UNC Under Fire, Accreditation at Risk

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UNC Chapel Hill is being investigated by its accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, after SACS found that controversial “paper courses” are now being credited towards graduation.

According the (Raleigh) News & Observer, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools first confronted UNC over allegations of the questionable classes in 2013, when the school claimed it would not honor the classes towards a degree. For students to receive credit for said classes, the university claimed that students would have to take another course altogether to make up the credits. By agreeing to not recognize “paper” classes, UNC was able to hold off sanctions from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Released last month, the NCAA’s final report on the scandal contradicts what the university initially told its accreditor with, “Despite the fact that the courses failed to meet, involved little, if any, faculty engagement, and were often graded by the secretary, UNC argued the courses violated no UNC policy. UNC further claimed that work was assigned, completed and graded, and the grades counted towards a UNC degree.” UNC officials previously called the classes “academic fraud” but recently reported the phrase as “a typo.” With UNC up for accreditation next month, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is investigating the NCAA’s final report and UNC’s lack of transparency.

 

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Tennessee Promise Program Continues to Grow, Students More Likely to Succeed

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Students enrolled in Tennessee’s free community college scholarship, the Tennessee Promise, are showing more signs of success in higher education than their peers not using the program. According to data released by the Tennessee State Board of Regents, 56% of students who started in the Promise program’s first year (2015) remained in school two years later. Only 39% of high school graduates not in the program were still in school during the same time frame.

The program was introduced in 2014 and gives students up to five semesters of tuition-free attendance at any of the state’s 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology, or eligible 4-year institutions offering associate’s degrees. Beyond removing the financial burden, Tennessee Promise offers individual guidance to each participant from a mentor. Mentors help students maneuver through application and financial aid processes, and are mandatory for students to remain eligible for the program. Tennessee Promise scholarship recipients must also complete 8 hours of community service per semester enrolled and keep a GPA above a 2.0.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said, “When we launched Tennessee Promise, one of the legitimate questions was, … ‘Can theses Students succeed?’ I think the results show that these students are succeeding at a decidedly better rate.”  Though drop-out rates are lower for Tennessee Promise students, the data also shows that 44 percent of the program’s first classmore than 5,500 studentshad dropped out of college without a degree by 2017. Officials argue that the number is a sign of progress with over 60 percent of non-Promise students dropping out in the same timeframe, a 17 percent difference. Tennessee’s Promise program also continues to grow, and according to The Nashville Tennessean is up four percentage points from last year with nearly 85 percent of high school seniors applying.

According to Governor Haslam, “A lot of our efforts in the remaining year and a half that we have in office will be around how do we dramatically increase the percentage of students who complete.” As an educated workforce becomes critical to ensuring economic prosperity in one’s local, state, and national communities, it seems that Tennessee’s Promise program—with its positive application, retention and graduation rates—is setting up its students for a more certain future.

 

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College president's report

College Presidents Report – October 2017

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Appointments

Atlantic Cape Community College Inaugurates New President

Dr. Barbara Gaba has been inaugurated as the ninth president of Atlantic Cape Community College located on the Jersey Shore. Gaba is the first female and first African American president of the school. Dr. Gaba previously served as VP for academic affairs at Union County College.

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Castleton University Approves Next President

The Board of Trustees at Castleton University has voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Karen Scolforo as the next president of the school. Scolforo previously served as president of Central Penn College. She will take over for Dr. Dave Wolk who announced his retirement after 16 years at the helm.

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First Female President Appointed at Elon

Elon University has named Dr. Connie Ledoux to become the school’s next president. Ledoux currently serves as the provost at The Citadel in South Carolina. She will begin her role as the first female president of Elon in March of next year.

read more

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Next President Named at Iowa State

Dr. Wendy Wintersteen has been named the 16th president of Iowa State University. Wintersteen is currently the dean of the school’s college of agriculture and life sciences. Dr. Wintersteen will begin on November 20th.

