Notes in the Margins: Chaos, small colleges and a better tech school

Expansion causing 'chaos' across the world Global expansion may entrench the dominance of Western university systems. (Times Higher Ed)

Why some small colleges are in big trouble Money is tight. Competition is brutal. Are some Massachusetts schools on the road to ruin? (The Boston Globe Magazine via NAICU)

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Penn State's Revenue Takes A Dive Following Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal About 90 percent of the $7.8 million decline in revenue for Penn State's athletic department was due to a loss of one-time fees related to football club seat and suite renewals that were not budgeted for in 2012. (The Huffington Post)

Proposed compact offers online education common market A proposed compact among the states unveiled by educational organizations and state officials would create a kind of common market for online education and make it easier for institutions to enroll students anywhere in the country. The proposal would also set some uniform consumer protections, which could give students in some states more recourse to complain to regulators, though it could weaken state oversight in places that already have strict rules. (Associated Press via The Boston Globe) Building a Better Tech School The new Cornell NYC Tech has an unorthodox curriculum designed to eschew the traditional detached, highly academic approach to learning. Instead, business, technology and real-world experience is baked into the coursework. Its practicums are held in an informal setting each Friday with entrepreneurs from the city’s blooming tech sector, who are often no more than a few steps ahead of where the students are. (The New York Times)