In today’s headlines, The New York Times op-ed page looks at the debate over how to ensure high quality teacher education programs. In other news, The Chronicle of Higher Education writes about how the University of Pennsylvania is examining its campus culture and mental health services. See these and more stories below.
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Headlines from the Past Week
Monday, March 2
The Chronicle of Higher Education explores how small colleges are adapting in the aftermath of the recession, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education covers a report finding that nearly 22 percent of the nation’s community colleges are minority-serving institutions. Inside Higher Ed reports that the Department of Education plans to end its contract with five companies that collect defaulted federal student loans.
Friday, Feb. 27
Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, former president of the University of Notre Dame and a legendary figure in higher education, died last night. The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 along party lines yesterday to regulate broadband Internet service as a public utility, a move that will ensure that no content is blocked and that the Internet is not divided into pay-to-play fast lanes.
Thursday, Feb. 26
The U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to loosen restrictions on tax incentives for education savings, expanding 529 plans. Inside Higher Ed highlights a successful City University of New York experiment to help more students graduate from community college.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, proposed in a committee meeting Tuesday, scaling back some federal regulations on higher education that he said are draining universities of time and resources. Inside Higher Ed reports that teenagers who live in single-parent families are at a greater educational disadvantage today than they were 40 years ago, according to new research.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
More than half of Jewish students at American colleges reported personally experiencing or witnessing anti-Semitism within the past six months, according to survey findings. Research found that something is disproportionately deterring women and underrepresented minorities in graduate programs from pursuing science careers at research universities, and that it won’t be enough to attract more prospective scientists in order to increase the diversity of STEM disciplines.