratic Vision for College Learning, Global Engagement and Success.”
During a panel discussion titled “Front and Center: Moving Civic Learning from the Sidelines,” Ochoa discussed the U.S. Department of Education's perspective on, and commitment to, the civic learning agenda and ways interested institutions and individuals can become involved.
Ochoa also participated in a panel discussing “Student Learning Outcomes Assessment: What do we know and what needs to happen next?” The session summarized the key findings from the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment's work over the past three years, drawing on national surveys; interviews with thought leaders, policymakers, faculty and staff; Web scans and an array of commissioned papers by experts. The session focused on the current status and what must happen next to advance the assessment agenda in meaningful, actionable manner.
January 27 - Jamie Merisotis, Lumina Foundation President, Comments on President's State of the Union Address
INDIANAPOLIS - On Tuesday, Jan. 24, President Barack Obama took note of the need to reduce the cost of higher education to assure that Americans continue to have access to the educational opportunities they need to succeed and contribute to the strengthening of our nation. As the President indicated, higher education is an economic imperative. Jobs that require skills and knowledge that can only be obtained through postsecondary education, including a growing number of advanced manufacturing jobs, are growing much faster than those that don't.
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January 27 - SUNY Board of Trustees Supports DREAM Act Concept
NEW YORK - The State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees this week passed a resolution in support of equitable financial and educational access to higher education for all New Yorkers, including its undocumented immigrants, as intended by the DREAM Act, legislation recently defeated at the federal level but supported by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union Address.
“The current demographic realities of New York State indicate that many of the brightest and hardest working students eligible to enroll at SUNY are of undocumented status, and it is imperative that SUNY remain accessible to these students,” said Board Chairman H. Carl McCall. “SUNY will work with stakeholders to develop sensible legislation that provides this deserved access and financial support.”
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January 27 - CHCI Hosts Latino Education Summit in New York
NEW YORK - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) will assemble a powerful lineup of Latino leaders to participate in “Keeping the Promise: Partnerships for Latino Education Success” on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at NBCUniversal Headquarters in New York. CHCI's education forum is designed to foster an ongoing national dialogue focused on increasing educational attainment among young Latinos.
Panels led by José Díaz-Balart, Telemundo news anchor, and Natalie Morales, news anchor on NBC's Today, will feature a dynamic and interactive dialogue on critical education issues that have national significance as the Latino population continues to grow. Other special guests include: Reps. José Serrano (New York) and Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico-At Large), international recording artist Frankie Negrón, and award-winning actor Tony Plana.
This initiative includes a series of events in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Excelencia in Education, and NALEO. Education forums will be held later this year in San Antonio in March, Miami in May, and Washington, D.C., in September. This event will also include a unique session titled “Young Latino Perspective - In Their Own Voices,” featuring a panel of dynamic and motivated high school and college students who will discuss the obstacles and personal challenges they have experienced while pursuing their academic goals. The event will conclude with the “Continuing the Conversation & Meet the Panelists Networking Luncheon,” sponsored exclusively by Comcast/NBCUniversal/Telemundo.
January 27 - Obama Administration to Hold More than a Dozen Hispanic Community Action Summits This Year Beginning in Arizona, Florida, Ohio and Texas
WASHINGTON - Continuing to build on a series of meetings held since the Obama administration came to office, the White House will host more than a dozen summits with Hispanic communities across the country following President Obama's State of the Union address to Congress. The administration will hold Hispanic community action summits in Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Tampa, Fla.; Elyria, Ohio; and San Antonio, Texas, in the coming weeks.
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January 26 - Education Secretary Duncan Discusses College Affordability, Job Creation with Students in Florida
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was to meet with students in Tallahassee and the Miami, Fla., yesterday and today to highlight the Obama administration's work to both make college more affordable and strengthen postsecondary education so students are able to find good jobs after graduation. Duncan's conversations follow the president's State of the Union address and are part of a continuing national dialogue that administration officials have had with students and families across the country as the administration works to ensure college remains within reach for the middle class.
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January 26 - CHC Chair on President's State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON - Chairman Charles A. González, Texas-20, released the following statement Tuesday night upon President Obama's State of the Union address:
“What the President laid out this evening was a choice - for the leaders of this country as well as the people of America. We can remain entrenched in an unproductive partisan debate or we can unite and work together on the issues necessary to create growth and prosperity. At a time when we see a shrinking middle class, our country needs to restore our values to ensure hard work pays off and that Americans can work and retire with dignity.
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January 26 - Cien Amigos, Latino Policy Coalition and California Student Aid Commission Host College Recruitment and Financial Aid Fair
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Cien Amigos, LPC-Proyecto Oportunidad and the California Student Aid Commission have announced the “Steps to College 2012 Fair (Pasos A La Universidad)” to inform Latino families and students about the expanding opportunities available to earn a college degree.
