09
December
2019
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12:39 PM
America/Chicago

Higher Education Headlines: Dec. 9

Summary

By Sheryl E. Taylor

Get your daily dose of higher ed headlines. Just a click away.

Redefining Education: Houston’ Higher Ed Industry Works to Teach Real-World Experience to Prep the Workforce of Tomorrow. —Houston Business Journal
These days, a college degree isn’t enough to land a job. Here’s what Houston college are doing to ensure new grads are workforce-ready. [Subscription Required.]

High Loan-Default Rates Won’t Be Solved by Income-Driven Repayment, Report Finds—The Chronicle of Higher Education
As Democratic presidential candidates debate how best to address the federal student-loan crisis, a new report shows that the status quo is disproportionately failing black student borrowers.

This Woman Goes Door-to-Door to Steer Students to College—The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sonya Pritchett with Project SOAR brings college counseling to some of the people least likely to enroll..

“It just isn’t working”: Test Scores Cast Doubt on U.S. Education Efforts—The New York Times
An international exam shows that American 15-year-olds are stagnant in reading and math even though the country has spent billions to close gaps with the rest of the world.

The Education Dept. Wants to Streamline Student-Loan Repayments. It Might Not Fix What Ails the Debt Collection System.—The Chronicle of Higher Education
The U.S. Department of Education announced that it will create a host of online tools that will allow student-loan borrowers to pay off their debt on a single federally-operated website and advise them on how they can best manage their debt.

Is Blockchain the Future of Academic Credentials?—The Chronicle of Higher Education
ITT Technical Institutes abruptly shut its doors in 2016, stranding thousands of students at its 130 campuses. Ten of those campuses were in Texas, The problem was the students’ academic records were still locked away in the now-dead for-profit’s databases, and the district’s officials couldn’t verify the credentials.

Two UT-Austin Professors Disciplined for Sexual Misconduct Were Allowed to Resume Teaching. Students Want to Know Why.—The Texas Tribune
The incidents have fueled a growing protest movement on campus, with students demanding more transparency in the university's handling of sexual misconduct cases. "We don't know who we're in the classroom with," one student said.

About the University of Houston-Downtown

The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.

U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.