University of President Eric Kaler’s told reporters Friday: “I’m going to be very open and transparent about what we do at the university. We’re frequently criticized for being big and bureaucratic and arrogant and nonresponsive. We’re going to be none of those. We are the University of Minnesota. We belong to the people of Minnesota.” Read more →
Here are some more bits from the interview that University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler had with reporters Friday: On President Obama’s calls for higher-ed reform: “I don’t mind the federal attention. I think we need to see the specifics of what the president might propose. … It has been very undefined so far. But Read more →
I’ll be live-blogging this, so come to On Campus tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9 a.m. and join in the conversation. Here’s the official agenda: President Obama unveiled his plan to control the ever-rising costs of higher education last week at the University of Michigan. His decision to focus attention at the cost of college was universally Read more →
The student-oriented Minnesota Public Interest Research Group calls on University of Minnesota regent Steve Sviggum to choose either his position as regent or his staff job with the state Senate Republican Caucus: Because of the partisan nature of his new position, it is hard to reconcile how he can execute the Regents mission while fulfilling Read more →
For Some Vassar Applicants, Joy Then Misery as College Corrects Mistake Scores of early-decision applicants to the college were mistakenly told they had been accepted. (The New York Times) Is college not for poor kids? A few weeks ago, we read about a group of students who were promised in 1988, when they were in elementary school, that Read more →
This is on the University of Minnesota’s Web site today. The crux: A recent internal review of the Academic Health Center doesn’t get to larger issues that Kaler wants answered — among them whether the center is structured correctly. (Note: I find that interesting, since the report’s executive summary lists “mission, functions and administrative responsibilities Read more →
College finance expert Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid.org isn’t too hot on the the bill cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis) that would freeze the interest rate on Stafford Loans at 3.4 percent. A 2007 law cut the rate from its original 6.8 percent, and when the provision expires in July, the rate is set Read more →
I spoke this morning with U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison about the bill he said he has helped introduce that would prevent the Federal Direct Stafford Loan’s 3.4 percent interest rate from doubling this year. (The rate used to be fixed at 6.8 percent, but was reduced back in 2007. It’s scheduled to return to 6.8 Read more →
College presidents wary of Obama cost-control plan President Barack Obama’s new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach. Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities; they’re already frustrated by increasing state budget Read more →
University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler told reporters today that this legislative session he’ll push for more money to maintain aging buildings and offset tuition. It was a wide-ranging forum, and I’ll try to get some more details later. But here’s what I’ve got so far on these topics: Maintenance. After last year’s bonding request, Read more →
Alex Friedrich