Princeton University is considering extending its student and employee health care plan to cover gender reassignment surgery, according to The Daily Princetonian. Although Princeton's health care plan currently covers prescriptions for hormone therapy and mental health counseling, the University's Health Services and LGBT Center are working to explore the possibility of covering gender reassignment surgery. Last fall Princeton's Vice Provost of Institutional Equity and Diversity created a transgender working group that includes a subcommittee focused on health care, the Princetonian reported. The subcommittee, however, was not created specifically to reform Princeton's health care policy but to identify transgender individuals' needs and concerns. While LGBT advocates said that their work is far from complete, they appreciate the University's efforts to recognize LGBT students' needs. Dartmouth is also considering covering more gender reassignment surgeries under the Dartmouth Student Group Health Plan.
Penn Timebank, a student startup at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of two projects awarded a $1000 grant by the Creative Ventures Project of the Kelly Writers House, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported. Penn Timebank will run as an online portal through which students and faculty can exchange services with one another, using time as the currency. For example, a user could receive one hour of tutoring and then offer an hour of piano lessons, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. The objective is to strengthen the University's community by bridging students and faculty from diverse areas of campus. Each of the four founders approached the project from different angles, but the original idea was based on the concept that every person's hour is equally valuable. Kelly Writers House will support Penn Timebank by mentoring and providing a venue for the team.
Among Brown University's early admitted class of 2017, engineering was the most popular intended concentration a trend that the University has seen for the past two admissions cycles, The Brown Daily Herald reported. The dean of the School of Engineering noted the correlation between greater engineering job opportunities and the rise in University applicants' interest in engineering. He also attributed the trend to the importance of engineering in areas of public service, including environmental studies. Engineering at the University, however, continues to struggle with a gender gap, with twice as many men as women studying engineering, the Herald reported. Despite the gap, twice as many women study engineering at Brown compared to the national average, The Herald reported. The University's dean of admission also linked the increased interest in engineering to the prospect of better career opportunities and the Admission Office's boosted recruitment efforts.
