News Items from the Week of Jan. 29, 2016

International

A realistic model for international universities | The New Flagship University model put forward by John Douglass from the University of California, Berkeley, in his new book is not only timely, but also a well thought-out initiative.

Who are the spongers now? | A curious inversion has taken place whereby academics now occupy the demonised role formerly assigned to students, who must now be defended in their efforts to obtain ‘value for money’.

Reforms fundamental for accelerating higher education | Higher education has an important role in Sri Lanka’s economic and social development.

The Crisis of Higher Education in Morocco | In Morocco, the plough of modernization could not turn over the rocky soil of ‘security’ on which the educational institution is based.

South Africa: Inequality of Opportunity Also Matters | A more complete way to look at inequality and economic growth is by considering also the distribution of access to opportunities in an economy. These opportunities shape the economic outcomes possible for each person.

Crash in Oil prices puts Saudi Higher Education in crisis | Growing instability within Saudi’s oil industry has led the government to cut back the country’s spending, and Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector has been one of the hardest hit.

U.S. National

Education spending gap widens between college haves and have-nots since recession | Spending per student increases at major private and public universities, but declines at community colleges.

Endowments Fall to Earth | After two years of sizable gains, college investment returns grow by just 2.4 percent in the 2015 fiscal year.

U.S. Colleges Raise $40 Billion; Stanford Tops List at $1.6 Billion | U.S. colleges raised $40.3 billion in 2015, an increase of 7.6 percent over the previous year, a new study has found. Giving to higher education has increased every year since 2010.

After 2 Years of Strong Growth, University Endowments Falter | College endowments grew by an average of only 2.4 percent last school year, a sharp drop following two years of strong gains, a new study found.

Report: More HSIs Overall, but Growth Remains Concentrated | The number of colleges and universities identified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) rose 7 percent in the 2014-15 academic year as compared to the previous year, according to a recently released annual analysis conducted by Excelencia in Education.

U.S. States

State Support on the Rise | State support for higher education is up 4.1 percent this year, according to a new report.

Colleges Must Address Debt Challenges | If America’s public higher education system is to remain accessible to the majority of Americans, change—radical change—needs to occur.

Higher education officials disappointed with Bevin’s budget | Kentucky colleges and public universities have endured up to $173.5 million in state funding cuts since 2008, The Associated Press reported. Those cuts will continue if Bevin’s budget makes it through the state House and Senate.

Institutional

Drowned Bunnies: Part 2 | Mount St. Mary’s board defends president and blames small faculty group for controversy over his “inappropriate metaphor” and plans for freshmen. Emails obtained by Inside Higher Ed back original reports about president’s goals.

Defending Test-optional Policies in Colleges and Universities | The use of SAT and ACT scores as an evaluation tool also leaves underrepresented students disadvantaged when it comes to the opportunity for merit scholarships since many institutions have tied eligibility to test scores as well as GPA.

Calhoun portraits removed | The students eating breakfast in the Calhoun College dining hall on Friday morning were not gathered there to witness the removal of a widely loathed work of 19th-century portraiture. They were focused more on oatmeal and coffee than on the vexed history of race at Yale.

Faulty Predictions? | New study suggests the SAT may over- or underpredict first-year college grades of hundreds of thousands of students.

Divided Over Diversity | Did Baylor U’s new provost step down over faculty objections to his diversity initiative, in particular his plan to hire a chief diversity officer? Does diversity look different at a Christian university?

Amherst College Drops ‘Lord Jeff’ as Mascot | Lord Jeffery Amherst, the colonial-era military commander who gave this town its name, will no longer represent the prestigious liberal arts college here.

More than Half of Americans Want Government to Improve Accessibility and Affordability of Higher Education | Survey commissioned by Southern New Hampshire University shows voters want government to play a role in higher education.

RCTC Under Fire: Two Top Administrators Leave College | In a letter addressed to RCTC staff, students and faculty Wednesday, [Pres.] Helens announced Interim Athletic Director Patric Simon is out, along with Chief Institutional Effectiveness and Advancement Officer Dr. Marcus Babaoye