• As mentioned in our last issue, we have begun a third category in the newsletter, this one "jobs in higher ed." We encourage you to send us job openings, which we will post during the time the position is open.

Marketing, Reputation and Image Update

Higher Ed facing "privatization" trend: Newsweek magazine lays out a compelling case that higher ed is in a sea-change that will result in vastly different colleges, universities -- and students in upcoming years.

• Newsweek

New study suggests students squeezed from college: A study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education suggests that 250,000 students nationwide were barred from college because of state budget cuts resulting in sharp tuition hikes. While these conclusions should surprise few, it suggests an ominous outcome when short-sighted lawmakers slash education budgets. And it begs the question: What is the long-term state impact when significant numbers of students are barred from higher education?

• The Daily Tar Heel

Big bucks for rich kids? Tuition discounting, one of higher ed's better kept secrets, is detailed in USA Today in a story that casts doubt on the merits of scholarships for the economically deprived. What message do we send to the most needy who view higher ed as the best means of advancement?

• USA Today

Good news on the financial front -- at last: Colleges and universities are reporting -- for the first time in several years -- an upsurge in endowment interest profits, a key barometer to our institution's fiscal health. As we plead poverty to state legislators, let's be prepared for questions on higher interest earnings.

• New York Times

Legacy programs under fire nationally: Many institutions are ending their "legacy programs," age-old traditions where sons and daughters of Alumni get preferential admissions treatment. Ending or retaining these programs is sure to trigger a firestorm of criticism from the political left and right. Lose -- lose is how some describe this volatile issue. Before your campus considers such a move, hear NPR's recent discussion on this controversial topic.

• NPR

Campus Crises in the News

Texas Tech BB coach erupts in public: Famed Tech basketball coach Bob Knight erupted into a shouting match with university chancellor David Smith. No one is talking about the "dust up," which is eerily reminiscent of the coach's problems at Indiana University.

• New York Times
• Lubbock Avalanche Journal

Buffs lure recruits with the promise of bare naked ladies? The University of Colorado has been charged with offering sex to potential football recruits to induce them to join the Buffalos football team, a notion the institution strongly denies.

• Washington Post

Just as economy warms, Georgia moves to freeze: After two years of sharp budget cuts, the end isn't near as Georgia Lt. Governor Mark Taylor has proposed a tuition freeze.

• WTOC TV

Ditto in Utah: Woes out west continue, as Utah braces for further tuition cuts.

• Salt Lake Tribune

Virginia Tech quarterback subject of police probe: The younger brother of NFL star Michael Vick is the subject of a police investigation involving three minor girls.

• Richmond Times Dispatch

Frat hazing leads to charges: Aggravated assault felony charges were filed against two students at Southern Methodist University and six other men in connection with a fraternity hazing incident that left a 21-year-old pledge hospitalized in critical condition.

• Chronicle of Higher Education

Maryland seeks to stifle swearing: Vulgar chants and obscene tee-shirts are populating the University of Maryland's basketball games. Administrators seek legal recourse.

• Washington Post

Crime Spree at North Texas: Arrests have been made at North Texas by employees charged with a litany of crimes including embezzlement, payroll fraud, child pornography and drug dealing.

• NorthTexasDaily.com