IRAP Environmental Scanning Digest A digest of our collective environmental scanning

Summer 2016

You can click on these section headings to jump to that section: Students Employees Sponsored research Planning Institutional Resources and Measures

STUDENTS Student Admissions

How and Why You Diversify Colleges. The New York Times, Frank Bruni, May 14, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/opinion/sunday/how-and-why-you-diversify-colleges.html Diversity should be framed as a benefit to all, not as a favor to underprivileged students. Amherst is improving socioeconomic diversity through outreach and recruitment efforts, increased financial aid, priority to community college transfers, and extra support services on campus. Elite colleges have to prepare for the Fisher case outcomes. Diversity at elite colleges is NOT the biggest concern in higher ed, but is an important reflection of society. Amherst is turning its attention to increased access for military vets, not as a favor to the vets, but as a "real learning" opportunity and a "real preparation for citizenship" for all their students. California’s high school graduation rate rises sixth year in row. Sacramento Bee, Dan Walters, May 17, 2016 http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article78179712.html 82.3 percent of last year’s high school seniors won diplomas, up 1.3 percentage points 401,957 students recorded as graduates Latinos’ graduation rate increased to 78.5%, up 1.9 percentage points, but still trail other groups (whites 88%, Asian-Americans 92.6%, Filipinos 93%), blacks remain behind at 70.8%. Rates vary widely amongst different school districts. Will Supreme Court end affirmative action in college admissions? The Washington Post, Nick Anderson, June 16, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/16/will-supreme-court-end-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/ The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on affirmative action in college admissions, in a case called Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. Plaintiff Abigail Fisher, a white woman denied admission to UT, is challenging the constitutionality of UT’s consideration of race and ethnicity as a factor in assembling an undergraduate class. It is expected that the ruling would influence the racial dimensions in the admissions programs and processes of higher education.

How UCLA is boosting campus diversity, despite the ban on affirmative action. Los Angeles Times, Teresa Watanabe, June 23, 2016 http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ucla-diversity-20160620-snap-story.html Twenty years after California voters passed Prop. 209, the nation’s first ban on affirmative action at public universities, UCLA is leading the way in boosting diversity without considering students’ race or gender in admissions. The enrollment management team shows up at college fairs, community events, and works with local high schools and African American churches in the community to scout promising students and keep them on track. The campus also offers campus visits to groups of African Americans and other underrepresented minorities as a way to diversify its student body with race-blind admissions programs. Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas. The New York Times, Adam Liptak, June 23, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/us/politics/supreme-court-affirmative-action-university-of-texas.html The Fisher v. University of Texas case was brought by Abigail Fisher, a white woman who said the university had denied her admission based on her race. The Supreme Court, with the vote of 4 to 3, rejected the challenge to a race-conscious admissions program at the University of Texas, Austin, handing supporters of affirmative action a major victory. Public Colleges Chase Out-of-State Students, and Tuition. The New York Times, Stephanie Saul, July 7, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/us/public-colleges-chase-out-of-state-students-and-tuition.html Article cites the UC audit showing 82 percent increase in nonresident enrollment and decline of 1 percent in CA resident enrollment, but also points out some states schools such as University of Alabama and University of Michigan are much higher at 37% and 50%, respectively. Some equate the rise in nonresidents with the decreased access for CA residents and a theory that increased access to nonresidents students decreases ethnic diversity and access for lower-income students. Others say that increases in nonresident populations can influence the culture of the university in a good way, says first African-American student-elected President at the University of Alabama.

Student Enrollment Princeton Strives to Help First-Generation Students Feel More at Home. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Becki Supiano, July 7, 2016 http://chronicle.com/article/Princeton-Strives-to-Help/237033 Research shows that sense of belonging really influences students’ academic as well as social experience of college. Elite colleges like Princeton can undermine first-generation and low-income students’ sense that they belong there. Princeton University built a number of programs to increase socioeconomic diversity on its campus. At the same time, it provides some form of summer bridge programs to support the first-generation and low-income students after they arrive. The programs are intended to empower these students to make Princeton work for them, and make the university more welcoming to students from diverse backgrounds.