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Morehouse College Appoints New President

Dr. David A. Thomas has been approved to become the 12th president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. Thomas is the former dean of Georgetown University’s business school. Dr. Thomas will take over for interim president, Harold Martin Jr., on January 1st of 2018.

read more

New President Starting at New York Chiropractic College

Dr. Michael Mestan has been inaugurated as the next president of New York Chiropractic College. Mestan is the sixth president in NYCC’s history.

read more

Niagara CC Welcomes New Leader

Dr. William Murabito has been named interim president of Niagara Community College. Murabito has over 50 years of experience in the SUNY system. He is expected to serve for the next 12 months or until the next permanent president is chosen.

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New President Inaugurated at Sarah Lawrence

Sarah Lawrence College has inaugurated Dr. Cristle Collins Judd as the school’s 11th president this past week. Collins previously served has the senior program officer for higher education at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

read more

Montana Names Next President

Seth Bodnar has been announced as the 18th president of the University of Montana. Bodnar is a former Green Beret. If approved by Montana’s Board of Regents, Bodnar will begin his presidency on January 1st.

read more

Lamkin Announced as President at Westminster College

Westminster College has named Dr. Fletcher Lamkin to become the school’s next president. Lamkin served from 2000-2007 with Westminster as an administrator. Dr. Lamkin will replace Dr. Carolyn Perry, who has been serving as interim president since the resignation of Dr. Benjamin Akande.

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Retirements

Albany State President Announces Retirement

Dr. Arthur Dunning has announced that he plans to retire at the end of January 2018. Dunning has served the school since 2013, when he was appointed interim president. He was hired on as the permanent president in 2015.

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GCC President Retiring

Greenfield Community College President, Dr. Bob Pura, will retire from the school after 18 years of service. Pura said, “It is now time for me to move on—I think I am ready to graduate.” Pura plans to officially leave the school in June 2018.

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Limestone President Set to Retire

After 25 years of leadership at Limestone College, Dr. Walt Griffin has announced his plans to retire. Griffin said, “The thing I will remember most is being involved in the successful college education of probably 10,000 people.” Griffin will leave the school in December of 2017.

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UCF President to Retire

After 25 years of leading the University of Central Florida, Dr. John Hitt has announced his retirement. Hitt said, “When we first visited campus, we had a powerful feeling that UCF was a special place. We never could have imagined back then how very special it would become.” Hitt will step down at the end of June 2018.

read more

Retirement Announced at Pitt-Bradford

Dr. Livingston Alexander has announced that he will step down as president of Pittsburgh at Bradford on June 30th, 2018. He has served the school for the past 14 years.

read more

Resignations

Cape Fear CC President Resigns

Dr. Amanda Lee has announced her resignation from Cape Fear Community College. Lee started at the school as permanent president in 2015. Jim Morton will begin as interim president on January 1st.

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Delaware State University President Out

The President of Delaware State University, Dr. Harry Lee Williams, has decided to leave the school to run the Thurgood Marshal College Fund. Williams has served as president since 2010 and will stay at the school through January.

read more

Rural Students Underrepresented in Higher Education

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According to recent research from the United States Department of Agriculture and National Student Clearinghouse, students in rural areas are less likely than their urban peers to attend higher education institutions—despite testing higher and graduating from high school at higher rates.

High school Graduation Rates:

  1. Suburban/Town students: 79%
  2. Urban Students 69%
  3. Rural Students 80%

College enrollment rates directly out of high school:

  1. Suburban students: 67%
  2. Urban students: 62%
  3. Rural Students: 59 %

One reason is that historically, a college degree has not always been necessary in rural areas. Students out of high school could once find high paying unskilled work on farms and at factories with blue collar jobs. With the increase in automation and the growth of job outsourcing overseas, rural Americans have seen their job prospects drop considerably. Rural regions also tend to see less value in higher education. Pew Research found that fewer people in the rural community are convinced that enrolling in college is worth it with 71% of rural white men believing that college plays an essential role in providing necessary skills, while 82% and 84% of urban and suburban white men believe it does.

