Marketing, Reputation, and Image Update

Lumina study shows why needy attend college: A new report shows that the level of state spending for need-based aid programs is the primary influencer for low-income individuals to attend college. The level of state spending, suggests the Lumina report -- "Expanding College Access: The Impact of State Finance Strategies" -- far supersedes other factors, such as tuition and demographic trends.

• Chronicle of Higher Education

College rejection slips aimed at best and brightest: The nation's most prestigious schools routinely reject students in the upper five percent of GPAs and SAT scores. This trend, higher ed leaders contend, won't abate for another seven years, due to ballooning high school graduation rates.

• Washington Post

Grad students shun the states: An alarming study by the Council of Graduate Schools predicts that our colleges and universities nationwide will admit 32 percent fewer international graduate students next fall than were admitted the same time this year. Applications have dropped precipitously, and campuses are scrambling to gauge the impact. What signal are we sending potential international students, and what does this mean for higher education long term?

• Ledger.com

Hikes in faculty salaries the lowest in 30 years: As colleges and universities continue to battle budget wars, faculty pay raises remain abysmally low. What long-term impact could continuing meager pay increases have on faculty, particularly the best and brightest now coming through the PhD ranks?

• Chronicle of Higher Education

Campus Crises in the News

Hackers invade university supercomputers: It received precious little national attention, but hackers recently infiltrated as many as 20 top universities and research institutions, breaking through and disrupting one of the country's largest online research networks.

• Washington Post

In wake-up call, schools revamp IT to block hackers: A host of institutions are scrambling to keep pace with innovative hackers seeking everything from social security numbers to personal history.

• Boston Herald

Jayhawks computers clipped by hackers: Officials at the University of Kansas contacted the FBI after a hacker breached the security system at a campus pharmacy, which contained information on prescriptions doled at KU over the preceeding eight years.

• Journal World

Terrorist ties in Idaho: A University of Idaho doctoral candidate -- Saudi national Sami Omar al-Hassayen -- used academics to cover his true agenda as webmaster and "money man" for a worldwide terrorist operation, officials charge.

• Washington Post

Dorm porn back home in Indiana: For the second time in two years, porn projects in Indiana University campus dorms have brought unwanted national attention.

• Indianapolis Star

Free speech endangered at Maryland: Disciplinary steps are being taken against three students charged with disorderly conduct after shouting questions at Lynne Cheney, the vice president's wife, at a public forum on the College Park campus.

• Washington Post

Melee erupts at Farleigh Dickerson: One student was shot and six others injured -- slashed or bludgeoned -- when dozens of students were involved in a fight during a campus dance.

• New York Times
• Incident page
• CNN

Bad news Buffs, redux: The "sex for football recruits" investigation continues at the University of Colorado.

• Washington Post
• New York Times
• Washington Post
• Associated Press

April fool's pranks lead to newspapers' closure: Two student newspapers were closed after April 1 follies included racially insensitive and potentially libelous printed accounts.

• Chronicle of Higher Education

Tarnish on the trophy: University of Connecticut students riot out of control following twin basketball championships.

• ESPN.com

Tennessee State chief caught with hand in the cookie jar: State auditors say Tennessee State University President James Hefner lied about accepting Super Bowl tickets and related perks from a TSU food service vendor. He has been sidelined as further sanctions are pondered.

• Tennessean