The NCAA rejected claims that the organization handles concussions inappropriately, The Washington Post reported. The NCAA maintains that it has made efforts to protect student athletes from head injuries and that safety is one of the organization's "foundational principals," spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said. The organization currently handles student safety by mandating rules, equipment requirements and medical practices. The original lawsuit, started in 2011 by a group of former athletes, filed for class-action status this Friday to include thousands more plaintiffs across the country. Plaintiff representatives have also presented evidence that almost half of college trainers put athletes with signs of a concussion back into the game. The NCAA has announced that it will award a $399,999 grant to research the long-term effects of head injuries in college sports, The Washington Post reported.
A new report by the Democracy Collaborative and Responsible Endowments Coalition asserts that colleges should invest their substantial endowments into local businesses and sustainable economic development, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The report also said that students and community organizations should push for such investments and that community-development credit unions, community banks, community loan funds and community venture-capital funds can be useful mechanisms for colleges to funnel money into their neighborhoods. Researchers concluded that colleges are reluctant to invest in their local communities because the institutions focus on maximizing returns, The Chronicle reported. The report also found some examples of colleges that invest in their community, either through community-development financial institutions or student-led campaigns, and recommended increasing alumni participation in student-led efforts.
In an effort to comply with Title IX regulations, Swarthmore College President Rebecca Chopp announced policy revisions and personnel changes directed at supporting students who suffered from sexual misconduct, Inside Higher Ed reported. The changes were announced in the wake of an investigation of a federal complaint against Swarthmore led by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. Among other changes, Swarthmore is hiring a full-time Title IX coordinator, clarifying procedures for reporting assault and improving student education about misconduct. The investigation at Swarthmore is the latest in a series of federal complaints that began in 2011, including complaints against Dartmouth College. Swarthmore's administration will begin implementing the policy and personnel changes immediately and a final report will be released this fall.
