The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

IHEs Will Have To Explain Large Tuition Hikes To Dept. Of Education

Roughly 530 colleges across the country will soon have to submit special reports to Uncle Sam, explaining why their tuition and student fees have recently surged. For the first time ever the Department of Education released a list Thursday morning, ranking colleges with the steepest tuition hikes. By law, the worst offenders will now be required to submit special reports to the government, explaining why costs have gone up so dramatically, and how they plan to address rising prices. Read more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-us-forcing-some-colleges-to-explain-huge-tuition-hikes-20110630,0,5799467.story

Look For More Instructional Outsourcing In Higher Education

This fall, when students of Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., take an introductory journalism class, they'll have some of the most qualified teachers in the field. But the teachers won't be on the university payroll. They work for St. Petersburg-based Poynter Institute, a non-profit journalism training group, which has agreed to supply the university with instructors for the class via the Internet. Virtually unheard of a decade ago, instructional outsourcing is sprouting on university campuses around the country. Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2011-06-28-instruction-outsourcing_n.htm

Top Private Schools Are Picking Off Star UC System Faculty

UC San Diego faced a losing battle recently when it tried to hang on to three star scientists being wooed by Rice University for cutting-edge cancer research. The recruiting package from the privateHouston university included 40% pay raises, new labs and a healthy flow of research money from a Texas state bond fund.
 Another factor, unrelated to Rice, helped close the deal: The professors' sense that declining state funding for the University of California makes it a good time to pack their bags. Officials say a worsening UC budget picture is emboldening other schools, particularly top private institutions, to recruit UC faculty. Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-me-brain-drain-20110629,0,6411069.story

In Response To Pressure From The Disabled UCLA Cracks Down On Illegal Parking

After years of warnings, debate and delays, Los Angeles officials this week began ticketing the cars of drivers who "apron park" on the streets of Westwood, a move critics say will create a parking crisis around the UCLA campus. For decades, Westwood residents — many of them UCLA students — have packed their cars into driveways in such a way that they block sidewalks and spill out into the street. They argue that the makeshift, but illegal, practice is the only way to deal with a critical lack of parking around the campus and in the Westwood Village area. The city decided to act after being sued by plaintiffs who said apron parking broke laws regarding the disabled. Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-me-westwood-parking-20110628,0,7128623.story

What Students Can Do To Get Ready For Their First Year At College

For most students taking the direct path from high school to college, the biggest change is that, once at college, you’re in charge. Whereas in high school your teachers and parents often held your hand — reminding you repeatedly about due dates and checking to see if you have done your homework — your college professors will expect you to operate as an independent adult. Before you head off to orientation, to familiarize yourself with the central academic information about your college. Read more at:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/summer-to-do/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Raising Tuition Puts Higher Ed Out Of Reach And Hurts Economic Growth

f there is a silver lining in the cloud of recent tuition hikes by the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Board of Regents, it is that Gov. Bill Haslam told the two boards that increasing state revenue should be enough avoid another big cut of state higher education funding next year. We welcome that news following higher education funding cuts of around 20 percent for the coming fiscal year. But that is small consolation for students and parents who have to shoulder several successive years of tuition hikes. A big problem faced by many Tennessee families, especially in rural areas, is that the rising cost of higher education could put it out of reach. Read more at:
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110627/OPINION01/106270303 

 

University Helps Local Communities Grow Greener

The University of Maryland wants to help Maryland's 157 cities and towns go green — or, in some cases, greener. According to the program's website, it will help communities find cost-effective and strategic ways to protect natural assets and revitalize. The website recommends actions that communities can tailor to their own needs and budgets as they plan green initiatives, including alternative energy options, reduced transportation costs and community gardens. Read more at:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-06-26/news/bs-md-environmental-financing-20110626_1_green-communities-green-team-green-policies 

 

Study Will Examine If Merit Scholarships Lead To More College Graduates

It seems the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program has been under scrutiny since its inception. That a Florida State University professor was just given a $780,000 federal grant to study the merit-based award's effectiveness isn't exactly a shock. Shouping Hu, who's published several previous studies on college students' behavior, wants to find out whether Bright Futures leads to higher college enrollment and more timely degree production. Basically, if a student gets the scholarship, is he or she more likely to go to college, get good grades and graduate on time? Read more at:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/fsu-professor-to-study-is-bright-futures-working/1177582 

 

Academic Subsidies For Athletics A Growing Problem For Higher Ed

The battle between academics and athletics is brewing nationally. Subsidies account for $1 of every $3 spent on athletics at NCAA Division I schools. Since 2006, athletics budgets at 219 Division I public schools have increased 22%, and subsidies — the part of the budget that comes from student fees and university money — have increased 26%. But no athletics program has matched Rutgers' subsidies; $115 million is the highest for any public school and nearly twice the subsidy of the next highest school. Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2011-06-28-rutgers-athletic-department-subsidies_n.htm 

 

Third-Party Groups Crop Up To Tackle Higher Ed Problems In Texas

For years, Gov. Rick Perry’s efforts to increase efficiency and productivity at public universities were mostly conducted out of the public eye.Now, after months of controversy, with several third-party organizations across the state cropping up to focus on the issue, along with a new oversight committee created by the Legislature, the various constituents are preparing for a protracted public discussion about how to best address problems like rising tuition and ballooning student debt. The newly formed Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education has called for a tack different from the one pushed by the governor, one that gives more weight to ideas from faculty members and administrators. Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/us/26ttgrassroots.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss