The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

Hispanics Are The Next Major Growth Demographic For Education

With the number of Latino schoolchildren expected to nearly double by 2050, Latino education is a growth industry, a researcher at the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington said Wednesday at the opening session in Milwaukee of a conference on educating and graduating Latino high school students. Hispanics make up 20% of the school-age population, he said. That's projected to nearly double to 39% by 2050. More than half of Latino students entering college never return for a second year. Read more at:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/119360934.html

Most Elite IHEs Need To Increase Their Diversity

There’s an old joke that Harvard’s definition of diversity is having a rich kid from New York room with a rich kid from California. In 2008, the most recent year in the Chronicle’s data, a mere 6.5 percent of Harvard students received Pell Grants. And Harvard wasn’t all that unusual among elite colleges. The Chronicle graph suggests that elite colleges are still overlooking a good number of the country’s most talented, most deserving students. These also happen to be the students who appear to gain the most from an elite education. Read more at:
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/how-elite-colleges-still-arent-diverse/

Lesson For College Students On The Proper Use Of Digital Media

When Alexandra Wallace recorded her rant about Asian students using cellphones in the library at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, she was alone, speaking to her computer. But since she posted the three-minute video to YouTube, Ms. Wallace, a third-year political science student at U.C.L.A., has achieved a sudden, unwelcome celebrity: her video has been viewed by millions of people, and she has become the subject of nationwide condemnation and the catalyst of a debate about racial intolerance and free speech. Ms. Wallace has removed her video from YouTube, and issued an apology to the U.C.L.A. student newspaper.

 

Making A College Education An Option For Those With Intellectual Disabilities

The College of New Jersey, backed by a $1.28 million federal grant, is working with state high schools to spread a hopeful message to students with intellectual disabilities: College is possible. TCNJ's Career and Community Studies (CCS) program offers a four-year certificate for students with a range of intellectual disabilities, including autism, Williams syndrome, and Down syndrome. "Students with intellectual disabilities have never had that put before them," said Rebecca Daley, director of CCS. "College is something your siblings might do, but it was never an option." Read more at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20110223_New_Jersey_college_wants_higher_ed_possible_for_those_with_disabilities.html

Prospective Students Seek Gay-Friendly IHEs

When Jamesly Louis chooses the university he wants to attend next year, he’ll be looking at two things: the theater program and how safe the university is for gay students. The number of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students seeking a university that is “gay friendly” is increasing, driven by websites that rate schools on how supportive they are for gay students. Read more at:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/gay-friendly/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Virginia Considers Legislative Action To Prohibit Illegal Immigrants From Higher Ed

Virginia legislators once again will consider whether to bar illegal immigrants from enrolling in the state's public colleges and universities. Del. Christopher Peace's bill would amend state law to explicitly prohibit people who are in the United States illegally from being admitted to Virginia's public two-year or four-year institutions. Virginia's public two- and four-year institutions currently have the discretion to decide whether to admit illegal aliens as long as they charge them out-of-state tuition. Read more at:
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/01/virginia-consider-banning-illegals-colleges

More Non-Black Students Enrolling At HBCUs

Elizabeth Hallaren, a 20-year-old white woman, says she is beginning to understand what it's like to be a minority.
As a fourth-year nursing student at Hampton University, she is part of an increasing number of non-black students attending historically black colleges and universities such as HU. Enrollment trends have diversified greatly over the last two decades at traditionally black colleges. Read more at:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/hampton/hampton-university/dp-nws-cp-hu-minorities-20101005,0,6036210.story

IHEs Need To Work Harder At Campus Diversity

When Paul Gorski, the founder of an organization called EdChange, visits colleges and universities to advise them on campus diversity, he has come to see a pattern. Initially, schools are enthusiastic, pledging their full commitment to ensuring their campuses are free of racial, religious, and gender bias. But when Gorski begins to suggest the work that he believes really counts—reevaluating policies, reallocating budgets, and ultimately challenging the status quo—they stop returning his phone calls. They hire someone new, and they start again. Since student bodies turn over so quickly, it always looks as if the school is making an effort, even if they’re actually just treading water. Read more at:
http://education.newsweek.com/2010/09/29/the-invisible-campus-color-line.html

Center For Engagement Helps Keep Black Males In College

Plagued by high dropout rates among black males and frustrated that many weren't taking advantage of the resources the school provided, the college on Spring Garden Street applied for a U.S. Department of Education grant last year and received $600,000 to reach out to those minority students. The result? The year-old Center for Male Engagement, where more than 2,800 students have used services since its inception. Overall retention at community colleges is even more dire: Robinson said that only 18 percent of black males at community colleges go on to complete their degree. Read more at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/living/101950868.html

Poll Indicates Hispanics Seek College Degrees But Often Fall Short Of Goal

Despite strong belief in the value of a college diploma, Hispanics more often than not fall short of that goal. The poll's findings have broad implications not only for educators and parents, but for the economy. Aware of the challenge, some California State University campuses are reaching out to Hispanic children as early as the fourth grade. "Aspirations for higher education are very strong among Hispanics, but there's a yawning discrepancy between aspirations and actual attainment," said Richard Fry, an education researcher at the Pew Hispanic Center. Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/07/29/ap_univision_poll_college_dreams_for_hispanics/