This special community fair will take place Feb. 4, 2012, in Sacramento.
Parking will be available free of charge; and university booths will be indoors or covered if it rains.
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January 26 - Samper to Step Down as Director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
WASHINGTON - Cristián Samper, a biologist and international leader in the field of conservation biology, announced his resignation from the National Museum of Natural History where he has served as director since 2003. Samper was acting secretary of the Smithsonian from March 2007 until July 2008, when he returned to the Museum of Natural History. He will continue as director through July.
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January 25 - Purdue University President Becomes Smithsonian Chair
By BRETT ZONGKER/Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Purdue University President France Córdova was installed Monday as chairwoman of the Smithsonian Institution's governing board as the museum complex expands with the coming construction of a new Black history museum and calls for another focused on Latino American heritage.
As Córdova begins her three-year term, she will maintain her post at the Indiana university. Córdova will lead oversight and support fundraising for the world's largest group of museums and research centers. Córdova is an astrophysicist and previously held posts in the University of California system and was chief scientist at NASA.
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January 25 - New Report Finds Significant Overlap in Federal STEM Education Programs
WASHINGTON - Yesterday the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the scope and efficacy of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs.
The report, requested last January by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline, R-Minn., and Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., reveals more than 200 separate STEM programs operated across a bakers' dozen of federal agencies.
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January 25 - Free Resources Help Students Apply for Aid, Reduce the Cost of College
WASHINGTON - For thousands of American families, January is the month for setting resolutions, recovering from the holidays ... and starting to think about paying for college next year. Jan. 1 marked the annual release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), required by colleges and universities across the nation to determine a student's eligibility for federal financial aid, federal grants and certain institutional aid.
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January 25 - W.M. Keck Foundation Grant to Project Kaleidoscope Will Support Development of New Framework for Institutional Effectiveness in STEM Learning
WASHINGTON - Project Kaleidoscope and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) yesterday announced a new initiative to develop a comprehensive institutional STEM Effectiveness Framework to help campus leaders translate national recommendations for raising STEM achievement into scalable and sustainable actions that improve STEM learning and success for all students. Funded by the W.M. Keck Foundation, the project will engage up to 12 colleges and universities in California to test evidence-based strategies that will lead to program, departmental and, eventually, institutional transformation.
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January 24 - New Report from the Institute of International Education Documents Large Number of U.S. Students Pursuing Postsecondary Degrees Abroad
NEW YORK - More than 43,000 U.S. students are enrolled in academic degree programs outside of the United States, according to a new report from the Institute of International Education (IIE). The publication, U.S. Students in Overseas Degree Programs: Key Destinations and Fields of Study, presents findings from the first-ever survey on U.S. students pursuing full degrees abroad at the postsecondary level, their specific level of study, and their chosen field of study.
The Survey on U.S. Students Enrolled Overseas in Degree-Seeking Programs was administered from May to July 2011 by IIE, the U.S. partner and Secretariat for Project Atlas, a global network of over 20 country and research partners collaborating on data collection and research in student mobility. Data on U.S. degree students was received for 13 countries from Project Atlas partners representing four world regions: Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America. The countries that submitted data include the largest host of U.S. degree-seeking students, the United Kingdom and a dozen other countries that host 100 or more U.S. degree-seeking students.
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January 24 - Kelley School of Business, IU School of Education Partner for Innovative Education Leadership Program
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University's (IU) Kelley School of Business and the IU School of Education have launched a collaborative program to prepare school leaders equipped with the latest management and leadership skills.
The new IU Executive Ed.D. program allows IU School of Education students - often planning for careers as superintendents and other administrative education roles - to earn a master's degree in strategic management at the Kelley School while earning an Ed.D. in educational leadership. The program substantially reduces the time and cost of completion of both the master's and Ed.D. degrees.
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January 24 - Latinos in the 2012 Election: Florida
WASHINGTON - According to the Florida Division of Elections, final registration statistics for the state's Jan. 31 presidential primary show that 1,473,920 Latinos are registered to vote statewide, making up 13.1 percent of the state's more than 11.2 million registered voters. Among Latino registered voters, 452,619 are registered as Republicans representing 11.1 percent of all Republican registered voters. And 564,513 Latino registered voters are registered as Democrats, representing 12.4 percent of all Democratic registered voters.
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January 24 - Ohio Leader Wants to Recognize College Benchmarks
CLEVELAND (AP) - The overseer of Ohio's higher education system is proposing that students should get a career-readiness certificate after one year of college and an associate degree after two years, even if they're working toward a four-year degree.
Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro's priorities include retaining more students and helping more to graduate, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reported.
