The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that full-time medical residents are to be treated as full-time employees, making them subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Tuesday's ruling, which has been widely criticized by medical schools, will cost the schools an estimated $700 million annually since they are responsible for paying a portion of these taxes for their residents. Before the International Revenue Service changed its policy in 2005, medical residents were classified as students even though many worked over 40 hours per week, according to The Chronicle. Since the IRS altered its policy, various schools have taken legal action against the tax. In its most recent ruling, the Supreme Court determined that the current IRS rules constitute a valid interpretation of federal tax laws in that they provide a distinction between "workers who study and students who work," The Chronicle reported.
A study released by the American Association of University Professors demonstrated a significant difference between the responsibilities and professional advancement of male and female associate professors, Inside Higher Ed reported. The study, "The Ivory Ceiling of Service Work," concluded that "gendered norms may contribute to women associate professors spending more time in devalued roles." The report, released Wednesday, found that although male and female professors work approximately the same number of hours each week, female professors spend an average 7.5 hours less conducting research and 4.5 more hours performing service work, an activity unlikely to lead to professional advancement or tenure. The researchers interviewed and compiled data from over 350 professors at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Tuesday that he will veto the controversial higher education reform bill after violent protests in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The University Education Law, which was an initiative that Chavez initially pressured legislators to pass on Dec. 23, was widely criticized and labeled "totally socialist and more fitting for a system like Cuba's," congressional deputy Pastora Medina told The Chronicle. The bill would have created national "transformation councils" to reform education policy and would have provided more individuals, including university secretaries and janitors, with an outlet to express their opinions in educational matters. The bill's opponents, however, allege that the legislation was intended to suppress anti-Chavez institutions, according to The Chronicle.
