MCLA’s Grant Named Chancellor at UNC Asheville; UMA’s Handley to Nat’l U

Mary Grant Comings and Goings ... The University of North Carolina Board chose Mary K. Grant to be chancellor of UNC Asheville, the state's public liberal arts university, effective Jan. 5, 2015. Grant, the president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts since 2002 and recipient of NEBHE's 2014 Massachusetts State Merit Award, will succeed Anne Ponder who served as UNC Asheville chancellor fo...

Closing Time?

Much of NEBHE's Higher Education Innovation Challenge is based on fears that economic and demographic pressures will make the current number of degree-granting institutions (about 250 in New England and 4,600 nationally) unsustainable—especially for those that rely heavily on tuition, have low endowments and are not well-differentiated. This fear has lurked in various guises for decades. In 1...

Ringing Recess Bills?

DC Shuttle ... Campus sexual assault bill unveiled in Senate. A bipartisan group of senators unveiled the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, a proposal that would hold colleges and universities more accountable for taking steps to prevent and properly deal with sexual assault on campus. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led the group, which includes New England Sen...

New England’s High “Average Net Prices” and Why We Should Care (or Not)

The University of Southern Maine and Maine Maritime Academy were recently identified as Maine’s most expensive public colleges as measured by average net price in 2011-12 based on a recent update to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center. The College Affordability and Transparency Center’s interactive search tool highlights institutions ...

Conducting Experiments

DC Shuttle ... Department of Education expands experimental sites initiative. The U.S. Department of Education announced that it will be testing the idea of awarding student financial aid for more nontraditional programs. This will allow funding for competency-based programs, prior-learning assessments or programs that blend direct assessment and credit-hour coursework. Under the experiment, the ...

USM Taps Power-ful Prez; Former NEBHE Delegate Coderre Appointed to HHS; Sloan-C Gets New Name, CEO

Comings and Goings ... The University of Maine System name former Central Maine Power President David T. Flanagan to be president of the University of Southern Maine. In addition to leading the utility's response to Maine's 1998 Ice Storm, Flanagan served previously as assistant Maine attorney general and as chief legal counsel to Maine Gov. Joseph Brennan. Former NEBHE delegate Tom Coderre ...

Vermont Lawmakers Boost Economic Development

State Capital Notes … Vermont lawmakers passed a $5.5 billion budget along with $5.5 million in new taxes. Property taxes were raised 5%. Spending overall increased by 4.1% over the prior year. The budget included a 1.6% increase in reimbursement rates for health care providers who accept Medicaid payments, which will cost $2.6 million. Lawmakers also increased the cigarette tax by 13 cen...

Higher Ed Act and E-Rate Overhauls Move Slowly; For-Profit Sells; Survey Shows Campus Sex Assaults Underreported

DC Shuttle ... HEA bills advance in House panel. The House Education and the Workforce Committee advanced a package of legislation aimed at reauthorizing provisions of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The three bills, Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act (H.R. 3136), Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Ac t (H.R. 4983), and Empowering Students through Enhanced Financial Couns...

Connecticut Enacts $19 Billion Budget

State Capital Notes … In the second session of the biennium, Connecticut legislators approved a $19 billion budget for FY15 that increases spending by 2.5%. Toward the end of the session, revised revenue forecasts forced lawmakers to scale back in a number of areas. Gov. Dannel Malloy’s promise to provide Connecticut taxpayers with a $55 rebate was put on hold as projections for dec...

Maine Changes

Comings and Goings ... University of Maine System Chancellor James H. Page announced that University of Southern Maine President Theo Kalikow will leave that post on July 18 and join the system office as president emerita and acting vice chancellor. In that position, she will undertake a systemwide community engagement initiative through June 30, 2015, when her employment contract ends. The Main...