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January 23 - State Report Cites Barriers to College Enrollment
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho ranks last among its neighbors for providing state and local financial aid to college students, according to a state report presented last week to lawmakers.
But research also shows that college students are not taking full advantage of scholarship money Idaho makes available each year. The report prepared by the state's Office of Performance Evaluations found about $1.3 million was left untouched from a state-supported scholarship fund during the past two years.
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January 23 - Black Students: Duke Study Shows Deeper Problems
By MARTHA WAGGONER/Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - An unpublished study by Duke University researchers that says Black students are more likely to switch to less difficult majors has upset some students, who say the research is emblematic of more entrenched racial problems.
The study, which opponents of affirmative action are using in a case they want the U.S. Supreme Court to consider, concludes Black students match the GPA of Whites over time partially because they switch to majors that require less study time and have less stringent grading standards. Opponents of affirmative action cite the study in a case they want the U.S. Supreme Court to consider.
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January 23 - Florida University Leaders Tout General Education
By BILL KACZOR/Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida university presidents urged lawmakers on Wednesday not to forget general education in the push for expanding science, technology, engineering and math studies.
The emphasis on the so-called STEM fields remained a major focus as the House Education Committee continued its talks with presidents of Florida's 11 public universities.
Gov. Rick Scott, who has made job-creation the top priority of his administration, is among politicians pushing to increase the output of STEM graduates because they have better employment prospects.
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January 23 - U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Announces Briefings on Important Civil Rights Issues
WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on Civil Rights announces that at its monthly business meeting on Jan. 13, 2012, the eight-member commission voted in a bipartisan manner to hold four new briefings on important civil rights topics. These topics include the effectiveness of the federal government's post-9/11 civil rights engagement with the Arab and Muslim American communities to end prejudice and discrimination against them; the tension between associational freedoms of religious institutions and anti-discrimination laws; the impact that regulatory and other barriers have upon new and emerging small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses; and state compliance with provisions of the federal National Voter Registration Act.
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January 20 - Financial Aid Experts Discuss Pell Grants and College Access at NASFAA Forum
WASHINGTON - Student financial aid experts discussed the importance (and limitations) of the Federal Pell Grant program in increasing college access at a forum held Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol and hosted by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). The program and surrounding policy debate were reinforced by the publication of a NASFAA-penned issue brief highlighting the historical role of access in the student aid programs and how perceptions of the value and importance of access are shifting. Presenters explored the challenges and opportunities America faces as we work to increase college access and successful completion.
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January 20 - Ohio Hispanic Leader Plans Database of Bilinguals
CINCINNATI (AP) - The head of a regional Hispanic organization is working to create a database of college students who speak Spanish and English to help southwest Ohio businesses fill their need for bilingual employees.
A business needing more Spanish-speaking employees would be able to search the database to find local bilingual students who could perform those jobs, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
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January 20 - USHCC Foundation National Programs Honored with 2011 Outstanding Advocacy in Education Award
WASHINGTON - The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation is proud to accept the 2011 Outstanding Advocacy in Education Award from the Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The coveted award recognizes the USHCC Foundation for its national education initiatives including two signature programs, the USHCC Chamber Training Institute and Green Builds Business.
“The USHCC Foundation plays an important role in creating and advancing educational opportunities for Hispanic entrepreneurs across the country,” says USHCC Chairman Nina Vaca. “The impact of its programs, such as the Chamber Training Institute and Green Builds Business, is seen every day as Hispanic business owners become the new leaders in economic growth and environmental sustainability. This award is a testament to the USHCC Foundation's continued support of Hispanic business, and the dedication of our corporate partners, Sam's Club and Walmart.”
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January 20 - Georgia Officials: 4,200 Students Lost HOPE Grants
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia technical college officials say 4,200 students have lost the HOPE grant that pays for their classes after the program began last year requiring a 3.0 GPA for the first time ever.
Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson told state lawmakers Tuesday during a budget hearing that the students no longer qualified for the awards starting last month. State lawmakers overhauled the lottery-funded HOPE program last year after lottery revenues failed to keep up with demand.
Technical college students tend to be older, working adults who either never attended college or are returning to train in another field. The colleges are among the first places that workers go to when they are laid off to help get back into the job market.
January 19 - White House to Hold Hispanic Community Action Summit in San Jose on Saturday
WASHINGTON - The White House will host a Hispanic Community Action Summit at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 21, the latest in a series of regional gatherings across the country that provide a forum for administration officials to interact with and hear from the Hispanic community on a wide range of issues.
White House and Cabinet agency officials will meet with Bay Area Hispanic community leaders including small business owners and state and local elected officials at the summit in innovative forums meant to facilitate in-depth discussions on topics including jobs and the economy, education, health care and the need to fix our nation's broken immigration system.
