While the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge to race-based affirmative action at the University of Texas on Wednesday, India's Supreme Court is hearing a case on caste-based affirmative action, The New York Times reported. In addition to considering students' race, religion and national origin, Indian universities currently reserve spots for students from "backward castes." This practice is in response to long-standing social and economic disadvantages of the Dalits and other "low" castes. Separate from the court case, the Indian Parliament is expected address this issue in the form of a possible constitutional amendment within the next few months. If approved, the amendment would allow caste-based quotas for university admission, government hiring and federal promotions. Some critics have argued, however, that many traditionally disadvantaged castes are currently prospering and that such quotas would be unfair. In the past, India's Supreme Court has not allowed university admissions quotas to surpass 50 percent of all admitted students. Anti-discrimination programs similar to India's quota system also exist in Brazil and Malaysia, according to The Times.
Three months after the University of Missouri fired the University of Missouri Press' editor-in-chief and threatened to close the publication house, the university rehired Clair Willcox to his former position, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The university originally threatened to close the publishing house due to budget problems. After a campaign to save the press through social media websites, the university recanted. The press is being relocated to the university's Columbia, Mo., campus, where its operations will continue. The press recently added an editorial board of faculty members and is looking to fill its director position. During the dispute, a number of authors threatened to stop using the publishing house, and about 40 published authors asked to have the rights to their books returned, threatening legal action. The publishing house opened in 1958 and has published 2,000 books, according to The Chronicle.
This summer, Temple University began a successful social media initiative to connect students to alumni, inform prospective students about the university and promote school spirit, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Its program, "Temple Made," integrates Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, and it also creates a venue for current students and alumni to share their images of campus life. This initiative has improved Temple's online presence, prompting more Twitter interactions, Facebook views and online blog posts about the university. Temple admissions representatives hope that "Temple Made" will give prospective students a better sense of the university's environment. Site administrators plan to add a new search feature to "Temple Made" soon.