The Challenge of Equipping California's Latinos with Bachelor's Degrees. The Atlantic, Emily Deruy, July 12, 2016 http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/bachelors-degrees-are-coming-to-californias-community-colleges/490931/ Despite making up a growing proportion of California's population, Latinos are less likely than whites, Asians, and blacks in the state to graduate from a four-year college. Allowing some community colleges to grant BAs could change that but there are challenges. The program was designed to help the worforce, not to increase the equity of access, says Patricia Gandara (co-director of the Civil Rights Project. Nearly half of the 15 schools in the pilot program are more than 50% white and Asian (!); many of the programs offered have heavy math and science requirement but Latinos are disproportionately less likely to enroll in math and science programs.

Student Affordability Delayed Gratification. The Economist, April 23, 2017 http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21697242-home-owning-falling-among-young-adults-dont-blame-student-debt-delayed Student debt may delay home ownership, but does not deter it entirely. Declining homeownership might not be because of increased student debt, but rather because people are generally deferring "conventional adulthood." College graduates still earn more and are more likely to become homeowners. The real population of concern is those who drop out with debt before earning a degree. The (bigger than we realized) role race plays in college debt. Brookings, Richard V. Reeves, May 2, 2016 http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2016/05/02-the-bigger-than-we-realized-role-race-plays-in-college-debt-reeves Difference in SES and college completion rates cannot fully account for racial disparities in education debt. The risks faced by minorities in the course of financing a college degree can differ substantially from those faced by Whites of similar economic and education standing. Specifically, Black and Hispanic students are both more likely to take on debt and to take on more debt than White and Asian students. The result is a significant race gap in overall student-debt burdens. The article pointed out three mail reasons for the debt gap between races. First, black and Hispanic students receive less help paying for college from their parents compared with White or Asian students who have similar levels of family wealth. Second, there are different attitudes toward taking on debt between people in particular racial categories. Third and most importantly, black and Hispanic students are more likely to attend for-profit schools, which are poor value for money by comparison to state schools and other colleges. The dividing line between haves and have-nots in home ownership: Education, not student debt. Brookings, Susan Dynarski, May 3, 2016 http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2016/05/03-dividing-line-between-haves-have-nots-home-ownership-education-not-student-debt-dynarski Analyses from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that student debt did not hamper home ownership. The striking gap in home ownership is not between college-educated people who did and did not borrow, but between those with and without a college degree.

This is #RealCollege: Some students struggle to pay for food, housing. The Washington Post, Nick Anderson, May 10, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/05/10/this-is-realcollege-students-facing-food-and-housing-insecurity/ "Rising child poverty rates...coupled with broadened college enrollment" are leading to "food and housing insecurity" among college students. There are no school lunch programs in higher ed. Students can only get food stamps if they have children, are working, or on work study, which is difficult for many students to meet. Various initiatives include nonprofits, local housing authorities, and a homeless shelter opening at UCLA. For the poor in the Ivy League, a full ride isn't always what they imagined. The Washington Post, Nick Anderson, May 16, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/for-the-poor-in-the-ivy-league-a-full-ride-isnt-always-what-they-imagined/2016/05/16/5f89972a-114d-11e6-81b4-581a5c4c42df_story.html The reality of a full ride isn't always what students dream it to be. Students have vented concerns about food insecurity and the struggle to keep up socially when it comes to entertainment and other costs of social interaction. Some of had to choose between buying text books or food, some have taken screenshots of whole books to get the content. Some forego extracurricular activities such as sports and some have reported seeking sexual relationships with older men to earn money to pay their bills. Closing the Gap Year Gap. Harvard Graduate School of Education, Bari Walsh, May 17, 2016 https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/16/05/closing-gap-year-gap Gap years are often associated with privileged students who can afford time off. An equitable gap year program would be tied to college as a bridge year, financially sustainable, and not allowing economically disadvantaged kids to fall off the track to college into low paid work. Gap years can benefit all students in developing maturity, promoting civic engagement, and creating a positive impact on college persistence. Governor Jerry Brown's Huge Gift to California Community College Students: Free Textbooks. Achieving the Dream.org, Hal Plotkin, June 30, 2016 https://medium.com/@hplotkin/governor-jerry-browns-huge-gift-to-california-community-college-students-free-textbooks-7373e720a894#.2h99qvjpa This year's state budget included a last minute $5 million to support the development of Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degree programs at CA Community Colleges. Grants of up to $200K will be made to colleges that demonstrate they can develop fully UC/CSU transferrable AA degree programs that students can earn without spending any money on textbooks or learning materials. The concept relies on Open Educational Resources (OER), which are learning materials that have been released with a license allowing their free use and re-purposing by others. Community colleges in Virginia have implemented ZTC with great success and the first ZTC program in California is planned for Fall 2017. Hillary Clinton Embraces Ideas From Bernie Sanders’s College Tuition Plan. The New York Times, Stephanie Saul and Matt Flegenheimer, July 6, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/us/politics/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-education.html

