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December 17, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Former speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives Christopher G. Donovan was hired to be a field representative with the Connecticut Education Association, the state's largest teachers union. Another legislative leader, Donald E. Williams Jr., the outgoing Democratic leader of the Connecticut Senate was recently named the association's deputy director of professional policy, practice, research and...

December 15, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Spending bill proposes few changes for education. The appropriations bill introduced in Congress will provide slight tweaks and modest increases to student aid and other programs. The restoration of the "ability to benefit" program is among the more significant higher education changes within the spending package. The program would allow students without a high school diploma or...

December 15, 2014

Comings and Goings ... James Mabry, vice president of academic affairs for Mesa Community College in Arizona, was named the next president of Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts. He will succeed Carole Cowan, who was Middlesex president from 1990 to 2014 and chaired NEBHE from 2002 to 2004. Joyce B. Hedlund was named interim president of the University of Maine...

December 10, 2014

Bridgewater State University is celebrating its 175th anniversary as one of the first teacher-preparation institutions in the U.S. Founded by Horace Mann as one of the first "normal" schools in America, the university is hosting a conference on the history of teacher preparation. The conference will be held on March 26, 2015, on the university campus in Bridgewater, Mass.. The...

December 8, 2014

DC Shuttle ... White House hosts College Opportunity Summit. The Obama administration hosted hundreds of college leaders and other officials for a summit to promote new commitments to students. Approximately 500 participants, including college leaders, states, higher education associations, nonprofit organizations and other entities, made commitments aimed at producing more college graduates, helping prepare more low-income students for college, improving...

December 1, 2014

Students in Boston College's Splash program and teacher Roy Y. Chan armed with the 2015 Guide to New England Colleges and Universities. Visit www.nebhe.org/guide to order print copies of the Guide and to access digital versions The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), in association with Boston magazine, produced the 2015 Guide to New England Colleges and Universities. Boston magazine published the Guide in...

November 30, 2014

Economist Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, will deliver the next Shepard Lee lecture on "Full Employment: A Better Bargain for Working People" on Monday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. at Portland Public Library's Rines Auditorium. The University of Massachusetts Cybersecurity Taskforce will meet with corporate leaders at a national cybersecurity event on "Educating the...

November 25, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Andrew H. Card, former White House chief of staff and acting dean of the George H.W. Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A &M University, was named the fifth president of Franklin Pierce University, effective in January 2015. Donald E. Williams Jr., outgoing Democratic leader of the Connecticut Senate, was named the Connecticut Education Association's...

November 24, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Harkin proposes reauthorization of Higher Education Act. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced a draft bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Harkin said that his 874-page proposal is aimed at holding institutions more accountable while reining in tuitions and easing loan repayment. Among several new provisions, the bill allows for...

November 18, 2014

Laurie Patton Comings and Goings ... Middlebury College Trustees named Laurie L. Patton, dean of Duke University's Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Robert F. Durden Professor of Religion, as Middlebury's next president, effective in July. She will succeed Ronald D. Liebowitz, who has beens president since July 2004. Bridgewater State University's Board of Trustees recommended alumn and...

November 17, 2014

DC Shuttle ... DOE issues No Child Left Behind waiver renewal guidance. The Education Department released new guidance on waiver renewal for the No Child Left Behind Act. Under these guidelines, states wishing to extend their waivers will be able to, for up to four years, after adequately showing how they plan to identify and intervene in low-performing schools. The...

November 11, 2014

State Capital Notes ... The midterm elections brought New England two new governors. Rhode Island elected its first woman governor, Democrat Gina Raimondo. Massachusetts elected Republican Charlie Baker, a former Harvard Pilgrim CEO and official in the Weld and Cellucci administrations, including a time as secretary of administration and finance. The other four New England states reelected incumbent governors (though...

November 6, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Southern Vermont College (SVC) selected Buena Vista University Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty David Rees Evans to be the ninth president of SVC, succeeding President Karen Gross. Barbara E. Murphy announced she will retire as president of Johnson State College on June 30, 2015, after a 32-year career in Vermont higher...

November 3, 2014

New England is the slowest-growing and most significantly aging region in the country, according to data released earlier this fall by the U.S. Census bureau. Select analysis for the New England region is now available in the demography section of NEBHE's recently revamped Trends & Indicators. As demographer Peter Francese notes, the elderly will increasingly outnumber school-age children—a demographic shift...

