In the wake of Monday's Boston Marathon bombings, several universities will review their security measures for sporting and other large-scale events, Inside Higher Ed reported. An announcement by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday stating that there is no evidence that the bombings belong to a wider scheme may influence college officials' decisions on whether to implement concrete safety policy changes. Security at colleges nationwide will remain at normal levels because campuses are not currently hosting high-traffic events. The National Collegiate Athletic Association also issued a statement regarding its collaboration with host institutions and law enforcement to ensure adequate safety in Boston and throughout the country. At least a dozen college students in Boston are estimated to have been wounded in the bombings, and one Boston University graduate student was killed, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Brown University will launch a massive open online course, or MOOC, targeted specifically for high school students with the goal of teaching them the benefits and difficulties of engineering, The New York Times reported. With a greater focus on activities and research assignments, the course could enhance students' and teachers' understanding of engineering and bridge the gap between high school and college curricula. Brown officials said they were chiefly motivated by a desire to address the growing need for engineering graduates in the U.S. job market and concerns about the difficulty of studying the field. Brown's MOOC, offered free online, is a departure from the expensive, in-person summer programs run by Brown and other peer institutions.
Harvard University will pay $1,500 to employees whose same-sex partners are covered by the university's family medical plan in order to assist in their increased taxes, The Harvard Crimson reported. This decision, called the "tax equalization payment," compensates same-sex couples for the additional taxes that they must pay in compliance with the Defense of Marriage Act, which does not recognize same-sex partnerships. Harvard seeks to ensure that its employees receive equal tax treatment, and already provides health benefits for same-sex couples who live together after same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in 2004, though other employers refused to extend this coverage.