Clinton plans to eliminate tuition at in-state public schools for families with incomes up to $125K, with federal government providing tuition grants to states that agree to put up some matching money. Campaign does not have answers for states that refuse to participate. Critics note competition from privates, limitations on student choice. She also is calling for a three month grace period on student loans to facilitate refinancing and restoration of year-round Pell funding. The real story of student debt. Urban Institute, Sandy Baum, July 14, 2016 http://www.urban.org/urban-wire/real-story-student-debt Author of the book Student Debt: Rhetoric and Realities of Higher Education posits that the real people suffering from student loan debt burden are not the 4-year graduate of middle class families, but the noncompleters that take on loan debt, particularly at for-profit institutions. She says a more productive system would do a better job at preparing students for college, guiding them to productive pathways and preventing them from enrolling in institutions that will not serve them well.

Student Outcomes The Archbishop of Indiana and a US Supreme Court Justice round out this week's list of commencement speakers, EAB, The EAB Daily Briefing’s List, May 9, 2016 https://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2016/05/09/speakers-update A list of ~130 notable commencement speakers. Pamela highlighted a few. She is interested in summarizing commencement speeches, especially those at UC. UCB is the only UC on this list (Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook). Obama urges Howard grads to 'shape our collective future.' EAB, THE EAB Daily Briefing, May 10, 2016 https://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2016/05/10/obama-urges-howard-grads-to-shape-our-collective-future Obama spoke at Howard's commencement ceremony. Some quotes: "Be confident in your heritage. Be confident in your blackness. There's no one way to be black." On voting all the time, not just some of the time: "When we don't vote we give away our power." Why do women leave engineering? MIT News, Peter Dizikes, June 15, 2016 http://news.mit.edu/2016/why-do-women-leave-engineering-0615 Study shows that women who go to college intending to become engineers stay in the profession less often than men. While multiple reasons have been offered i n the past, a new study found that the genitive group dynamics women tend to experience during team-based work projects makes the profession less appealing to women. Changes beyond the classroom are needed to close the engineering’s gender gap. Does Paying Students to Finish College Pay Off? The Washington Monthly, Ben Barrett, June 15, 2016 http://washingtonmonthly.com/2016/06/15/does-paying-students-to-finish-college-pay-off/ Some states are trying small tuition rebates as an incentive for students to graduate. However, Texas has had a similar program for over 20 years which has not impacted four-year graduation rates, as

underlying causes of failure to complete the degree remain unaddressed. Schools need to consider their population of students and needs to make these programs effective - Georgia State re-enrolled many students planning to withdraw by handing out small cash grants to strapped students. Scorecard for Accreditors. Insider Higher Ed, Paul Fain, June 21, 2016 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/06/21/education-department-release-data-reports-accreditors-based-measures-student The DOE has released data that track student outcomes by accrediting agency, including visual dashboards. This resembles the College Scorecard for institutions, and is part of the department's stated goal of comparing accreditors against each other. Accreditors have raised issues about whether the data are enough to make decisions, without context, and whether the metrics chosen (graduation, debt, repayment and earnings) are the right ones. Georgetown Study Finds College-Educated Workers Have Dominated Recent Economic Recovery. EdSurge, Blake Montgomery, July 1, 2016 https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-07-01-study-finds-college-educated-workers-have-dominated-recent-economic-recovery Of the 11.5 million jobs added in the economic recovery after the 2008 recession, 99% of them have gone to those who have more than a high-school education. Since 1989, 73 percent of the 35 million new jobs in the USA have appeared in high-skill fields (fields where 50% or more of employees have higher than a high-school diploma). Still questioning whether college is worth it? Read this. The Washington Post, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, July 1, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/07/01/still-questioning-whether-college-is-worth-it-read-this/ A report released by Anthony Carnevale at Georgetown University Center on Education showed that almost all post-recession jobs went to workers with at least a college degree. 11.5 million out of 11.6 million post-recession jobs went to earners with at least some education. Manufacturing and clerical jobs have not recovered post-recession; healthcare, education, financial and government service jobs have increased and consulting and business services jobs have shown the most growth.

