The College will begin renovating Thayer Dining Hall immediately after Commencement and Reunion with a $12 million gift from the members of the Class of 1953, according to a College press release. The building was officially dedicated and renamed the Class of 1953 Commons on May 25, and is expected to be completed by Fall of 2011. The Class of 1953 donation was originally intended to construct a new dining facility, but budget cuts forced the funds to be redirected into the renovation of Thayer. The Class of 1953 Commons will have a more modern architectural design, additional space for dining and studying and energy-efficient renovations that will eventually repay the costs of renovation.
Five university presidents signed a letter to members of Congress asking them to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prevents openly gay individuals from serving in the military, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The letter, written by Cornell University President David Skorton and signed by the presidents of Columbia University, the University of Wisconsin, Syracuse University and New York University, states that the policy is "detrimental to both our students and the nations," according to The Chronicle. The U.S. House of Representatives was expected to vote on the policy as part of a larger package of legislation on Friday.
A study released by the U.S. Department of Education found that women now comprise the majority of students enrolled at institutions of higher education, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The study predicted that women will continue to enroll disproportionately in academic institutions and found that they have a stronger presence than men at every degree level, according to The Chronicle. The total number of college degrees awarded has significantly increased in passed years, according to the study, as has the cost of higher education and enrollment in private institutions. As of the 2007-2008 academic year, women accounted for 57 percent of the total number of students who receive college degrees, and the study projects that by 2019 that percentage would increase by 2 percentage points, The Chronicle reported. The discrepancy between the numbers of enrolled men and women are particularly wide among minority populations, the report found. Despite the growing number of women receiving degrees, the report found that women's median earnings were less than those of men who had received the same amount of education, The Chronicle reported.
