Opinion: Law schools’ boycott of US News rankings may not affect the future of academic rankings systems

December 12, 2022

THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION — In a recent Chronicle essay, President Leon Botstein of Bard College asks: “Can We Finally Topple the Tyranny of Rankings?” In posing this question, Botstein echoes Colin Diver, the former college president and law-school dean who recently asked, “Could this be the beginning of the end for college rankings?” in The New

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A look at the top higher education stories of 2022

December 12, 2022

FORBES — The top higher education stories for the year included student loan forgiveness, affirmative action, increased doubts about college rankings, a spate of resignations by university presidents, and a return to mostly normal pre-pandemic campus operations.

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Advice for junior faculty writing recommendation letters

December 12, 2022

INSIDE HIGHER ED — While a time-consuming task for seasoned professors, it can be much more daunting for junior faculty who may never have seen a letter of recommendation before, including those sent on their behalf, writes Mohammed Albakry.

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Universities prepare for flu season

December 12, 2022

INSIDE HIGHER ED — Influenza outbreaks have always been of particular concern on college campuses, where close-quarters living, crowded lecture halls and fluid social circles make airborne transmission especially easy. But the past two flu seasons were almost nonexistent on campuses, thanks to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic—which kept them empty—or masking and social

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New initiative in California aims to re-enroll students with some college credits  

December 12, 2022

HIGHER ED DIVE — A group of higher education organizations announced this week they are joining forces to help up to 30 colleges reenroll thousands of residents in the state, with a focus on institutions the coronavirus pandemic hit hardest. The coalition includes California Competes, ProjectAttain!, InsideTrack and the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

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ABA section on legal education to vote on ending law school admissions testing requirement 

November 21, 2022

REUTERS — Capping years of debate and a deluge of public comments, the American Bar Association is poised to do away with its longtime requirement that law schools use standardized admissions tests such as the Law School Admission Test. The ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar is scheduled

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The incredible shrinking future of college

November 21, 2022

VOX — The population of college-age Americans is about to crash. It will change higher education forever. In four years, the number of students graduating from high schools across the country will begin a sudden and precipitous decline, due to a rolling demographic aftershock of the Great Recession. 

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How affirmative action debates could affect legacy admissions

November 14, 2022

INSID HIGHER ED — When the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on affirmative action last week, affirmative action was not the only controversial admissions practice to come up. Justices on both sides of the main debate also discussed legacy admissions, the practice of giving a preference to the children of alumni.

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Florida Supreme Court hears breach of contract case after COVID-19 campus shutdown

November 14, 2022

INSIDE HIGHER ED — The Florida state Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would hear a lawsuitagainst the University of South Florida over campus shutdowns and remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Opinion: William & Mary Law dean A. Benjamin Spencer discusses steps to make legal education more accessible

November 8, 2022

BLOOMBERG LAW — As the cost of higher education—and associated student loan debt—continue to mount, consumers and observers rightly voice concern about its value. Legal education is no exception. Indeed, Justice Neil Gorsuch recently wondered, “Does it really require seven years of collegiate education to become a competent lawyer?” The answer to that question clearly is

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