October 30, 2014

At NEBHE's recent board meeting in Stowe, Vt., University of Vermont President Tom Sullivan gave a brief lesson on higher education cost drivers. The top cost drivers, Sullivan said, at least at bricks-and-mortar institutions like his, are: 1) compensation of faculty and staff, including employee benefits; 2) student financial aid; 3) facilities of quality to attract students, including the amenities...

October 24, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Richard M. Freeland Massachusetts Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland told the state Board of Higher Education that he will leave his post at the end of the 2014–15 academic year. Freeland has been a member of NEBHE's board since his appointment as Massachusetts chancellor in 2009. As chancellor and in his previous role as president...

October 21, 2014

NEBHE published the fourth edition of Advanced Manufacturing Problem Based Learning (AM PBL) News. NEBHE in September 2012 was awarded a three-year $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a New England-wide project titled Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Advanced Manufacturing: Transforming 21st Century Technician Education. Funding is provided through the NSF's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program to...

October 21, 2014

Some upcoming events of interest ... Dan Sichel, professor of economics at Wellesley College and former senior official at the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve, will present The Financial Crisis, the Great Recession, and the Long Road Back at Clark University on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Jefferson Academic Center. Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Commissioner Richard...

October 17, 2014

New England Council President James T. Brett will be among luminaries recognized by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) in March 2015 at the regional organization's 13th annual New England Higher Education Excellence Awards. Each year, NEBHE presents Regional Excellence Awards to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional leadership on behalf of higher education and the advancement...

October 10, 2014

Mike Winders and Richard Bisk raise many important points in their recent article for the NEBHE Journal, but curiously choose to ignore the substance of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education's (BHE) policy on developmental math that followed a careful review of task force recommendations. Their characterization of the BHE policy is simply misleading. I believe we would agree, however,...

October 6, 2014

The influential Northeastern University think tank that authored several NEJHE articles in recent decades ended it operations this month. The closing of the Center for Labor Market Studies follows the retirement last summer of its director Andrew Sum, who had launched the center in 1979 with a U.S. Department of Labor grant. In 2011, Paul Harrington, who co-directed the center...

October 1, 2014

Lumina Foundation will convene education experts nationwide for a webcast on Wednesday, Oct. 8, marking the launch of a new version of the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP). The profile defines clear learning outcomes for associate, bachelor's and master's degrees that reflect a quality postsecondary education which will serve students well as they prepare for further education, rewarding careers and fulfilling lives. Lumina...

September 24, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Vermont Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding was named the next chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges, replacing chancellor Tim Donovan who will retire at the end of this year. Before joining the governor's staff in 2011, Spaulding spent 16 years in the Vermont State Senate and eight as state treasurer. He founded Montpelier's WNCS-FM in 1976...

September 22, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Student loan debt at forefront of education discussion. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asked that the Senate take up a vote on the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act (S.2432) which she sponsors. The bill would allow those with outstanding student loans to refinance them to today's lower rates of less than 4%. The difference would be paid...

September 16, 2014

Advanced manufacturing, an industry with strong growth potential in New England, currently faces a shortage of talent. In response some of the region's colleges and universities have developed cutting-edge programs to prepare qualified graduates. Central Connecticut State University's new bachelor's degree program in Robotics and Mechatronics is one example, and it is unique among New England public colleges. (Mechatronics, for...

September 16, 2014

DC Shuttle ... GAO report and Senate committee hearing on student loan debt. The Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing titled "Indebted for Life: Older Americans and Student Loan Debt." At the hearing, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report that reveals student loan debt among seniors is on the rise. The report found that the amount...

September 8, 2014

State Capital Notes ... In 2013, Gov. Deval Patrick was often at loggerheads with legislators on big-ticket items, including education funding and transportation. In 2014, the atmosphere was more cordial. Just prior to the close of the 2013-14 legislative session, lawmakers sent a $36.5 billion FY 2015 budget to the governor. The governor and legislators agreed on a spending plan...

September 5, 2014

State Capital Notes … Gov. Lincoln Chafee and state legislators closed out the six-month legislative session by approving an $8.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2015, taking steps they believe will turn the state's economy around and put people back to work. Rhode Island has the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. at 8.3%. The budget plan fills a $67...

September 2, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Suffolk University named Norman R. Smith interim president, beginning Sept. 1, replacing James McCarthy. Described as a turnaround expert at Wagner College in New York City, Smith is a member of the Registry for College and University Presidents—a service that matches veteran education leaders to interim positions, where they are viewed as freer to make unpopular changes....

