Unionizing efforts are picking up steam at colleges and universities across the country. In the last three years, the Service Employees International Union's "faculty forward" campaign has organized more than 10,000 part-time instructors at more than 40 different schools. Beyond the widespread cultural impact, this trend has significant financial implications for universities. If union targets […]
Fraternity brothers on spring break—what image immediately comes to mind? Picture this instead: golf-ball sized blisters, swollen feet, strained muscles and determination to help others. Thirty-one members of Troy University's Alpha Tau Omega Chapter dedicated their spring break to walking 128 miles to raise money to aid wounded military veterans. I met with them on […]
The rapid increase in the Hispanic population on American campuses requires administrators to tailor support services to this new wave of students that's forecast to continue growing. Support from three federal grant programs is available to help colleges that qualify as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or HSIs. The funding can cover student support services and other initiatives—such as […]
Two students were expelled and dozens more disciplined when a video emerged last March of the University of Oklahoma's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter singing racist songs with lyrics about lynchings. In the fall, the University of Missouri saw numerous protests over the treatment of black students and the failure of administrators to address the problem. […]
The University of Connecticut's recent announcement of a planned learning community intended for first- and second-year African-American male students has reignited a decades-old debate regarding ethnically themed living spaces on campus. Two members of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights penned a letter to university President Susan Herbst urging her to reconsider the community's launch. […]
Choices for commencement speakers are making headlines this season, and higher ed officials are aiming to make sure those headlines are positive. Many colleges now prioritize student input and diversity when choosing commencement speakers. They are also developing screening processes to ensure speakers are both engaging and appropriate for the audience of graduating students and […]
As director of talent acquisition at Kansas State University, Roberta Maldonado Franzen became a bit surprised by the kinds of employee benefit questions that job candidates were asking during interviews last year. The university is in Manhattan, Kansas, often referred to as the "Little Apple." Of the estimated 1,500 people who apply for jobs each […]
A little time in prison brings fourth-year University of Washington law students much closer to people impacted by the issues they're studying. Fourth-year Law, Societies and Justice students learn alongside inmates in a seminar class taught by program director and professor Steve Herbert at the Monroe Correctional Facility near Seattle. This year's course offering is […]
Innovation is a word with many connotations. For some, it suggests technological advancement, while for others it is discovering new approaches to old problems. For Elon University President Leo Lambert, it is a continual push for improvement, both institutionally and professionally. To be effective, Lambert says innovation has to become part of the fabric of […]
