Chinese Students Outscience Americans

China’s new

Department of Ed to Get a Big Hunk of Stimulus

Today, Congress will vote on our brand-new president’s economic stimulus plan. It’s expected to pass, which is good news for schools across the country.
This plan won’t just aid businesses: a huge chunk of it — $150 billion! — will go to the Department of Education. That will increase the ed budget by more […]

Brandeis Plans Art Auction

First come the hiring freezes, then come the art sales.
Yesterday, Brandeis University announced that its Rose Art Museum will close so the university can sell its prized, 6,000-piece art collection. The controversy: museum protocol dictates that artwork can only be sold to buy other artwork — not for another purpose, like university funding.
“This […]

A New CUNY to Be Born

New York City education officials are planning to open a new community college — one that takes existing CUNY schools’ mistakes into account to offer a completely different kind of education.
According to yesterday’s New York Times, the two-year college-to-be is a response to CUNY schools’ growing enrollment — and poor (30 percent) graduation rates. […]

What Recession? Ohio U. President Clings to Raise

For months, Wall Streeters have been criticized for their swollen salaries and bonuses. But overpayment extends beyond big banks — it seems everyone wants to grab as much dough as possible before it all evaporates. In the most recent money-grubbing installment, Ohio University President Roderick McDavis has decided to stick with a contract, announced […]

Colleges May Move Toward Kindergarten

That was an unnecessary jab.
Yesterday, at its annual meeting, the Association of American Colleges and Universities discussed the merits of eliminating grades in college. But before you undergrads shout “whoop-dee-do,” note that grades would be replaced with detailed evaluations, not a free-for-all.
Many said they assumed that it was politically impossible to eliminate grades. […]

Foreign Students Have Something to Say about Obama, Too

Many journalists have pointed to the “youth vote” as a major factor droving Barack Obama’s election in November. But the two million people who braved cold and crowds to witness yesterday’s Inauguration in Washington, D.C. included not only a large number of young Americans, but a lot of foreign students, too.
Today, Inside Higher […]

State Budgets for Higher Education to Dwindle

This year’s state budget proposals are a stab to universities’ hearts.
The Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog reports that, in State of the State addresses and budget proposals, many governors are pushing for huge cuts to university funding. Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada, for example, proposed that 75 percent of this year’s budget […]

You Might Be a Prof, But You Still Can’t Cheat

College professors continue to make stupid decisions. Last April, The Gainesville Sun reported that James Twitchell, a professor at the University of Florida, had plagiarized in at least three of his books. In December, UF suspended Twitchell for five years, but according to Inside Higher Ed, he decided to retire instead.
It’s almost too […]

Free Textbooks!

Psst, cheap college students! If you’re still buying your books, you haven’t been doing your research. A new company, Flat World Knowledge, provides online access to textbooks — for free. Students can get the goods using a URL their profs give them, a Facebook app, or a Learning Management System, like Blackboard.
How does […]

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