Destined to Fail?

by Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute and EPI International For the past two decades, I have followed higher education trends and practices as part of my work at The College Board, SRI International, the Council for Opportunity in Education, The Pell Institute, and, of course, the Educational Policy Institute and EPI International. My first detail focused on student access and persistence, … Continue reading Destined to Fail?

From the “You’ve Got to be Kidding Me” Category: Student Sues Vanderbilt?

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute Ok. I just read this article in The Chronicle for Higher Education this morning. “Former Graduate Student Sues Vanderbilt Over Grant-Payback Requirement.” The gist of the story is that a young, pretty graduate student receives acceptance letter from the famed Peabody College of Education and Human Development in 2009 offering her a position and … Continue reading From the “You’ve Got to be Kidding Me” Category: Student Sues Vanderbilt?

College for All? Please….

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute In the past few weeks I have read opeds and articles from the Washington Post’s Robert Samuelson (May 27: It’s Time to Drop the College-For-All Crusade), former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (May 18: The Commencement Address That Won’t Be Given), Mui and Khim in the Post (May 28: College Dropouts Have Debt But … Continue reading College for All? Please….

Empowering Students and their “BigFuture”

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This week I was pleased to take in The College Board’s unveiling of BigFuture at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. BigFuture is a new, sophisticated, but-surprisingly user-friendly web interface developed by the Board in partnership with the Education Conservancy. There have been many career information systems and college search engines puttering around. Even … Continue reading Empowering Students and their “BigFuture”

The Financial Woes of Higher Education

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International While I typically write about the affordability problems related to higher education, this week I am tackling the other side of the dilemma: the infrastructure and financial problems facing institutions and systems of higher education in the United States. Just yesterday, two articles appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education regarding financial issues. The … Continue reading The Financial Woes of Higher Education