Other factors in lower rural college enrollment rates:

  1. Higher rates of drug and mental health problems
  2. Higher rates of poverty—household incomes are 20 to 25 percent below national averages.
  3. Less access to high speed internet/technology
  4. Lower rates of high school teacher recruitment and retention

Colleges have taken notice of this gap and are beginning to increase recruitment efforts in rural areas. According to a survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup, 38% of surveyed college admissions directors plan to concentrate on recruiting rural students in the coming year. Schools are also looking to provide better access to higher education through fellowship and scholarship opportunities, with schools like Clemson and Duke University that offer scholarships aimed at students located in remote areas. States like Oklahoma and Texas are also offering new programs, such as College Forward, aimed at expanding free counseling to potential students in rural areas.

Ways Colleges are looking to help rural area students

  1. Rural-specific college application guides, including virtual advisers and online prep courses
  2. Extending class times, allowing students more time to travel the longer distances
  3. Increased internet access on remote campuses

As economies in rural areas continue to shift toward careers that require postsecondary educations, it is becoming increasingly imperative for students in those areas attain degrees. Despite previously receiving less attention from the higher education community, increased recruitment efforts and programs in said areas may improve the educational attainment and economic interests of rural communities as a whole.

 

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College President’s Report – September 2017

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Appointments

Alabama State University Names New President

Senator Quinton Ross has been appointed by the board of trustees at Alabama State to become the school’s next president. Ross previously served as a state senator for 15 years. Senator Ross was picked ahead of three other finalists for the job.

read more

Carroll University Appoints Next President

Dr. Cindy Gnadinger will become the first female president at Carroll University. Gnadinger currently serves as an executive consultant at Bellarmine University. She will succeed President Douglas Hastad, who retired in July.

read more

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President Named at MGH Institute of Health Professions

MGH Institute of Health Professions has named its 6th president after a nationwide search. Dr. Paula Milone-Nuzzo will become the new president of the independent graduate school located in Boston. She comes to the institute after serving 14 years at the College of Nursing at Penn State University.

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Quinsigamond CC Welcomes New President

Dr. Luis Pedraja has been appointed the next president at Quinsigamond Community College. Pedraja formerly served as the vice chancellor of academic affairs at the Peralta Community College District in California. Dr. Pedraja will be the school’s 6th president and begins immediately.

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Dr. Anderson Appointed at Saddleback College

Saddleback College has named Dr. Gregory Anderson to become the school’s next president. Dr. Anderson previously served in executive roles at california community colleges for the past 12 years. He was voted unanimously by the board after the resignation of former president, Tod Burnnett. Dr. Anderson will begin his tenure as president on October 16th.

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The University of New England Names Next President

Dr. James Herbert has been appointed the next president of the University of New England. He was inaugurated on September 9th and said, “I am incredibly honored and privileged to have this position at UNE.” Herbert previously served as executive vice provost at Drexel University.

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Interim President Appointed at U of Scranton

Reverend Herbert Keller has been named the interim president of the University of Scranton. Keller will serve through the next academic school year, when former president Rev. Scott Pilarz, returns to his former position.

read more

Harvard Dean Named Next UVA President

Mr. James James E. Ryan, current dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has been named the next president at the University of Virginia. Ryan, 50, is a former alumnus from the UVA School of Law—where he finished at the top of his class. He will replace current president, Teresa Sullivan, in June of 2018.

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Retirements

Heartland Community College President Announces Retirement

Mrs. Rob Widmer has announced that he will retire from his post as president next year. Widmer has served the school for over 20 years, and began as the VP of business services in 1996. He will retire on June 30th, 2018.

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Retirement announced at Nashville CC

Dr. George Van Allen has announced that he will retire from Nashville State Community College. Dr. Van Allen expanded the school by adding six branch campuses during his tenure at Nashville CC. He will leave the school on December 31st.

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Norfolk State President to Retire

The president of Norfolk State University, Mr. Eddie Moore Jr., has announced that he will retire no later than Dec. 31st, 2017. The decision, according to Rector Dr. Byron Cherry, “Kind of caught us kind of off guard a little bit.” Moore has served the school since 2013.

