Robert Zaretsky, in his recent article “The Absurdity of Asynchrony” (Oct. 14, 2024), described his own experience teaching an asynchronous online course as students receiving “three credits to watch movies whenever they wish – along with taking a bi-weekly multiple-choice quiz and tossing a comment into the discussion board once a week” so that “apart … Read more
Shayna Greenley/University of Michigan Learning a language involves much more than vocabulary and grammar; language learners must also uncover the cultural values and ideologies embedded within the language itself. In the case of Romance languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan, one of the most fundamental aspects of grammar is gender. Nouns, adjectives … Read more
It is very much not like me to share a positive perspective about higher education writ large in this space. After all, I’m the guy who, in August 2023, wrote (of higher education), “It’s Over: Higher Ed in the Rearview Mirror,” in which I declared that whatever beliefs people had about higher ed being places … Read more
Compared to students at four-year colleges and universities, community college students are less likely to participate in an internship or similar experiential learning opportunity. Despite the well-known impact of internships on student career preparation and future employment, community college students are less likely to participate in experiential learning. A September policy brief from the left-leaning … Read more
Pennsylvania State University has barred a biomedical engineering professor from conducting further research following an investigation that found “unreliable data” in numerous publications she authored, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday. Deborah Kelly, who specializes in cancer research, is still listed online as the director of PSU’s Center for Structural Oncology and remains employed by Penn … Read more
Three key state bond issues on the ballot this November could provide more resources to higher education institutions in California, New Mexico and Rhode Island if voters sign off. Meanwhile, voters in Utah will also weigh in on a ballot question that would boost funding for colleges without the state taking on more debt. Where and … Read more
The Department of Education had forgiven $17.2 billion in federal student loans for nearly 975,000 borrowers as of April 30, through a program that allows borrowers to seek relief if they’ve been misled or defrauded by their college, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found in a report released Thursday. Under the borrower defense to repayment policy, students … Read more
A silent protest in Harvard’s main library prompted multiple faculty suspensions. Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Harvard University administrators temporarily barred multiple faculty members from the university’s main library after more than two dozen held a silent “study-in” to protest treatment of student demonstrators who were temporarily suspended from the library for … Read more
An unforeseen drop in demand for higher education in England could prove to be a “nightmare” for universities, with predictions of enrollment growth in the rest of the decade looking optimistic and a demographic dip looming. A report written by Higher Education Policy Institute president Bahram Bekhradnia finds that previous estimates of 350,000 more students … Read more
Washington and Lee University has received a gift of $132 million that will allow it to go need-blind in admissions, on top of its existing commitment to meet full students’ financial need without loans, it announced Thursday. William H. Miller III’s donation will allow the private liberal arts college in Virginia to stop considering students’ or … Read more