Media Center > Daily Higher Education News Digest

Quote of the day:
"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."
Anne Frank

Balancing Act: Graduates should combine networking with true passions (Bloomington Pantagraph)
In the boardroom of large public companies, where few women sit at the table, there’s a dysfunctional dynamic going on. The female directors say they are left out of strategic decision-making because those conversations often happen on the golf course and they don’t play golf.

Donations Barely Rose Last Year as Individuals Held Back, Report Says (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Donations to nonprofit colleges and other charities are inching up so slowly that it will take at least six more years for most organizations to raise as much as they did in 2007, before the recession hit, predict researchers behind the "Giving USA" report, who are releasing figures on Tuesday that show donations rose just 1.5 percent last year after inflation.

College’s Closure Signals Problems for Others, Credit-Rating Agency Says (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Saint Paul’s College, a small, private, historically black college founded in 1888 in Lawrenceville, Va., announced on June 3 that it would shut its doors at the end of the month after a proposed merger with another institution fell through.

Widening Achievement Gap Hurts U.S. Competitiveness, Report Says (Chronicle of Higher Education)
The United States' global competitiveness is suffering in part because recent policies at all levels of education have widened the achievement gap between rich and poor, according to a report released on Monday by the Council on Foreign Relations.

In Online Partnerships, Legal Compliance Is Key (Chronicle of Higher Education)
More and more colleges are expanding into online education, through traditional courses and MOOCs, or massive open online courses. Developing courses is expensive and requires a lot of technical expertise, so many colleges are forming partnerships with for-profit online vendors to help them.

Universities offer partial Illinois pension fix (Daily Herald)
Illinois university employees would pay more toward their pensions and receive annual retirement-pay increases tied to inflation in a reform plan the Senate president supports, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

ETS Launches Electronic Certificates for Learning Assessment Exams (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
In a move that brings the Educational Testing Service (ETS) into the arena of awarding certificates that verify learning and intellectual skills of students, the organization announced Monday that it has begun providing electronic documentation to test takers of their performance on the ETS Proficiency Profile and iSkills tests.

OPINION - The University Should Be Seen as a Public Good (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
The concept of higher education as the “great equalizer” may be the best outcome of the evolution of American colleges and universities in the 20th century. As education advanced and the needs of the workforce changed, Americans recognized with clearheaded pragmatism that education offered the most certain avenue “out and up.”

Lumina Foundation Pushes for Higher Degree Attainment (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
WASHINGTON—Degree attainment rates are on the rise nationally, but not at the pace needed for greater economy parity among minority groups.

Affirmative Action Case Sparks Debate Over Race vs. Class (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
In post-Great Recession America, which is the bigger barrier to opportunity—race or class?

NJ Approves Tuition Bill for Students in US Illegally (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
TRENTON N.J.—New Jersey lawmakers approved a bill Monday that would allow those in the country illegally to qualify for in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities.

Teacher Ed Takedown (Inside Higher Ed)
The vast majority of teacher education programs -- housed in universities and colleges across the United States -- are not sufficiently preparing future teachers to run their own classrooms, says a highly critical new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/18/nctq-study-gives-teacher-prep-programs-failing-grades#ixzz2WagTrRD9 Inside Higher Ed

From the president’s office to the classroom: Retiring Lake Land chief plans to stay on campus (Journal Gazette & Times-Courier)
MATTOON — Lake Land College President Scott Lensink is set to retire from his post on June 30, but he’s planned to return to campus come fall — this time as a student.

EIU's board approves budget, funding requests (Journal Gazette & Times-Courier)
CHARLESTON — Eastern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees approved the budget for the 2014 fiscal year and a budget recommendation for the 2015 fiscal year at its meeting Monday afternoon.

