A report from Inside Higher Ed highlights a study that found that high school GPA and socioeconomic status play a less significant role than instructor practices in student degree completion. The study, which was conducted by Education Equity Solutions, a research organization focused on equity-centered higher ed policy, adds to the limited existing research on the impact of instructors and pedagogical styles on student outcomes in introductory college math. Previous research has focused on students’ academic preparation and structural factors, but this study highlights the importance of instructors in improving college persistence. Instructors were found to be the greatest predictor of whether students passed the course.
An article in The Chronicle looks at whether early decision may be the next admissions practice to go, following the Supreme Court striking down race-conscious admissions and many universities abandoning legacy preferences. Early decision, a process where students apply in the fall of their senior year and agree to delay other applications, is now being criticized for favoring affluent and well-connected students. If admitted and offered adequate financial aid, students attend. If accepted but offered insufficient aid, students from low-income backgrounds must apply elsewhere in pursuit of financial aid.
An op-ed in The Chronicle questions how colleges value and promote good teaching. The article asserts that professors at most colleges receive little to no training on how to be effective teachers during graduate school and that teaching is rarely examined or rewarded in the tenure-and-promotion process, as tenure-track professors are often advised to prioritize their independent scholarship over their teaching. While surveys show that the public overwhelmingly values good teaching and meaningful learning in higher education, only 26% of colleges and universities have teaching centers. According to the op-ed, although high-quality teaching and engagement are crucial to student success, universities do not often encourage professors to go beyond traditional lectures.
The Mississippi state auditor has made a call to defund some college degree programs, arguing that these programs burden taxpayers and lead to graduates seeking out-of-state careers, Higher Ed Dive reports. The auditor, Shad White, recommends implementing an outcomes-based funding model, which provides additional funding to education in high-demand fields. White stated that some programs “warp the minds of young people,” citing gender studies departments as an example.