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January 19 - Students Kick Off National Campus Program on Cuba
MIAMI (AP) - South Florida students will gather this month to kick off a national college tour promoting innovative ways to connect with and empower youth in Cuba.
The nonprofit Roots of Hope will begin its “Avenida Cuba” tour at Miami Dade College, Friday, Jan. 27. It is the first of Roots' campaign across 10 eastern seaboard colleges and universities.
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January 19 - College Class of 2011 Closes Year with Higher Starting Salary
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The college class of 2011 outpaced the preceding class in average starting salary, according to a new report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Overall, 2011 graduates at the bachelor's degree level began their first postgraduation job with an average salary of $41,701 - up 2.3 percent over the average salary for class of 2010 graduates, according to NACE's Winter 2012 Salary Survey report.
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January 19 - Sotomayor to Attend Jurist-in-Residence Program
HONOLULU (AP) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be coming to Hawaii later this month, where she'll be taking part in a jurist-in-residence program at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
The university says during her visit to the law school, Sotomayor will teach classes, judge a Moot Court practice and meet with faculty and students.
Sotomayor will take part in the program from Jan. 29 through Feb. 3.
Cynthia Quinn, the university's associate dean for student services, says while she's in Hawaii, Sotomayor will be a guest at an event for the Hawaii Bar and will also be the guest of honor at a breakfast with Hawaii Women Lawyers and the Hawaii Women's Legal Foundation.
In addition, she will talk with Farrington High School students and answer questions from students across the state.
January 18 - ACT Launches New Webinars for Educators
IOWA CITY, Iowa - ACT is offering free webinars, twice a month, to help secondary and postsecondary educators and officials improve students' college and career readiness.
“The webinars will help educators and administrators better understand the many uses for data available from ACT's assessments and ACT's five-plus decades of research,” said Paul Weeks ACT vice president of Educational Services. “Attendees can use the webinar information to improve curriculum, advise students and apply district and statewide strategies to add rigor to the classroom.”
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January 18 - Student-Athletes-Financial Aid: More Aid for College Athletes Sought
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER/Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - An advocacy group is pushing a “bill of rights” for student-athletes aimed at increasing financial assistance to college players.
Among other things, the legislation would require large athletic programs to cover all sports-related medical expenses incurred by athletes. Such programs would also be required to pay into a state trust fund, with the proceeds going to student loan creditors on behalf of former men's basketball and football players who are still in school but have exhausted their athletic eligibility.
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January 18 - More Minnesota High Schoolers Try for College Credit
By CHRIS WILLIAMS/Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The number of Minnesota high school students who took classes worth college credit has surged since the 2005-06 school year, particularly among minority students, even as the overall high school population declined slightly, according to a new study.
It's a good sign, said study author Joe Nathan of the Center for School Change at Macalester College. He said college admissions officers look for students who have taken those difficult classes. For students, he said, starting college a few credits ahead can mean big savings on tuition.
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January 18 - Invaluable Collection from UC's Linguistic Minority Research Institute Finds New Home
WASHINGTON - The Civil Rights Project (CRP) has announced that the important and collected works of the University of California's Lingusitic Minority Research Institute (UC LMRI) are now available via UC's eScholarship.
The University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute was established in 1984 in response to the California Legislature's request that the University of California's Office of the President (UCOP) pursue “... knowledge applicable to educational policy and practice in the area of language minority students' academic achievement and knowledge,” including their access to the University of California and other institutions of higher education.
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January 18 - UGA Displays Photos of Machu Picchu Excavation
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - The University of Georgia is displaying 40 original photographs of the discovery and excavation of Machu Picchu in Peru 100 years ago.
The National Geographic exhibit will be on display on the Tate Student Center art wall through Jan. 24. The photos feature explorer Hiram Bingham's South American expeditions from 1911 through 1915.
The rare photos represent the first view of the 15th-century Incan city, which is considered one of the world's most important archaeological finds.
Bingham was a young Latin American history professor at Yale University. He cleared, mapped and photographed the city during three expeditions to Peru funded by National Geographic and Yale.
The exhibit includes panoramic black-and-white photographs of the intricate stonework, portraits of workmen and scenes along the route to Machu Picchu.
January 17 - Biden Discusses College Costs During Ohio Visit
By ANN SANNER/Associated Press
GAHANNA, Ohio (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday stressed that a higher education continues to be worthwhile despite its high cost during tough economic times.
“It matters,” Biden repeated to a crowd of roughly 800 people in a town-hall-style meeting in Ohio that included high school juniors and seniors and their parents.
His visit to a suburban Columbus high school with Education Secretary Arne Duncan was their second stop to a presidential battleground state in as many months to talk about college affordability. Both visited Florida last month, and Biden planned to travel to Pennsylvania on Friday to discuss the issue.
