Biden Says He Can’t Stop New Border Barrier Plan

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President Joe Biden said Thursday he was unable to legally divert money away from a plan to build several miles of new barriers along the southern border – directly contradicting his campaign vow to build “not another foot of wall” and drawing harsh criticism from Mexico’s president. A notice to allow construction in Texas was released Wednesday night in the Federal Register, the official U.S. government gazette. “There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in the notice. U.S. Customs and Bordermore

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Students, Teachers Grapple With ChatGPT

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Many of the students say they use ChatGPT to organize their notes and make outlines, not to cheat. But other students have used the AI chatbot to do just that. Confusingly, some students who don’t use ChatGPT are being flagged for plagiarism by AI-detection services, often because their work is of a suspiciously high standard. Read more about the dilemma in an ABC News report. (September 2023) …

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Could ‘Microcredentials’ Change Higher Education?

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The University of Texas system, one of the largest in the U.S., is “betting big” on microcredentials, or academic certifications short of a degree. UT is partnering with Coursera to do so, as well as big tech firms like IBM and Google. The goal for the 30,000 students expected to participate is to help them build skills employers want. Lauren Coffey of Inside Higher Ed reviews the new program. (September 2023) …

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Biden Touts $9B Student Loan Relief After Pandemic Repayment Pause Ends

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President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced another $9 billion in student debt relief through improvements to existing programs, a move that will affect 125,000 Americans, and which he touted as leading to economic improvement.   Wednesday’s announcement focuses on three programs: one for borrowers who have worked in public service for more than a decade; another for those who paid down their loans continuously for 20 years, and who now get credit for past payments and forgiveness on the balance; and another effort targeted at disabled borrowers.   The announcement comes just days after the expiration of a three-year pandemicmore

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Florida’s State Universities Are Accepting a New Admissions Test

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Florida’s 12 state universities will now accept the Classics Learning Test (CLT), a controversial standardized testing alternative to the SAT and ACT, this fall. They also will continue to accept the more-established SAT and ACT test results. The CLT focuses on the “classical” Western and Christian canon, according to Inside Higher Ed. The move comes as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has attempted to reshape higher education in the state, banning diversity programs and fighting with the national College Board over classes like psychology and African American studies. Juliana Kim reports for NPR. (September 2023) …

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As Birth Rates Crash, Countries Could Force Students to Stay Home

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China is one of the world’s largest source countries for international students, but it just entered a “demographic deficit,” meaning that its population is likely to decline. In a shrinking future, Chinese leaders, and those in other countries, might not want to let young talent go to other countries, especially if the move is permanent. The result, according to one sociologist, will be a boom in long-distance and online education, as governments try to keep their best students at home. John Ross of Times Higher Education reports. (August 2023)   …

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America’s Most Followed College Rankings Released

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U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings have been criticized for inaccuracy and exclusivity. The magazine tried to fix this year’s undergraduate rankings by measuring social mobility and graduation rates for first-generation students. It also dropped several indicators, such as alumni giving, that critics say have more to do with prestige than with the quality of education. Jeremy Bauer-Wolf has more for Higher Ed Dive. (September 2023) …

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What Are the Next Steps as US House Searches for New Speaker?

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The U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in its history has booted its speaker out of the job, as infighting in the narrow and bitterly divided Republican majority toppled Kevin McCarthy from the position.  Here is a look at what comes next:  Is there an acting speaker?  Immediately following Tuesday’s 216-210 ouster vote, Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, a McCarthy ally, was appointed acting speaker pro tempore. He can serve for only a very limited time — up to three legislative days in this case.  The acting speaker pro tempore’s duties are vague, according to a guide to themore

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Grad Student from Pakistan Reflects on New Life in US

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Aisha Lakhani, a graduate student at Anna Maria College, talks about the path that led her from Pakistan to the school in Paxton, Massachusetts. She’s studying counseling psychology and working with students as a residential specialist, a role in which she creates events and supports students. She talks about her experiences here. (September 2023)  …

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Test-Optional Admissions Could Worsen Inequality

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Many colleges no longer require admissions tests like the SAT. They say the tests don’t meaningfully measure intelligence and are easily gamed by wealthier or more privileged students. However, it seems wealthy students are still taking the tests, while poorer ones are forgoing them. Since the tests are still weighed in admissions, the result may be an even larger admissions gap. Maggie Bigelow argues for getting rid of the tests altogether in The Hechinger Report. (August 2023)  …

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By the Numbers, College Is Still Worth It

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Writing in the Baltimore Sun, Jay A. Perman, chancellor of the University of Maryland system, says  that despite falling enrollments and public trust in universities, graduates still earn more, live longer and happier lives, and even volunteer more often. Read the op-ed here. (September 2023) …

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Should We Rethink the College Syllabus?

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Syllabi used to be an intellectual map, showing students what they could expect to learn. But academic and video game designer Ian Bogost argues that syllabi have become boring, rote and describe college policies and regulations instead of academic material. Read his argument in The Atlantic. (August 2023) …

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7 Months After Entering Hospice, Former President Jimmy Carter Celebrates 99th Birthday

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Seven months after the Carter Center announced he was entering end of life hospice care, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn made a rare, surprise appearance during a peanut festival in their hometown of Plains, Georgia. As they waved to bystanders while riding in an SUV that proceeded down the main street of Plains, it marked the beginning of a week celebrating Jimmy Carter’s 99th birthday on Sunday – a milestone few thought the longest living U.S. President might reach. “I think there is a misunderstanding about hospice that its only for people who are days away frommore

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Biden Signs Bill to Fund US Government, Avoid Shutdown

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President Joe Biden has signed a bill to fund the U.S. government through mid-November and avoid a shutdown, less than an hour before money for federal agencies was set to run out. Biden posted a picture of himself signing the bill on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, late Saturday night. In the message, he urged Congress to get to work immediately to pass funding bills for the full fiscal year. The U.S. Senate, in a rare weekend meeting, approved a funding bill Saturday night, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature and averting amore

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California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Body Returns to San Francisco

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U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned Saturday to her hometown for the final time when a military jet carrying the late Democratic senator’s body landed at San Francisco International Airport. The long-serving senator and political trailblazer died Thursday at her home in Washington, D.C., after a series of illnesses. At 90, she was the oldest member of Congress after first being elected to the Senate in 1992. The arrival of her body was not open to the public. No details have been shared about services. The former San Francisco mayor was a passionate advocate for priorities important to her state, includingmore

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With US Federal Shutdown Looming, House Leader Changes Tactics

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U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy dramatically changed tactics Saturday, offering a bill that would fund the government for 45 days, something members of his Republican caucus oppose. To pass the bill, he will need the help of Democratic members of the House. If McCarthy and the Democrats succeed, they would keep the government from shutting down — although only if the Senate goes along and President Joe Biden signs before midnight. McCarthy’s maneuver comes after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass a short-term spending measure Friday, increasing the chances of a government shutdown whenmore

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US Supreme Court Will Take Up Abortion, Gun Cases in New Term

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The Supreme Court is returning to a new term to take up some familiar topics — guns and abortion — while concerns about ethics swirl around the justices. The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump and others or efforts in some states to keep the Republican off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020more

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