Juneteenth still draws many to WIU rain location (McDonough County, The Voice)
MACOMB — Tents had been put up. Tents had been put up. A Western Illinois University snowmobile had been parked on North Randolph Street. Anyone walking by the empty Chandler Park could've easily assumed something was amuck. Read more: http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20130618/NEWS/130619331/1004/NEWS#ixzz2WZxhzFyR

Vickroy: College grads swimming in debt (Southtown Star)
Student debt is the talk of the nation, especially with interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford Loans set to double on July 1, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

Study Gauges Value of Technology in Schools (The New York Times)
With school districts rushing to buy computers, tablets, digital white boards and other technology, a new report questions whether the investment is worth it.

University programs that train U.S. teachers get mediocre marks in first-ever ratings (The Washington Post)
The vast majority of the 1,430 education programs that prepare the nation’s K-12 teachers are mediocre, according to a first-ever ranking that immediately touched off a firestorm.

States boost college funding, rein in tuition costs (USA TODAY)
After years of deep budget cuts, several states are poised to boost higher education funding this year, often in exchange for a promise by public colleges and universities to freeze tuition.

Quote of the day:
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
Aristotle

New dean at SIUE business school is a familiar face (Belleville News-Democrat)
By NAME: JOHN NAVIN Job: Chair, Interim Dean at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business Outlook: "I'm really excited and looking forward to the challenge."

EDITORIAL - Obama’s Republican Student-Loan Plan (Bloomberg.com)
On July 1, the interest rate on new Stafford subsidized federal college loans is scheduled to double. Rather than trying to maintain the current rate, Congress should take this opportunity to restructure student aid, directing more money toward those with the greatest need.

Editorial: Congress should jump to fix student-loan hike (Chicago Sun-Times)
Pretty much everyone agrees that America’s $1 trillion mountain of student debt is not only a lamentable burden on young adults but also a significant drag on the economy.

U.S. Opens Antitrust Investigation Into Colleges' Talk of Student-Aid Reform (Chronicle of Higher Education)
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an investigation into "a possible agreement" among colleges to reform their financial-aid policies, according to a letter sent last month to at least two college presidents.

Nonprofit Colleges Compete on For-Profits' Turf (Chronicle of Higher Education)
On top of all the forces now weighing against the for-profit-college industry—continued government scrutiny, falling enrollments­—there's one that hasn't grabbed any headlines but has the potential to upend some of the most visible players in the sector: robust and inventive competition.

Senators Reintroduce Bill to Standardize Student-Aid Award Letter (Chronicle of Higher Education)
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Friday reintroduced legislation designed to pave the way for a standardized letter on student financial-aid awards to be used by all American colleges.

Details Emerge on Round 2 of Gates Foundation’s Student-Aid Project (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Plans for the second phase of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery” project are under way, according to a news release issued by a recipient of the foundation’s grants.

OPINION - When College Becomes a Risky Investment (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Economists mislead families by framing college attendance as an issue of capital investment rather than one of affordability. Telling parents and students that they should choose the college with the highest net present value, or predicted return on their tuition investment, encourages them to choose the most expensive college they can. Since colleges work to convince the public that quality and cost are directly correlated, the investment framework is a good complement to marketing strategies.

Hillary Clinton launches children’s project at Chicago meeting (Daily Herald)
Hillary Rodham Clinton launched a new early childhood initiative Friday aimed at improving the lives of young children, her first venture since joining the foundation created by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

UNCF Launches New Campaign to Invest in African-American Students (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
WASHINGTON—The United Negro College Fund has put a spin on its memorable tagline, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” to stress the importance of investing in a college education for young African-Americans.

Enrolling College-Bound Students With Their ‘Match’ School Could Yield Success (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
Washington – The conversation around increasing degree attainment often focuses on helping more students from disadvantaged backgrounds get prepared for and admitted to college. But at a recent forum on Capitol Hill, the conversation shifted toward a more nuanced aspect—helping students gain admittance to the college that represents the best academic fit.