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January 17 - Duncan Urges College Leaders to Continue Changes
By MICHAEL MAROT/AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Arne Duncan credits the NCAA for picking up the pace to fix college sports. He just believes more needs to be done in 2012 - perhaps even more quickly.
The U.S. education secretary called on Bowl Championship Series schools and conferences to put some of their revenue into an education fund and openly backed the two hot-button issues at last week's annual NCAA convention: a $2,000 allowance toward the full cost of attendance and multiyear scholarships.
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January 17 - Colorado Illegal Immigrant Tuition Bill Introduced Again
DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers is trying again to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrants who graduated from state high schools.
Democratic Sen. Michael Johnston of Denver introduced the legislation Wednesday. Five previous attempts have failed, but lawmakers have made modifications over the years to make the proposal more appealing to Republicans. This time, the bill would give colleges the option to opt-out of giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition.
The out-of-state tuition rate can be three times more expensive than the in-state rate. Supporters of the legislation say the higher rates illegal immigrant students have to pay is a roadblock to education. Republicans say the bill incentivizes illegal immigration.
About a dozen states have similar tuition legislation for illegal immigrants, including Illinois, Kansas and Texas.
January 17 - AAAS Analysis: 2012 R&D Gains for Basic Research, Energy and Environment; Overall Investment Down
WASHINGTON - Basic and applied research and energy and environmental research scored significant increases in a 2012 budget bill signed recently by President Barack Obama, but overall research and development spending will decline by 1.3 percent, according to a new analysis by the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program.
Total R&D spending for fiscal year 2012 was set at $142 billion, down about $1.9 billion from 2011.
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January 17 - N.Y.C. Mayor: Come Teach and We'll Pay Your Loans
NEW YORK (AP) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is wooing potential teachers to the profession by helping to pay off their college loans.
Bloomberg made an offer Thursday to graduates in the “top tier” of their college class.
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January 13 - Symposium to Examine Minority Male Participation in STEM Fields, Feb. 28
WASHINGTON - The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), NASA and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) are collaborating on a daylong symposium, Feb. 28, 2012, examining how to meet the nation's growing needs for professionals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields while increasing participation by students from various racial and ethnic groups. Participants will examine the “promising practices” and “lessons learned” from two initiatives: APLU's Minority Male STEM Initiative (MMSI) and the Meyerhoff Scholars Program of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
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January 13 - Report: Washington Falls Short in Higher Education
By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP/Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) - Education researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have a message for the citizens of Washington: state government is failing to meet its responsibility to provide enough opportunities for a college education in Washington.
While more jobs require a college degree and more kids come out of high school college-ready, the state's four-year universities are not able to enroll more students, says a new report released Monday to coincide with the start of the 60-day legislative session.
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January 13 - Georgia Regents Approve College Mergers at Meeting
By DORIE TURNER/AP Education Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - The unprecedented merger of eight public colleges was approved Tuesday by Georgia's Board of Regents in a move to reduce costs, shrinking the university system from 35 to 31 institutions.
The plan will consolidate Waycross College with South Georgia College in Douglas; Augusta State College with the Georgia Health Sciences University; Middle Georgia College with Macon State College; and Gainesville State College with North Georgia College & State University. University system Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced the move last week after visiting each campus to talk with administrators face-to-face.
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January 13 - Fresno State: Dual-Language Initiatives Topic of Jan. 13-14 Conference
FRESNO, Calif. - The 2012 Dual Language Conference, Jan. 13-14 at California State University-Fresno, will explore bilingual education, dual immersion programs and the education of bilingual students.
The free conference is open to the public in the Satellite Student Union 4-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 14. Nearly 325 participants have registered for 22 workshops and 14 exhibitors.
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January 13 - California Community College Leaders Call for Overhaul
By TERENCE CHEA/Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California community college leaders have signed off on major policy changes aimed at boosting graduation and transfer rates in the 112-campus system, despite concerns the measures could hurt disadvantaged students.
The 22 recommendations will go to the state Legislature for review after the California Community Colleges' governing board on Monday endorsed the measures recommended by the state-appointed Student Success Task Force.
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January 12 - Oklahoma Spends Millions on Two-Year College Dropouts
By SILAS ALLEN/The Oklahoman
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma spends millions of dollars each year on community college students who drop out before their second year of school, according to a recent study.
The Hidden Costs of Community Colleges was conducted by the American Institutes for Research, a Washington, D.C.-based behavioral and social science research institution. It was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and was released in October.
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January 12 - Employed Students' Workload Puts Studies at Risk
By TIM POST/Minnesota Public Radio
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Most Minnesota college students are still on their winter break, but for many it isn't much of a vacation. They take on extra jobs to help pay for tuition, books and other expenses.
