MA Elementary and Secondary Ed Board Appoints Acting Chief Following Death of Commissioner Mitchell Chester

Comings and Goings ... The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education appointed Deputy Commissioner Jeff Wulfson to be acting commissioner, following the death of Commissioner Mitchell Chester, who became commissioner in 2008 and was one of America's longest-serving education commissioners. Three Connecticut community college presidents will assume dual roles and receive temporary...

Year-Round Pell Grants to Debut Next Month

DC Shuttle ... Ed Dept Announces Year-Round Pell Grants. The U.S. Department of Education announced that year-round Pell Grants would be made available to students beginning on July 1, 2017. The policy change will provide financial resources that will allow thousands of students to to complete their coursework on their own schedules. In making the announcement, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos ...

Former NEBHE Chair Cain to Lead EMILY’s List; Faustian Bargain at Harvard

Cain Comings and Goings ... Former NEBHE Chair Emily Cain was named executive director of EMILY’s List, which helps elect female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights. She succeeds Jess O’Connell, who is now CEO of the Democratic National Committee. Cain was elected to the Maine House in 2004 at age 24. In 2010, she became House minority leader. In 2012, she was ele...

The Apprentice?

DC Shuttle ... Trump Begins Work to Boost Apprenticeships. President Trump announced new administrative actions as well as legislative proposals aimed at boosting apprenticeship programs and other worker training, The Wall Street Journal reports. In a speech at a community college in Wisconsin, Trump unveiled a White House push on apprenticeship programs and workforce development issues. He said ...

Radio Higher Ed Features Selingo on Life After College

SelingoThrough its partnership with RadioHigherEd.com, NEJHE presents a conversation with Jeff Selingo about how students navigate the postsecondary education landscape and policy options to ensure student success to and through college. Selingo is the former editor of  the Chronicle of Higher Education and author of There Is Life After College. Radio Higher Ed’s entire podcast c...

Wyke to Head UMA; Larson to Leave Bentley in ’18; GE Chief Steps Down

Wyke Comings and Goings ... University of Maine System Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Rebecca Wyke was named the next president of the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA), succeeding James Conneely, who resigned in April after less than two years on the job. UMA has a statewide mission to serve nontraditional, adult and placebound learners. Bentley University President Gloria C...

Call Security! FAFSA Retrieval Was Shut Down for Breach, Not Maintenance

DC Shuttle ... FAFSA Data Breach. The U.S. Education Department announced that it has partially restored an online tool that automatically provides borrowers' income data when they repay their students loans through an income-driven repayment program. The IRS and Education Department suspended the tool in March. A grand jury indictment gave greater detail about why the Department of Education and...

Bridgewater State U Dean to Lead Modern Language Association

Krebs Comings and Goings ... Paula Krebs, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Bridgewater State University, was named the next executive director of the Modern Language Association, succeeding Rosemary Feal, who announced plans to step down after 15 years in charge of the national organization. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker appointed banking executive and anti-Trump acti...

Dates to Save: Thinkers, Entrepreneurs and Innovators

Some dates to save … The New England Council’s Congressional Roundtable Series will feature talks by lawmakers and others in D.C. and New England, including U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) at the Providence Biltmore Hotel on Monday, June 12 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thomas College will host an entrepreneur speaker and networking event on Tuesday, June 13 at the Thomas College Auditoriu...

MA State Rep Picked to Lead Salem State; St. Mike’s Prez to Step Down in ’18; Moore Takes Interim Job in SC; Mullin to Leave Vt. Senate

Keenan Comings and Goings ... Former Massachusetts state Rep. John Keenan was chosen by the Salem State University's Board of Trustees to become the next president of the state university, where he is currently general counsel and vice president for administration. Saint Michael's College President John J. Neuhauser announced he'll leave the post in June 2018. Carol A. Moore, who held several ...