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Longtime Oklahoma President Set to Retire

Dr. David Boren has announced that he will retire as president at the University of Oklahoma. Boren said he wanted to retire when the university was at maximum strength, and that he feels now is the time to do so. Boren has served the school since 1994. He plans to officially retire on June 30th, 2018.

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Massey Leaving Pitt CC

Dr. Dennis Massey has informed trustees at Pitt CC that he will be retiring at the end of the 2017-2018 academic year. Massey said, “I have been proud to lead a talented group of faculty and staff at PCC.” He has served as the fourth President at Pitt CC since 2003.

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Jamestown President to Retire

University of Jamestown President Robert Badal has announced that he will be retiring at the end of February, 2018. Badal has been at the school since 2002, and said he had “the rare chance to take a small but historic institution to a higher level.”

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Norton Retiring from the University of Northern Colorado

Ms. Kay Norton has announced that she will retire from the University of Northern Colorado at the end of June, 2018. Norton has served the school for the last 15 years, and is the longest tenured current president of four-year public institutions in Colorado.

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Westminster President Retiring

After 18 years serving as Westminster College’s president, Mr. Stephen Morgan has announced that he will retire at the end of 2017-2018 school year. Morgan became the president of Westminster in 2015 and plans to retire next summer.

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Resignations

President Resigns from Central Penn

Dr. Karen M Scolforo has resigned as president from Central Penn College. Scolforo served as the school’s ninth president for the last four years. The college cited personal reasons for Dr. Scolforo’s resignation.

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Nicholls State President Announces Resignation

Nicholls State University President, Bruce T. Murphy, has announced that he will resign from the school on Dec. 31st. Murphy served as the school’s 5th president and was appointed in 2013. The board at Nicholl’s state is currently looking for a successor.

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Spokane CC President Resigns, Interim Decided

Ryan Carstens has announced his resignation from Spokane Community college after two years at the school. SCC’s provost, Kevin Brockbank, has been appointed to serve as interim president while a search for a permanent president is performed.

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USF St. Petersburg Chancellor Resigns

Dr. Sophia Wisniewska has resigned from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Wisniewska served the school for 4 years starting in 2013. USF St. Petersburg is currently under interim leadership.

read more

Order the New, 2018 Higher Education Directory at Discounted Price

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The new, 2018 edition of the Higher Education Directory will be shipping in a few months. Now is the best time to order and take advantage of our pre-publication discount price of $75.

The new edition features over 30,000 updates to last years data—making it the most accurate, all-in-one listing of accredited schools and their administrators in higher education.

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Department of Education Backs Controversial Nonprofit Conversions

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The U.S. Department of Education has “preliminarily concluded” that it will allow two controversial for-profit institutions to become nonprofits. Purdue University announced its intention to acquire the for-profit Kaplan University system back in April. The acquisition has since been approved by the state of Indiana, but still needed backing from the Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission, its accreditor. Now, with federal approval, all that is needed to finalize the acquisition is authorization from the Higher Learning Commission. The move has set a major precedent in the integration of for-profits with traditional colleges and universities.

The second deal, that seems to have jumped another regulatory hurdle on its way to becoming a non-profit, is the acquisition of Education Management Corp (EDMC)—parent company of Argosy University, South University, and the Art Institutes—by The Dream Center Foundation, a non-profit created to fund philanthropic programs across the country. The Education Department said “it does not see any impediment to EDMC’s request for approval of the change in ownership or its request for approval of nonprofit institution status.” Many are concerned that the Dream Center, which has no experience running higher education institutions, will continue to operate the schools in the same manner as before. If approved by its accreditors, the move would be one of the largest for-profit to nonprofit changeovers on record.

Critics of the acquisitions cite that nonprofit conversions are being used to skirt regulations and mask hidden financial incentives. Unlike for-profits, nonprofit schools are tax exempt. Nonprofit colleges are also excluded from the 90/10 rule, which prohibits schools from earning more than 90 percent of their revenue from federal student loans. Bob Shireman of the Century Foundation—a think tank that investigates for-profit institutions—told the USA Today that the deals are like a bad restaurant being able to claim new ownership in order to improve its reputation without making any additional changes, and cites that Kaplan has been the focal point of past government investigations and lawsuits.

