Higher Education Quick Takes

Quick Takes

Cheerleading Squad Suspended for Hazing at Towson U.
August 30, 2013

Towson University has suspended its cheerleading squad from competing for the full academic year, citing an alleged incident of hazing, The Baltimore Sun reported. The Maryland university provided no details about the incident involving the team, which won a national championship award last year. But Towson's vice president for student affairs, Deb Moriarty, said in a statement that "hazing in any form will not be tolerated at Towson University. We hold high expectations for all of our students and their conduct as leaders, both on and off campus."

 

Comments
Westfield State Board Backs President Despite Report's Findings of Violations
August 30, 2013

An external review released to Westfield State University's Board of Trustees Thursday found that President Evan Dobelle used his foundation-provided credit card for tens of thousands of dollars in personal expenses, but several board members rallied behind him, The Republican of Springfield reported. The accountant's review, prepared in March, found that the president had charged $68,000 in personal expenses to the card, in violation of university rules. But in remarks to the board, Dobelle noted that no fraud had been discovered, and that he had repaid all of the personal charges, the newspaper said. The Boston Globe reported that Dobelle challenged the validity of the audit report, citing the fact that it had been approved only by an executive committee of the board.

Several board members praised Dobelle at the meeting. “When you are a visionary and want to do something great, you’re going to have detractors,” said one. (Note: This item has been updated from an earlier version to correct statements about the nature and timing of the report.)

Comments
V.A. Expands On-Campus Counseling For Veterans
August 30, 2013

A federal program that provides student veterans with on-campus educational and career counseling will nearly triple its footprint across the country this fall, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday. Under a program called VetSuccess on Campus, the V.A. plans to provide 62 more campuses with counselors, on top of the existing 32 institutions already participating in the program.

The counselors help veterans navigate their educational and medical benefits. The institutions selected for expansion include about a dozen large public universities, some community colleges and several private institutions.

As large numbers of veterans have returned home from Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans' groups have been pushing for more support services and better consumer protection for veterans using their educational benefits such as the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. A majority of money from that benefit is spent at for-profit colleges (followed closely by public universities), according to a recent government report. The Obama administration, Congressional Democrats and a slew of state attorneys general have also been stepping up their scrutiny of how colleges, especially for-profit institutions, recruit and serve veterans. 

Comments
Academic Minute: Spatial Training and Math Ability
August 30, 2013

In today’s Academic Minute, Kelly Mix of Michigan State University reveals the connection between math ability and visual spatial training. Learn more about the Academic Minute here.

 

Comments
Report: African-American Studies 'Alive and Well'
August 30, 2013

African-American studies in the United States is "alive and well," according to a new report issued by scholars at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The report surveyed 1,777 colleges and universities and found that 76 percent have some type of black studies. While some college offer only a course or two, 20 percent of those surveyed have full departments or programs.

 

Comments
Student Arrested for Twitter Threat to Aid Office
August 30, 2013

A student at St. Louis Community College was arrested Wednesday for a "violent" threat against the financial aid office, authorities said, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The Twitter message said that she was so frustrated with the financial aid office that she wanted to kill someone. The tweet didn't name an individual. College officials discovered the post through regular monitoring of social media about the college.

 

Comments
Transition at ETS
August 30, 2013

The board of the Educational Testing Service announced Thursday that Walt MacDonald will become the next president and CEO. MacDonald is currently executive vice president and chief operating officer of ETS. He will succeed Kurt M. Landgraf, who has been president since 2000.

Comments
U. of Liberia to Admit 1,800 Who Failed Entry Exam
August 29, 2013

The University of Liberia has announced that it will admit 1,800 students, even though they (like all 25,000 applicants this year) failed the entry exam, BBC reported. Officials have blamed the mass failures on lack of knowledge of English. It is unclear how the 1,800 who will be admitted were selected.

 

Comments
Law School in Charleston Confirms It Is for Sale
August 29, 2013

The owners of the Charleston School of Law announced Wednesday they plan to sell the institution to the InfiLaw System, which operates a chain of for-profit law schools, The State reported. A recent announcement by the law school that it was turning over some management functions to InfiLaw set off concerns from some students and alumni that the arrangement would lead to a sale. Critics of the idea say that it would decrease the value of the law school's degrees, while law school officials say a sale would bolster the institution.

 

Comments
Donor Pulls $100,000 Gift Over Westfield State President's 'Lavish Spending'
August 29, 2013

A donor has withdrawn a planned $100,000 contribution to Westfield State College to protest what he called the "lavish spending" of President Evan Dobelle, whose personal charges to a university foundation account have him under intense scrutiny, The Boston Globe reported. John P. Walsh, who heads a cosmetics company, told the Globe that he was "appalled" at Dobelle's behavior, in which he reportedly made extensive (and expensive) personal charges for significant out-of-state and international travel, among other things. Dobelle released a statement to the Globe in which he said Walsh had never formally pledged the money he is said to be withdrawing, and that he expected a report to be released today to find that there were "no personal expenses at issue."

 

 

Comments

Pages

Browse Jobs by Category

Back to Top