Category: Research/Policy

2010, College Affordability, Politics, Research/Policy

Taking it to the Streets: Student Protests and Higher Education Policy

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

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2010, Research/Policy

Innovation, Exploitation, and Instigation (and it still isn’t enough!)

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!)

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2010, College Access, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Politics, Research/Policy

The DREAM Act and the Party of “No”

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”

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2010, Research/Policy

Higher Education Rankings: Who Cares?

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?

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2010, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes

PRESSURE: Two Perspectives on Pressure in Higher Education

The Boston Globe published a piece on Monday (thanks to Academica.ca for their reference) on the practice of adding a ‘gap’ year between high school and college. In Europe, many students take a gap year, sometimes through military service, sometimes through travel and other pursuits. But in Canada and the US, there is a push to continue education and get into the workforce. Continue reading PRESSURE: Two Perspectives on Pressure in Higher Education

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