September 2, 2014

State Capital Notes … In the 2014 session, the second year of the biennium, not a budget-writing year, two issues that were holdovers from the first session, commanded the attention of the governor, lawmakers, attorney general, state healthcare agencies, hospitals and other healthcare providers. Gov. Maggie Hassan and state lawmakers reached agreement on the Health Care Protection Program, New Hampshire's...

August 18, 2014

Mary Grant Comings and Goings ... The University of North Carolina Board chose Mary K. Grant to be chancellor of UNC Asheville, the state's public liberal arts university, effective Jan. 5, 2015. Grant, the president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts since 2002 and recipient of NEBHE's 2014 Massachusetts State Merit Award, will succeed Anne Ponder who served as UNC...

August 12, 2014

Much of NEBHE's Higher Education Innovation Challenge is based on fears that economic and demographic pressures will make the current number of degree-granting institutions (about 250 in New England and 4,600 nationally) unsustainable—especially for those that rely heavily on tuition, have low endowments and are not well-differentiated. This fear has lurked in various guises for decades. In 1992, then-Harvard lecturer...

August 4, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Campus sexual assault bill unveiled in Senate. A bipartisan group of senators unveiled the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, a proposal that would hold colleges and universities more accountable for taking steps to prevent and properly deal with sexual assault on campus. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led the group, which includes New England...

July 29, 2014

The University of Southern Maine and Maine Maritime Academy were recently identified as Maine's most expensive public colleges as measured by average net price in 2011-12 based on a recent update to the U.S. Department of Education's College Affordability and Transparency Center. The College Affordability and Transparency Center's interactive search tool highlights institutions with the highest and lowest tuition and...

July 28, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Department of Education expands experimental sites initiative. The U.S. Department of Education announced that it will be testing the idea of awarding student financial aid for more nontraditional programs. This will allow funding for competency-based programs, prior-learning assessments or programs that blend direct assessment and credit-hour coursework. Under the experiment, the amount students earn in aid will...

July 23, 2014

Comings and Goings ... The University of Maine System name former Central Maine Power President David T. Flanagan to be president of the University of Southern Maine. In addition to leading the utility's response to Maine's 1998 Ice Storm, Flanagan served previously as assistant Maine attorney general and as chief legal counsel to Maine Gov. Joseph Brennan. Former NEBHE delegate...

July 17, 2014

State Capital Notes … Vermont lawmakers passed a $5.5 billion budget along with $5.5 million in new taxes. Property taxes were raised 5%. Spending overall increased by 4.1% over the prior year. The budget included a 1.6% increase in reimbursement rates for health care providers who accept Medicaid payments, which will cost $2.6 million. Lawmakers also increased the cigarette tax...

July 15, 2014

DC Shuttle ... HEA bills advance in House panel. The House Education and the Workforce Committee advanced a package of legislation aimed at reauthorizing provisions of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The three bills, Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act (H.R. 3136), Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Ac t (H.R. 4983), and Empowering Students through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act...

July 15, 2014

State Capital Notes … In the second session of the biennium, Connecticut legislators approved a $19 billion budget for FY15 that increases spending by 2.5%. Toward the end of the session, revised revenue forecasts forced lawmakers to scale back in a number of areas. Gov. Dannel Malloy's promise to provide Connecticut taxpayers with a $55 rebate was put on hold...

July 11, 2014

Comings and Goings ... University of Maine System Chancellor James H. Page announced that University of Southern Maine President Theo Kalikow will leave that post on July 18 and join the system office as president emerita and acting vice chancellor. In that position, she will undertake a systemwide community engagement initiative through June 30, 2015, when her employment contract ends....

July 7, 2014

Now accepting nominations ... The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) is now seeking nominations for our twelfth annual New England Higher Education Excellence Awards. Five regional awards and six state merit awards will be presented to the recipients on the evening of Friday, March 13, 2015 in Boston. Nominees should be individuals, programs or organizations in New England higher education, government or business...

July 7, 2014

Carole Cowan Comings and Goings ... Middlesex Community College President Carole Cowan said she will retire during the upcoming academic year. Cowan joined the college in 1976 as a professor in the business department and, in 1990, was chosen to become MCC's third president. Cowan chaired NEBHE from 2002 to 2004. University of Maine System Chancellor James H. Page selected...

