https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/25/author-discusses-new-book-defending-quality-american-higher-education?utm_content=bufferebb27&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer
MSU Research Produces Set of Policy Recommendations for Education Budgets
This set of policy recommendations by MSU researchers will play large and loud during 2019 budget debate in the legislature. What will be the impact on community colleges and public universities?
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/01/24/msu-study-michigan-school-funding-lower-now-than-25-years-ago/
Who Wants To Be A College President
Who Wants To Be A College President?
A very interesting analysis and a good question.
Another one closes
we will continue to see this trend continue--more and more small private institutions closing and/or merging.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/24/green-mountain-latest-small-college-close?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=4fe094f8fe-DNU_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-4fe094f8fe-198145669&mc_cid=4fe094f8fe&mc_eid=f34e796177
Decline In Foreign Languages Trend Continuing
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/24/research-documents-decline-languages-offered-over-three-year-period?utm_content=buffer1c741&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer
Six Trends in Higher Education
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2019/01/10/top-6-trends-in-higher-education/?utm_campaign=Global%20Economy%20and%20Development&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=69213400
Keeping College Students Enrolled & Graduating
This article talks about a program to help students pay rent, childcare etc., to keep them enrolled and to complete their degree. Many colleges and universities have a similar plan. Needs to be expanded.
Michigan is about 15th in nation in getting high school students enrolled in 2 or 4 year colleges. However, drops to around 37th in the nation in degree completion/graduation. An alarming statistic that needs to be greatly improved. Need more policy innovation to assist here.
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/car-repairs-and-rent-checks-bold-plan-keep-michigan-students-college
Open Letter From President Of Purdue: Raising Important Issues
Lots to discuss and debate here:
https://www.purdue.edu/president/email/2019/1901-med-openletter-full.html
Big Issues Facing Smaller Private/Independent Colleges
Some very interesting issues raised here confronting smaller colleges in the independent sector. Among the many interesting issues are mergers & acquisitions becoming more frequent in future. Might we see more mergers/acquisitions among smaller private and public institutions in our future?
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/08/private-college-presidents-seek-adapt-changing-market?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=f7da6e366c-DNU_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-f7da6e366c-198145669&mc_cid=f7da6e366c&mc_eid=f34e796177
Keeping Students Enrolled in Higher Education: 2 and 4 year.
Bridge Magazine published the following recently:
“While Michigan is about average at getting students into two- and four-year colleges, the state does a lousy job keeping them there long enough to earn a degree. In fact, almost one-in-four Michigan adults 25 or older have some college credits but no degree, according to a Bridge Magazine analysis of U.S. Census data. That’s the highest college dropout rate in the Midwest.
Nationally, Michigan ranks 15th in the percent of high school grads entering two- or four-year college (61 percent), but drops to 32nd in graduation rates for bachelor’s degrees after six years (51 percent).
Michigan ranks 47th in the nation in three-year completion rates for Associate’s degrees (15 percent).”
More time needs to be spend trying to get better at keeping students enrolled once we get them to a community college or university and helping them with unexpected personal expenses that might force them to delay or not complete their degrees. Michigan is shockingly ranked 47th in the nation in three year completion rates. That is not good. We also need to get “above average” in getting more high school students enrolled in two year and 4 year programs and then making sure they get all the resources they need to complete their degree. Getting a handle on assuring that students can get their first two years of college completed at a community college with no tuition (based on economic need) would be huge step for the above problems and concerns.
Urban, Suburban, Micropolitan & Rural areas in Michigan
Good analysis and good map of these regions. Based on data from US Census 2013-2017.
https://www.mlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/12/906ac4ccb82663/comparing-urban-vs-rural-michi.html
Federal Education Appropriations Update
From American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
"Congress begins while the Federal Government is still in a partial shutdown after the most recent continuing resolution (CR) ran out on December 21. New Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that the House will vote on two appropriations packages today. One would fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through February 8 and maintain $1.3 billion in existing border security funding. The other package would fund the rest of the government agencies currently shut down, including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Justice (DOJ), for the rest of fiscal year (FY) 2019, which ends on September 30, at levels previously agreed to by House and Senate negotiators. While the bills are likely to pass the House, they are unlikely to pass the Senate or be signed into law by the President because of the lack of more than $5 billion in funding for a southern border wall. Congressional leaders met with the President yesterday, and are scheduled to meet again tomorrow, to try and come to an agreement over ending the shutdown. An immediate, quick solution, however, appears unlikely and the partial shutdown will continue for at least a while longer. As a reminder, FY2019 funding for the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) were finalized earlier in 2018, so these agencies and their programs are not directly impacted by the partial shutdown."
Education Issues For 2019 Taking Place At The Federal Level
An interesting listing and brief analysis of federal issues that will confront Congress, the DOE and the Judiciary. K-12, 4 year public and private universities and community college leaders will be hyper alert to developments this year on these issues. Some very important and complex issues on this list.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/01/trump-education-devos-immigration-essa-choice-2019.html?cmp=soc-edit-tw
Rural Policy Advisor In Whitmer Administration--More
I recently wrote here about my proposal that would have Governor Whitmer appoint a Rural Policy Advisor in her administration to develop a very much needed Rural Policy for Michigan. This person would work with state departments and agencies on rural issues and be an advocate for rural areas/issues.
This article by the President of Citizens Research Council of Michigan provides a lot of info to support this proposal.
https://www.michfb.com/MI/Farm-News/Lessons-learned-while-studying-Michigan-urban-and-rural-communities/
Rural Policy Advisor In Whitmer Administration--More
I recently wrote here about my proposal that would have Governor Whitmer appoint a Rural Policy Advisor in her administration to develop a very much needed Rural Policy for Michigan. This person would work with state departments and agencies on rural issues and be an advocate for rural areas/issues.
This article by the President of Citizens Research Council of Michigan provides a lot of info to support this proposal.
https://www.michfb.com/MI/Farm-News/Lessons-learned-while-studying-Michigan-urban-and-rural-communities/
Homeless Assessment
https://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/12/homelessness-assessment-one-night-count-hud-2018/153624/
US DOE Sets Forth Principals
What Secretary DeVos has set out here are a set of principles that will guide her department and the public debate on the federal rule making process on these topics in January 2019. We all need to see the details before research ting, but this is a beginning place. It remains to be seen how much can be accomplished via rule making versus the Higher Education Reauthorization Act that will be debated in Congress in 2019. #highereducation. #usdoe. #rulemaking.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/20/department-focus-credit-transfer-credential-inflation-rule-making-session?utm_content=buffercba3d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer
US DOE Sets Forth Principles
What Secretary DeVos has set out here are a set of principles that will guide her department and the public debate on the federal rule making process on these topics in January 2019. We all need to see the details before research ting, but this is a beginning place. It remains to be seen how much can be accomplished via rule making versus the Higher Education Reauthorization Act that will be debated in Congress in 2019. #highereducation. #usdoe. #rulemaking.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/20/department-focus-credit-transfer-credential-inflation-rule-making-session?utm_content=buffercba3d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer
Pension/Legacy Costs A Top Concern For Public Administrators In 2019
Interesting option of borrowing money for local government pension costs. Need more innovation, debate and experiments in this area and this adds to the discussion.
https://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/12/pension-obligation-bonds-chicago-rahm-emanuel/153677/.