Higher Education Headlines: July 6
By Sheryl E. Taylor
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Could new U.S. moves give a boost to the skills-over degree movement?
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Two developments that could matter to higher ed? One is an Executive Order that President Trump just issued that aims to change the “overreliance on college degrees” in federal hiring policies. The other is the Stop Hate for Profit campaign on Facebook.
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Texas A&M to Use Sports Facilities as Classrooms, Require Masks This Fall
Houston Chronicle
TAMU will use portions of its student center and athletic facilities as classrooms and will rotate students through in-person classes to help maintain social distancing protocols on-campus.
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UT-Austin to Pay Interim President Jay Hartzell $795,000
The Texas Tribune
UT-Austin also released finalized fall plans Monday, saying that tuition for online and hybrid classes will be the same as in-person tuition.
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University of St. Thomas Offering $500 Scholarships to New Students This Fall
Houston Chronicle
All undergraduates, including transfers, will be eligible for the scholarship to assist those who might be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[Subscription Required]
Lone Star College, Comcast to Offer Free Internet to 200 Students
Houston Chronicle
Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which helps students and families who are low-income acquire internet service, will offer two free months of internet to qualifying low-income families. LSC-Houston North, which has four locations, has extended the service by four months for a total six months of free internet service.
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University of Texas at Austin Announces New Details About Fall Semester
Houston Chronicle
Plans include a shortened academic semester, an “instructional continuity plan” in the event professors fall ill, with a mix of online and in-person classes and a flat tuition no matter the mode of instruction.
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Will COVID-19 Save Higher Education?
Forbes
With the pandemic still raging, faculty are working hard to prepare for another semester of online education. The real challenge is that the value propositions of most universities have been deteriorating for years.
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Why Behaving Like Big Tech Will Not Save Higher Education
Inside Higher Ed
Learning the wrong lessons from COVID-19.
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Universal Broadband: The Time Has Come
Inside Higher Ed
In the weeks of COVID-19 isolation, the disparity of access to the internet has become more obvious as school-age children and adult learners have been deprived access to education and livelihoods.
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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.
