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

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.

https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/car-repairs-and-rent-checks-bold-plan-keep-michigan-students-college



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