Illinois University Employees Offer Partial Pension Fix (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
SPRINGFIELD Ill.—Illinois university employees would pay more toward their pensions and receive annual retirement-pay increases tied to inflation in a reform plan the Senate president supports, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

Working Way Past 65 (Inside Higher Ed)
At the height of the financial crisis, it was unclear how diminished 401(k)s and general economic uncertainty would impact retirement trends for baby boomer professors. But new data suggest that professors are either significantly – or indefinitely – putting off retirement, and not just for financial reasons. Experts say the trend is forcing institutions to rethink traditional faculty models.

Credit Creep (Inside Higher Ed)
WASHINGTON – Citing “chilling” violations of shared governance principles under the guise of financial crises, the American Association of University Professors voted unanimously to censure two institutions during its annual meeting Saturday. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/17/aaup-censures-two-institutions-following-violations-shared-governance-amid-financial#ixzz2WVCztC9j Inside Higher Ed

IC's old, new presidents share similar visions (Jacksonville Journal-Courier)
As one president leaves Illinois College and another enters, both stressed a commitment to the college’s mission — to lead its students in fulfilling lives of service and leadership.

EIU trustees to vote on new budget, ’15 state funding request (Journal Gazette & Times-Courier)
CHARLESTON (JG-TC) — Approval of the upcoming fiscal year budget and a request for appropriations for the following year are scheduled for votes by the Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees on Monday.

An Extra Education (McDonough County, The Voice)
MACOMB — School may be out for the summer, but the doors at Western Illinois University are open. School may be out for the summer, but the doors at Western Illinois University are open.

OPINION - Interest Rates on Student Loans: Another Crisis (The Huffington Post)
The Republicans and Democrats are at in again, debating the future of college loan interest rates. Currently the debate rests in the Senate: the House passed a bill last week that would tie the interest rates on student loans (or Stafford loans) to the 10 year treasury plus 2.5 percent. The rates would be readjusted each year.

Schooling Ourselves in an Unequal America (The New York Times)
Averages can be misleading.

Counselors at SIUC after student dies in wreck (The Southern Illinoisan)
CARBONDALE — An SIU Carbondale student is dead and five other campus community members injured from a weekend car accident. Now, administrators are making counselors available to students.

Everything you need to know about the student loan rate hike (The Washington Post)
Congress is, as ever, facing a deadline. Rates on some student loans are set to double on July 1 if it doesn’t act. How much does this matter, and to whom? Let’s break it down.

Quote of the day:
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
Plato

Higher ed officials announce effort to boost associate degrees (Arkansas News Bureau)
LITTLE ROCK — State higher education officials on Wednesday announced a new initiative aimed at increasing the number of Arkansans with associate degrees.

Loyola med school opens doors to more immigrants (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Loyola University's medical school is accepting applications from immigrants living in the country without legal permission.

Unpaid internships in jeopardy after court ruling (Bloomington Pantagraph)
WASHINGTON D.C. — Unpaid internships have long been a path of opportunity for students and recent grads looking to get a foot in the door in the entertainment, publishing and other prominent industries, even if it takes a generous subsidy from Mom and Dad.

U.S. House Panel Questions Value of Accreditation (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Accreditors just can't win in Congress. Republican members generally think accreditation costs too much for institutions, stifles innovation, and is too secretive.

College-Attainment Rate Plods Along, Pushing Lumina to Focus on Cities (Chronicle of Higher Education)
The percentage of American working adults with a college degree ticked up from 38.3 percent in 2010 to 38.7 percent in 2011, the Lumina Foundation reported on Thursday, underlining the difficulty of reaching the group's lofty goals for improving college attainment.

Admissions Is Just Part of the Diversity Puzzle (Chronicle of Higher Education)
I hope that as the courts continue to weigh the merits of affirmative-action cases, they consider the widely held importance of a diverse freshman class. But I hope, too, that judges and higher-education leaders alike recognize that a varied class is only one piece of the diversity puzzle.

CLC admission event (Daily Herald)
College of Lake County hosts the "Connect to Your Future" admission event on Thursday, June 20,

The future of higher education is debatable (Deseret News)
New learning platforms driven by technology promise to make college learning less expensive and more accessible, but some say those radical changes could topple higher education’s traditional model.

