In today’s Academic Minute, Rebecca Fisher of the University of Arizona explains how a species of lizard is able to regenerate their self-amputated tails. Learn more about the Academic Minute here.
Higher Education Quick Takes
Quick Takes
March 13, 2013
More than 100 protesters marched to the Higher Education Ministry in Sri Lanka on Tuesday calling for an increase in the number of public universities, Xinhua reported. The news service reported that more than 144,000 students pass the university entrance each year, but there are only spots for 22,000.
March 13, 2013
The cost of tuition and living for international students in Australia has increased 166 percent since 2002, The Australian reported. An analysis by the Boston Consulting Group estimates total annual costs for the average international student in Australia as being $44,000, compared to $37,000 for international students in the U.S. and $30,000 for those studying in England. The article cites exchange rates as one critical factor in the increase.
March 13, 2013
A Mississippi man has been charged with two counts of felony cyberstalking over threats posted on Facebook against Carolyn Meyers, the president of Jackson State University, The Clarion Ledger reported. The man, currently held in jail, is not a student at the university.
March 13, 2013
The University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday announced new rules to protect the privacy of those who apply to enroll there. The rules stress the importance of privacy, and of sharing information about applicants only for specific, professionally related reasons. Just a few weeks ago, the university was embarrassed by reports that a former admissions officer had been mocking applicants on Facebook. But a university spokesman said via e-mail that the admissions privacy rules had been in the works for months and "were not in any way a response" to the behavior of the former admissions officer.
March 13, 2013
Faculty members, students and parents are criticizing Arcadia University's board for firing President Carl Oxholm III on Friday, and providing no explanation for the decision, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Oxholm had been in office for less than two years, but was getting good reviews on the campus. A university statement issued Tuesday afternoon -- after word of the firing leaked, gave no indication of the reason for the change. Oxholm issued a statement in which he said he was "surprised and disappointed," and that he was sad he had been unable to say farewell to students. Of his dismissal, he said: "It was without cause, and those who conveyed the decision to me declined to give me any reason or explanation for the decision or the speed of its implementation."
March 13, 2013
The University of Tokyo is planning to replace its admissions exam within five years, The Japan Times reported. In its place a new system will be created, based in large part on interviews and on recommendations from the high schools of applicants.
March 12, 2013
The University of Colorado at Boulder last year shut down a longstanding tradition of a major pot party on campus on April 20. Since then, Colorado residents voted to legalize marijuana, raising the hope of some that the university might not oppose the party this year. On Monday, the university made clear that the new statewide policy will have no impact on campus policy. “We are committed to ending the unwelcome 4/20 gathering on the CU-Boulder campus, and this year’s approach represents the continuance of a multi-year plan to achieve that end,” said a statement from Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “What’s important here is the protection of CU’s missions of research, teaching and service. This isn’t about marijuana or drug laws. It’s about not disrupting the important work of a world-class university.”
March 12, 2013
A University of Iowa graduate student was killed Sunday in a clash with police officers, three of whom he injured, the Associated Press reported. The police had responded to a reported domestic incident at a trailer park when the shooting took place. Taleb Hussein Yousef Salameh, the graduate student, had been studying engineering.
March 12, 2013
University College London is investigating reports that an event organized by the Islamic Education and Research Academy segregated the audience by gender, The Guardian reported. Students reported being told that women had to sit in the back, while spaces were provided up front for men, or for male-female couples.
