The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity a panel that makes recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Education about accreditation and provides accreditors with federal recognition will resume meetings in September after a two-year hiatus, according to Inside Higher Ed. The Committee, which was adjourned by Congress in 2008, will consist of 18 members appointed by both houses of Congress and the Secretary of Education. The panel previously had 15 members appointed by the Secretary of Education, Inside Higher Ed reported. "This committee will play a vital role in ensuring the highest standards of accountability for accrediting agencies," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a December press release to the State University of New York at Albany. While the U.S. Senate has already made its six appointments to NACIQI, the House of Representatives still must deliberate and nominate six individuals, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Students and faculty members remain divided on the decision to terminate the employment of Harvard University squash coach Satinder Bajwa, according to The Boston Globe. Critics of the administration's decision cited racist motives behind the termination, as Bajwa's departure leaves only two minority head coaches at Harvard, The Globe reported. Harvard squash had a successful season under Bajwa's leadership, as the women's team finished first in national championship and individuals from the team grabbed the men's and women's titles, Inside Higher Ed reported. One alumnus angered by the firing plans to withhold a $4 million donation to the athletics program. Harvard officials refuted claims that the coaching change is a result of bias, according to Inside Higher Ed.
A new study has shown that college rankings influence academics' opinions about institutions' attributes in their own areas of study, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Institutions' reputations change when a widely-publicized ranking confirms that institution's superiority, according to an analysis conducted by Nicholas Bowman, a research associate at the University of Notre Dame, and Michael Bastedo, a professor at the University of Michigan, The Chronicle reported. The study concluded that rankings drive reputation, even in areas of study in which no valid basis for judging the quality of the field has been provided, according to The Chronicle. Bowman and Bastedo will present at the annual meeting this weekend of the American Educational Research Association, The Chronicle reported.
