Inside Higher Ed - Last Rites for Graduation Rate (April 12, 2012) - A long-held wish of many community colleges is on the verge of becoming reality: the Education Department has announced its plans to change how student success is measured in higher education, taking into account students who transfer, part-time students and students who are not attending college for the first time...

AACC - PBS Newshour Features Community Colleges (April 11, 2012) - Will Some Community Members Be Booted From Community Colleges? A hundred or so students made a ruckus recently at Santa Monica College, and -- unlike many student protests -- they achieved their goals. In the face of a noisy demonstration and disapproval from the state, the college administration backed down on tuition increases...

Community College Times - ED's blueprint to revamp student success measures (April 11, 2012) - The U.S. Department of Education has announced an "action plan" that will implement a federal commission's recommendations to better gauge how community colleges serve students...

Inside Higher Ed - 2-Year College Retirement Wave? (April 11, 2012) - California's community colleges may be just a few years away from "a retirement wave" for faculty members, a transition that could create much better jobs for the part timers on whom campuses depend, according to a survey being presented at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting, which starts this week...

AACC News - Preventing Student Aid Program Abuse (April 11, 2012) - In recent months, some legislators, government agency officials, segments of the media, and campus administrators have called attentionto perceived and proven instances of abuse of the federal student financial assistance programs...

Community College Advancement News - Students Dial Up Donations (April 10, 2012) - Involving students in phonathons is a great way to generate excitement on campus and drum up community support for an annual fund, says a development officer at a Michigan community college, who adds that most students say they love the work and are happy to help...

Today's Campus - The High Cost Of Low Community College Graduation Rates (April 10, 2012) - An ever-increasing number of individuals are turning to community college for their higher education. However, the majority of students entering community college fail to complete their degrees, and as a result, earn lower wages throughout the course of their lives...

Inside Higher Ed - Tuition Plan That Went Too Far (April 9, 2012) - Reversing course, Santa Monica College's board tabled plans for two-tier tuition Friday -- after days of student protests and concern from some educators nationwide. The plan, which was first approved by the trustees earlier last week, would have created 50 summer classes in high-demand areas, with students paying about four times the normal tuition, in hopes of easing overcrowding and raising revenues...

Hartford Business Journal - Online education gains momentum (April 9, 2012) - Consider this. Two equally-qualified candidates interview for the same position. Both are experienced and interview strongly. One holds an MBA from Wharton, the other an online MBA from the University of Phoenix. Who gets the job...

Inside Higher Ed - Tuition Model Quietly Spreading (April 9, 2012) - There may be limits to how far differential tuition can go in higher education. Many colleges have begun charging more for high-cost courses and academic programs, like engineering and health sciences...

Chronicle of Higher Ed - Tribal Colleges Offer Basic Education to Students 'Not Prepared for College' (April 8, 2012) - Besieged by poverty, American Indians have historically trailed other minority groups in attending and finishing college. Many lack the literacy skills to succeed in college courses or job-training programs-natural routes to employment...

Inside Higher Ed - New Comparison Tool for Financial Aid (April 12, 2012) - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is working to create greater awareness among borrowers about student debt, has launched an early version of a financial aid comparison tool that lets students compare the cost of a certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree at up to three institutions...

Chronicle of Higher Ed - With Pell Program in Peril, Advocates Weigh Overhaul (April 11, 2012) - If there's one thing Republicans and President Obama agree on in this election year, it's this: The Pell Grant program is in peril, its future threatened by rising costs and looming shortfalls. They differ, however, on what to do about it...

Chronicle of Higher Ed - Student Cooks Up Magazine to Appeal to College Foodies (April 1, 2012) - Audrey Scagnelli learned her way around the kitchen early, but she missed one lesson-how to use a fire extinguisher. The George Washington University sophomore got schooled quickly when she left croutons in the dorm oven too long during a photo shoot for a new online magazine she created called College & Cook...

Chronicle of Higher Ed - Rules to Measure Quality of Teaching-Training Programs Slowly Take Shape (April 5, 2012) - The U.S. Education Department and teacher colleges inched closer to agreement this week on a package of rules that would hold teacher-preparation programs accountable for their graduates' employment outcomes and performance as teachers in the classroom...

LINK - A Conceptual Framework for Effective Web Governance in Higher Education (April 10, 2012) - Understanding the web as public versus private, or Internet versus intranet, is a simplification that does not reflect the significant differences that exist in nearly every higher education web site --there are six components that make up college and university web sites today...

CCNEWSNOW.COM - Connecticut May Let College Students Skip Remedial Classes (April 9, 2012) - Remedial classes could be slashed in Connecticut-but not because students are prepared to do college-level work. Under a bill approved by the state's Senate higher education committee, all community college and state university students could take college-level, credit-bearing courses with "embedded" remedial help for those who need it. That could mean an additional skills class, a lab, or tutoring...

Chronicle of Higher Ed - When There Aren't Enough Classes to Go Around (April 8, 2012) - The recent discussion in California community colleges about the possibility of charging higher prices for courses in high demand pushes us to put our economists' hats on to gain some perspective on this controversial idea. As state funding fails to keep up with enrollments in public colleges around the country, many states are struggling to meet the needs of students...

Chronicle of Higher Ed - For Student Success, Stop Debating and Start Improving (April 8, 2012) - Historically, higher education has fueled social and economic mobility in America. But today that contribution is at risk. Attainment gaps between high- and low-income students have doubled over the past 10 years...

CT News Junkie - Poverty Doesn't Have To Equal Destiny (April 6, 2012) - It's important to clarify a point made earlier this week by the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER). CCER understands and appreciates all of the challenges that poverty presents to our state's educators...