MOOCs: Interesting Legal Territory Ahead (InformationWeek)
As massive open online courses (MOOCs) gain publicity and popularity, it's time to address the legal concerns affecting this trend in higher education.

No Love for Accreditation (Inside Higher Ed)
WASHINGTON -- To hear members of Congress tell it, reauthorizing the Higher Education Act is looming on the near horizon of the legislative agenda -- even though most others here consider it a mirage that’s still years away. But when lawmakers do sit down to rewrite the law governing financial aid programs, accreditation will be under a particularly harsh spotlight.

Ed Tech Accessibility (Inside Higher Ed)
Disability rights advocates and book publishers are pushing for federal regulations to ensure higher education technology is accessible to tens of thousands of students with visual impairments. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/14/disability-rights-advocates-and-publishers-push-national-standards-ed-tech-materials#ixzz2WCo69C1S Inside Higher Ed

Inching Toward the Internet (Inside Higher Ed)
Public historically black colleges and universities have made some — but not drastically significant — progress in terms of their online education offerings, while private HBCUs have had no gains in the past three years. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/14/online-programs-historically-black-colleges-are-increasing-modestly#ixzz2WCoV0sa4 Inside Higher Ed

Brown retreats from conditions on university funding (Los Angeles Times)
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown has backed off his proposal to tie some money for California's public universities to such requirements as improving graduation rates, enrolling more low-income students and freezing tuition for four years.

House Republicans introduce bills to help with college costs (Springfield State Journal-Register)
Illinois House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at giving the state’s residents a break on college costs.

New GED tests stir concerns, draw competitors (The Hechinger Report)
For many dropouts, especially those who are too old to return to the public K-12 system, the GED assessment has long been the main route to the high school credential that eluded them.

Can Universities Nurture a New Generation of Problem Solvers? (The Huffington Post)
New technologies are revolutionising higher education, allowing learners across the world to collaborate on solutions to pressing issues.

Solutions for the Many Gaps Awaiting New College Graduates (The Huffington Post)
For many, the summer season means vacation. For young people graduating this year, their vacation might be longer than they'd like.

Getting More Bang for the Buck in Higher Education (The New York Times)
Republicans and Democrats are hurtling toward another bipartisan standoff, this one over rival plans on the interest rates to be charged on subsidized federal loans to help students and their families pay for postsecondary education. Unless Congress can agree on a plan, the interest rate on new loans will double on July 1 to 6.8 percent from 3.4 percent.

Data Reveal a Rise in College Degrees Among Americans (The New York Times)
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans graduating from college has surged in recent years, sending the share with a college degree to a new high, federal data shows.

28 Summer Reading Suggestions From College Admission Experts (The New York Times)
Whether you are counting down the last days of school or have already started your summer break, we hope your summertime plans involve a good book.

Tip Sheet: Determining College Fit and Value (The New York Times)
The college search is about finding a place that is right for you, one that is going to best prepare you for a rewarding life and successful career when your college years are over.

International Education Navigator (The New York Times)
A list of resources from around the Web about International Education as selected by researchers and editors of The New York Times.

House GOP proposes college tax credits (The Southern Illinoisan)
SPRINGFIELD — Although most colleges and the state legislature are on summer vacation, Republi-cans in the Illinois House this week proposed two tax incentives to help middle-class Illinois families afford higher education.

Quote of the day:
“A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.”
Aesop

Who is earning college degrees and who isn't? (CBS News)
(MoneyWatch) The number of Americans earning college degrees is rising, but the pace of progress is too slow to meet future workplace needs.

National Louis' move to part-time profs provokes possible censure (Chicago Tribune)
Paul Gross shared his love of biology with students at National Louis University for 18 years and, like most academics with tenure, figured he was guaranteed a job for life.

Program Steers Struggling Students to Benefits That Help Them Stay in College (Chronicle of Higher Education)
When Brian F. Smith started classes at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa., last fall, the 43-year-old was unemployed and living alone in a nearby shelter for homeless veterans.

