In spring 2020, when universities went online due to COVID-19, few of them expected to be online in the fall as well. After a failed reopening of schools, courses again went online. Davidson College in North Carolina launched a College Crisis Initiative to determine how “colleges and universities innovate in a crisis mindset” and found … Continue reading “Without Lab Time or Facilities, Students Get Lower-Quality Education”
The abrupt switch to online classes was shocking for tens of thousands of students and professors across the country. Universities were then awash in refund demands from students and their parents. Students felt they deserved at least a partial tuition refund because online courses differ drastically from in-person courses. Many universities did not give in … Continue reading “Did You Know? No Tuition Refund, But a Tuition Freeze for UNC Schools”
In 2014, the UNC Board of Governors voted to “place a 15 percent cap on the amount of tuition revenue that can be applied to need-based student financial aid.” After the announcement, parents were surprised to learn that they were “subsidizing those who qualify for aid.” Since then, the Board has been required to provide … Continue reading “Did You Know? UNC System Funds Financial Aid with Tuition Revenue”
Though college leaders had the summer to plan for students to return to campus, the fall 2020 semester has arrived as a bust. After just two weeks, four University of North Carolina schools have sent students home. UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, East Carolina University, and UNC-Charlotte have all gone online. The incompetence of … Continue reading “In Reopening, UNC Leaders Failed Their Students”
College tuition increases across the country have shown no sign of slowing down. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the sticker price of tuition (before discounts and student aid) for all institutions was $4,885 in 1985; by 2018, it was $23,835, a 387 percent increase. That’s a dramatic increase over a few decades. … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Ever-Increasing Sticker Price of College Tuition”
Colleges across the country are preparing for potential spikes in coronavirus cases in the fall. As some students return to campus, schools are making plans to protect the health of students, faculty, and campus workers. Universities want to shorten face-to-face exposure on campus during the fall and winter. By starting the semester early, as many … Continue reading “Fall Uncertainty: College Leaders Have Left Students, Professors in the Dark”
As schools have moved online due to the coronavirus, they have partnered with proctoring services to monitor online exams and prevent cheating. Those services go by names such as Respondus LockDown, ProctorU, Proctorio, and Examity, among others. What gets overlooked as the contracts are signed, however, is student privacy. Forbes compared such proctoring measures to … Continue reading “Did You Know? With Remote Classes, Universities Breach Student Privacy “
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were founded to serve African American students whom white colleges would not admit. The University of North Carolina wouldn’t admit black undergraduates until 1955. As institutions and universities in the South kept out black students, colleges beyond the South implemented quotas to limit their admission. Shortly after the Civil … Continue reading “Did You Know? HBCU Enrollments Fall 11% in Last Decade”
Students from about 100 universities brought class-action lawsuits against colleges that have refused to give tuition refunds after COVID-19 shut down campuses. So far, the only aid students have received has come through the federal CARES Act. Those universities facing lawsuits include large, nationally known schools such as Drexel University, the University of Miami, and … Continue reading “Did You Know? Student Lawsuits and De Facto Refunds”
Unforeseeable conditions caused by the coronavirus have driven universities across the country to launch online courses. As a sophomore at North Carolina State University, I’ve experienced the online transition since classes resumed on March 23. NC State has relied on Zoom, a video-chat program, for professors to continue lectures. Some tests are being proctored online … Continue reading “A Student Perspective on NC State’s Online Transition”