New advocacy organization launched in defend faculty academic freedom
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Two hundred professors launched the nonpartisan Academic Freedom Alliance this week to advocate for free speech in academe and, in some cases, legally defend professors’ academic freedom. Membership is currently by invitation only, but the group plans on opening up to all academics.
Read More about New advocacy organization launched in defend faculty academic freedomDepartment of Education to review Title IX campus sexual assault policies
INSIDE HIGHER ED — President Biden on Monday ordered Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to re-examine his predecessor Betsy DeVos’s controversial rule strengthening the rights of those accused of sexual harassment or assault on the nation’s campuses. Biden said that Cardona should consider “suspending, revising, or rescinding” it.
Read More about Department of Education to review Title IX campus sexual assault policiesUndergraduate enrollment falls nationwide in spring 2021
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Enrollment across all institution types fell by 2.9 percent this term compared with last spring, according to new preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. These early numbers reveal similar declines to fall 2020, when enrollment fell by 3.3 percent year over year across the board.
Read More about Undergraduate enrollment falls nationwide in spring 2021Federal income-driven loan repayment program serves few students
INSIDE HIGHER ED — For more than 25 years, student loan borrowers have had the option to base their monthly payments on their income. But throughout the entire history of the program, only 32 borrowers have ever qualified for full forgiveness from the federal income-driven loan repayment program.
Read More about Federal income-driven loan repayment program serves few studentsIowa bill seeks to force state universities into holding in-person graduation ceremonies
THE GAZETTE — Although the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa already announced their upcoming commencement ceremonies will be virtual — and are well into planning them — a Republican lawmaker is sponsoring a bill requiring Iowa’s public universities to hold in-person spring graduations.
Read More about Iowa bill seeks to force state universities into holding in-person graduation ceremoniesUS Senate confirms Miguel Cardona as education secretary
AP NEWS — The Senate voted Monday to confirm Miguel Cardona as education secretary, clearing his way to lead President Joe Biden’s effort to reopen the nation’s schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cardona, 45 was approved on a 64-33 vote.
Read More about US Senate confirms Miguel Cardona as education secretaryCommon Application finds most college applicants not submitting admission test scores
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Only 44 percent of those who applied to college through the Common Application through Feb. 15 submitted SAT or ACT scores. That represents a substantial decline from last year, when the total through Feb. 15, 2020, was 77 percent.
Read More about Common Application finds most college applicants not submitting admission test scoresStudent group files lawsuit challenging race-conscious admissions policy at Yale University
ABA JOURNAL — Students for Fair Admissions has filed a lawsuit challenging race-conscious admissions policies at Yale University less than a month after the U.S. Department of Justice dropped a bias suit that it filed against the school during the Trump administration.
Read More about Student group files lawsuit challenging race-conscious admissions policy at Yale UniversityNew report highlights gender pay disparity among highest research university salaries
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Women are 60 percent of all professionals in higher education and have been earning the majority of master’s and doctoral degrees for decades. Yet women represent just 24 percent of the highest-paid faculty members and administrators at 130 leading research universities, according to a new study.
Read More about New report highlights gender pay disparity among highest research university salariesPandemic drives transition to digital college course materials over textbooks
INSIDE HIGHER ED — For the first year on record, more faculty members used learning management systems than print course materials when teaching classes, according a new report released Tuesday from the National Association of College Stores. The 2020 Faculty Watch report is based on a survey of 968 faculty members.
Read More about Pandemic drives transition to digital college course materials over textbooks