In this week's roundup:
the Supreme Court heard two affirmative action cases, Pell Grant recipients have fewer options and arguments are made to end legacy admissions.
October 27- November 2
- The Supreme Court heard arguments concerning affirmative action-related cases brought against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The conservative majority is expected to rule that race-based admissions are unlawful.
- The student vote count is expected to be high in upcoming midterm elections. “During the Trump years, we had a national civics lesson, whether we wanted it or not. People that ordinarily didn't pay attention to politics all of a sudden knew who the Secretary of State was and had opinions about what was going on in this country,” according to Dr. Adam Gismondi, director of impact for the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education.
- OB-GYN residency programs in some states are facing a difficult decision regarding abortion-related training: risk prosecution or lose accreditation. This training has long been a requirement in the OB-GYN residency curriculum.
- The University of Florida’s Faculty Senate issued a no confidence vote about the process of selecting Ben Sasse as the institution’s next president. The controversy stemmed from the lack of transparency in the selection process.
- The National College Attainment Network found that Pell Grant recipients will have fewer options in terms of affordability. Only 24% of four-year institutions and 40% of community colleges are considered affordable in a new analysis.
- The Department of Education has revised regulations for debt relief that will expand eligibility, remove barriers and provide for automatic discharges of debt in some cases. These regulations take effect on July 1, 2023.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will require public colleges to have medicines supplied that reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. “My Administration will continue to work every day to fight the opioid epidemic and provide New Yorkers with further access to lifesaving resources, services, and care,” Hochul said in a statement.
- New research from Education Reform Now calls for the end of legacy admissions. Senior Policy Analyst James S. Murphy argues that concerns over legacy admissions are intertwined with those of race-based admissions.
- A new report from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education outlines how censorship, in the form of legislation about topics to be taught, can dissuade teachers from joining the profession.
