Notes in the margins: Bowl gluts, electrical plugs and a placenta

University apologizes for mistake that sent disqualification letters to about 500 students University officials tell the Los Angeles Times that all of the students were on academic probation, but only 164 students should have received disqualification letters. The mix-up was blamed on a mailing code error. (Los Angeles Times)

News: Presidents Plot Push for Aid Changes Their aims are not modest: stop higher education from hurtling down its current path of giving ever-increasing amounts of financial aid to academically talented (but not necessarily financially needy) students. And do so by getting a group of peer institutions to agree collectively -- through as little as a handshake or as much as a full-blown agreement or association, perhaps -- to reorder their priorities to reemphasize the goal of meeting students' full financial need. (Inside Higher Ed)

Georgia Facing a Hard Choice on Free Tuition The state’s scholarship program, which promises free college tuition to students with a B-average, is facing cuts. (feeds.nytimes.com)

Judge Orders College to Reinstate Student Who Posted a Placenta Photo Online The student who sued, Doyle Byrnes, had argued that she and three other students who were also suspended believed they had their instructor’s permission to post the photo. The judge, Eric F. Melgren, said that that was a key issue in the case, and that the college had not established that the students’ action was a clear violation of professional conduct. (chronicle.com)

Parental Reality Check "I want to major in the arts." This coming from my son, a product of two artists, was no surprise, yet the impact of those words jolted me from artist to parent in a matter of seconds. (Inside Higher Ed)

A Digital Generation Scours the Library for a Plug Hordes of patrons outfitted with amp-devouring laptops and cell phones expect and need the library to offer an endless supply of electricity. The overall demand for electricity at the library-driven by everything from electronic signage to recording studios-is straining electrical systems everywhere, even at the Pentagon's libraries. (libraryjournal.com)

Athletics Leaders Have Doubts That Revenues Will Improve The glut of games – 35 bowls this season, with many suffering from empty seats – shows that the handful of super-wealthy college programs may be the only ones truly immune from economic pressures. (chronicle.com)

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