This month’s hottest stories from SmartBrief for the Higher Ed Leader span issues from MOOCs to enrollment at community colleges. For more education news and to keep up-to-date all summer long, subscribe to a daily email newsbrief.
1. What will higher education look like in 10 years?
Over the next decade, colleges and universities will be seeking secondary funding resources, embracing technology and offering more than traditional degrees, predicts University of Texas at Austin history professor Steven Mintz. Read more.
2. Why colleges must be more “intentional” about part-time faculty
College and university administrators must become more “intentional” about hiring contingent faculty, according to Paul Yakoboski, senior economist for the TIAA-CREF Institute. Read more.
3. Colleges in Ohio, Pa. lead list of most expensive schools
Ohio’s Miami University-Oxford was the most expensive four-year public institution in the country during the 2012-13 academic year with a net price of $24,674, according to U.S. Department of Education data released Monday. Read more.
4. Research shows mixed results for MOOCs
Massive open online courses — or MOOCs — can benefit at-risk students if they are given the right support, according to preliminary results of studies sponsored by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Read more.
5. Liberal arts colleges in Pa. form consortium to save money
Ten private liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania, seeking to save money on programs, staffing and other resources, have formed a consortium to foster collaboration. Read more.
6. 3 bills passed by House education committee in effort to renew Higher Ed Act
The U.S. House of Representatives education committee, on a voice vote Thursday, approved three bipartisan bills as Congress begins work on renewing the Higher Education Act. Read more.
7. Declining enrollment forces community colleges to tighten budgets
Enrollment at two-year public colleges has declined by 2.7% between spring 2013 and spring 2014, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. Read more.
8. Will record level of tuition discounts mean financial doom for some colleges?
Discount rates colleges are giving to students grew to a record 46% this past academic year, according to a report from the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Read more.
9. Conn. college offers new remedial program to speed student success
Gateway College in New Haven, Conn., is offering free, state-funded three-week workshops for students in need of remedial work before they can take credit-bearing classes. Read more.
10. Winthrop U. in S.C. fires president, charging ethics violations
Winthrop University’s Board of Trustees yesterday voted unanimously to fire Jamie Comstock Williamson as the president of the Rock Hill, S.C., school. Read more.
Mina Dixon is an editorial assistant at SmartBrief, where she helps write and edit content across industries, including education.