Posts Categorized: Newslink

Ross Gittell Named NH Community College Chancellor

Trustees of the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) appointed University of New Hampshire economist Ross Gittell to be the system's new chancellor.Gittell will assume the post in February, succeeding J. Bonnie Newman, who has served as interim chancellor since August, while the national search for a permanent chancellor was underway.A distinguished professor at the University of New ...

Among Comings & Goings: Bates Taps Harvard Exec for Prez

Bates College trustees elected A. Clayton Spencer to be the eighth president in the school's 156-year history. Currently vice president for policy at Harvard, Spencer assumes the Bates post on July 1, 2012. She succeeds Nancy Cable, who has been interim president since July 1, 2011, when Elaine Hansen stepped down after nine years to lead the Center for Talented Youth at The Johns Hopkins Universi...

Mass. OKs Casinos, Redistricting, Transgender Equality; Mass. and RI Reform Pensions

After decades of debate, the Massachusetts Legislature passed and Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation providing for casino gambling in the Bay State. The law creates the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to regulate casino gambling and authorizes three licenses for a resort casino in three regions of the state: Eastern Massachusetts between Boston and Worcester, Western Massachusetts which encompa...

Among Comings & Goings: Delta Cost Project Will Dissolve, but its Work on Higher Ed Spending Will Go On

After five years bringing attention to how colleges spend money, the Delta Cost Project will dissolve in 2012. On Jan. 1, the database portion of its work will become part of the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS data-collection and communication work. The project's analysis and communication about revenue and spending trends will shift to the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where it wi...

Science (Non)-Fiction … The Latest from NE Campuses

A look at recent developments in New England higher education shows a region struggling to hold onto its historical research  prowess and adding new health programs, but also facing rising costs and declining funds.Holding onto research  power University of Connecticut Vice President for Research Suman Singha reported to university trustees that research dollars are drying up. Resear...

DC Shuttle: Obama Admin Cuts Pell Grant Overpayments, New Eye on Private Student Loans

As part of the Campaign to Cut Waste, the Obama administration cut erroneous Pell Grant payments to 2.7% in 2011, the lowest it has been since 2005. White House officials estimate that reform measures saved $300 million in overpayment through the Pell Grant student aid program. The 2011 payment errors totaled $1 billion, approximately the same as the payment errors for 2010, but an increase in the...

Celebrating 10th Year, NEBHE Announces 2012 Excellence Awards; Mass. Gov. Patrick and former RI Gov. Carcieri Among Recipients

The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) named recipients of its 10th annual New England Higher Education Excellence Awards. Each year, NEBHE presents Regional Excellence Awards to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional leadership on behalf of higher education and the advancement of educational opportunity, and State Merit Awards to honor the innovative work of organ...

DC Shuttle: Obama Moves to Ease Student Loan Debt

On Wednesday, President Obama announced a new proposal to ease the burden of student loan debt. The "Know Before You Owe" initiative will allow students with multiple government-backed loans to consolidate them into one loan under the federal Direct Loan program with an interest rate reduction of 0.25% to 0.5%. The administration estimated that about 5.8 million students could be eligible for loan...

Economists to Hold Conference at UNH at Manchester on “Millennials, Baby Boomers and New England’s Future”

Demography is destiny, especially if you are in higher education. Consider: There are 200,000 fewer children in New England today, compared with 10 years ago—a 6% decline. The number  of married couples with children has declined by 10% since 2000—and they now account for fewer than one in five New England households. The number of single parents has grown by 9% since 2000, but t...

DC Shuttle: HELP Committee Advances Reforms to No Child Left Behind

On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 15-7 to advance legislation to replace the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal education law, with three Republicans joining Democrats in support of the bill. The legislation would replace NCLB's requirement that all students achieve proficiency in math and reading by 2014 with a mandate that states adopt "c...