Arizona university founds civility institute
A university in Tucson is seeking to turn the shooting rampage that severely wounded U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords last month into a teachable moment with a new institute…
Higher Ed
A University of Virginia student has a bright idea: ‘Flash seminars’
Once or twice a week, students at the state's flagship public university collect in some idle classroom or lounge for a "flash seminar," an ad hoc performance of…
Open courseware on every campus by 2016?
Just as colleges and universities have adopted online classes over the past decade, students can expect free open courseware of some kind at every campus in the U.S.…
Campus libraries use tech to streamline student searches, staff work
A smart-phone application has ended the days of database searches at Boston College libraries, and staff members at Eastern Illinois University’s library can take inventory in two hours…
Recruiting in China pays off for U.S. colleges
At rural Grinnell, nearly one of every 10 applicants being considered for the class of 2015 is from China, reports the New York Times.
College classrooms replace stages for rock stars
They may fall off the pop charts, some might even lose the muse. But these days old rock stars need not worry about fading away, not when there's…
Texas lawmakers aim for guns on college campuses
Is the answer to mass shootings on college campuses to arm students and staff? Eight states are considering legislation that would allow people to carry a concealed handgun…
Flurry of data as rules near for commercial colleges
As the United States Department of Education gets closer to issuing its final regulations on commercial colleges’ eligibility for the federal student aid that provides the bulk of…
Universities on the brink
The ever-increasing cost of education is not sustainable, reports Louis E. Lataif for Forbes.
Study: Students need more paths to career success
The current U.S. education system is failing to prepare millions of young adults for successful careers by providing a one-size-fits-all approach, and it should take a cue from…
Tech-savvy students prompt colleges to revamp rules
Tony Brown didn’t set out to overhaul his college’s policies on intellectual property. He just wanted an easier way of tracking local apartment rentals on his iPhone.
To ‘friend’ or not to ‘friend’: Professor-student Facebook relationships
Kathryn Linder used to accept Facebook friend requests from her students, until the Suffolk University official considered the repercussions of blending her social and professional lives.
Brooklyn College revokes instructor’s appointment to teach Mideast politics
Professor Kristofer Petersen-Overton said he had learned a that Brooklyn College was rescinding his appointment, saying he lacked the academic qualifications to teach such a high-level course, reports…
U.K. university awards first Beatles degree
A Canadian woman has become the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in Beatles studies, Reuters reports. Former Miss Canada finalist Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy…
Your professor, your computer, and you
Can students possibly learn more sitting alone, staring at a computer screen for hours on end than they could sitting amongst peers and interacting directly with an expert…
New site offers college essays, sans plagiarism
Being the first in his family to graduate from high school, Paris Wallace said he sympathizes with teenagers who find themselves alone in the circuitous college application process,…
Nursing students to use iPods for treatment, exams
Students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Nursing will be able to translate patient questions from English to Spanish, run diagnostic tests, and prepare…
Blackboard backs ed-tech standards
Common standards for online learning became more likely this week after Blackboard, Inc. announced that it would support an open database initiative that could make educational content usable…
University looks to draw students to STEM education
Arizona State University officials will invite teenagers to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from experts in those fields. The campus program joins a host of…
Universities find the virtualization ‘sweet spot’
There hasn’t been much opposition to ridding college campuses of clunky, energy-guzzling server racks, campus technology chiefs say, although creating virtual servers could result in an unwieldy mess…
Adaptive learning tool helps spur individual success
Undergraduate professors employ myriad techniques to motivate their students to arrive prepared for active discussion. Despite our efforts, students often fall well short of our preparation expectations and…
Report shows high school graduates enter college unprepared
High school students should be exposed to college-level courses early on, and they should learn in technology-rich classrooms that redesign the learning process to emphasize problem-solving, critical thinking,…
College help-desk services lagging in tech use
University help-desk services need a technological makeover, according to a recent report that shows students and faculty at seven out of 10 schools can’t hold online chats with…
Web helps admissions officials demystify application process
Admissions officials at many colleges are trying to fight the Hollywood version of the college application process: A panel of ancient white guys in suits sitting in a…
With Common Application, many find a technical difficulty in common, too
The Common Application, the admission form accepted by more than 400 colleges and universities, was created in part to ease the burden on high school seniors. No longer…
Colleges rethink R.O.T.C. after ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal
The Senate vote to repeal the 17-year old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against gay men and lesbians serving openly in the armed forces removes a reason that…
Unease grows about future of financing for Pell grants
With the lame-duck Congress winding down and a $5.7 billion gap in financing looming for next year’s Pell grants--and a further $8 billion gap for the following year--there…
Mental health needs seen growing at colleges
National surveys show that nearly half of the students who visit counseling centers are coping with serious mental illness, more than double the rate a decade ago. More…
Early applicants more likely to gain college admission
High school seniors who apply to college early--through "Early Decision" or "Early Action" programs with fall deadlines--are more likely to receive admission letters than those who apply using…
Instructing online instructors
Tammy Hall encourages first-time online instructors to ready themselves for any and all student questions on the first day of class, knowing that no amount of prep can…
Purdue and Verizon partner to bring 4G to campus
Purdue University will join the 38 major metropolitan areas and more than 60 commercial airports that Verizon plans to cover in the first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution…
Technology helps save college fundraising
Carefully crafted social media strategies and web videos that tug alumni heartstrings could become a foundation of college fundraising as campus officials use dwindling resources to recover from…
Touring campuses in three dimensions … from your living room
It doesn’t require airfare or gas money, and students think it’s cool: Three-dimensional virtual campus tours have launched at seven colleges and universities, providing a welcomed alternative to…
Some retirees opting for campus life
Retirement communities, typically nestled near beaches or golf courses, are beginning to emerge somewhere else: on university campuses, reports the New York Times.
Report: More government involvement needed in college search process
Prospective students and their parents need more and far better information--particularly about outcomes--in order to help them decide the best school to attend and the federal government should…
Can Twitter use help improve grades? Some researchers think so
Twitter use might be more than an extracurricular activity for college students, according to researchers from three universities whose work suggests that using the popular microblogging service to…
25 ways to reduce the cost of college
The Center for College Affordability and Productivity has been periodically releasing bits and pieces of what will be a book-length compendium of 25 proposals to reduce the cost…
Report finds low graduation rates at for-profit colleges
A new report on graduation rates at for-profit colleges by a nonprofit research and advocacy group charges that such colleges deliver “little more than crippling debt,” citing federal…
Professor’s ‘yawn’ rant offers a lesson in viral video
Cornell University Professor Mark Talbert’s search for a student who yawned during class was first seen by about 200 students. The recorded rant had been viewed 218,000 times…
Historically black colleges look to increase online presence
When Michael Hill needed a doctoral program with the flexibility to let him continue working full-time as a Lincoln University administrator, he chose an online degree program from…