Community College Growth Opportunities: Untapped Potential in America’s Heartland?

Over 1,100 two year public institutions have been established in the United States which enroll almost two-fifths of all students in post-secondary education. However, some parts of the country may not be adequately served by these educational institutions despite demand and supply indicators that indicate future growth potential in the sub-baccalaureate educational market. This paper examines the geographical, demographic, and economic characteristics of counties which host community colleges. It finds that community college access is uneven. A multiple regression analysis reveals several correlates with community college location and identifies counties where opportunities may exist to “seed†additional community colleges.community colleges; access; economic development

Priced Out: How the Wrong Financial-Aid Policies Hurt Low-Income Students

Outlines how national, state, and college financial aid policies do not primarily benefit low-income students. Suggests low-income students paying no more as a percentage of family income than their middle-income peers and removing barriers to assistance

THE FUTURE OF THE LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Since 1980, incremental state and national policy decisions concerning public higher education have had a variety of effects on students and institutions. Although there has been very little research, most of these effects appear to be detrimental to the health of the system of public higher education and to the nation's stock of human capital. A thorough economic analysis of the effects of policy changes on public higher education is needed to guide the system into the 21st century.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Extent Of Service: Minnesota Libraries Disability Services And Quality Of Websites: Assessing Public & Academic Libraries

This article addresses the availability of software/hardware and other sources for all persons with disabilities in Minnesota libraries, and also the navigability of websites of these libraries for those who are visually impaired. Many electronic resources are prohibitively difficult or impossible for the Blind to access. On a practical level, the article surveys and evaluates what is available and what works for people with disabilities at present. I surveyed all Academic Libraries and Public Library Systems in Minnesota as to their disability services, and evaluated the accessibility of library websites through the help of people with visual disabilities. The websites chosen were those of public Academic Libraries/Learning Resource Centers, and those of Public Libraries or Library Systems. To evaluate Minnesota library web sites, I was able to recruit 5 volunteers, and using their personal screen readers (JAWS 4. 0 or later), evaluated 20 Public Library and 40 public Academic Library web sites. Existing legislation concerning persons with disabilities is overviewed as well as issues and concerns that arose during the course of my writing and surveying. The work provides timely information and raises questions for further research

Losing by Degrees: Rising Costs and Public Disinvestment in Higher Education

Washington's public colleges and universities are a critical resource for building a prosperous future for our state and fulfilling the promise of opportunity for all. Without strong public institutions of higher education, our youth will be stymied in striving to reach their full potential, and our state will not remain competitive in the global economy. Yet over the past two decades, the state's financial support for higher education has not kept pace with population growth and rising costs. Public institutions differ from private colleges and universities in their commitment to providing access to higher education and improving the well-being of all state residents. The University of Washington, in its statement of values, describes "Being Public" as follows: "As a public university we are deeply committed to serving all our citizens. We collaborate with partners from around the world to bring knowledge and discovery home to elevate the quality of lives of Washingtonians." As centers of education, research, and innovation, public colleges and universities spur economic development throughout the state. Washington's business leaders have long expressed the need for a more highly trained workforce, with more public investment in every level of education, from preschool through graduate study. Governor Christine Gregoire said in her 2009-11 Budget Proposal, "Washington's public colleges and universities are the economic engine that drives the state's economy and will drive our recovery." To build a strong foundation for Washington's future, we must increase public investment in higher education as a part of upgrading our whole public education system. Doing so will require identifying new sources of public revenue

On the Nature and Importance of Cultural Tightness-Looseness

Cross-cultural research is dominated by the use of values despite their mixed empirical support and their limited theoretical scope. This article expands the dominant paradigm in crosscultural research by developing a theory of cultural tightness-looseness, the strength of social norms and degree of sanctioning within societies, and advancing a multilevel research agenda for future research. Through an exploration of the top-down, bottom-up, and moderating impact that societal tightness-looseness has on individuals and organizations, as well as on variability across levels of analysis, the theory provides a new and complementary perspective to the values approach

Harnessing Openness to Improve Research, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Colleges and universities should embrace the concept of increased openness in the use and sharing of information to improve higher education. That is the core recommendation of this report. The report was produced by CED's Digital Connections Council (DCC), a group of information technology experts that advises CED's business leaders on cutting-edge technologies

Where Do Students with Disabilities Enroll in Texas Postsecondary Institutions?

Although a wealth of research has explained how postsecondary institutions can support students with disabilities, no studies have articulated which postsecondary institutions are best suited to enroll students with disabilities through quantitative measures over long periods of time. Given the contentious history of special education in Texas, it is critical to investigate how Texas postsecondary institutions support students with disabilities and which institutional characteristics best predict the enrollment of these students. This study explored which Texas postsecondary institutions have enrolled students with disabilities over a five-year period (2013-2017), ultimately informing how Texas education policies could be changed to support greater postsecondary access for this population. Data suggest institutions of lower research intensity and private non-profit postsecondary institutions in Texas have enrolled greater percentages of students with disabilities from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, instructional expenses and institutional grant aid positively predicted enrollment from 2013 to 2017, suggesting Texas postsecondary institutions could strategically spend funds to increase postsecondary access for students with disabilities. Implications for research, practice, and policy are addressed.Educatio

Graduate employment: issues for debate and enquiry

Recent European studies have shown most graduates to be in quite reasonable employment situations a few years after graduating. While concerns continue to be expressed by some employers that many graduates do not possess the right skills and competencies, there is also considerable industry in many universities to improve the employability of their graduates. Does the evidence justify optimism

Journalistic interventions: The structural factors affecting the global emergence of fact-checking

Since the emergence of FactCheck.org in the United States in 2003, fact-checking interventions have expanded both domestically and globally. The Duke Reporter’s Lab identified nearly 100 active initiatives around the world in 2016. Building off of previous exploratory work by Amazeen, this research utilizes the framework of critical juncture theory to examine why fact-checking interventions are spreading globally at this point in time. Seen as a professional reform movement in the journalistic community, historical research on reform movements suggests several possible factors influencing the emergence of fact-checking such as a decline in journalism, easy access to technology for the masses, and socio-political strife. This study offers empirical support that fact-checking may be understood as a democracy-building tool that emerges where democratic institutions are perceived to be weak or are under threat and examines similarities between the growth of fact-checking interventions and previous consumer reform movements. As politics increasingly adopts strategies orchestrated by marketing and advertising consultants and agencies – exemplified in the Brexit referendum – political fact-checking may benefit from examining the path of consumer reform movements. For, before fact-checking can be effective at informing individuals, it must first establish itself within a structural environment