Economics and Change in Higher Education by UPCEA
Revenue declines, the pandemic, and rising competition create new realities in higher education.
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Cal State’s revenue only covers 86% of costs — and the gap is widening - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive
Why Colleges Should Pay Attention to Strikes by Their Most Precarious Teachers - Robert Ubell, EdSurge
Friday, June 2, 2023
Professor Association Blasts Florida’s “Unparalleled” Assault on Higher Education - Isabela Dias, Mother Jones
On Wednesday, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expected to announce he’s entering the 2024 presidential race in the evening, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) released a damning report on the state of higher education in the potential candidate’s home state. “Academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance in Florida’s public colleges and universities,” the association concluded, “face a politically and ideologically driven assault unparalleled in US history.” The “onslaught” led by DeSantis and the Republican-led legislature “threatens the very survival of meaningful higher education in the state, with dire implications for the entire country.”
Cuts to the CSCU budget could devastate - Venezia Michalsen, Connecticut Mirror OP/ED
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Merger Watch: Opinions on corporate restructuring in higher education - Ricardo Azziz, Higher Ed Dive
Over half of adults say the financial benefits of attending college outweigh its costs -Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
State funding for higher ed surpasses pre-Great Recession levels - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive
A Nearly 150-Year-Old New York College Is Forced to Close After Failing to Sell Itself - Skylar Woodhouse, Bloomberg
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Undergraduate losses slow — but enrollment is still well below pre-COVID levels - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive
Governor warns GOP proposals ‘would cripple the state’s public education’ - Charles Duncan, Spectrum Local News
North Carolina’s governor said Republican proposals on teacher pay, school vouchers and education culture wars are threatening public education. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said Monday the state faces a “public education emergency” if the GOP-controlled General Assembly gets its way with education legislation. He called on people to contact their legislators.
Monday, May 29, 2023
Bain warns of ‘perilous environment’ for colleges as COVID-19 relief dries up - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive
DePaul University Facing $56 Million Budget Gap and Shrinking Enrollment - Legal Insurrection
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Texas poised to fund community colleges based on student outcomes - Kate McGee, Texas Tribune
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace - Rachel Minkin, Pew Research
A majority of U.S. workers say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing, but relatively small shares place great importance on diversity in their own workplace. Most workers have some experience with DEI measures at their workplace. About six-in-ten (61%) say their company or organization has policies that ensure fairness in hiring, pay or promotions, and 52% say they have trainings or meetings on DEI at work. Smaller shares say their workplace has a staff member who promotes DEI (33%), that their workplace offers salary transparency (30%), and that it has affinity groups or employee resource groups based on a shared identity (26%). Majorities of those who have access to these measures say each has had a positive impact where they work.
Saturday, May 27, 2023
The college degree gap between Black and white Americans was always bad. It’s getting worse - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report
As states push back against diversity programs, and the Supreme Court considers whether to eliminate affirmative action in admissions, a central question remains: whether the playing field has finally been leveled, especially between white and Black Americans who aspire to college educations and the higher quality of life they bring. The answer? Not only has this equity divide failed to narrow — it’s getting worse. “In a way, we’re in the worst of all possible worlds for civil rights, because people think a lot of problems have been solved,” said Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles.
University of Vermont faculty alleges deficient pay in state labor board complaint - Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive
A union representing about 800 University of Vermont faculty filed a complaint with the state’s labor board Tuesday, accusing administrators of improperly increasing their workloads. United Academics told the Vermont Labor Relations Board that university officials had not compensated faculty for time spent training in a new learning management system, or LMS, and that they refused to bargain over the issue.
Friday, May 26, 2023
Ohio Senate bill restricting DEI, tenure advances over widespread objections - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive
Senate hearing highlights AI harms and need for tougher regulation - Darrell M. West, Brookings
Along with tools launched by other firms, ChatGPT has democratized technology by bringing tremendous computing power to search, data analysis, video and audio generation, software development, and many other areas. Generative AI has the power to alter how people find information, generate new audio and videos, create new products, and respond in real time to emerging events. At the same time, though, several issues have emerged that concern consumers, academic experts, and policymakers. Among the worrisome problems include harmful content, disinformation, political favoritism, racial bias, a lack of transparency, workforce impact, and intellectual property theft. Altman’s testimony, along with that of IBM Vice President Christina Montgomery and New York University Professor Gary Marcus, provided a chance to explain generative AI and gave legislators an opportunity to express their reservations about its impact on society, the economy, and elections.