Poublic colleges face tough times after stimulus end

"Most state governments depend on federal stimulus money to keep public colleges and universities afloat, a new report says. But these funds may be drying up as the new fiscal year begins". Thirty-nine states used stimulus money to support higher education in the past year. "it won't be long before stimulus dollars disappear for good, forcing state colleges and universities to raise tuition, cut enrollment, or lay off faculty". Read the whole article here
Another similar article on higher education budget cut

College in America-infographic

It is interesting to look at these statistics: info graphic about college in America! Russian has the highest percentage of population with a college degree; 90% college students have cell phones, but didn't say what percentage of students has computers, iPhones, ipodTouchs; 66% of college students get financial help from parents,and so forth...

College for everyone?

Experts say, instead of a four-year college, more Americans should consider other options such as technical training or two-year schools. The question is: Do too many students go to college? Opinions differ. Read the article and overwhelming reader comments.

How college students spend their money

Here is breakdown of average college student budget by tuition, room and board, discretionary spending and miscellaneous - and where their revenue comes from - along with their device ownership. Interesting data, though not sure if tuition & fees and room & board figures are accurate.

College students import text messaging habits into academic writing

if you are a professor or an instructor, how do you react when you receive your students' email like this: 'wut up ya I cnt make it 2 clss lol' or when you read similar shorthand terms in students' papers. Read this interesting article about this seemingly serious issue.

It takes 9 years to get a PhD in humanities?

"Law students get a diploma in three years. Medical students receive an M.D. in four. But for graduate students in the humanities, it takes, on average, more than nine years to complete a degree. They could spend another nine years, or more, looking for a tenure-track teaching job at a college or university — without ever finding one." More from New York Times article

Online learning and futue of higher education

High costs maybe one of reasons that pushes students online. Read the article "the future of college may be virtual"

Today, a college education is more than twice as expensive as it was in the early 1990s, even after adjusting for inflation.

Colleges and universities already offer thousands of online courses to their registered students. According to one recent survey, nearly 4 million college students, more than 20 percent of all students, have taken at least one online course.

Online education is continually improving. It’s better now than it was 10 years ago. A study of 12 years of online teaching by SRI International on behalf of the US Department of Education concluded earlier this year that “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

openculture.com, is a website that points visitors to free educational courses online

Growing interest in E-Textbooks

"The average college student spent $702 on books in 2006-07, according to the National Association of College Stores — a figure that has continued to grow and is speeding the transition to electronic textbooks and other digital class materials." see what students, faculty and publishers think about the transition. And also read Northwest Missouri State University's campus wide e-textbook initiative-studying the feasibility of transitioning from the rental of traditional textbooks to the rental of e-textbooks.

American Graduates finding jobs in China

Finding jobs for college graduates is a growing problem in China. Among the 6 million graduates in 2008, 1.5 million failed finding jobs. Interestingly "Shanghai and Beijing are becoming new lands of opportunity for recent American college graduates", according to the New York Times. Want to know how readers react this? read Comments

College of 2020: Students

Chronicle of Higher Education Research Services made the report "College of 2020: Students" available. Here is executive summary
"This is the first Chronicle Research Services report in a three-part series on what higher education will look like in the year 2020. It is based on reviews of research and data on trends in higher education, interviews with experts who are shaping the future of colleges, and the results of a poll of members of a Chronicle Research Services panel of admissions officials." The cost of full report (55 pages) is $75.

The keywords in the summary are technology, flexibility, convenience, online learning, lower cost.
1)The traditional model of college is changing, as demonstrated by the proliferation of colleges (particularly for-profit institutions), hybrid class schedules with night and weekend meetings, and, most significantly, online learning.
2)Students’ convenience is the future. More students will attend classes online, study part time, take courses from multiple universities, and jump in and out of colleges.
3) The full-time residential model of higher education is getting too expensive for a larger share of the American population. More and more students are looking for lower cost alternatives to attending college. This trends will make community colleges and for-profit colleges popular choices and higher demand of inexpensive online courses.
3) minority students will outnumber whites on college campuses for the first time by 2020

Online courses enrollment increase at community colleges

According to the survey by the Instructional Technology Council, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges, the enrollment in online courses increased about 11 percent in 2008 over 2007 at community colleges. Major learning management systems community colleges using are Blackboard, WebCT, and the rising star seems to be Angel Learning. It was used at just under 10 percent of colleges in 2007 and doubled over 20 percent in 2008. Train faculty-technical training becomes one of the challenges community colleges face as for e-learning. Read whole story here and survey here.

Minnesota State Colleges Plan to Offer One-Fourth of Credits Online by 2015

In hopes of saving tax dollars and reaching more students, state leaders in Minnesota say they plan to offer a substantially higher percentage of their courses online in the next seven years.
Tim Pawlenty, the state’s governor, and David Olson, the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, held a series of press events today announcing their intention to offer 25 percent of college credits online by 2015. A. Frank Mayadas, president of the Sloan Consortium, a group of colleges that offer instruction online, says he’s never heard of state leaders at such a high level making this kind of pledge to increase the amount of online teaching. But he said several other states are already moving in that direction. And he predicts that more will soon follow Minnesota’s lead. A study released this month by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation found that enrollment in online courses increased 12 percent in 2007 over the previous year. By Jeffrey R. Young from The Wired Campus

Community colleges now in spotlight

Long the neglected stepchildren of American higher education, community colleges have come front-and-center in the eyes of students, policymakers and philanthropists.
For students, that's because of the economy, which is boosting interest in two-year schools as a cheaper starting point for a bachelor's degree. They're also the place for job retraining. A community colleges group estimates enrollment is up about 8 percent this fall. The new philanthropic attention was underscored last week when the giant Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would spend up to half a billion dollars over the next four years on a college completion initiative. The goal is doubling the current proportion of about 25 percent of low-income people who earn a postsecondary credential. And it was notable that officials said the initial focus would be on two-year schools. The Gates announcement represents the growing recognition that solutions to those problems will have to target community colleges, which educate a disproportionate share of the racial and ethnic groups that are falling behind. Fewer than half of community college students complete as associate's degree or successfully transfer.

The Gates announcement follows several other prominent foundations, including Lumina, Kellogg and Ford, that have recently begun focusing on community colleges. Read complete article here

Community college offers distance education by cellphone

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System announced the creation of LCTCSOnline, a new program built in collaboration with AT&T and Pearson Custom Solutions. Beginning in January, 2009, students will be able to register on a single Web site for online courses by any community college in Louisiana. And they’ll be able to complete their coursework on desktops, laptops, or mobile phones.