Only 15 percent of colleges and universities rely solely on course distribution requirements to establish a set of educational standards for all students, according to a study released by the Association of American Colleges and Universities on Sunday. Of the institutions surveyed, two-thirds said they had some form of general education requirement. Colleges are moving towards incorporating features like freshman seminars or learning communities into their general education requirements, the study found. The survey also reported that 56 percent of academic officers consider general education to be a growing priority, while only 3 percent reported that it is a declining priority. The survey solicited input from chief academic officers at 443 colleges and universities, 89 percent of whom reported that they were assessing or modifying their general education programs.
Harvard University student government leaders are planning a series of protests, "We are Harvard: Students, Staff and Faculty for Transparency and Inclusion in Budget Cuts," in response to the university's budget cuts, announced last Monday, The Harvard Crimson reported on Friday. The protests, to occur before, during and after the Harvard faculty's Tuesday meeting, were planned by student leaders on Friday, The Crimson reported. Harvard Undergraduate Council President Andrea Flores, a junior, told The Crimson that students are frustrated that administrators did not seek greater input from students and community members.
Fears about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, have caused many international students enrolled at Mexican universities to leave the country, Thomas Buntru, president of the Mexican Association for International Education, told The Chronicle of Higher Education in an article on Friday. Approximately 30 percent of all foreign students studying in Mexico have left the country since the flu began to spread, Buntru told The Chronicle, and some universities report that up to 60 percent of their foreign students have returned to their home countries.