Nobel Prize-winning U of C economist dies (Crain's Chicago Business)
(AP) — Robert W. Fogel, a University of Chicago economist whose study of the economics of slavery sparked a furious debate in academia and later helped garner him a Nobel prize, has died. He was 86. Read more: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130612/NEWS13/130619909/nobel-prize-winning-u-of-c-economist-dies#ixzz2W6pf4S28 Stay on top of Chicago business with our free daily e-newsletters

Partnership Programs Make College a Reality for First-Generation Students (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
Even though college is several years away for 15-year-old Alex Martinez, the New Jersey high school freshman has already gotten a taste of college life.

'It's My Business' (Inside Higher Ed)
WASHINGTON -- Intellectual property battles in the MOOC age are a “last stand” in the fight for academic freedom, a longtime evangelist of the topic told university professors here Wednesday. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/13/aaup-session-centers-intellectual-property-and-academic-freedom-online-education-age#ixzz2W7Htg1em Inside Higher Ed

Shift on Agents (Inside Higher Ed)
A special commission studying the use of commission-based recruitment of international students has urged the National Association for College Admission Counseling to lift a ban on the practice, while at the same time discouraging it. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/13/nacac-panel-would-allow-discourage-use-commission-based-agents#ixzz2W6raWje7 Inside Higher Ed

Mind the Gap (Inside Higher Ed)
The percentage of adults who will hold a college degree in 2025 is projected to hit 48 percent, far short of what is needed to reach the Lumina Foundation's 60 percent goal for degree- and certificate-holders. So to stay on track to achieve that “big goal,” the foundation today announced a set of 10 incremental targets to hit by 2016. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/13/lumina-reloads-10-new-short-term-attainment-goals#ixzz2W6s6bZot Inside Higher Ed

Opinion: A Massive Burden (Inside Higher Ed)
Earlier this month, the federal Departments of Education and Justice reached an agreement with the University of Montana following an investigation into the university’s compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 — an agreement that the agencies have said should serve as a “blueprint” for colleges and universities. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/06/13/essay-criticizes-education-dept-approach-sexual-harassment#ixzz2W6t6E8Lu Inside Higher Ed

Opinion: Freedom of Speech Lives On (Inside Higher Ed)
"Holding Colleges Responsible” is the latest example in a slew of articles – many of them quoting the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education – that are meant to alarm anyone with a voice, and the author’s use of selective quotes out of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights's response to FIRE only fans the flame. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/06/13/essay-defends-education-departments-approach-sexual-harassment#ixzz2W6uJHbpI Inside Higher Ed

NYT and Lumina reports on 36 percent increase in college degrees (The Hechinger Report)
A New York Times front page story and a Lumina report released Thursday, June 13, 2013 examine the sharp increase in college graduates. In 2012, more than a third of young American adults (25 to 29 years old) had at least a bachelors degree compared with less than 25 percent in 1995. That’s a 36 percent jump.

Data Reveal a Rise in College Degrees Among Americans (The New York Times)
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans graduating from college has surged in recent years, sending the share with a college degree to a new high, federal data shows.

Quote of the day:
“Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Abraham Lincoln

Public salaries: SWIC prez Costello tops $200K (Belleville News-Democrat)
Southwestern Illinois College President Georgia Costello already topped the payroll in 2012, but an additional $38,504 in stipends and other compensation drove her 2012 pay to $202,410. To see how 2,433 workers shared the college’s $50.2 million payroll, use the search window below.

U. of C. to link up with marine lab (Chicago Tribune)
Add one more laboratory to the list of world-class facilities to be overseen by the University of Chicago. The internationally renowned Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., will be brought under the university's financial and organizational umbrella as part of a new affiliation of the two institutions, university officials are set to announce Wednesday.

Education Dept. Seeks Members for Panel on 'Gainful Employment' Rules (Chronicle of Higher Education)
The U.S. Department of Education announced on Wednesday that it would renew its flagging efforts to devise stricter standards for career-focused higher-education programs.