July 1, 2014

U.S. college enrollment continued to decline in spring 2014, but at a slower rate than in recent terms, according to estimates from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center. Nationally, the number of students enrolled in accredited two- and four-year colleges and universities decreased by 0.8% from spring 2013. This marks the smallest decrease since spring 2012, when enrollments shrunk...

June 30, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Senate Democrats introduce draft HEA reauthorization language. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) put forth a draft bill, previewing the Higher Education Affordability Act he will introduce and summarizing Democrats' priorities for reauthorization, he explained in a press release. The bill would create several new grant programs aimed at reducing college costs,...

June 23, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Senate bill would promote reverse transfer of credits. Senators Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced legislation to support associate degrees for students who transfer between institutions without attaining a degree. The Correctly Recognizing Educational Achievements to Empower (CREATE) Graduates Act would encourage states to establish or expand "reverse transfer" programs. The programs allow four-year colleges...

June 20, 2014

Register today for webinar on the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)! The SARA initiative has made significant progress since the first NC-SARA meeting in November 2013. As we continue to organize meetings and garner support in the Northeast, it's important to connect with all stakeholders and address any questions or concerns. Please join us for our second webinar to review...

June 17, 2014

Across more than 40 states, teachers are aligning their curricula to the Common Core State Standards—K-12 education standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. A state-led effort often believed to be a federal initiative (it's not), the Common Core has come under increasing scrutiny this past year. According to Stateline, 65 bills have been introduced across the country to delay...

June 16, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Obama gives executive order on student loan repayment. The Obama Administration announced that it would take executive action to allow borrowers of older student loans to cap their repayment at 10% of income. Five million borrowers with student loan debt would be eligible to cap their student loan repayments under the proposed regulation. Under the executive order,...

June 13, 2014

NEBHE will explore competency-based education (CBE) during a conference titled The Case for Competency-Based Education: A New Age of Teaching and Learning? to be held Monday, Oct. 20 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Among questions to be explored by speakers: What is the evidence that CBE is a more effective than traditional instructional strategies? What does CBE mean...

June 11, 2014

Susan Dunton Comings and Goings ... The Community College System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees appointed Susan Dunton to be the next president of NHTI, Concord's Community College. Dunton's experience in college administration, academic affairs and student services spans three decades at institutions including Lesley College, the Harvard Divinity School and Fisher College. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth named...

June 9, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Senate Banking hearing on student loan servicing. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection held a hearing on the difficulties for student loan borrowers. The hearing focused on loan servicers and how borrowers and veterans negotiate repayment. Senators and witnesses said that action should be taken against servicers that...

June 3, 2014

The Finance Authority of Maine, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authorityhave been selected through a competitive RFP process to participate in the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) Redesigning Student Aid in New England (Redesigning Aid) project, funded by Lumina Foundation. NEBHE will help project participants redesign and align their student financial...

June 2, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Bill to eliminate tax on education technology. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) is forging a bipartisan coalition to promote a new proposal for permanent elimination of tariffs on certain electronic learning devices used in schools and homes. She is sponsoring the "ETeach" proposal (H.R. 4748) that would make permanent an exception for learning devices that was temporarily backed...

May 29, 2014

May 29 is upon us. May 29 (5/29) has been designated a day to raise public awareness about the benefits of a 529 college savings plan—the tax-advantaged investment plans named for Section 529 of the tax code and designed specifically to save for higher education expenses. Administrators of 529 plans throughout the U.S. have scheduled special activities for the day....

May 27, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Public comments and report find flaws in "gainful employment" proposal. The period for public comment closes today, and many comments collected regarding the administration's gainful employment proposal claim the rule is flawed and will end up hurting students. Now, a report by Charles River Associates says the economic effects of the proposed rule are harmful. The report...

May 27, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Vermont State Colleges (VSC) Chancellor Tim Donovan announced he will step down on Dec. 31, six months before the end of his contract. He served as chancellor for five years and previously led the Community College of Vermont. Separately, the VSC board elected Martha O'Connor of Brattleboro to succeed Gary Moore as its chair. UMaine President...

May 20, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Southern Vermont College (SVC) President Karen Gross announced that she will step down in October after eight years as president of the Bennington, Vt. college, to return to Washington, D.C., where she spent 2012 working at the U.S. Department of Education. (Gross said she was not certain the department would be her specific return target.) A...

