20
July
2020
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11:55 AM
America/Chicago

Higher Education Headlines: July 20

Summary

By Sheryl E. Taylor

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

UT-Austin to Create Monuments to Pioneering Black Students, Improve Diversity
Houston Chronicle
The University of Texas at Austin announced a series of steps aimed at addressing concerns about diversity and inclusiveness, from honoring pioneering African-American students with monuments and statues to renaming buildings and investing more in the recruitment of Black students and faculty.

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Gov. Abbott Hints at Changes to TEA Guidelines that Could Let Texas Schools Start Year Online Only
Houston Chronicle
Gov. Greg Abbott signaled that changes likely are coming to the state’s guidance on reopening schools, with local officials potentially getting more latitude to keep campuses closed in August.

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Opinion: We Spoke to 28 Education Experts. Plans for Re-opening Houston-area Schools are Impossible.
Houston Chronicle

Note: Editorial Co-author Danya Serrano is UHD assistant professor of psychology
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Concerns About Racism, Lack of Inclusiveness at Texas A&M Resurface After George Floyd’s Death
Houston Chronicle
Joseph Collins, a second-generation Aggie said that a man yelled a racial slur at him from a passing car at the same location as he walked to work. “Does he care that I'm a human being behind the flesh boundary that is my skin?”

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Opinion: Banning Chinese Students will Hurt U.S. Economy, Secure Campus Act will Threaten U.S. STEM Research
Houston Chronicle
Recent immigration proposals aiming to restrict the entry of international STEM trainees threaten the ability of U.S. research institutions to recruit and retain this critical pool of STEM talent.

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Rice University to Submit Amicus Brief Supporting Harvard, MIT in Fight Against New ICE Rules
Houston Business Journal
Rice President David Leebron spoke strongly against the new ICE rules for international students.

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Colleges Say Hybrid Courses will Make the Fall Semester a Success. But Will Students Get the Worst of Both Worlds?
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“HyFlex” courses promise flexibility, but faculty members say that’s also what makes them so challenging to teach.

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Trump’s Ban on New Visas will Hurt Texas Universities, Experts Say
The Texas Tribune
Universities often hire professors and researchers using H-1B visas. Experts say limiting them only makes U.S. universities less competitive internationally.

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Free Laptops, Esports and Tuition Cuts: How One Dallas College is Pivoting During the Pandemic
The Texas Tribune
Paul Quinn College serves more than 500 students. In a statement, university President Michael Sorrell announced measures it would take to appease students for the loss of campus resources, including a $2,000 tuition reduction.

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Texas A&M System will Provide Free COVID-19 Tests, But It’s a Mixed Bag for Other Schools
The Texas Tribune

Up to 15,000 test kits will be available per month across its 11 universities. The system has set aside $16 million to pay for the testing program.
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Trump Targets Fulbright in China, Hong Kong
Inside Higher Ed
Provision buried in executive order the president signed Tuesday directed officials to end exchange program in response to Beijing's tightening control over the region.

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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.