MIT Emerging Talent opens pathways for underserved global learners - Camila Massa, MIT Open Learning

The program is the brainchild of Admir Masic, who became a teenage refugee in Croatia in 1992 after escaping from the horrors of war that was devastating his homeland in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, Masic is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and a faculty fellow in archaeological materials at MIT.  “I am overwhelmed with gratitude at having made it to MIT, a place that values innovation, science, and excellence, but also with a sense of responsibility,” Masic says. “There are millions of people forcibly displaced every year — for political, economic, social, or, more recently, climate change-related reasons. How can I do my part to support those who have come after me?” 

https://news.mit.edu/2024/mit-emerging-talent-opens-pathways-underserved-global-learners-0425

Northland Delays Closure Decision Following Donations - Josh Moody, Inside Higher Ed

The Board of Trustees at Northland College has delayed making a decision on whether to close due to financial issues, citing “several transformative donor gifts” received this week. “While Northland is still short of its total funding needs, these gifts considerably impact what is possible. In light of this, the Board of Trustees believes the right thing to do is to reconvene with the Faculty Ad Hoc Exigency and Operations and Budget Committees to continue the work of bringing together proposed adjustments and the new budget realities,” Northland College officials said in a statement Tuesday. “This will continue to require a strategic academic re-prioritization and the need for serious decisions, but we are hopeful about the future.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/26/northland-delays-closure-decision-following-donations

UA releases budget cuts to academic units - Chistopher Conover, AZPM

The University of Arizona has publicly announced the cuts to colleges and other academic units. The cuts are part of the program university leaders are putting in place to get the university out of its more than 50-million-dollar deficit. In an email to the campus community, interim CFO John Arnold and interim Provost Dr. Ron Marx said the cuts, which total about 4.4%, should put all academic units in the black for the upcoming fiscal year. Most of the cuts were between 2.5 and 6%. The College of Optical Sciences saw a 3% increase in the budget.

https://news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2024/4/25/220046-ua-releases-budget-cuts-to-academic-units/

Iowa Wesleyan campus divided and sold, one year after announcing its closing - Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio

Last year, the Iowa Wesleyan Board of Trustees chairman said after 181 years Iowa Wesleyan University would turn its lights off. “The board is committed that we would not start a semester if we did not have the funds to complete it,” Bob Miller said in March 2023 press conference. “That is what has forced us to this decision today.” He did not return numerous requests for comment for this story. The town of Mount Pleasant was incorporated in 1842, the same year the university was established. The town and gown siblings grew up beside one another. And since the news of the closure, residents of Mount Pleasant have been working to preserve the memory of the university while making sense of its 60-acre campus.

https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2024-04-04/iowa-wesleyan-campus-divided-and-sold-one-year-after-announcing-its-closing

Drake’s budget: How did we get here? - Mackenzie Swenson, Times-Delphic

Drake University’s budget has come under scrutiny since the University cut registered student organization budgets and proposed the elimination of programs. To understand Drake’s budget challenges, The Times-Delphic investigated national trends in college enrollment and interviewed top university officials. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted higher education across the globe, making it difficult for universities like Drake to “draw any conclusions” about future enrollment, President Marty Martin said in an interview with the TD last November.

https://timesdelphic.com/2024/04/drakes-budget-how-did-we-get-here/

The Cal Grant expansion for California college students is in jeopardy as the state deficit grows - MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN, Cal Matters

When California’s budget surplus was in the tens of billions two years ago, legislators passed a law that would expand the state’s nationally renowned free-tuition and cash aid program to an additional 137,000 college students by fall 2024 — but only if the money is there. Whether the Cal Grant tuition program grows will play out in the next two months, as state legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom grapple with a budget deficit now estimated at between $38 billion and $73 billion, depending on whom you ask.Early signs suggest California’s upcoming budget, which legislators and the governor must finalize by late June, won’t be able to shoulder the new expenses. 

https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/04/cal-grant-3/

The best free AI courses (and whether AI 'micro-degrees' and certificates are worth it) - David Gewirtz, ZDnet

So, do certificates have any value? Yes, but how much value they have depends on your prospective employer's perspective. A certificate says you completed some course of study successfully. That might be something of value to you, as well. You can set a goal to learn a topic, and if you get a credential, you can be fairly confident you achieved some learning. Accredited degrees, by contrast, are an assurance that you not only learned the material, but did so according to some level of standard and rigor common to other accredited institutions.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-best-free-ai-courses/

The New School no longer expects a deficit in this year’s budget, Olivia Young, New School Free Press