May 19, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Ed Dept. announces grants to increase college completion. The U.S. Department of Education announced the First in the World campaign, with $75 million worth of grants to fund the development and testing of innovative approaches and strategies at colleges and universities that improve college attainment and make higher education more affordable. The Education Department will award grants...

May 15, 2014

Revised Sept. 8, 2014 State Capital Notes ... Maine lawmakers on April 16 finished the second session of the 126th Maine Legislature. The session was marked by a record number of vetoes by Gov. Paul LePage who in many instances broke with his own party in rejecting legislation. Lawmakers returned on May 1 to take up 48 vetoes cast by...

May 12, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Democrats introduce student loan refinancing bill in Senate. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bill, the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, which would allow former students with high interest rates to refinance their student loans at much lower rates. The legislation aligns with a major Democratic election year interest: college affordability. Democrats are taking on student...

May 12, 2014

Nationally, state and local funding for higher education may be making a comeback. In fact, FY 2013 was the first year since 2009 when state and local funding per full-time equivalent student increased from the previous year, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's annual report on state higher education finance. While 30 states increased funding per student,...

May 5, 2014

DC Shuttle ... House and Senate committees hold hearings on Ed Budget. The House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the Department of Education. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified. Education Week reported that lawmakers raised concerns with the admiration's waivers from the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)....

May 5, 2014

NEBHE published the third edition of Advanced Manufacturing Problem Based Learning (AM PBL) News. NEBHE in September 2012 was awarded a three-year $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a New England-wide project titled Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Advanced Manufacturing: Transforming 21st Century Technician Education. Funding is provided through the NSF's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program to...

May 2, 2014

Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns Jane Altes, former vice president for academic affairs and interim president of Empire State College, and Daniel B. Ginsberg, former assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, will address Southern Vermont College's 87th Commencement on Saturday, May 10. Homebuilder and founder of C &S (College Student) Builders Len...

April 24, 2014

Comings and Goings ... Bowdoin College President Barry Mills announced he will resign in June 2015. The Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., senior vice president for academic affairs at Fairfield University, was selected to be president of the University of San Francisco, succeeding the Rev. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. Rutgers University-Camden official Andrew Seligsohn was named the next president of...

April 22, 2014

Former NSA Director Keith Alexander. General Electric aviation executive Mike Sims will address graduates at Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m. on the main quadrangle. Western Connecticut Health Network President and CEO John Murphy M.D. will address thegraduate commencement at Western Connecticut State University on Friday, May 9 in the Stephen Feldman Arena.Educational futurist Anya...

April 22, 2014

State Capital Notes ... Amid enrollment declines, state systems turn to new policies to fill seats and improve college completion Many state colleges and universities throughout the region are facing enrollment declines after a nationwide period of growth between 2006 and 2011 that saw overall enrollment increase by 3.2 million students. Among the reasons for this drop off is the...

April 14, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Administration announces grants for aligning education with jobs. The Obama administration announced a new initiative to encourage academic credit for apprenticeships, Inside Higher Ed reported. President Obama announced that 24 awards, totaling $107 million, will be given across the country to partnerships of education agencies, workforce investment boards, universities and corporations to align education with employment. One...

April 11, 2014

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power. Judith S. Kaye, former chief judge of New York and of the Court of Appeals and now a lawyer with the Skadden firm, will deliver the commencement address at the Roger Williams University School of Law ceremony on Friday, May 16 at 1 p.m. on the university's main athletic field. Rhode Island Gov....

April 8, 2014

Trinity College named Tufts University Dean Joanne Berger-Sweeney to be its 22nd president ... and the first African-American and first woman to hold the post. **** The University System of New Hampshire selected Roxanne Gonzales, an academic dean and professor at Regis University in Denver, to be the next president of Granite State College. Gonzales served as a director of...

April 7, 2014

DC Shuttle ... House hearing on college access. The House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on access to higher education as part of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). Much of the discussion was about how to best measure access and the hearing addressed methods that have been successful at improving access. Some of the discussion suggested...

April 4, 2014

Bill Nye, scientist, inventor and executive director of The Planetary Society.Janet Napolitano, former secretary of homeland security and now president of the University of California System, will keynote the 112th commencement at Northeastern University on May 2 at Boston's TD Garden. **** Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick will keynote commencement at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst on Friday, May...