According to a Department of Education spokeswoman, “the department has preliminarily concluded that, based on the information provided to the department, there are no current impediments to the requests for approval of change of ownership.” For the deals to be finalized, both must be approved by their accreditors. The Dream Center-EDMC deal is a more complicated because it requires the approval of two different accrediting agencies. Argosy University is accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, while South University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The Purdue-Kaplan deal relies on approval from the Higher Learning Commission only. The HLC is reviewing the plan now and is expected to make a decision by November 2017.

 

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Harvard Dean Named Next UVA President

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According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, James E. Ryan, is set to become the University of Virginia’s next president. Ryan, 50, is a former alumnus from UVA’s School of Law–where he finished at the top of his class. After working in New Jersey as a public interest lawyer, he returned to UVA as a law professor and served as the School of Law’s academic associate dean from 2005-2009. He left Virginia in 2013 to become the dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. At Harvard, Ryan was a successful fundraiser and made a number of significant faculty appointments. A presidential search committee was formed earlier this year by a select committee of board members, faculty and students after current president, Teresa Sullivan, announced her plans to step down in January of this year. Ryan will begin as president next summer.

 

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Latest Senate Funding Bill Increases Pell Grants, Extends ACICS Accreditation

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The Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved the Fiscal Year 2018 Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Bill, which as part of its overall package, will dedicate $68.3 billion in funding to the U.S. Department of Education. A previous proposal by President Trump, to cut spending from the Education Department, was denied when the Senate Subcommittee voted unanimously to increase overall education spending to the tune of $29 million.

More specifically, the bill promotes higher education affordability with a discretionary increase in Pell grants, from $5,920 to $6,020—the first in over 10 years. According to the Senate Committee, “This discretionary increase ensures the maximum award will continue to increase next school year to help students keep up with rising costs and reduce the need for student loans.”

The proposed bill also adds funding to the Year-Round Pell Program, which allows students to receive up to 150 percent of grants over a whole year, not just the fall and spring semesters. The new grant is designed to add $1,600 annually to allow students to pursue higher education year-round, in hopes of finishing up degree programs faster. The bill also outlines a plan to restore Pell aid for defrauded students and those attending colleges or universities that have closed.

Also, as reported by Inside Higher Ed, the 269 institutions accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools have been granted an additional 18-month extension to find new accreditors. ACICS is an accrediting agency that mostly recognizes for-profit schools. In December of 2016, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it would no longer recognize ACICS, and gave schools 18 months to find valid accreditation. Under the new funding bill, schools recognized by ACICS now have 36 months, from December of 2016, to find new accreditation.

Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Roy Blunt said, “The bill also continues building on our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and make college more affordable. I urge all of my Senate colleagues to support this measure when it reaches the floor.” The bill awaits a final vote from the entire U.S. Senate.

 

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Devos Selects For-Profit Administrator as Chief Enforcement Officer

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Former for-profit college official, Julian Schmoke, has been hired by the Department of Education to become its new chief enforcement officer for higher education, Politico reports. Essentially, Schmoke’s job will be investigating and protecting students from fraudulent practices by higher education institutions. Schmoke was formerly employed by Devry University, the for-profit institution that was forced to pay over $100 million last year by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Education on charges that it committed the type of fraud that Schmoke’s department will now be investigating.

Ethics experts and Democrats have become increasingly frustrated with the Betsy Devos administration and its ties to the for-profit, higher education industry. Earlier this year, the DOE was sued by 18 states for not enforcing the Borrower Defense rule. The rule protects students from predatory loans seen as fraudulent and was rescinded by the department in July, citing a federal lawsuit—filed by a group of for-profit colleges.

In June, the DOE hired A. Wayne Johnson, the CEO of a private student lending company, to head the department’s $1.3 trillion federal student loan system. Devos said in a statement, “[Johnson] will bring a unique combination of CEO-level operating skills and an in-depth understanding of the needs and issues associated with student loan borrowers and their families.” Former head of federal student aid, James Runcie, resigned in May saying he could not “in good conscience continue to be accountable as Chief Operating Officer given the risk associated with the current environment at the [Education] Department.”

