HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

September 17

A federal appeals court heard arguments in a lawsuit alleging that Harvard illegally discriminates against Asian-Americans in its admissions process… IBM announced that it will invest $100 million in programming, credentials, and training at more than a dozen historically black colleges and universities to improve diversity in quantum computing, writes Education Dive… Working adults increasingly are interested in pursuing postsecondary education, but they are also less confident about the value of college, reports Inside Higher Ed.

With Justice Department Weighing in, Federal Appeals Court Hears Harvard Admissions Case
The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Sept. 16, 2020

IBM Plans $100M Investment in HBCU Computing Program
Education Dive | Sept. 17, 2020

Cautious Interest in College Among Working Adults
Inside Higher Ed | Sept. 17, 2020

September 16

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and 48 state attorneys general secured a settlement with affiliates of Deutsche Bank to forgo collection of private student loans amassed by former ITT Tech students before the for-profit chain folded in 2016…ACE’s Louis Soares talks with Forbes to about a new initiative to integrate blockchain and education...As coronavirus outbreaks plague some college campuses across the country, there are also some success stories at schools where positivity rates are remarkably low, reports NBC News…Georgia State University President Mark Becker announced he’s leaving the position in June after more than a decade in the job of leading the school, which has grown under his tenure into having the largest enrollment of any university in the state.

Former Students of Defunct ITT Tech to Receive $330 million in Private Student-loan Forgiveness
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Sept. 15, 2020

Can Blockchain Technology Provide A Better Learner Record?
Forbes (sub. req.) | Sept. 16, 2020

How Some Colleges are Keeping Coronavirus Numbers Low
NBC News Today | Sept. 16, 2020

Georgia State University’s President Announces Departure
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Sept. 15, 2020

September 15

Researchers at the University of Texas have developed an antibody test for the coronavirus that they say is more accurate, scalable and affordable than the commercially available tests used to analyze blood samples and determine whether an individual was previously infected with the virus that causes COVID-19…Some health experts are push back against an undercurrent of pessimism about college reopenings, reports Inside Higher Ed… The Consumer Price Index for college tuition and fees saw a significant decline from July to August, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics data released Friday.

Will New Antibody Test Developed by UT Scientists Be a Game Changer?
Austin American-Statesman (sub. req.) | Sept. 14, 2020

Doomed From the Start? Or Not?
Inside Higher Ed | Sept. 15, 2020

College Tuition Benchmark Posts Big Drop in August
Education Dive | Sept. 14, 2020

September 14

With the fall semester now underway, several colleges are already announcing their instruction plans for the spring with only a few institutions changing their approaches, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education… The Associated Press reports 25 percent of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13 percent of older adults… The city of Philadelphia is reaching out to the Community College of Pennsylvania to find students to help as coronavirus patient contact tracers.

Spring Planning Has Begun. Here’s What Colleges Are Thinking So Far.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Sept. 11, 2020

Coronavirus Pandemic Takes Harsh Toll on Young Adults’ Mental Health, Poll Finds
The Associated Press (The Denver Post) |Sept. 13, 2020

Tracing the Coronavirus: Students at Community College of Philadelphia Are Working to Help Stop the Spread
The Philadelphia Inquirer (sub. req.) | Sept. 14, 2020

September 11

Several recent surveys suggest a rising need for mental health support for college students due to the pandemic’s social and economic consequences, as well as the continued uncertainty about their college education and post college careers, writes Inside Higher Ed . . . The New York Times looks at how an upswing in positive tests, a situation that now seems to be improving, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed how even the most comprehensive approaches to limiting the virus’s spread can break down if a small number of people take deliberately dangerous actions . . . Diverse: Issues In Higher Education profiles the new Veteran-to-Executive Transition program at the College of William & Mary that assists veterans during their transition from active duty to the civilian workforce.

Mental Health Needs Rise With Pandemic
Inside Higher Ed |Sept. 11, 2020

A University Had a Great Coronavirus Plan, but Students Partied On
The New York Times (sub. req.)|Sept. 10, 2020

New William & Mary Program Supports Veterans as They Transition to the Civilian Workforce
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education | Sept. 11, 2020

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