Survey: Many college students are reluctant to seek mental health support during the pandemic
INSIDE HIGHER ED — For many students, spending the year with COVID has felt like being on a sinking ship, desperately searching for a lifeboat and perhaps choosing one that falters when lowered. Campus counseling centers and their staffs are continuing to comfort others even as their own lives are at stake.
Read More about Survey: Many college students are reluctant to seek mental health support during the pandemicZoom criticized for canceling controversial virtual events organized by college groups
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Videoconferencing platform Zoom published a new policy giving higher education institutions greater control over their online events and the speakers to whom they chose to give platforms. For academics and groups supporting free speech and academic freedom, the changes are a welcome step in the right direction.
Read More about Zoom criticized for canceling controversial virtual events organized by college groupsA look at the US Senate confirmation hearing for James Kvaal as Secretary of Education
INSIDE HIGHER ED — President Biden’s nominee for under secretary of education, James Kvaal, appears likely to be headed to the full Senate for a vote on his confirmation after a relatively drama-free committee hearing on his nomination. Kvaal appeared before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday.
Read More about A look at the US Senate confirmation hearing for James Kvaal as Secretary of EducationCalifornia community college enrollment falls sharply amid pandemic
INSIDE HIGHER ED — The California Community College system had a 12 percent enrollment decline from fall 2019 to fall 2020 — a loss of 186,688 students — a staggering figure for the largest college system in the country and a likely harbinger of the demographic and fiscal challenges that lie ahead for the sector nationally.
Read More about California community college enrollment falls sharply amid pandemicSaint Louis University Law adopts faculty diversity hiring plan
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY — In recognition of the value and critical importance of having a faculty body that is diverse, including specifically with respect to racial and ethnic diversity, the Saint Louis University School of Law faculty and Dean William P. Johnson have adopted a five-point plan for achieving a diverse faculty body.
Read More about Saint Louis University Law adopts faculty diversity hiring planSouthern University Law, University of New Mexico Law, and USC Gould Law programs address racism and law enforcement reform
DIVERSE ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION — The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the violent death of George Floyd and the global protests that ensued have triggered a reckoning in many institutional spaces. Law professors and deans have examined their curricula to address issues of racism and bias.
Read More about Southern University Law, University of New Mexico Law, and USC Gould Law programs address racism and law enforcement reformPenn Law professor Eric Feldman discusses the challenges colleges face in mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students
CNBC — Every year, colleges across the country require students to get vaccinations for diseases such as Measles and Tetanus. Now, one year into the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines against the virus are becoming available for college-age students. Rutgers University announced that the school would update its typical vaccine requirements.
Read More about Penn Law professor Eric Feldman discusses the challenges colleges face in mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for studentsFaculty salaries and benefits decline during the pandemic
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Average faculty pay fell by 0.4 percent this year, adjusting for inflation, the first such decrease since 2011-12, according to preliminary data from the American Association of University Professors’ annual Faculty Compensation Survey. This top-line figure doesn’t tell the full story of how academic salaries have fared during COVID-19.
Read More about Faculty salaries and benefits decline during the pandemicColleges split on mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students
ABC NEWS — U.S. colleges hoping for a return to normalcy next fall are weighing how far they should go in urging students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including whether they should – or legally can – require it. Universities including Rutgers, Brown, Cornell and Northeastern recently told students they must get vaccinated before returning.
Read More about Colleges split on mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for studentsFlorida bill will allow students to record classes for personal use
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Florida is poised to pass a bill allowing students to record classes for personal use — and to complain about professors who violate students’ free expression. Idaho’s higher ed budget is also on hold over lawmakers’ concerns about diversity programs. This bill allows serves the purpose of lodging free speech.
Read More about Florida bill will allow students to record classes for personal use