NAICU News Room

Colleges for Profit Are Growing, With Federal Help (New York Times)

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The volume of federally guaranteed student loans to students at so-called proprietary colleges - the ones that intend to operate at a profit and get nearly all their revenue from the government - continues to grow. At the same time, state and local governments across the country are slashing spending on higher education, and community colleges - the ones most likely to offer alternatives to the students recruited by the far more expensive proprietary schools - are suffering some of the largest reductions. That trend has been welcome news to the proprietary colleges.

The Price Of College Tuition, In 1 Graphic (Planet Money - NPR)

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Here are two ways to think about the price of college tuition: Sticker price is the full price colleges list in their brochures and on their websites. Net price is the price students actually pay. Here's the average sticker price and average net price for tuition and fees at public and private colleges in the U.S. over the past 15 years.

The Final Frontier (Inside Higher Ed)

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Denver and Phoenix metropolitan areas, potentially along with Las Vegas, are the latest in a long line of "target" cities that colleges whose traditional recruitment markets are shrinking have hoped would provide an enrollment boost. But administrators worry that once these areas are tapped, few other locales exist for targeted recruitment. For that matter, they say, regional liberal arts colleges may be getting to a point where marketing efforts might not be enough to keep the colleges financially viable.

Harrisburg University president, CEO to leave (Central Pa. Business Journal)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology said today that Mel Schiavelli, its president and CEO, will leave the school in July. Schiavelli has accepted a position at Northern Virginia Community College as its executive vice president for academic and student services, according to the university. Schiavelli helped found Harrisburg University and has been its president and CEO since 2002. Eric Darr will be interim president during the search for Schiavelli's replacement.

Romney Plan to Save Higher Ed: Let the Private Sector Handle It - Analysis (The Atlantic)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

This is the bullet point version of Team Romney's agenda. As president, the candidate would loosen restrictions on for-profit universities; get banks back into the federal student loan game; streamline (or possibly just cut) government aid programs; give colleges more flexibility when it comes to how they award degrees. In other words, it's a very conventionally conservative blueprint. Here's a point-by-point rundown of the good, bad, and irrelevant in the plan.

Senate Rejects Student-Loan Plans (Associated Press)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Senate rejected dueling Democratic and Republican plans on Thursday for averting a July 1 doubling of interest rates on federal college loans for 7.4 million students, pushing back efforts to resolve the election-season showdown until next month.The Senate planned to leave town later Thursday for a Memorial Day recess running through next week. Neither party wants to be accused of letting the interest rates grow at a time when voters are focused on coping in today's rough-edged economy, giving each side an incentive to eventually strike a compromise.

Share of Students Receiving Federal Aid Climbs, Especially at For-Profit Colleges (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Education Department released "The Condition of Education: 2012," this year's edition of its annual report, on Thursday, with most data current through the 2009-10 academic year. Between 2006-7 and 2009-10, the percentage of first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving financial aid increased from 75 percent to 85 percent at all four-year colleges. The report also provides information on institutional revenues and expenses. The share of total revenue coming from tuition varied widely, from 91 percent at four-year for-profit colleges to 33 percent at four-year, private, nonprofit institutions.

Labor-Relations Board Seeks Input on Faculty Unions at Private Colleges (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Since a 1980 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, professors at private colleges have been typically classified as managers and, therefore, largely barred from forming unions. In asking for the briefs in its announcement this week, the National Labor Relations Board said it was seeking help in responding to a case involving Point Park University, a private institution in Pittsburgh where faculty members petitioned for a union election and voted, in 2003, to be represented by a local chapter of the Communications Workers of America.

Wabash College president plans to step down (Indianaopolis Star)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Wabash College President Patrick E. White plans to resign next year, the liberal-arts all-male college announced today. White has led the college for six years. He said he plans to leave at the end of the next academic year in June 2013. College officials said the Wabash Board of Trustees would begin the search for White's successor later this year.

Concordia University president to lead second campus in Michigan (Milwaukee Business News)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Concordia University Wisconsin and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod recently approved a resolution to acquire Concordia University Ann Arbor in Michigan. The affiliation will allow Concordia University Wisconsin to expand in a new location and will allow Concordia University Ann Arbor to remain open. The new structure keeps both Universities open in their current locations, but under the Concordia University Wisconsin board of regents. Both Universities will be led by Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry, Concordia University Wisconsin president, who will spend time on both campuses.

