The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has rewritten its "retreat rights" policy for departing University administrators to prevent them from receiving large leave payments if they do not return to teaching, The Charlotte Observer reported. In theory, the policy allows chancellors to maintain a salary between when they leave their administrative positions and when they return to teaching, according to The Observer. The Board decided to revise the policy after newspaper reports showed that some administrators retired or took non-teaching positions after receiving payments. Under the new rules, chancellors can obtain up to six months of payment, instead of twelve, and must return all the money if they do not take a teaching position, The Observer reported.
Two economists have devised a plan for "failure insurance" that could motivate struggling students to remain in college by reducing the financial risk of continuing school, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Sunday. Their paper, which is an abstract model and not a formal plan for such a program, predicts students' decision to enroll and work hard in college based on their financial situation, future potential earnings and how happy they are with their academics, according to The Chronicle. The authors argue that failure insurance could give borderline-failing students the incentive to stay in school by reducing the financial risk of taking additional terms at college, according to The Chronicle. Since the insurance would only forgive part of students' financial debt, the authors say, it would not create an incentive for them to fail.
The University of Washington chapter of the American Association of University Professors has called for Washington Provost Phyllis Wise to step down from her position on Nike's Board of Directors because of concerns over potential conflicts of interest, The Seattle Times reported. In 2008, Washington signed a deal with Nike making it the University's main provider of athletic equipment, but the deal sparked student protests because of Nike's labor practices in Honduran factories, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported last month. Critics have voiced concerns over Wise's large compensation from Nike, and one state lawmaker has called on her to donate most of it to the University, according to The Chronicle. Wise has contended that her presence can have a positive effect on the company's policies. "It's really important for higher education to have a place at the table, because I think we can learn and we can influence better," Wise said, as reported in The Chronicle.