Graduate Students Rep. John Lewis calls graduates to action at UC Davis Law School. Sacramento Bee, Stephen Magagnini, May 15, 2016 http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article77793082.html Beaten, bloodied and jailed in the 1960s, civil rights veteran tells students ‘to get into trouble’ for justice. Lewis stood shoulder to shoulder with Martin Luther King Jr. at 1963 march on Washington. Lewis has been elected 15 times to Congress as representative of Georgia’s 5th District. Forget The LSAT. This Law School Will Accept Your GRE Scores. NPR Education, Carrie Jung, May 16, 2016

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/05/16/477386646/forget-the-lsat-this-law-school-will-accept-your-gre-scores University of Arizona has begun accepting the GRE as an admissions test for its law school. The American Bar Association only states that a standardized test that's valid and reliably predicts student performance must be used. Arizona hopes that using this alternate test will expand applications to its law school as well as racial/ethnic diversity of those applicants. Wake Forest, University of Hawaii, and others are also considering a switch. At 31, she runs one of the hottest biotech companies in the country. STAT, Elizabeth D. Herman, June 22, 2016 https://www.statnews.com/2016/06/22/rachel-haurwitz-crispr-caribou/ UC Berkeley alumnus Rachel Haurwitz becomes founder and CEO of Caribou Biosciences, a company that pursues commercial applications of the gene editing technology CRISPR. She attributes much of to being "at the right place at the right time" - at UCB at a time when CRISPR was a hot idea and in a lab that was exploring CRISPR. The company, located in Berkeley, now employees 30 people and has raised $40 million.

Related to student issues Fighting poor nutrition among California seniors - with a food truck. The Sacramento Bee, Marisa Agha, July 17, 2016 http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article90099732.html Article states California's hidden poor are the 1 in 5 seniors over 65 years old who cannot afford basic needs, but do not qualify for public assistance. In 2013 and 2014, 27% of seniors age 65 or older reported not being able to afford food versus 21% in 2009 and 2010. Some programs are being sponsored that use food trucks to deliver choices and meals to Seniors at churches, such as St. Francis of Assisi and mobile home parks. Scanner puts for the question: How do we put food insecurity responses in context?

EMPLOYEES As UC's scandals spread, Janet Napolitano plays tough cop. The San Francisco Chronicle, Nanette Asimov, May 5, 2016 http://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/As-UC-s-scandals-spread-Janet-Napolitano-plays-7396562.php Janet Napolitano has earned praise from many for making tough, but unpopular, decisions on disciplinary action against UC faculty and the UC Davis Chancellor. Observers praise her for acting quickly to address damage to UC's reputation stemming from allegations of sexual harassment at Berkeley and unethical behavior by the Davis Chancellor. UC faculty, however, fear that her decisions have been taken without adequate consultation with faculty and this threatens UC's shared governance principle.

Four lessons for new administrators. EAB, Kevin Gannon, May 9, 2016 https://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2016/05/09/four-lessons-for-new-administrators 1. Pick your battles 2. Know when to speak up 3. Adopt a learning attitude 4.Be kind to colleagues and yourself Overtime increase won't skip higher ed. Education Dive, Autumn A. Arnett, May 18, 2016 http://www.educationdive.com/news/overtime-increase-wont-skip-higher-ed/419431/ The Department of Labor raised the threshold for those getting overtime. The White House said that colleges and universities will not be exempted. This increases regulatory burden in a tangible way. The Disappearing Humanities Jobs. Inside Higher Education, Scott Jaschik, June 6, 2016 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/06/06/new-study-documents-long-term-losses-new-humanities-faculty-jobs The American Academy of Arts & Sciences released several new collections of data that show that declines in faculty humanities positions are part of a continuing pattern and are far more dramatic when viewed over a longer time frame. The academy also released new data showing that the proportion of all faculty members who are in the humanities -- crucial not only to their own fields but to general education at many colleges and universities -- has been flat amid substantial gains for the health professions. Trends in Employment at US Colleges and Universities, 1987–2013. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Peter L. Hinrichs, June 13, 2016 https://clevelandfed.org/newsroom-and-events/publications/economic-commentary/2016-economic-commentaries/ec-201605-trends-in-employment-at-us-colleges-and-universities.aspx From the article's conclusion: The results of this analysis suggest that the share of employees at colleges who are administrators has not been much higher in recent years than it was in 1987. There has been growth, though, in the other professionals employment category. This growth is potentially related to a growth of amenities and other programs outside of the teaching and research that have been the traditional focus of colleges and universities, although this is difficult to ascertain due to the broad nature of this category. An additional result in the analysis is that the share of faculty who are full-time employees has been declining. This decline has occurred within the public sector, the private sector, and the for-profit sector. One limitation of the analysis here is that it considers only employment and not spending on salaries, amenities, or anything else. However, I plan to address spending by colleges and universities in a future Economic Commentary. To Diversify the Faculty, Start Here - How one university is changing a sink-or-swim culture to broaden the appeal of a Ph.D. Chronicle of Higher Education, Beth McMurtrie, July 3, 2016 http://chronicle.com/article/To-Diversify-the-Faculty/237010?cid=trend_right Duke university started an office of biomedical graduate diversity with help from an NIH grant. The office helps support students from underrepresented minorities get into graduate research programs,

