Imagine a college student who has just formed a student group. In order to generate interest in this group, the student goes to the student union and passes out flyers … Continue reading “NC State Continues to Defend Unconstitutional Policy”
Whether or not you agree that a college degree is primarily worth its increase in potential earning power, students overwhelmingly rate the economic benefits of a degree as the top … Continue reading “Will New Transparency Measures Help North Carolina Students?”
Students who leave college with no degree but an accumulation of debt face obvious hardship, but what about taxpayer money wasted on students with no degrees? The results for North … Continue reading “College Dropouts Cost North Carolina Taxpayers $446M Per Year”
Following a particularly tumultuous year, Duke University has issued a lengthy report to address “bias and hate” on campus. The controversy began with reports that a noose was found hanging … Continue reading “In Addressing Campus Bias, Duke Threatens Free Speech”
Although the bills currently under consideration are unlikely to pass in the immediate future, evaluating them reveals the current areas of federal interest in higher education. These categories can be broadly defined as student aid and access, controlling costs, and political interest.
It’s possible that the relatively calm season is the result of well-publicized controversy in previous years, as universities appear to overwhelming exclude conservative speakers from commencement ceremonies. A 2015 study from the Young America Foundation found that, of the top 50 universities ranked by US News and World Report, the ratio of liberal to conservative speakers was nine to one. That trend holds at North Carolina universities.
What started as a promising step towards a coordinated system of student learning assessment at all 16 UNC campuses now appears to be another lackluster attempt to appease stakeholders, while avoiding concrete data that could spur serious and necessary reform at the campus level.
The North Carolina Community College System is poised to become a national leader in career and college readiness. At a time when there is a spotlight on both high schools and community colleges to do a better job preparing students for prosperous careers, the North Carolina Community College System has taken several key steps toward that goal.
The idea of free community college has become a topic of national debate in recent years, highlighted by Tennessee’s and Oregon’s enactment of statewide plans, and President Obama’s advocacy for a nationwide program. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, who last week won the Democratic nomination for governor, has laid out a lofty education plan that includes tuition-free community college for North Carolina students. How to pay for this plan and its overall structure remains uncertain, but the flaws of similar plans—and more innovative ideas to improve access and outcomes for North Carolina’s community college students—are worth discussion.
Amid what appears to be a national crisis of student debt, legislators and higher education leaders have clamored for a more affordable route to a bachelor’s degree. Guaranteed tuition programs are among the innovations gaining traction. More than 300 colleges offer these programs, and a group of North Carolina legislators wants to explore whether to add the state’s 17 public universities to the growing list. While that may seem like a good idea, there are potential negative consequences for both students and universities.