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Showing posts from September, 2019

Florida Career College to Close

Florida Career College to Close Doug Lederman Fri, 01/26/2024 - 03:00 AM Byline(s) Doug Lederman from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/avZRfLi

OPINION: DeVos’s unfinished business — student debt relief for 200,000 borrowers with disabilities

Too often, political blinders thwart commonsense policies that everyone should support. That is why the Trump administration’s decision last month to automatically discharge student loans held by approximately 25,000 disabled veterans was more than just a long overdue and hard-earned win for American heroes; it was also a rare and welcome moment of bipartisan progress in today’s Washington. For years prior to the announcement, advocates and lawmakers from both political parties argued for removing obstacles for Americans who qualify for debt relief because of disabilities. Now, Republicans and Democrats agree that it’s time to finish the job for the roughly 200,000 eligible student loan borrowers who were left out of last month’s decision. Under the Higher Education Act, borrowers with total and permanent disabilities (TPD) are eligible to have their federal student loans discharged. Over the last three years, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administratio

Zoom, Echo Frames, Spatial, Magic Leap, Web Meetings, and Synchronous Online Learning

Blog:  Technology and Learning This week, I had one of those uncomfortable realizations that cause me to question my ability to make sense of the world. My latest revelation that everybody else already knows - and which I seem to be the last to grasp - is that sometimes face-to-face discussions are better than online meetings. That’s right. I had an experience this week where an in-person meeting was superior to a discussion on Zoom. It turns out that some discussions are better held in a shared physical location. Zoom is still not able to capture the subtleties of body language or substitute for the interpersonal bonding that comes with meeting face-to-face. High fidelity collaboration, particularly among humans who don’t yet know each other, seems to require more bandwidth than even the most crystal clear of video and audio feeds. Does this mean that we will be consigned to a lifetime of travel by airplane, train, bus, or car to attend face-to-face meetings? As an onlin

The Right Mix of Academic Programs

This brief explores how to cut, adapt, and expand programs, as well as optimize course scheduling. Before implementing any changes, a strategic review should first gauge each program’s importance to the institution, measure student interest and outcomes, and fully account for revenues and expenses. Campus leaders who adjust their mix of offerings can shore up finances while better promoting students’ educational and career opportunities. Purchase your copy today. from The Chronicle of Higher Education https://ift.tt/2mV8KNz

How you talk to your child might make them smarter

Excerpts of adult explanations from a working paper, “How does a switch work? The relation between adult mechanistic language and children’s learning,” by Katelyn Kurkul et al. Young children who were exposed to more mechanistic explanations learned more. Why is it that higher income kids tend to score better on achievement tests than poor kids, even at the youngest ages? One explanation from the 1990s is the so-called 30-million word gap , in which researchers observed how higher income parents talked to their kids more and estimated that low income kids heard 30 million fewer words before the age of four. But a new generation of researchers has been questioning whether the quantity of words really matters. Two studies in 2014 found that the quality of interaction between parents and babies was a better predictor of language skills.  A 2018 neuroscience study calculated that back-and-forth conversation was more important to brain development than the sheer number of words.

Students trust libraries for more than borrowing books, report says

When Karen Stout was president of Montgomery County Community College, the Pennsylvania institution changed the way the library was designed. It was co-located with the student success center and changed to incorporate more student services. The college saw an “immediate uptick” in use from students for services other than borrowing books, like printing and technology use, according to Stout, now president and CEO of the nonprofit Achieving the Dream. She also positioned her office in the middle of the library as a symbol that she was leading with student success in mind. Montgomery might have been on to something. A study released Monday by Ithaka S+R, the research arm of nonprofit Ithaka, found that students see libraries as a valuable space for services, including nonacademic services. Through an initiative called the Community College Libraries and Academic Support for Student Success project, researchers first interviewed 37 students from seven community colleges about thei

California appeals court sides with professor in tenure-denial case

A California appeals court last week upheld a jury’s earlier verdict that San Francisco State University retaliated against a professor in denying her tenure after she complained about the climate for minority women. The First District Court of Appeal ruled, 3 to 0, that the university owes Rashmi Gupta, professor of social work at San Francisco State, $378,000 in damages and $587,000 for attorneys’ fees and court costs. The case is significant because professors don't often sue over tenure denials, even when they think they've been wronged. And even when they do sue, courts typically defer to colleges because tenure cases tend to be so complex. But Gupta's evidence of retaliation by one administrator in particular, supported by witness testimony, is compelling. The case also turns -- to a surprising degree, given that so many experts say they shouldn't be used in high-stakes personnel decisions -- on student evaluations of teaching . Teaching Troubles -- at Firs

