Category: 2011

2011, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Research/Policy

Higher Education for Free: What a Concept!

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This week, the faculty union at my alma mater, the University of Manitoba, warned its members that certain websites are posting lecture notes in potential violation of professors’ intellectual property rights. The same week, MIT announced that it is providing free access to its entire collection of online courses. More importantly, it will provide … Continue reading Higher Education for Free: What a Concept!

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2011, Politics, Research/Policy

A Fly on the Wall

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This coming Monday, President Obama is apparently hosting presidents from about 10 colleges and universities to have a discussion about college costs and affordability. I want to be in that room. Being a natural cynic (the best researchers, I argue, are cynics, which is why we question everything!), I want to hear first what … Continue reading A Fly on the Wall

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2011, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes

Measuring Learning

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This week’s InsideHigherEd.com article, CLA as ‘Catalyst for Change,’ talks about the seven-year project by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to use the CLA, or the Collegiate Learning Assessment, to measure learning in a test-bed of its member institutions. The purpose of the project is to help “propel” reform on campus through its … Continue reading Measuring Learning

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2011, Research/Policy, Student Success

NCAA.com?

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International Back in May I commented on the NCAA and what I see as exploitation of college students for the financial benefit of institutions (see my May 6, 2011 column). The recent discussion about Penn State and child abuse gives me another reason to revisit this issue and the role of the NCAA in the … Continue reading NCAA.com?

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2011, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Research/Policy, Retention, Student Success

Doesn’t Anybody Get This?

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This week I had the privilege of presenting with my colleagues Jay Goff of Saint Louis University and Kim Landis of EPI at the AACRAO SEM Conference in San Diego. In preparation for the 3.5-hour workshop, I updated my retention and student success slides. In particular, I spent considerable time re-upping my tuition and … Continue reading Doesn’t Anybody Get This?

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