You, too, could be a commencement speaker (Washington Post - Campus Overload Blog)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Sure, there are commencement speakers who deliver truly memorable addresses that resonate with graduates. But I think we can all agree that most commencement speeches sound exactly the same. Therefore, I have compiled a commencement speech that could be given to any Class of 2012 anywhere using cherry-picked quotes from real (and, actually, quite wonderful) speeches. I hope this fake speech inspires you to reach for the stars, hold fast to your dreams and be part of tomorrow's generation of leaders.

47 Colleges to Participate in $50 Million Science Education Initiative (Howard Hughes Medical Institute Website)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute announced today that it has selected 47 small colleges and universities in the United States as the recipients of grants totaling over $50 million that will enable the schools to work together to create more engaging science classes, bring real-world research experiences to students, and increase the diversity of students who study science.

College as a Service (CaaS) - Opinion Piece (Inside Higher Ed)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Henry Ford used to say that "they can have any color car they want as long as it is black." Ford's assertion assumes that the supplier of an offering creates all the value and thus dictates its valid form and function. Our public and institutional debates about the future of higher education are stymied by this 20th-century goods-dominant logic. However, because higher education is, in fact, a service, we need to use a service logic, wherein we realize that value is co-created by the student and the higher education institution.

Romneys Higher Ed Platform (Inside Higher Ed)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The presumptive presidential Republican nominee Mitt Romney pledged Wednesday that, if elected, he would reshape or do away with two major Obama administration higher education policy initiatives: the overhaul of the federal student loan program and tighter regulations on for-profit colleges. In his education plan, the former Massachusetts governor also proposed consolidating some federal financial aid programs and changing eligibility rules for Pell Grants to ensure the program's financial future.

A degree in three marvelous years - Guest Post (Washington Post - College Inc. Blog)

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Michael S. Roth, president, Wesleyan University, writes: In a new model we are developing we will be committed to spending almost a third of our revenue on scholarships while meeting the financial need of our students without requiring excessive loans. We will also commit to linking tuition increases with inflation, rather than depending on the much higher rates of increase to which Wesleyan (like most colleges and universities) has been accustomed for decades. We will also make more visible - and provide more support for - the "three year" route.

The Most Honest Commencement Speech You’ll Never Hear - Column (Huffington Post)

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Graduation season is upon us, and with it all the speeches about shooting for the moon, going for the gold, nothing is impossible, yada yada. But as I've spent the last year crunching the numbers and talking to young people, I've come to see the striking disconnect between those greeting-card messages from the successful, usually middle-aged adult speakers and the reality of diminished expectations of our debt-ridden young people, anxiously emerging into the unwelcoming job market.

The Shoes of Lynns 2012 Commencement (Huffington Post)

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

As coordinator of Lynn University's Fashion Management program, I am always encouraging students to explore their sense of style as part of their studies. You'd think this philosophy of self-expression would hit a brick wall at our commencement ceremonies since everyone has to wear black robes and funny square hats, but that's not the case. Over the years, a tradition of wearing unique and flashy shoes has grown to where it is now become a semi-official event that students, staff and even the most studious faculty look forward to.

Ira Glass, This American Life Host, Condemns Commencement Speeches & Talks About Losing His Virginity At Goucher College (Huffington Post)

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

"I believe that it is a doomed form," Glass said right as he took to the podium. "Commencement speakers give stock advice which is then promptly ignored. The central mission of a commencement speech is in itself ridiculous, to inspire at a moment which needs no inspiration. Look at yourselves at this moment, something incredible is happening right now." Then he revealed a personal detail connecting him with Goucher on a more intimate level. "I lost my virginity in one of the dorms here," Glass said. "Not recently. I was 20 - it was still an all-girls school."

Yale Rivaled by Franklin and Marshall in Europe (Bloomberg News)

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

While Franklin & Marshall College may not have the cachet of Yale University in the eyes of most Americans, for trendy European teens the Pennsylvania liberal arts school easily trumps the Ivy League icon. Among the hottest names in Europe these days is Franklin & Marshall, a name emblazoned on sweatshirts and other garb sold by an Italian company with an almost identical name.

Lon Morris College employees receive furlough notice (Jacksonville, Texas, Daily Porgress)

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

All but a core minimum group of Lon Morris employees received furlough notices Wednesday morning, and college President Miles McCall handed in his letter of resignation Tuesday, officials said Wednesday. While the furlough notice said the employees were "terminated," it was unclear whether they were formally discharged or furloughed. The decision was made by Bridge Point Consulting Company, an advising firm brought in on May 5 by the board of trustees to help restructure the school's finances, with intentions of reopening in the fall.