A majority of Minnesota undergraduates already work between 20 and 30 hours per week on average. They say it's essential to pay for tuition and other expenses, which have skyrocketed in the last decade.
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January 12 - Kaplan Test Prep: Separating Fact from Fiction Will Help Students and Their Parents Better Navigate the Financial Aid Frenzy
NEW YORK - For two million-plus college applicants, how to pay for college is always top-of- mind - particularly during today's tough economic times. Competition for much-coveted financial aid remains as fierce as the college admissions process itself, so it's imperative that applicants and their parents know fact from fiction. Following are three common myths about the college financial process, followed by advice for students and their parents.
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January 12 - NACUA and ACE to Present Webinar on Protecting Minors on Campus
WASHINGTON - Recent events have highlighted the need for colleges and universities to be fully aware of how and when minors may be present on their campuses and of institutions' legal and ethical obligations to these individuals. The National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and the American Council on Education are presenting a webinar Jan. 20 to explore the issue and discuss appropriate policies and procedures to ensure those obligations are understood and fulfilled.
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January 11 - U.S. Department of Education Calls for Action to Develop 21st-Century Citizens, Strengthen Democracy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan along with several Obama administration and education officials yesterday launched a national conversation about the importance of educating students for informed, engaged citizenship with the release of the Department's report, Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action. The release coincides with the publication of a final report from the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy's Future, which was commissioned by the department.
“Today's students are tomorrow's leaders, and giving them a strong foundation in civic values is critical to the vitality of America's democracy and economy in the 21st century,” Duncan said. “This call to action is an opportunity to develop and improve civic learning as part of a well-rounded education so every student has a sense of citizenship.”
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January 11 - Minority-Serving Institutions: A Driving Force in Accomplishing Our National College Completion Goals
WASHINGTON - In order to accomplish our national college completion goals, it is critical that we turn our attention to educational equity to transform our educational system, meet work force demands, and bolster the economy, says the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). A central component in raising America's attainment levels is the role of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) - Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal College and Universities, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. These more than 400 institutions are not only experienced in doing more with less, but are recognized leaders in educating, serving and graduating low-income, first-generation and minority students. To celebrate the unique position of MSIs, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, in partnership with Lumina Foundation for Education, is directing a national, data-driven initiative called the “Lumina MSI Models of Success.”
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January 11 - Aid Seminars Offered for College-Bound Students in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Free assistance with financial aid applications for college-bound students across Wisconsin will be offered next month.
There are 29 locations for the College Goal Wisconsin events on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. The assistance sponsored by the Wisconsin Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators is designed to help low-income and first-generation college students who are seeking federal student aid.
Students born after Jan. 1, 1989, are asked to bring a parent along with a completed federal income tax return for 2011 and W2 statements.
More information about what to bring and where the seminars will be can be found at http://www.collegegoalwi.org.
January 11 - AAC&U President Speaks on Reclaiming the Civic Mission of Higher Education at White House Event
WASHINGTON - Concerned that we are creating a two-tier system of higher education that isn't preparing all college graduates to participate successfully in either our democracy or the economy, Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) President Carol Geary Schneider yesterday called for new efforts to make civic learning for all students a widely shared national priority at a White House convening, “For Democracy's Future: Higher Education Reclaims Our Civic Mission.” Schneider joined with U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter to present findings and recommendations from a new report, A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy's Future, authored by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, of which Schneider is one of 11 members.
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January 10 - Effort to Block California “Dream Act” Falls Short
By DON THOMPSON/Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The attempt to block a California law that allows public financial aid for college students who are in the country illegally failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, the leading proponent said Friday.
Opponents fell short by about 57,000 signatures, said state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who led the repeal effort. They needed more than 500,000 registered voter signatures to try to overturn the law.
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January 10 - Pew Hispanic Center: Counting the U.S. Foreign-Born Population
WASHINGTON - The foreign-born population in the U.S. increased by 616,000, or 1.6 percent, from 2009 to 2010, according to a new analysis of census data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. Both the absolute increase and the percentage increase are substantially smaller than implied by American Community Survey (ACS) data released by the Census Bureau because of the Pew Hispanic Center's revisions to ACS data for 2009.
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January 10 - NASFAA Taskforce to Present Congress with Higher Education Act Policy Recommendations
WASHINGTON - The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) yesterday announced the formation of a Higher Education Act Reauthorization Task Force. As the 2013 Higher Education Act expiration approaches, the Task Force will consult with NASFAA's membership and other important groups and agencies to develop recommendations to the NASFAA board on policy issues and specific statutory changes in the federal student aid programs and their delivery systems.
The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended, authorizes the major federal student aid programs. These programs are to be reviewed and “reauthorized” by Congress every five years.