Mass Shooter Database

How do we reduce mass shootings? In today's Academic Minute, Hamline University 's Jillian Peterson looks into the data. Peterson is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Hamline. A transcript of this podcast can be found here . Section:  Academic Minute File:  09-30-19 Hamline - Mass Shooter Database.mp3 Event's date:  Sunday, September 29, 2019 - 12:45pm School:  Hamline University from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2oqrl4g

Modernizing the Workforce

This webcast will explore the leadership and employment issues facing campus leaders and discuss some of the ways the institutions are responding. Section:  In-Person Events & Free Webcasts on Key Issues in Higher Ed Ad zone:  Booklet Image:  Ad keyword:  ModernizingWorkforce_20190930 Registration Link:  Registration Link Event's date:  Wednesday, October 30, 2019 - 2:00pm from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2mXH5eM

Translations

Blog:  Confessions of a Community College Dean   Travel budgets didn’t allow for flying to Texas for the #RealCollege conference this year, which was probably just as well; I’ve spent the last several days battling a nasty cold anyway.  Happily, between Twitter and a live feed, I was able to pick up a few things without being Patient Zero on a plane.     The most basic was a need for translation.     Every industry has words that it uses differently than the rest of the world does.  For example, the insurance industry uses “deductible” to refer to a part I pay, as opposed to a part that’s deducted from the bill.  After all these years, that still strikes me as backwards. Cellular companies keep finding different meanings of “unlimited,” none of which resembles any established English-language usage.  (Verizon’s recent “beyond unlimited” came perilously close to Buzz Lightyear’s “To infinity...and beyond!,” except that Pixar was in on the joke. I don’t think Verizon is.)

The importance of pursuing a passion in grad school and how to do so successfully (opinion)

Category:  Carpe Careers They allow you to explore your skills, gain experience and refine career goals, writes Dan Moseson, who provides advice for successfully doing so. Job Tags:  FACULTY JOBS Ad keywords:  faculty Editorial Tags:  Career Advice Show on Jobs site:  Image Source:  Istockphoto.com/mykyta Dolmatov Image Size:  Thumbnail-horizontal Ad keyword:  OK4Fidelity Is this diversity newsletter?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Trending:  from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2maIBd2

Compilation on Modernizing the Workforce

Inside Higher Ed is pleased to release today our latest print-on-demand compilation, "Modernizing the Workforce." You may download a copy here, free . And you may sign up here for a free webcast on the themes of the booklet on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Trending:  from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2nOyhrw

Sewanee Shifts to Meeting Students' Full Need

The University of the South has moved to meeting the full financial need of all students -- domestic and international. The university historically was full need but moved away from the policy in recent decades. “We have been determined for quite some time to restore Sewanee’s historic commitment to meeting 100 percent of our students’ demonstrated financial need,” said Vice Chancellor John McCardell. “Over the years, and by a variety of actions, we have shown a dedication to keeping the cost of a top-quality college education as affordable and predictable as possible.” Ad keywords:  admissions studentaid Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Ad keyword:  OK4Fidelity Trending:  College:  Sewanee: The University of the South from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2maIzBW

Harvard Professor Gets Anonymous Hate Note

An unnamed professor at Harvard University received an anonymous note on her office door that wished her “ill” and expressed racist views, President Lawrence Bacow and Claudine Gay, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, said in a message to the campus Friday. The faculty member was returning to the office with graduate students when she found the note, which "insulted her ethnicity and immigrant status," the statement said, according to NBC Boston . No additional details were available, but Bacow and Gay said that such acts attempt to "corrode the trust and respect that is essential to the open exchange of ideas." A dozen professors and staff members at Wake Forest University working in diversity-related fields received anonymous hate emails earlier this month. Ad keywords:  administrators diversity faculty Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Car

Syracuse University Hires Security to Patrol Dorms

Syracuse University will be hiring 84 security officers and 12 coordinators to patrol its 22 residence halls 24-7, reports Syracuse.com . A university spokesperson said that this decision did not follow any particular issue but comes after a customary review of safety procedures. The 96 officers will be hired from within the community and will work on rotating 10-hour shifts. Officers will not be armed, but they need to have security guard certifications from New York State. Previously, student employees managed desks at entryways of the dorms from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Trending:  College:  Syracuse University from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2nIMlTI

