As students’ grades are falling at alarming rates, so too is their mental health. During the pandemic, students have felt as if they have little to no control over their futures as the world around them changes. According to Insider, “US schools are reporting massive increases in failing grades—and experts are questioning whether it’s students … Continue reading “Did You Know? Students Still Struggling with Mental Health”
Netflix’s documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal tells the story of rich parents bribing their children’s way into their college of choice. While the story has been reported since 2019, the documentary shed light on some new information. Altogether, over 50 people were indicted for racketeering, mail fraud, and other charges. While many … Continue reading “Did You Know? Higher Ed Admissions Scandal Comes to Netflix”
Over 20 percent of college students come from lower-income families, according to Inside Higher Ed. These students face the worst effects of school closings due to the pandemic—whether they’re in high school or college now. Elementary school students may be even worse off. Yale economist Fabrizio Zilibotti co-authored a study that found: Pandemic-related school closures … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Students Hurt Most by School Closings”
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earned a reputation for having a remarkably effective COVID-19 mitigation plan. Its experience is one that other colleges should pay attention to. As mentioned in a previous Martin Center article, the success of the university’s COVID-19 plan was applauded for strategically reopening in fall 2020. Urbana-Champaign kept case counts … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Campus COVID-19 Plan That Worked”
The overall success of online education is being hindered by the fact that some classes just aren’t meant for online instruction. If higher ed leaders can adjust online classes for the future, they may be able to build a collection of online course offerings that don’t make students dread them. For example, Logyn Welborn, a … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Future of Online Learning”
Colleges have been trying to stop COVID-19 from spreading on campus, and after a year of experimentation, failure, and success, officials may have found their way. Campuses are combining widespread testing, a reduction in social activities, limited in-person classes, and altered schedules to avoid shutting down campuses like many did last fall. Colleges do deserve … Continue reading “COVID-19 Campus Changes: Testing and Sequestering Students”
When students pay tuition, they also pay a mix of mandatory and optional fees. One constant headache for students has been paying for a parking permit to leave their car on campus. In the University of North Carolina system, parking prices can vary greatly. Parking passes for schools such as North Carolina State University and … Continue reading “The High Cost of Campus Parking”
In tracing COVID-19 outbreaks at colleges, the blame has been placed on Greek life, the fraternities and sororities that drive social life on many campuses. While university leaders have criticized secret fraternity parties—and about 400,000 cases have broken out among students nationwide—the blame for campus outbreaks cannot simply be placed on Greek life students. Some … Continue reading “Even in a Pandemic, Campus Housing Restrictions Don’t Apply to Greek Life”
The fall 2020 semester did not go as planned for most students and many felt that their universities failed them. The spring 2021 semester isn’t looking too promising for them, either. Some colleges, such as UCLA, will not reopen until an “effective vaccine or advanced therapeutics have been developed and are available to the majority … Continue reading “Did You Know? UNC Schools Delay In-person Classes”
When planning their college years, students want reliable advisors who can help them pick the right major and classes. As most students are not on campus during COVID-19, high-quality early advising may determine whether they will graduate on time. Even before the pandemic, graduation rates across higher ed outside the most prestigious schools were a … Continue reading “The Importance of College Advisors for Academic Success”