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January 10 - UT Researchers Partner on Education Grant Project
AUSTIN, Texas - A research team in the School of Undergraduate Studies (UGS) at the University of Texas-Austin has received a $150,000 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) grant to develop a set of online training modules for Texas educators.
Led by Assistant Dean Cassandre Alvarado, the team intends to create an interactive resource that educators can use to enhance their understanding and use of data in both classroom and administrative environments. The team will partner with another research and development team from the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) to create a comprehensive final product.
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January 9 - SMC's Cesar and Ruben Selected for Kennedy Center Regional Festival
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The Santa Monica College (SMC) production of Cesar and Ruben, a musical about civil rights leader César Chávez written and co-directed by Emmy nominee Ed Begley Jr., has been selected for the prestigious 2012 Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival's regional competition.
Cesar and Ruben, an award-winning and critically praised musical, was mounted at SMC in October, with Theatre Arts chair Perviz Sawoski co-directing with Begley. The production not only received wide praise but also broke box office records at SMC.
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January 9 - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California to Award $328,000 in College Scholarships to High School Seniors
LOS ANGELES - In April 2011, Americans owed more than $1 trillion in student loan debt - more than what they owed on revolving debt balances such as credit cards. Scholarships are one way students can minimize their reliance on long-term loan debt and still be able to afford higher education. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California (RMHCSC) will award $328,000 in scholarship funds to deserving high school seniors who reside in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
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January 9 - Tuition-Setting Dispute Reaches Florida Supreme Court
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A dispute over who has the power to set state university tuition and fees has arrived in the Florida Supreme Court.
A group that includes former Gov. Bob Graham filed an appeal a little over a week ago. Now it's up to the justices to decide whether to take the case.
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January 9 - Jindal Opposes Proposal to Cap TOPS Grants
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. Bobby Jindal said he'll oppose any efforts to limit grants in the state's free college tuition program called TOPS, a recommendation backed by a higher education study panel last week.
The Governance Commission suggested a restructuring of TOPS, to give all students a flat grant amount, capped at the same level for everyone, rather than tied to the cost of tuition at an individual school.
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January 6 - AAC&U and The Democracy Commitment Invite Community Colleges to Participate in New NEH Project on Civic and Democratic Learning
WASHINGTON - The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and The Democracy Commitment: An American Community College Initiative (TDC) yesterday announced the receipt of a $359,995 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the formation of a new community college network focused on civic learning and democratic capacity-building. The funding will support a three-year curriculum and faculty development project called Bridging Cultures to Form a Nation: Difference, Community, and Democratic Thinking.
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January 6 - New UW Provost Sees a Glass Half-Full
SEATTLE (AP) - The University of Washington's (UW) new provost said she sees the school's cup as half-full - despite budget cuts and the economy.
“Budget cuts do bring out the creativity in people, and we are doing amazing, creative work here that will position us well for the future,” Ana Mari Cauce told The Seattle Times.
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January 6 - Over 30 Percent of Latinas in the U.S. and Mexico Suffer Perinatal Depression
PORTLAND, Ore. - Postpartum Support International (PSI), a world-renowned organization dedicated to bringing awareness to women's reproductive mental health and removing the stigma associated with Perinatal Depression, is unveiling their all-new Spanish-language educational DVD, Madre Saludable, Familia Feliz, distributing it to hospitals & health care agencies nationwide in an effort to help inform Latina women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).
Intended to provide pregnant and postpartum women, their families, and their health care providers further insight into the psychological and physiological effects of perintal mood and anxiety disorders, the DVD's English counterpart, Healthy Mom, Happy Families, is being offered to hospitals across the country to be incorporated into their women's education and childbirth support programs.
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January 6 - RVCC to Offer Spanish Language Courses
BRANCHBURG, N.J. - Raritan Valley Community College's (RVCC) Continuing Education division will be offering courses focusing on learning the Spanish language. The programs are designed for beginning Spanish students. All of the classes will be held at RVCC@Bridgewater, located at 14 Vogt Drive.
Spanish I: Students are introduced to the fundamentals of the Spanish language. Classes will include reading, writing and conversation. The course is taught in an informal atmosphere, and no prior knowledge of Spanish is needed. Classes will be held Tuesdays, Jan. 17-March 6, from 6:30-9 p.m. The cost per participant is $180.
Spanish II: The course continues to build on the language skills taught in Spanish I. Students will learn grammar and will broaden their Spanish vocabulary. Various verb tenses also will be taught. Students do not need to have taken Spanish I in order to enroll in Spanish II. Classes will be held Tuesdays, March 13-May 1, from 6:30-9 p.m. The cost per participant is $180.
To register or for more information, contact Continuing Education at 908-218-8871 or visit www.raritanval.edu/ce.