How to Repair Income-Based Repayment of Student Loans (Chronicle of Higher Education)
As Congress debates the issue of student-loan interest rates, several proposals have been put forward to extend current interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans or to reduce rates even further.

Diversity Offices Aren't What They Used to Be (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Ronald Taylor, a sociologist who became a top diversity officer at the University of Connecticut, had built one of the broadest campus-diversity offices in the country by 2008.

Don't double the interest rate on my student loan (CNNMoney)
When Brandon Anderson takes a subsidized federal student loan this fall, it will be $1,000 costlier.

Duke Launches Program to Aid Minority Students in Science Majors (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
Angelical Martin enjoys the collaborative exchange of knowledge and ideas in the scientific field, but as a second-year Duke University graduate student studying cellular and molecular biology, the Detroit native is often left feeling isolated and unable to relate to her peers.

Diverse Conversations: The Failure of Higher Education (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
Growing up, many Americans are told that education is the doorway to happiness and a way to break the cycle of poverty and anti-intellectualism that pervades the country. However, when many college graduates complete their degrees and hit the job trail, their faith in conventional wisdom is often tested. Many of them have a hard time gaining professional employment, and subsequently end up unemployed or underemployed.

OPINION - Don't Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment (Forbes)
Hardly a day goes by without the publication of articles on the plight of recent college graduates. Large numbers are either unemployed or employed in jobs that don’t call for any academic preparation. Many are struggling with the burden of their college loans.

The Colleges Where Tuition Is Still Free (Forbes)
Students at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Sciences in New York City are still protesting the school’s decision to start charging up to 50% of its annual $38,000 tuition fee. Since it was founded in 1859, it had covered total tuition for all of its approximately 1,000 students.

No Magic Bullet (Inside Higher Ed)
Few single pieces of paper have been greeted with as much fanfare in higher education circles as the Education Department’s “shopping sheet,” meant to provide a standardized one-page summary of a college's financial aid offering to help students easily compare the packages they receive. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/12/first-year-shopping-sheet-doesnt-make-big-splash#ixzz2W1A3FX4q Inside Higher Ed

Is Going to College Still Worth It If You Drop Out? (The Atlantic)
A new report says yes -- but the answer's often much more complicated.

The Truth About Affirmative Action Cases and College Admissions (The Huffington Post)
Affirmative action in higher education has been a hotly contested issue in courts for decades, and new discussions on the issue have been sparked as the country awaits a Supreme Court decision in Fisher v. University of Texas-Austin any day now. "How" and "why" affirmative action should be implemented has been debated since its inception, and many wonder whether affirmative action concerning race is still necessary in the 21st century.

Separate and Unequal in Higher Education (The Huffington Post)
It's been almost 60 years since the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education led to the dismantling of segregated schools in the South. While legal segregation was halted, public schools especially in large cities have become increasingly segregated by circumstance. Now higher education is under scrutiny for having established a segregated system, this time primarily by socio-economic status.

Letter to the Editor: Will Common Core Improve Schools? (The New York Times)
As a recovering high school math teacher who left the profession to pursue a career in finance, I was dismayed by “Who’s Minding the Schools?,” by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus (Sunday Review, June 9).

Anderson named new ICCB executive director (The Southern Illinoisan)
At its most recent meeting, the Illinois Community College Board named Karen Hunter Anderson, Ph.D., as its new executive director. ICCB President and CEO Geoffrey Obrzut is retiring at the end of this month.

Wide majority opposes race-based college admissions programs, Post-ABC poll finds (The Washington Post)
Americans overwhelmingly oppose race-based college admissions and support extending federal benefits to same-sex couples, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll that finds broad public agreement on issues awaiting Supreme Court decisions this month.

OPINION - Exposing the fraud of America’s higher education (The Washington Times)
College has become a scam in America. We have all heard the horror stories of crippling student debt and graduates who are lucky to land minimum-wage retail jobs. But one part of the college scam that is not receiving much attention is the admissions process.

