The leaders of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities breathed a sigh of relief last week when they learned that President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget includes a $30 million funding increase for their financially struggling schools.
Last year, many black educators were shocked by what they considered to be substantial cuts to black colleges and other educational institutions dedicated to select minorities, such as Native Americans, in Obama’s first budget proposal.
“The United Negro College Fund and the entire community of minority-serving institutions were disappointed at last year’s budget proposal, which recommended a decrease from previous funding levels,” fund President Michael Lomax said in a written statement analyzing Obama’s latest budget. “The increase – $30 million higher than last year’s levels – proposed in the budget that has just been released shows that the administration was listening.” READ FULL STORY
For job seekers looking to teach college and university courses, the world of online teaching might be a good place to look for employment now and in the future. In a story this week U.S. News & World Report reported that online college education is expanding—rapidly. More than 4.6 million college students were taking at least one online course at the start of the 2008-2009 school year. That’s more than 1 in 4 college students, and it’s a 17 percent increase from 2007.
Two major factors for the soaring numbers in the 2008-2009 school year are the sour economy and the possibility of an H1N1 flu virus outbreak, according to the seventh annual Sloan Survey of Online Learning report, titled “Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States in 2009.” But, the survey’s authors say, there is a lot more work to be done, and there’s huge potential for online education to expand, especially at larger schools. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY >>
Are college and university faculties bastions of liberalism? And if so, why do so many college professors and academicians tend to lean left when it comes to their political ideologies? Is a strong left-leaning profession discouraging conservatives from seeking teaching jobs in higher education and pursuing academic careers?
New York Times writer Patricia Cohen explored the issue in a recent article entitled “Professor Is a Label That Leans to the Left”
According to one researcher she interviewed: “The irony is that the more conservatives complain about academia’s liberalism, the more likely it’s going to remain a bastion of liberalism.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
The year is winding down. The holidays are fast approaching. It would be easy to let your job hunting efforts fade, taper off and disappear entirely.
Don’t let that happen.
The holidays and the upcoming new year present great networking opportunities and chances to connect with employers, friends, and associates in different and creative ways. Here is an excellent article entitled Ten Creative Places to Find the Hidden Jobs by careers expert and author Sherrie Gong Taguchi. It can inspire you and inject a jolt of energy and enthusiasm into your job search efforts. Colleges and universities are still some of the best places to work. There are thousands of academic job openings right now, and one of them will be the ideal fit for you and your career. Stay hopeful, stay active, stay connected and consider these 10 ideas: Read Full Article
Metropolitan State College of Denver is so confident about its teacher education program that its graduates now come with a guarantee.
Any teacher graduating from Metro State’s licensure program who is not adequately prepared in his or her first year and requires more training can return to the classroom — for free — until the problems are fixed, said Metro State president Stephen Jordan, who announced the program Wednesday.
“We believe we are producing good teachers, and the best way to prove that is to stand behind your program,” Jordan said.
Metro State’s teacher education program graduates about 500 students every year. Most grads go on to teach in Jefferson County or Denver Public Schools or other metro-area districts.
“I love that,” said Sue Gill, director of professional development for Jefferson County Public Schools. “It’s quite a public promise. It’s a pretty gutsy marketing move.” READ FULL ARTICLE
Higher education has slipped as a national priority even though it is key to both the country’s economic recovery and its standing as a world leader, four former governors said yesterday, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“I think that higher education is at risk, and that message is not being communicated clearly and sufficiently enough,” former Virginia Gov. Gerald L. Baliles told a coalition of business and education leaders at a daylong conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Baliles was joined by former Virginia Gov. George Allen and former Govs. Robert L. Ehrlich of Maryland and Michael F. Easley of North Carolina in a panel discussion sponsored by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council. READ FULL STORY
Those in higher education must take the lead in encouraging creativity on their campuses and producing graduates capable of competing in a 21st-century society, Oklahoma college presidents said at an education summit Wednesday.
Presidents from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City and the University of Central Oklahoma participated in a wide-ranging panel discussion at the Central Oklahoma campus.
On one issue all agreed: What has been the status quo in a college setting for decades won’t necessarily be effective now. Students are demanding new methods of delivery of academic material READ FULL ARTICLE
Dr. Jill Biden, wife of vice president Joe Biden thinks the world of community colleges and recently shared her views on the world stage about the united states community college system.
Biden had high praise for community colleges and the role 2-year institutions play in higher education during a recent speech in Paris: http://tinyurl.com/nyllhe.
Biden has taught at community colleges for many years and currently is an adjunct professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College. Here is the link to her official bio http://preview.tinyurl.com/7vmoco.
During last year’s presidential campaign Biden often talked passionately about her career in academe, including her speech in this video clip: http://tinyurl.com/688ovh