January 5 - Ernst & Young LLP Expands Size and Scope of Annual Event for Underrepresented Minority Students
NEW YORK - Ernst & Young LLP is hosting nearly 150 ethnically diverse students from 73 U.S. campuses at Discover Ernst & Young (formerly called Discover Tax), the organization's sixth annual event for minority students, which began yesterday and ends Friday, Jan. 6, in New York City.
The firm is concurrently hosting its fourth annual Campus Diversity and Inclusiveness Roundtable, a forum at which deans, faculty and administrators from top business programs will discuss the business imperative for diversity and inclusion and share best practices. This year's event features Jim Turley, the firm's chairman and CEO, and a panel discussion of prominent corporate executives on this topic.
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January 5 - Fleishman-Hillard Creates Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowships to Provide Career Opportunities for Minority College Students
ST. LOUIS - Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, a leading global strategic communications firm, has launched a program to strengthen the diversity of its staff by actively recruiting minority college students for a structured, high-level career entry program. The Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowships, named for one of the company's founders, will offer senior mentoring, professional development and employment opportunities with the firm for minority college students.
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January 5 - New Report Finds that Risk of Unemployment Varies by College Major
WASHINGTON - Unemployment figures show the jobless rate for recent college graduates with bachelor's degrees has been running at an unacceptable 8.9 percent. But a new study from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce finds that unemployment among job seekers with no better than a high school diploma is a catastrophic 22.9 percent - and an almost unthinkable 31.5 percent among high school dropouts.
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January 5 - McGraw-Hill Awards College Scholarships to Winners of “LearnSmart and Win” Video Contest
NEW YORK - McGraw-Hill Higher Education has announced the winners of the LearnSmart and Win! student video competition. Designed to showcase how digital technology enhances and personalizes learning, the national contest challenged students to develop original videos detailing how they've used adaptive learning technologies to enhance studying, raise grades and improve the overall learning experience.
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January 4 - NASSP and the College Board Join Forces to Promote Leadership for College and Career Readiness
RESTON, Va. – Combining the College Board’s deep understanding of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ (NASSP) extensive history in principal development and school improvement, the two organizations are launching an online community and webinar series to highlight the issues that school leaders will need to consider during the CCSS transition.
“The goal of the Common Core State Standards – to establish a common set of rigorous expectations to prepare students for college and career readiness – strongly reflects the guiding missions and values of the College Board, as well as of our programs and services,” said Tom Rudin, senior vice president of the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center. “Through our partnership with NASSP, we will work to ensure CCSS are successfully implemented through the strong leadership of education professionals.”
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January 4 - FairTest Releases NCLB 10th Anniversary Report
JAMAICA PLAIN, N.Y. – The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law “failed badly both in terms of its own goals and more broadly,” leading to a decade of educational stagnation. That is the central conclusion of a major new report marking NCLB’s 10th anniversary. President George W. Bush signed the program into law on Jan 8, 2002.
The report, NCLB’s Lost Decade for Educational Progress, summarizes data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and dozens of independent studies. It was written by staff of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest).
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January 4 - New York Bill Would Require Bachelor’s Degrees for RNs
By MICHAEL GORMLEY and GEORGE M. WALSH/Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – New registered nurses would have to earn bachelor’s degrees within 10 years to keep working in New York under a bill lawmakers are considering as part of a national push to raise educational standards for nurses, even as the health care industry faces staffing shortages.
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January 4 - Good Students Can Get a Good Deal on Tuition
By PATRICIA ALEX/The Record
HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) – Never pay retail, especially if you’re a good student. While college tuition continues to rise, so does the amount of aid that can significantly reduce the actual cost.
Some of those undergraduate discounts are deeper than ever – including a new program that slashes tuition by 68 percent for good students at Seton Hall University and financial aid packages that average $20,000 at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU).
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January 3 - Michigan to Offer Free Tests to School Districts
LANSING, Mich. (AP) – The Michigan Department of Education is offering a new, voluntary tool for school districts to gauge whether students are on track for college and careers.
The department is funding a two-year pilot project that will offer free tests to school districts. The assessments are geared to eighth- and 10th-graders.
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January 3 - Another Push to Allow Guns on College Campuses
PHOENIX (AP) – The upcoming legislative session will see a push by pro-gun politicians to pass legislation that would allow students and professors to carry guns onto Arizona college campuses.
Lawmakers rebuffed in 2011 by Gov. Jan Brewer in their efforts to legalize guns on campuses said they are determined to get the bill passed in the new session.
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January 3 - New Mexico Governor Wants More Money for College Preparation
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – New Mexico high school students will get more access to advanced placement classes and be able to take the PSAT for free under a plan unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Susana Martínez.
Martínez said the budget recommendations to the 2012 Legislature also include more frequent testing to ensure students are learning what they need to know to get into college.
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