Get 4-Year Credits With Online Community College Classes (U.S. News & World Report)
When finances are tight, consider earning transfer credits through online community college courses.

Quote of the day:
"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."
Ash Sweeney

SIU missing more than 250 computers (Bloomington Pantagraph)
CARBONDALE — SIU lost more than $400,000 worth of computers in the last year and carried a negative cash balance in a fund from which Carbondale campus renovations are paid, an examination by the Illinois Auditor General’s office found.

Accreditor Considers New Standards for Teacher-Training Programs (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Teacher-training colleges, which have come under fire from the Obama administration, are facing new scrutiny—this time, from their accreditor.

Students Give Colleges 'Incomplete' on Job Prep (CNBC)
At a time when unemployment among those aged 20 to 24 is over 13 percent, a quarter of college students feel unprepared for the job market, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Even university presidents see degree's value eroding (CNNMoney)
As the price of a four-year degree climbs, nearly half of university presidents in a new survey believe it hasn't become more valuable.

Even for Drop-outs, College Pays (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
It sounds like the worst of all worlds borrowing money for college, then dropping out and facing the debt without a degree.

Advocates Urge Congress to Renew Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
WASHINGTON — Congressional lawmakers were urged Monday to renew funding for the Teacher Quality Partnership grant program, a federal initiative that higher education leaders say has helped raise student achievement and foster diversity within the teaching profession.

OPINION - MOOCs For Teachers: They're Learners, Too (Forbes)
Rarely a day goes by when MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are not in the news. There is no hotter topic of conversation in education technology today. Journalists are asking “has the future of college moved online?” While many think that MOOCs are the future of higher education in America and are excited by the enticing business opportunities they offer others are expressing concerns.

Holding Colleges Responsible (Inside Higher Ed)
If Andrea Pino hadn’t been drafted to help with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's search for the employee who would handle Title IX complaints, the national landscape of sexual assault activism might not look so dramatically different than it did just a year ago. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/11/student-activists-spur-sexual-assault-complaints-some-say-education-department#ixzz2VvGSSaSU Inside Higher Ed

Single Stop Before Graduation (Inside Higher Ed)
WASHINGTON -- College can be demanding. It’s even tougher when you can’t afford to eat. Taylor McMahon skipped breakfast and lunch most days when she first enrolled as nursing student at Hostos Community College, which is located in New York City’s Bronx Borough. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/11/nonprofit-group-single-stop-helps-low-income-students-avoid-financial-barriers#ixzz2VvGjuTlp Inside Higher Ed

Evaluating Options on Loans (Inside Higher Ed)
WASHINGTON -- The interest rate for new, federally subsidized student loans will increase to 6.8 percent on July 1 if Congress does not act. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/06/11/cbo-estimates-costs-and-savings-changes-loan-programs#ixzz2VvGxgb6G Inside Higher Ed

Opinion: Ma, There's a MOOC Under My Bed (Inside Higher Ed)
The irony about MOOCs is that hardly anyone opposes them except many of the academics qualified to teach them. Recently academics, including groups of faculty at Amherst College, Duke University, and San Jose State University, have been publicly skeptical of, and even hostile to new forms of teaching online courses. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/06/11/essay-faculty-concerns-about-new-forms-online-education#ixzz2VvHb5gVv Inside Higher Ed

WIU president gives salary increase back to school scholarships (McDonough County, The Voice)
Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas received 3.5 percent salary increase, but he has chosen to give the increase — $8,907.75 — back to the university to be used for scholarships.

'State of denial' over true amount of UI financial reserves (News-Gazette)
URBANA — The continued slide in state support for Illinois' flagship public university and fundamental changes in higher education itself will require tough decisions in coming months, University of Illinois President Bob Easter says.

Colleges watching for rules under health-care law (News-Gazette)
CHAMPAIGN — As businesses prepare for more provisions of the Affordable Care Act to take effect, higher education, and community colleges in particular, face unique challenges because of their dependence on part-time employees.

Editorial: Higher education, at much lower cost (Orange County Register)
On the long list of economic woes facing the middle class, the cost of higher education surely deserves to be ranked near the top.

