In this week's roundup, the strike at the University of California ends, the Pell Grant sees an increase and U.S. News is working with law schools on restructuring its rankings.
December 29- January 4
- University of California graduate student workers have ended their strike that began in November. Their new contracts include substantial wage increases, which was the main demand from student workers.
- U.S. News and World Report will restructure its law school rankings following criticism over the value of rankings. Representatives from U.S. News heard from law school deans about modifying the rankings.
- The Pell Grant will see an increase of $500 as part of the latest federal spending bill. This increase will bring the maximum value to $7,400 in the 2023 fiscal year.
- Research from Erin Hengel of the London School of Economics and Political Science found that research papers written by women spend more time in review than similar papers written by men. This research raises the question of whether women are held to a higher standard in research publishing.
- Questions regarding academic freedom and religious rights arose after Muslim students complained about an image they found offensive in a global art history class at Hamline University.
- Community colleges have struggled to recover from the pandemic with a continued employee shortage. An analysis from EAB found that four-year institutions were able to recover faster while community colleges faced a slower recovery.
- Institutions are creating more inclusive student housing for transgender and nonbinary students. Students say it is important to have a safe place to live but also a place to build a community.
- The NCAA introduced new benefits for Division I athletes, including medical coverage and mental health support. The committee working on these benefits was charged with a transformation of college sports.
- The Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges identified nearly 500 institutions as regional public universities. This classification is meant to help these institutions receive funding.
- Native students at Fort Lewis College are hoping to reclaim their education given the institution’s history as a boarding school. Almost half of undergraduate students are indigenous, and faculty are working to create a safe space for indigenous culture.