The New School is expected to breakeven by the time the 2024 fiscal year ends on June 30, despite a projected $57 million budget deficit. The university’s short-term and long-term financial stabilization plans to address the deficit were endorsed by the Board of Trustees in December, university spokesperson Merrie Snead told the New School Free Press in an email.  The university has made substantial progress in executing their plan through “several mitigation actions,” according to Snead. If their plan is fully realized, “the expectation is that the university will end the fiscal year near or breakeven,” Snead said. The first phase of the university’s plan to address the deficit — stabilizing the university’s current finances — was accomplished by “reducing planned expenditures.”

https://www.newschoolfreepress.com/2024/04/22/the-new-school-no-longer-expects-a-deficit-in-this-years-budget/

University of Manitoba Faculty and Instructors: Apply for a $10,000 grant to create an open textbook - University of Manitoba

A new round of UM OER Grants (up to $10,000) is available to help faculty and instructors create digital, open access course materials. Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-25 academic year.  Through the Advance Open Ed 2023-24 project, UM Libraries provided financial and practical assistance for the creation of nine open educational resources (OER) publications. This will continue in the 2024-25 academic year, with educational opportunities about open scholarship for the UM community. Funds are available to participate in the upcoming Creative Commons certificate programs and the virtual Open Education Conference in October 2024.

https://news.umanitoba.ca/apply-for-a-10000-grant-to-create-an-open-textbook/

HLC 2024 Waiting too long can doom a college merger, experts say - Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

Higher education experts have a message for college leaders contemplating a merger: Don’t wait. By the time a college is in deep financial distress and facing potential closure, the window for an optimal merger typically has closed long ago. Institutions in trouble often wait until “the absolute last minute and then think, ‘Now it’s a good idea to find a merger partner’ — which nobody will touch,” Ricardo Azziz, founder and director of the Center for Higher Education Mergers and Acquisitions, said at the Higher Learning Commission’s annual conference last week. 

https://www.highereddive.com/news/college-mergers-closures-HLC-conference-2024/713767/

Citing a projected budget deficit, college announces layoffs Deficit for next fiscal year estimated at $900,000 - Rebecca Norden-Bright, The Astorian

Clatsop Community College has announced it will eliminate and restructure several staff positions in anticipation of a budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. College leaders have been vocal about financial difficulties in the past year and estimate a deficit of over $900,000. Interim president Teena Toyas, along with Bill Meck, who is advising the college on finances, forecasted the need for layoffs at board meetings as early as February. “The college is in a situation that requires action to reduce spending,” Toyas said in a statement Wednesday. 

https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/citing-a-projected-budget-deficit-college-announces-layoffs/article_2bf3c336-fdc6-11ee-87bb-133e380a0870.html

Kansas lawmakers dangle $36 million for public universities to secure anti-DEI commitments - Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Rep. Kirk Haskins denounced conservative political attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses in Kansas, but despaired at willingness of House and Senate colleagues to leverage a $36 million appropriation to state universities in an attempt to coerce the governor into signing an anti-DEI bill. Haskins, a Topeka Democrat and a professor at Baker University in Baldwin City, said he was offended a majority in the Kansas Legislature was so threatened by campus diversity initiatives that they voted to approve budget provisions slashing university funding unless Gov. Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2105 banning DEI in Kansas public higher education. The bill would authorize Attorney General Kris Kobach to file lawsuits for adherence to DEI and seek $10,000 fines for every instance diversity, equity and inclusion programs were linked to faculty hiring or student enrollment.

https://hayspost.com/posts/9325b777-c494-4c61-9dc1-3221b65dd01a

Application of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in language teaching and learning: A scoping literature review - Locky Law, Science Direct

The results of this scoping review highlight several implications and future directions for research and practice. Firstly, there is a clear need for more empirical studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the short and long-term effectiveness and impact of GenAI tools. This includes exploring both text-based and multimodal-based tools and their specific applications in language education. Secondly, continuous and regular investigations are required to explore the ethical considerations and potential limitations of these fast-changing technologies. As GenAI tools continue to advance, there is a need to address concerns related to data privacy, security, and the responsible use of these technologies in educational settings. Thirdly, future research should focus on specific language skills, such as writing or speaking in different languages, to provide targeted interventions using GenAI tools. By understanding how these tools can support and enhance specific language skills, educators can develop more effective instructional strategies. Lastly, stakeholder engagement is crucial in shaping the implementation and use of GenAI programs [19].