JJC’s farmers market gets strong reception (Southtown Star)
Joliet Junior College has found a better than expected response to its first farmers market.

OPINION - When Less Can Be More: Higher Education in 2013 (The Huffington Post)
As chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, I am responsible for a $592 million budget, 7,500 faculty and staff, and more than 200 graduate and undergraduate programs. I also hold a position as Professor of Accounting, and I am formally trained as a Certified Public Accountant, with a research focus on governmental and nonprofit accounting.

SIU lost $400K worth of computers (The Southern Illinoisan)
CARBONDALE — SIU lost more than $400,000 worth of computers in the last year and carried a negative cash balance in a fund from which Carbondale campus renovations are paid, an examination by the Illinois Auditor General’s office found.

Remedial education: College presidents learn they can’t hide from scandal in social media age (The Washington Times)
For years, out-of-control tuition costs and funding woes have been the biggest stories in the world of American higher education Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/10/social-media-help-root-out-scandals-of-college-pre/#ixzz2Vv49BAxZ Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Quote of the day:
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Diversity in Academe 2013 Diversity in Academe Diversity in Academe (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Colleges are still trying to figure out how to do diversity.

Court set to rule on race in college admissions (CNN)
(CNN) -- Heman Marion Sweatt and Abigail Noel Fisher both wanted to attend the University of Texas at Austin, and both claimed race was a primary reason for their rejection.

College Presidents’ Role in Sports Being Reassessed (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Holden Thorp is packing up after nearly five years as chancellor at the University of North Carolina, preparing for his next job as provost at Washington University in St. Louis. Thorp’s done with big-time college sports, and if he had his way, other school presidents would be finished with them, too. Many leaders just don’t have the training to handle a major athletics program, he argues.

Online Education Will Be the Next 'Bubble' To Pop, Not Traditional University Learning (Forbes)
Speaking in Providence, RI not too long ago, the post-speech conversation turned to college education. The word was that Brown University’s tuition alone had risen above $50,000 per year.

Wiggle Room for Political Science? (Inside Higher Ed)
The National Science Foundation on Friday announced its rules to carry out new Congressional restrictions on supporting research in political science. While political scientists hate the restrictions in just about any form, several experts said Friday that the NSF appears to be trying to comply with the law in a way that indicates a willingness to continue to support some research in the discipline.

Early elected WIU?BOT chair (McDonough County, The Voice)
MACOMB — A longtime Macomb resident and member of the business community has been elected chair of the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees. A longtime Macomb resident and member of the business community has been elected chair of the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees.

WIU undergraduate tuition upped 4.5 percent (McDonough County, The Voice)
MOLINE — New Western Illinois University students entering the Macomb campus as undergraduates next fall will see a 4.5 percent increase in all-costs — tuition, fees and room and board. New Western Illinois University students entering the Macomb campus as undergraduates next fall will see a 4.5 percent increase in all-costs — tuition, fees and room and board. Read more: http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20130608/NEWS/130609471/1004/NEWS#ixzz2VpOg897N

'Reach'ing New Heights (McDonough County, The Voice)
Quincy-area teens got a chance to flex their leadership — and climbing skills — this week amid activities with their youth program at Western Illinois University's Horn Field Campus.

OPINION - Susan Koch: UIS students benefit from studies abroad (Springfield State Journal-Register)
Lucius Seneca, the ancient Roman philosopher and statesman, said: “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”

Many knowledge-based jobs go blue collar (The Kansas City Star)
When you think of jobs that require mastery of science or math, chances are you don't think of auto mechanics or construction. But a new study suggests you should think again. The study being released Monday shows both fields are among the top 10 STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - occupations in the Treasure Valley. And all three generally don't require a bachelor's degree.

Are Students Who Go Far Away to College More Likely to Study Abroad? (The New York Times)
Katie Anne Scott was the only one of her friends to leave California for college.

College may not be the answer (The Washington Post)
Going to college is worth it – even if you drop out

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