Notes in the Margins: College readiness, black schools and the liberal arts

Take back the liberal arts In visiting university classes across the country, we were appalled at how the humanities and social sciences - even pure sciences - were being taught. If students are staying away from those classes, it's not necessarily because they prefer practical training. Many times it's because professors have subverted the subjects that once held pride of place on most campuses. (Los Angeles Times)

2011 ACT scores show problems with college readiness Newly released ACT scores on tests used for college admissions show that only 1 in 4 graduates of the class of 2011 who took the exam met four key benchmarks that supposedly show readiness for success in the first year of college. (The Washington Post)

The New Students Going to Black Colleges Many of the nation's 105 historically black colleges are increasingly wooing non-black students. The goals: to boost lagging enrollment and offset funding shortfalls. (The Wall Street Journal)

International admissions up in U.S. grad schools Applications to U.S. graduate schools from international students surged in 2011, reaffirming the strength of American institutions in an increasingly competitive market for prosperous foreign students, according to an annual survey by the Council of Graduate Schools. (The Washington Post)

Yale Won't Be Fined In Student's Horrific Lab Death A piece of lab machinery that killed a Yale University student when it ensnared her hair was missing required safeguards, and the accident exposed problems with the school's safety policies, federal safety investigators said in a letter to the school. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, however, didn't fine Yale, saying it lacked jurisdiction because there was no employer-employee relationship. (Associated Press via The Huffington Post)

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