March 31, 2014

When you’ve seen one consortium, you’ve seen one consortium. That was a guiding quip at the Northeast Regional meeting of the Association for Collaborative Leadership held last Friday at Five Colleges Inc. in Amherst, Mass. Some of the collaborations are geared to group purchasing, some to expanding offerings through cross-registration and others to enriching town-gown relations. Many want to achieve...

March 31, 2014

Note: NEBHE's 2013 Public Tuition and Fees in New England Report was revised in April 2014, and some figures have changed. Please see the report for the most recent data, and contact Gretchen Syverud at gsyverud@nebhe.org with any questions. Students and families now need 18% of the median household income in New England to pay average in-state published tuition and fees...

March 25, 2014

Mitchell College named Janet L. Steinmayer to be its seventh president, effective July 1, succeeding Mary Ellen Jukoski, following her retirement after 19 years. Donald J. Laackman, president of Harold Washington College in Illinois, was named president of Champlain College, effective July 1, succeeding David F. Finney who is retiring after nine years In the MOOC world, edX named Wendy...

March 25, 2014

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Quinnipiac University announced six commencement ceremonies. On Saturday, May 10 at 10 a.m., investor Guy Adami of Fast Money and Drakon Capital will address graduate commencement at the TD Bank Sports Center on Quinnipiac's York Hill Campus. At 3 p.m. in the same location, Linda Schwartz, Connecticut commissioner of veterans affairs, will address health science and nursing...

March 18, 2014

NEBHE is extending the deadline proposals for its Redesigning Student Aid in New England (Redesigning Aid) project from April 11, 2014 to April 25, 2014. NEBHE was awarded a two-year grant from the Lumina Foundation to support up to three New England states in assessing and redesigning state merit- and need-based financial aid policies and programs. Nonprofits, state agencies and...

March 17, 2014

The New England Board of Higher Education's Regional Student Program (RSP), also known as Tuition Break, provided more than $56 million in tuition savings this academic year to 9,533 participating students, according to the recently published 2013-14 Annual Report of the New England Regional Student Program (RSP). Among highlights from the 2013-14 RSP annual report: Total enrollment in the RSP reached...

March 17, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Obama administration proposes new rules on for-profit colleges. The administration proposed new rules to govern for-profit colleges. One rule would limit how much debt students can amass in career-training programs. The proposal is the second attempt by the Obama administration to set "gainful employment" standards. Part of a rule issued in 2011 was struck down in court...

March 17, 2014

IMF Director Christine Lagarde. Partners HealthCare System President and CEO Gary Gottlieb will address graduates of the MGH Institute of Health Professions at Boston's John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center on Thursday, May 8. ****Former New Hampshire House Speaker and New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Donna P. Sytek will deliver the Regis College commencement address on Saturday, May 10.****U.S. Assistant...

March 14, 2014

Bridgewater State University President Dana Mohler-Faria announced that he would step down on June 30, 2015, at the end of the 2014-15 academic year. **** FAME (the Finance Authority of Maine) named Bruce Wagner to a four-year term as CEO. Wagner has been an executive with W.R. Grace, Barber Foods and Martin's Point Health Care. **** President Obama appointed Yale...

March 10, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Education budget request. President Obama's budget proposal contained many pieces on education. The education portion of the budget request included $300 million in funding for Race to the Top for educational equity. The president called for funding for high-quality preschool. For higher education, the president requested $4 billion in new mandatory spending for competitive grants for states...

March 4, 2014

The head of JFYNetWorks has some thoughts on the buzz surrounding changing college placement standards and particularly the Accuplacer that determines assignment to credit or non-credit courses. Gary Kaplan, executive director, of the Boston-based JFYNetWorks, issued a monograph examining recent proposals to replace the Accuplacer with other measures. These other measures could include attainment on certain levels of GPA, a score...

March 3, 2014

DC Shuttle ... Student enrollment projections. The Education Department and the National Center for Education Statistics released new data on student enrollment projections. According to the report, 3 million more people will be enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities in 2022 than were enrolled in 2012,. Inside Higher Ed reports. Student data privacy. The Education Department's Privacy Technical Assistance Center...

February 24, 2014

State Capital Notes ... Last July, the Oregon Legislature made national headlines when it unanimously passed a bill to develop a pilot project that would overhaul the way college students finance their education at the state's public institutions. The proposal, known as 'Pay It Forward, Pay It Back,' has quickly gained the attention of policymakers looking for ways to save...