and supports them to complete their degrees. This helps put more minority scholars in the pipeline to get more underrepresented faculty in the long term.

SPONSORED RESEARCH

UC gun violence research center included in California budget. KCRA 3, Vicki Gonzalez, June 16, 2016 http://www.kcra.com/news/uc-gun-violence-research-center-included-in-california-budget/40095052 The California Legislature approved funding to create a California Firearm Violence Research Center for $5 million over the course of five years. The campus that will host the Center has not yet been chosen but UC Davis holds a strong advantage because its Violence Prevention Research Program has been around for more than 30 years. The CDC does not fund research for firearm violence. / Gun rights advocates fear the UC Center will ultimately become another tool to dismantle the Second Amendment. The bill to fund the Center was authored by State Senator Lois Wolk, D-District 3. The U. of California’s Open-Access Promise Hits a Snag: The Faculty. Chronicle of Higher Education, Paul Basken, July 7, 2016 http://chronicle.com/article/The-U-of-California-s/237044/ Faculty voted 3 years ago to make UC research freely available, but only 25 percent of professors are placing their papers into the open access repository. The main issue seems to be indifference, not any resistance from publishers. UC has no means of enforcement of compliance with the open access policy. Harvard has fellows that go door to door, but it's not scalable. Wildlife-Vehicle Conflict Hotspots along California Highways (2009-2015): Carcasses. UC Davis Road Ecology Center, Fraser Shilling, Ph.D., 2016 https://roadecology.ucdavis.edu/files/content/projects/CROS_Hotspots_2016.pdf A report detailing (mostly in map form) the observation of roadkill and the highway hotspots for roadkill. From individual observations by category (amphibian, bird, reptile, small mammal, medium mammal and large mammal) across the state to statistically-significant hotspots at state and regional levels (defined by number of carcasses per mile). The cartography is, well... terrible. This report gets an A+ for Compassionate Quotient, and A for Gruesome Quotient but (I'm afraid) a D for cartography.

PLANNING

UC Santa Cruz establishes permanent Silicon Valley home. The Mercury News, George Avalos, May 6, 2016 http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_29855997/uc-santa-cruz-establishes-silicon-valley-campus UCSC is relocating its existing South Bay programs to a new permanent home in Santa Clara, which will house the university's Silicon Valley professional master's program, its Silicon Valley-facing research, and its Silicon Valley Extension program. The university hopes the new campus will create greater interaction among UCSC students, faculty, and Silicon Valley innovators and entrepreneurs. New Hmong program at Fresno State one of five in U.S. The Fresno Bee, Mackenzie Mays, May 10, 2016 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/education/article76837087.html

A new Hmong studies program at Fresno State is one of only five of its kind offered in the country, and the only one on the West Coast. The program, which will be offered as a minor in the fall, will focus on Hmong language, culture and history. Fresno has the second-largest Hmong population in the U.S. and more than 1,500 Hmong students attend Fresno State – making up about 6 percent of enrollment. How Should Higher Education be Regulated? The Case for Management-Based Regulation. Ithaka S+R Blog, Martin Kurzweil, May 13, 2016 http://www.sr.ithaka.org/blog/how-should-higher-education-be-regulated/ Argues that reauthorization of the federal Higher Education Act could introduce management-based regulation "with teeth" model for accreditation, rather than the current command and control regulatory structure. Such a change could result in better consumer information as well as increased motivation for institutions to improve their students' outcomes. Class In Session - UC Davis Dean of Engineering Jennifer Sinclair Curtis on her vision for the program’s future. Comstock's, Rich Ehisen, June 16, 2016 http://www.comstocksmag.com/qa/class-session The new dean of UC Davis' engineering school talks about her plan to improve the school. She wants to improve access to internships and stress their importance, connect current students to alumni in industry, hire a more diverse faculty, and improve the pathways from some community colleges to the school of engineering. Meta-Majors An essential first step on the path to college completion. Jobs for the Future, Alexandra Waugh, July 1, 2016 http://www.jff.org/publications/meta-majors-essential-first-step-path-college-completion Author describes the use of meta-majors in some community colleges to improve completion rates; meta-majors alleviate the issue of too much choice in course taking for community college students. Meta-majors allow students to enter a general major area of interest and complete coursework before deciding upon a more specific major. The Community college research center found some success with meta-major programs, 50% of students involved either completed the program, transferred to a four-year college or graduated from another program versus 37% in the control group.

INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES & MEASURES

Commentary: Tough choices at UC in difficult times with good results for Californians. The Mercury News, Janet Napolitano, April 9, 2016 http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_29744149/commentary-tough-choices-at-uc-difficult-times-good Over an 18-month period during the recession, the state cut UC's budget by one-third--nearly $1 billion. Cost cutting alone could not close the gap so UC opted to increase out-of-state enrollment to avoid the other option of continuing to raise tuition or reduce the admission of eligible California students. / The plan enabled UC to exceed the Master Plan to enroll the top 12.5% of California high school graduates, maintain academic excellence and freeze in-state tuition for six years, beginning in 2011.

Why Audrey Watters Thinks Tech Is a Trojan Horse Set to 'Dismantle' the Academy. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jeffrey R. Young, May 18, 2016 http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Audrey-Watters-Thinks-Tech/236525 Education blogger Audrey Watters warns that the "Silicon Valley Narrative" threatens higher education. The assumption that technology goes hand in hand with progress is not always true. Through outsourcing, unbundling, and disrupting, technology threatens to make higher education more "personalized" and individualized." Most Americans value individualism, but higher education relies on collective learning, dialogue, and debate - all of which would be diminished by personalized curricula where learn what we want at our own pace. It also threatens to make higher education all about acquiring high-tech skills and becoming employable, when it needs to be about much more. Is It Time for Universities to Get Out of the Hospital Business? The Chronicle of Higher Education, Paul Voosen, May 31, 2016 http://chronicle.com/article/Is-It-Time-for-Universities-to/236643 The ability of academic medical centers to handle complex health problems with bleeding-edge research, and the prestige that goes with it, meant for decades that the hospitals could demand high premiums from insurers. However, since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, universities have seen academic medical centers become more complex and less rewarding to manage. As those trends continue, many universities are questioning whether their medical centers can survive and some are considering a split to let the university mitigate its risks, while allowing the medical center the agility to adjust to health care’s volatility. State budget heads to Gov. Brown: How education fared. EdSource, John Fensterwald, June 15, 2016 https://edsource.org/2016/state-budget-heads-to-brown-how-education-fared-lcff-proposition-98-jerry-brown/565808 Provides education funding highlights from the 2016-17 California state budget, including the following for UC: 4 percent increase in general revenue ($125 million for the University of California, $161 million for California State University System) as part of a multi-year agreement to extend a tuition freeze for in-state students; $18.5 million in additional ongoing money for UC by next May if it enrolls 2,500 more California residents by the 2017-18 school year, and regents agree to adopt a policy that specifies a limit on nonresident enrollment; and $20 million in one-time money to UC for outreach and support services for low-income and underrepresented minority students. How Public Universities Are Addressing Declines in State Funding. The New York Times, Alina Tugend, June 22, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/education/how-public-universities-are-addressing-declines-in-state-funding.html?_r=0 The New York Times asked three top educators about potential solutions to state funding problems: Janet Napolitano, the president of the University of California; Bernadette Gray-Little, chancellor of the University of Kansas; and Clifton Forbes Conrad, a professor of higher education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Working Smarter initiative, UCPath, and nonresident tuition were UC strategies discussed for mitigating declining state funding. When asked about waning public support for higher education, President Napolitano stressed the importance of the University "justifying not what we do but what it costs and how much we can charge for it."

IRAP’s Environmental Scanning Editorial Board CHRISTOPHER BROOKS | RYAN CHAN | CHRIS FURGIUELE | DARIN JENSEN | BRIANNA MOORE-TRIEU DANIELLE OBERBECK | KIMBERLY PETERSON | SUSANNAH TOWNSEND | YANG YANG | XIAOHUI ZHENG