By Watson Scott Swail, CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International Senator Tom Harkin has had a distinguished political career. He is seen as a moderate Democrat who gets along with his Senatorial colleagues and tries to do the nation’s business in a meaningful and tangible manner with decorum. He has been a supporter of college access and success throughout his career. To protect the interest of … Continue reading The Senator and the Schools
by Watson Scott Swail, CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This past Wednesday, British higher education students took to the streets of London to decry the Conservative government’s plans to significantly raise tuition fees. It has been reported that the government plans to raise the fees by as much as three times the current price to £9,000, or about $14,000 US/CDN. The protest involved an estimated … Continue reading Taking it to the Streets: Student Protests and Higher Education Policy
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International Last week I was privileged to participate in a special seminar hosted by Stanford University’s SCOPE Center and the Canadian Education Association (CEA) at the University of Toronto. The event, Achieving Equity through Innovation: A Canada-United States Colloquium, featured educators, practitioners, and policymakers from the US and Canada, including Jim Shelton of the US Department of Education, … Continue reading Innovation, Exploitation, and Instigation (and it still isn’t enough!)
It is of better valor to stay outside of the political arguments, and I most often heed that advice. But events of last week are forcing me to reconsider said advice.
Last week, the DREAM Act was voted down in the Senate on a party-line vote. The DREAM Act allows students who are, by birth, illegal immigrants to gain access to in-state tuition and financial aid for college. As well, it allows them to fast-track for citizenship. Continue reading The DREAM Act and the Party of “No”
Yesterday, both The Chronicle of Higher Education and InsideHigherEd reported on the new international rankings releases by Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings, the latter which is being released with US News & World Report next week.
Of great opportunity, I was attending the OECD IMHE conference in Paris during the release, and both “papers” quoted colleagues of mine attending the conference. Continue reading Higher Education Rankings: Who Cares?
The Swail Letter on Higher Education 