Over a dozen colleges in Massachusetts have implemented strategies to improve students' eating habits and combat youth obesity, often without students' knowledge, The Boston Globe reported on Sunday. Wellesley College, Tufts University and Northeastern University, among others, have reduced portion sizes in response to statistics showing that 25 percent of college students gain weight during their first semester, according to The Globe. The head chef at Merrimack College has altered the menu to include fresh, healthy ingredients that reduce trans fat and sodium content. Harvard University and Boston University have begun to make nutritional information available for students to encourage healthy eating choices. Although some students, particularly athletes, are unhappy with the widespread changes, most students do not notice the healthier substitutions, Ken Toong, executive director of dining at University of Massachusetts at Amherst, told The Globe.
Harvard University reported a loss of $1.8 billion in cash that it relied on to cover everyday expenses in an annual report released for the last fiscal year, The Boston Globe reported on Saturday. Rather than protecting the sum in low-risk accounts, Harvard invested much of its cash portfolio in stocks and hedge funds, according to The Globe. "I think that was an interesting way to handle the grocery money,'' Harvard computer science professor Harry Lewis told The Globe. "Did Harvard administration and Harvard Management have the kind of conversation that ordinary households have with their investment managers about risk and liquidity and what they need the money for and when?''
Democratic members of Congress have proposed the creation of a federal Consumer Financial Protection Agency that would regulate non-federal student loans, Inside Higher Ed reported on Monday. Proponents argue that the agency is necessary to regulate private loans provided to students by for-profit institutions. Students turn to such loans, which are becoming increasingly popular, to bridge the gap between federal aid and the price of a college education. The loans, however, are often associated with a great deal of risk, as students can find themselves struggling with high, variable interest rates. The legislation's opponents argue that subjecting private loans to excessive regulation will decrease their availability.
