The University of Pennsylvania saw a decrease in the total number of applications for the Class of 2013, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. Penn received a total of 22,845 applications, 90 fewer than last year. While the university saw a slight increase in regular decision applications, early decision applications fell six percent from last year, The Pennsylvanian reported. Penn is one of the only schools in the Ivy League to see a decline in applications. Dartmouth, Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University and Brown University all saw applicant increases this year, according to The Pennsylvanian. Since 2004, Penn's applicant pool has grown 25 percent, compared to the 50 percent increase experienced at Dartmouth since 2003, The Pennsylvanian reported. Penn Dean of Admissions Eric Furda told The Pennsylvanian he was happy with the number of applications Penn received, saying that too many applicants can lead to insufficient review of each application.
A new book, "The Diversity Challenge: Social Identity and Intergroup Relations on the College Campus," suggests that campus diversity initiatives have little effect on college students' views of race or ethnic identities, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The book is based on a study led by James Sidanius, a professor of psychology and of African and African-American studies at Harvard University. The study followed 2,000 students at the University of California, Los Angeles from the beginning of their freshman year in 1996 to their graduation. In general, the study found, students left the university with relatively unchanged social and political views. The study concluded, however, that racial- or ethnically-based student organizations had negative impacts on white and minority students by heightening ethnic identification and separation and increasing a sense of ethnic victimization, Sidanius told The Chronicle.
College presidents who accepted bonuses or salary raises this year are being criticized by faculty and students, who view the raises as inappropriate during the current economic crisis, Inside Higher Ed reported on Monday. The criticism is particularly strong for university presidents in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania that are bearing the brunt of the economic downturn. As colleges across the country have been forced to drastically reduce their budgets by laying off workers and freezing salaries, some college presidents refused bonuses and raises or gave the money back to the school in donations to financial aid, according to Inside Higher Ed. At schools like George Mason University, where President Alan Merten accepted a $108,000 bonus last year, faculty are trying to force presidents to return their bonuses. George Mason's Faculty Senate passed a resolution in November that encouraged Merten to return the bonus and is now forming a delegation to meet with him. The Student Senate at Ohio University attempted to pass a resolution repealing the $85,000 salary increase of President Roderick McDavis, but the resolution ultimately failed.