February 24, 2014

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved the appointment of F. Javier Cevallos as the 16th president of Framingham State University, effective July 1. Cevallos has been president of Kutztown University since 2002. He began his education career with posts at the University of Maine and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.****The Wheaton College Board of Trustees voted to appoint Dennis...

February 21, 2014

State Capital Notes ... New England's public education and higher education governance structures have always varied. Some states have designated state agencies focused on higher education; others have an office within a state department of education. The executives at the top—commissioners of higher education, chancellors of state postsecondary systems or directors of state higher education departments, secretaries—also vary. And the...

February 18, 2014

DC Shuttle ... GAO warns of college debit cards. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report expressing concerns with college student debit cards. "Congress should consider requiring that financial firms providing debit and prepaid card services to colleges file their agreements for public review and provide other relevant information," the letter recommends along with other changes, according to...

February 13, 2014

Massachusetts and Connecticut lead America in college-educated or 'innovation economy' workers, according to the latest annual index of "The Massachusetts Innovation Economy, published by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Among 'areas for Massachusetts to focus on,' however, the report cites disparities in public funding for education, especially higher education. The index notes that the Commonwealth spends $1,184 less per full-time student...

February 11, 2014

Goal is to redesign state financial aid programs to meet national and state college enrollment and degree-attainment targets, better align state, federal and institutional student aid strategies ... NEBHE was awarded a $404,400 grant from Lumina Foundation to help the New England states redesign and align their student financial aid programs. The purpose of the grant is to provide technical...

February 10, 2014

Symposium on college ratings program reveals partially developed structure. The Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics held a symposium of technical experts in the groups they're consulting as they build the administration's proposed college rating system. While the structure of the rating system is not fully developed, the advisors made clear that the administration was moving forward with its...

February 10, 2014

Fisher College announced that Boston Marathon figures Carlos Arredondo and Jeff Bauman will speak at its 110th commencement ceremony, on May 10, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the John Hancock Hall in Boston. Bauman lost both legs in the Boston Marathon bombing last year. Arredondo helped save Bauman's life by wrapping a makeshift tourniquet around his leg and wheeling him...

February 7, 2014

A private college in Massachusetts and a public one in New Hampshire are teaming up to pursue their shared interests in serving working adult students. Cambridge College will expand online offerings through a new partnership with Granite State College. Focused on a diverse population of adult learners, Cambridge already operates three Massachusetts-based campuses and five additional sites across the U.S....

February 7, 2014

It is fairly well-documented that most underprivileged students see any early interest they had in STEM fields vanish in high school due to lack of school resources and inattention or exclusion. It's certainly true of environmental sciences. But a new grant aims to reverse that. College of the Atlantic (COA) was awarded $134,000 from the Brooke Astor One-Year Fund for...

February 4, 2014

Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) has been powering up its innovative Energy Services and Technology (EST) program, designed to prepare students for employment in the growing field of sustainable energy. EST integrates instruction in the installation and design of high-efficiency and renewable plumbing, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and prepares students to take state licensing exams in energy services...

February 3, 2014

Department of Education delays symposium on college rating system. The Education Department has again rescheduled its "technical symposium" on the administration's proposed college ratings system. The new date for the daylong, public meeting is this Thursday, Feb. 6. HEA efforts may not bear fruit in 2014. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, spoke...

January 28, 2014

Community college students who transferred to for-profits in the early to mid-2000s earned roughly 7% less over the next decade than those who transferred to public or private nonprofit institutions, according to a study by the Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment housed at the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University Teachers College. The authors of...

January 28, 2014

College endowments grew by nearly 12% in 2013, according to an annual survey of 835 institutions by Commonfund and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The largest U.S. endowments are Harvard's at $32 billion and Yale's at $20 billion. The nation's top two liberal arts college endowments are at Williams and Amherst colleges. Nationally, the endowments have...

January 27, 2014

Geochemist and former NASA official Laurie Leshin was named the first woman president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, effective July 1. She succeeds Dennis D. Berkey, who had been president for nine years until retiring in May. The national public policy group Demos promoted its vice president of policy and outreach, Heather McGhee, to be its next president, effective March 10....

January 21, 2014

Obama speaks on college access. President Obama announced a new initiative aimed at increasing low-income students' access to higher education that relies on commitments from states, universities, nonprofit organizations and businesses. The Obama administration unveiled more than 100 commitments from colleges and universities and millions of dollars in philanthropic donations aimed at helping more low-income students attend and complete college....