Harvard President Sorry for Comparing Fundraising to Freeing Slaves

Harvard University president Lawrence Bacow has apologized for comments comparing new fundraising rules to the 13th Amendment, which freed the slaves. The comments were referring to the university's efforts to make it easier for donors to contribute. Bacow was alluding to how schools and colleges at Harvard could not monopolize certain donors, and how alumni could donate to any of the university's schools, The Boston Globe reported. In an email to university members, Bacow apologized for his comments and said he understood how his analogy could have " unsettled " some Harvard staff. He expressed his regret for making those statements. Ad keywords:  executive sensitive Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Trending:  College:  Harvard University from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2mbxsIX

Rice Apologizes for Mishandling Sexual Assault

Rice University has apologized for not pursuing consequences for a student accused of sexual assault after a survivor called out the university in a recently published op-ed in the student newspaper. The anonymous op-ed outlined how a student had reported a sexual assault to authorities and then watched as the male perpetrator graduated in fall 2018 without any repercussions, reports The Houston Chronicle . Late Friday evening Rice president David Leebron and the dean of undergraduates, Bridget Gorman, sent out an apology for the handling of the case. Gorman also told the staff of the student newspaper that the administrators had not accurately told the student who filed the sexual assault complaint of the full outcome of the investigation. According to Gorman , the student did face consequences but was allowed to graduate regardless because he had achieved the appropriate number of credits. Numerous copies of the op-ed were taped to the base of a prominent on-campus statue of

Stanford Marching Band Members Seen Taking a Knee

A video is circulating on Twitter showing three members of Stanford University 's marching band taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem at last Saturday's game against the University of Oregon. Taking a knee as protest against police brutality was made famous by quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick played for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers until 2016, when many say he was blackballed from the league. Kaepernick retweeted the clip. The video was taken by KXSF 102.5 FM San Francisco Community Radio and posted to their sports radio Twitter on the day of the game. The Stanford band has a history of making headlines and raising eyebrows . The band has not made a statement regarding the kneeling. Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Trending:  College:  Stanford University from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2nOy2N8

Academic Minute: Mass Shooter Database

Today on the Academic Minute , Jillian Peterson, assistant professor of criminal justice at Hamline University , looks into the data on mass shootings to explore how we might reduce them. Learn more about the Academic Minute here . Ad keywords:  sensitive Is this diversity newsletter?:  Hide by line?:  Disable left side advertisement?:  Is this Career Advice newsletter?:  Trending:  College:  Hamline University from Inside Higher Ed https://ift.tt/2mbxn87

Alexander Backs College Transparency Act

Senator Lamar Alexander, the GOP chairman of the Senate education committee, signed on last week as a co-sponsor of the College Transparency Act, legislation that would remove the federal ban on a student-level data system. Proponents argue passing the bill is critical to tracking college outcomes that have come under increasing scrutiny from policy makers. The legislation has support from more than a quarter of the Senate, but Alexander is likely the most significant co-sponsor so far. The College Transparency Act is a top priority for public colleges as well as business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Last week, Alexander released legislation that would narrowly update the Higher Education Act. Alexander’s bill, the Student Aid Improvement Act of 2019, included several bipartisan higher ed proposals but not the College Transparency Act. Democrats, however, have said they have no interest in passing legislation that isn’t a comprehensive HEA reauthorization. Ad

Colleges shouldn't sell out to online program managers and should instead focus on the quality of students' educational journeys (opinion)

Back when I was working in my university’s graduate school, I went to a lot of recruiting fairs. Sending me, a tenured academic administrator, was an unusual approach to recruiting -- most of my fellow recruiters at other institutions were staff members. Often they were relatively young and ambitious. For many of them, moving up in the staff hierarchy meant getting an advanced degree of some sort. So I often found myself trying to sell other recruiters on our graduate programs. One such encounter has stuck with me. On that occasion, a recruiter asked me if my institution offered any online doctoral programs. He wanted to advance at his university but felt he needed a doctoral degree to do so. We had spent several hours in adjoining booths, and he seemed smart and earnest. At the time, we did not offer an online doctorate in anything, and none of our doctoral programs were in his intended field, so I switched from a recruiting mode to that of an adviser/mentor. I tried to convince