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557324000156

AI ‘blind spots’ the biggest threat to universities - John Ross, Times Higher Ed

Nevertheless, universities could not afford to ignore AI because it was revolutionising many of the disciplines they taught, from medicine to information technology. Students denied insights into these changes faced a “complete mismatch” between their subject knowledge and workplace realities after they graduated. “Regulatory, technological, pedagogical, societal – you need to be aware of it on all of these levels,” Mr Bielik said.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ai-blind-spots-biggest-threat-universities

University of Arizona shortfall reduced to $52M - Paul Ingram, TucsonSentinel.com

After months of financial wrangling, the University of Arizona faces a $52 million deficit—down from a $177 million estimated hole in January—said John Arnold, the UA's interim chief during a meeting with the Arizona Board of Regents. On the UA campus Thursday, Arnold presented a new budget forecast that included sharp cuts to administration, a moderate cut to the UA's Research Innovation and Impact, and continued consolidation of the IT and human resources departments. Arnold said the UA would continue working on the budget through June.

https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/041924_abor_meeting/university-arizona-shortfall-reduced-52m-cfo-arnold-tells-regents/

University of St. Thomas to cut 26 staff positions, leave 30 open positions unfilled - Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press

The University of St. Thomas has informed employees it will lay off 26 staff members and keep 30 open positions unfilled, among more cost-cutting decisions to come, as it seeks to narrow a $10.5 million budget gap for the fiscal year beginning on July 1. No academic programs or faculty positions were among the announced cuts. University President Rob Vischer informed faculty and staff of the budget challenges in a letter this week and held a “budget town hall” on Friday at the O’Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium in St. Paul. St. Thomas is Minnesota’s largest private university and one of the largest Catholic universities in the nation.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/university-st-thomas-cut-26-003500602.html

Steps forward in strategic budgeting - Katie Popp, Royal Purple

Over the past eight months, UW-Whitewater and other universities within the Universities of Wisconsin have been working with Deloitte to look further into university financials. With the reports being publicized Apr. 11, Chancellor Corey King spoke about the report during the Faculty Senate meeting on Apr. 9. “Since last July, we have been engaged with the leadership of the campus, shared governance and others in this report providing information and having conversations,” said King. Our stance on the report as a university is we will treat the report as a tool. We have many tools on our campus that guide our conversations and our continual work and improvement.” 

https://royalpurplenews.com/43891/carousel/steps-forward-in-strategic-budgeting/

UW Campuses Face Challenging Financial Futures, Reports Show - Baylor Spears, Wisconsin Examiner

Several factors have led to campuses’ financial difficulties including declining state support on an inflation-adjusted basis over the last decade, the impacts of the decade-long tuition freeze that ended in 2022, declining enrollment and inflation. The UW system employed Deloitte as a third-party consultant to conduct financial assessments of the individual campuses. Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said in a statement that the assessments are part of the work being done to help eliminate structural deficits throughout the system by 2028, and ensure the state’s campuses are financially viable and durable. However, he also said that additional investment from the state of Wisconsin is needed to ensure the system’s future success.

https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2024/04/14/uw-campuses-face-challenging-financial-futures-reports-show/

University faculty express concerns over spending freeze - JoMATTHEW TRUNFIO, University of Delaware Review

At the start of the spring semester, some faculty and staff members were surprised to learn that the university had implemented a spending freeze, placing an immediate hold on funding for hiring, travel and research. The sudden discontinuation of previously anticipated funding left many professors in a state of distress and confusion. While the spending freeze’s full effects on teaching are yet to be seen, Sarah Wasserman, an associate English professor, stated that the additional workload is already impacting the quality of education professors can offer.

https://udreview.com/university-faculty-express-concerns-over-spending-freeze/

The politics of shared governance and the higher education crisis - SASHA BREGER BUSH, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR, the Hill

Critically important democratic institutions across the country, ones you might not have known even existed, are under threat. As the higher education crisis deepens, university administrators and state legislatures are increasingly looking to undermine potential critics and eliminate challenges to their authority. A bill seeking to limit the power of shared governance organizations at public universities, including the University of Arizona’s faculty senate, is moving through the Arizona legislature. The bill went through the Arizona House of Representatives in late February, passed the Senate Education Committee with a 4-3 vote in late March and will likely pass the State Senate soon.

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/4590837-the-politics-of-shared-governance-and-the-higher-education-crisis/

A congressman wanted to understand AI. So he went back to a college classroom to learn - David Klepper, AP

So when questions about regulating artificial intelligence emerged, the 73-year-old Beyer took what for him seemed like an obvious step, enrolling at George Mason University to get a master’s degree in machine learning. In an era when lawmakers and Supreme Court justices sometimes concede they don’t understand emerging technology, Beyer’s journey is an outlier, but it highlights a broader effort by members of Congress to educate themselves about artificial intelligence as they consider laws that would shape its development.

https://apnews.com/article/ai-congress-artificial-intelligence-tiktok-meta-27ba6bcfd2ee7a19c0fd7343bfee6e62