Category: Higher Ed

In new report, Education Department urges colleges to ensure campuses are safe, inclusive

“We’ve got to stand up on behalf of our students who are the most vulnerable,” King said. “We’ve got to stand up for our students of color and insist on safe environments for them. We’ve got to stand up for our female students and insist on environments free of sexism. We’ve got to stand up for our students who are in religious minority groups who may be wrongly persecuted based on their religion. We’ve got to stand up for our students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We’ve got to stand

Source: In new report, Education Department urges colleges to ensure campuses are safe, inclusive

Annual Open Doors report documents continued growth in international students in U.S. and U.S. students abroad

IIE estimates that international students made up 5.2 percent of all students in U.S. higher education in 2015-16, an increase from 4.8 percent the year before and 3.2 percent a decade earlier. The proportions of international students in some states are higher, per the infographic below from IIE.

Source: Annual Open Doors report documents continued growth in international students in U.S. and U.S. students abroad

Trump’s Surprise Victory Sends Shock Through Higher Ed – The Chronicle of Higher Education

This is a very real point.  College students, and young people in general are the biggest losers in this election.  Not in the theoretical sense of losing out on just moral leadership, but more specifically in that unlike Clinton, Trump was never pushed to seriously engage issues about college debt and education financing.

“That’s the risk of trying to appeal to the everyday man, by de-emphasizing the importance of education, you run into a situation where education is put on the back burner and then institutions of higher education experience significant cuts and then we have trouble preparing the next generation of voters,” Ms. Tolson said. “I do see it as probably the biggest and honestly the saddest fallout of how our political system has developed.”

Source: Trump’s Surprise Victory Sends Shock Through Higher Ed – The Chronicle of Higher Education

Democrats and higher education groups call on Congress to use Pell surplus to expand program

I cannot say enough how much of a difference having adequate financial aid makes to a student’s experience.  I’ve seen countless students take leave and never return to school because of unyielding financial obligations.  And those who do stay are often stressed out by thought that this safety net can be pulled out from under their feet at any moment.  Many students need more than Pell, but few can afford to without what Pell offers and anything that bolster’s Pell funding is welcomed.

College students can receive up to $5,815 annually in Pell funding. Advocates said the grant is vital in making higher education affordable and preventing students from being forced to take out loans to pay for a degree. But the Obama administration reached a bipartisan agreement in 2011 to cut year-round Pell grants in response to funding shortfalls. Now the program has amassed a large surplus, which higher education advocates want to see dedicated to strengthening and expanding it.

Source: Democrats and higher education groups call on Congress to use Pell surplus to expand program

The broader implications of unfairly accusing a Latina student of plagiarism (essay)

It is imperative that our colleagues stop being surprised when students of color are able to thoughtfully articulate themselves in their writing and in class discussions. Such low expectations of students of color who have, at minimum, earned admission to our institutions effectively erases their demonstrated capabilities and ongoing potential to meet subjective academic standards.

Source: The broader implications of unfairly accusing a Latina student of plagiarism (essay)

Micro-Barriers Loom Large for First-Generation Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education

Reading Hillbilly Elegy, I thought about how much time we spend imploring students to seek guidance for obstacles of our own devising. We produce bureaucratic hurdles, then ask students to assume good faith and a willingness to help on the part of professors and administrators who don’t always exhibit such openness.

Source: Micro-Barriers Loom Large for First-Generation Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education

‘Not Your Language’: How a Classroom Interaction Led a Student to Speak Out on Microaggressions – The Chronicle of Higher Education

The first thing she said to me was, “This is not your language,”

Source: ‘Not Your Language’: How a Classroom Interaction Led a Student to Speak Out on Microaggressions – The Chronicle of Higher Education

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Center for Cultural Engagement

I realize that I may not have updated everyone, but I’m back in Maryland and now working at the Catholic University of America.

We’ve been in operation since July so we are still getting off the ground.  That said, I think we are doing some pretty neat stuff.  Check out the site and check back occasionally for some of our upcoming programs if you’re in the DC area.

Through promoting intercultural education and awareness at the Catholic University of America CCE contributes to the personal and intellectual development of all students. In so doing we strive to help students at The Catholic University of America in their pursuit of developing a sense of self, a sense of place, and a sense of responsibility.

Source: Center for Cultural Engagement

“Cult-like” Atmosphere Found in UAlbany Summer Program – Albany Student Press

Before being admitted to the university, academically and financially disadvantaged students applying through the EOP program must first graduate from a five-week orientation, structured by a system of strict rules, which if violated result in punishments referred to by EOP officials as “lockdown,” “bed rest,” and “isolation.”Some of these rules and punishments intersect with national definitions of non-criminal hazing and raise questions about how much personal freedom disadvantaged students must relinquish in exchange for an opportunity to attend a public university. In the words of one EOP student who wished to remain anonymous the summer program was like, “dangling meat in front of a hungry dog.”

Source: “Cult-like” Atmosphere Found in UAlbany Summer Program – Albany Student Press

Brookings study finds growing disparities in student loan debt between black and white graduates

A new study released by the Brookings Institution finds disparities in student debt levels for black and white borrowers grow after graduation, a trend partly attributable to higher enrollment rates for black students in graduate programs, especially at for-profit institutions. That jump in enrollment is linked to higher federal borrowing rates introduced in 2006 and the weak job market — especially for black college grads — after the 2008 recession.

Source: Brookings study finds growing disparities in student loan debt between black and white graduates

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