In a letter to Education Secretary Devos and A Wayne. Johnson, Senate Democrats urged Devos to appoint a chief enforcement officer that has “relevant experience in consumer protection or litigation, managing attorneys, and conducting investigations with the highest ethical standards.”  Schmoke previously oversaw Devry University’s science and engineering school, and currently serves as the director of operations at a tech school in Georgia. According to Politico, Johnson wrote in an email, “Julian possesses over 16 years of experience in higher education leadership with extensive knowledge in the development and implementation of strategies for achieving student success, higher education policy and evaluation of academic programs.” The Department of Education and Schmoke have not responded to requests for comment from Politico.

 

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Female Presidents at Doctoral Research Universities Decreasing

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New research from Higher Education Publications, Inc., indicates that the number of women in presidential positions at the major research universities is decreasing. The analysis tracked presidents of the 115 colleges and universities in the United States that are Carnegie classified as doctoral research, highest activity institutions. Carnegie classified doctoral institutions include schools that award at least 20 research/doctoral degrees during a given year, such as Princeton, Stanford and Michigan.

The report, based on information from the HigherEd Direct Database, examined Carnegie classified doctoral universities from 1988 to the present. Currently, 16 of the 115, or just under 14% of institutions listed, have female presidents. The number of women in chief executive positions peaked from 2009 through 2012, when 23 of the 115 schools had women as presidents. The lowest year for female presidents was in 1994, with only 4 female and 111 male presidents.

Data from the study shows significant growth in the number of female presidents from 1988 to 2012, when it topped out at 20%. Since then, the percentage of females in presidential positions at doctoral universities has trended downward, to under 14%.

Female presidents chart

Conversely, according to a report by the American Council on Education, 30% of all colleges and universities in the U.S. have female presidents, with the most (36%) at associate institutions. The ACE Report also shows continuous growth in the percentage of female presidents in the last 30 years, from 9.5 % in 1986 to 30% in 2016.

HEP’s Research shows that the average tenure of male presidents is longer than that of female presidents. On average, male presidents serve for 5.96 years at doctoral research institutions, while females serve for an average of 4.87 years. The longest serving tenure for a female president in the study was a 15-year tenure by Dr. Shirly Kenny, of SUNY Stony Brook. The longest serving male is Dr. John Hitt, who has been at the University of Central Florida for the past 25 years.

Tenure Chart

While the percentage of women in presidential positions at colleges and universities has grown in the last thirty years, research from Higher Education Publications, Inc. indicates a major disparity between top research institutions and other higher education institutions. While the Ivy league has made progress in gender diversity—four out of the eight schools are run by females—overall, just under 14% of college presidents are female at top doctoral research institutions, while the rest of the country is at 30%.

 

 

ACE’s “American College President Study 2017”: http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/American-College-President-Study.aspx

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Debt Levels Growing for Student Borrowers

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Currently, over 40 percent of student loan borrowers leaving college owe at least $20,000. That’s double, up from 20 percent in the last decade. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a study that analyzed borrowers who began repaying loans from 2002 to 2014, and looked at their repayment status through 2016. The data suggests that:

  • At least 40 percent of borrowers owe over $20,000.
  • Thirty percent of student loan borrowers are behind their loan balances after five years in repayment.
  • 50 percent of student loan borrowers are over 34 when they start repaying their loans
  • 60 percent of those who cannot reduce their balances are delinquent.

The report also indicates growth in awareness among private companies who offer incentives to employees with student debt. Employers are increasingly helping their employees who borrowed by offering repayment assistance and other programs designed to help employees in debt. The information released seems to back up the issue of growing student loan debt in the United States.

The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray said, “The bureau’s research shows that people are taking on more student debt later in life and having a tougher time paying it back.” At the end of the first quarter of 2017, outstanding student loan balances were over $1.3 trillion, up $34 billion from the last quarter of 2016.