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”
For decades, universities have required students to fulfill a foreign language requirement. However, some research has shown that two semesters of a foreign language appears to have no meaningful effect on the language proficiency of college graduates. Putting students through language classes adds to their tuition bill, but doesn’t teach them a new skill for … Continue reading “NC State’s Quixotic Foreign Language Requirement”
Although most universities have moved classes online since the spring, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to ensure that the campus facilities still open are kept clean and safe for use. North Carolina State University has shuttered classrooms, but many buildings such as the Talley Student Union and the recreation center remain open, … Continue reading “Did You Know? COVID-19 Cleaning Means Millions in Extra Spending for NC State, App State”
Many students since the pandemic have questioned whether they should attend graduate school or change their career plans altogether. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that 17 percent of graduate students said their career plans changed since the pandemic started. Students are now worried they cannot afford graduate school. According to a 2020 Pew Research … Continue reading “Did You Know? For Some Post-Graduate Plans, Employer Tuition Reimbursements Is the Way”
As college classes go online, one group of students is ignored: those with learning disabilities. The Atlantic calls learning disabilities an “invisible disability” because they aren’t physically obvious. These disabilities can be detrimental to a student’s success if they don’t get help. Students with disabilities aren’t rare; almost 20 percent of undergrads reported having one, … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Trouble with Aiding Students with Learning Disabilities”
Accreditation agencies have the responsibility of judging whether colleges are offering students a quality education. Since COVID-19, however, their biggest changes have been to dismiss concerns about short-changing students. This change can be seen most clearly with online classes. Ordinarily, accreditation standards would ensure educational quality, and schools that cut corners would risk penalties and … Continue reading “Did You Know? Ed Dept. Punts on Accreditation Rules for Online Classes”
Since the pandemic, many colleges have gone from giving letter grades to offering students a pass/fail grading option for their courses. Letter grades become a passing (P), which gives students credit but is not included in their GPA. If a student fails, they receive an F that stays on their record. Schools suggest that students … Continue reading “Did You Know? Grad School Can Affect Whether Students Take a Class Pass/Fail”
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”