In response to Congress' request for advice on renewing the Higher Education Act, many higher education groups have put forth different ideas, ranging from an easier accreditation and performance review process to a database that tracks students, Inside Higher Ed reported. While the renewal process may extend beyond President Barack Obama's tenure in office, the advisory briefs will aid policymakers as they attempt to revise the law. Many groups proposed stricter requirements on states to finance higher education and reinstate year-long Pell Grants. Financial aid is a major issue in many of the proposals, which urge for expansion of the Pell Grant program and streamlining of federal student loans. The suggestion to create a database tracking students' progress through higher education was met with concerns over privacy, and groups have demanded that the government make regulations simpler and less onerous for individual institutions.
University of Miami philosophy professor Colin McGinn's 2012 resignation amidst sexual harassment allegations brought by a graduate student has led to an examination of sexism in philosophy, The New York Times reported. Currently, less than 20 percent of faculty members in university philosophy departments across the nation are women, lower than in any other humanities field. Many in the field said sexual harassment and gender biases are prevalent in philosophy departments. McGinn denies the allegations, claiming that the relationship was an "intellectual romance" and never sexual. McGinn resigned before the case could be brought to Miami's faculty senate. The attention the case has received has prompted other women to come forward with their stories.
Registration forms that ask students about their sexual orientation and gender identity will go into effect this summer at Washington State Community and Technical Colleges, Inside Higher Ed reported. This marks the first time a whole school system of two-year colleges has adopted these optional questions, though Elmhurst College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Iowa added similar questions over the past two years. The Oregon House of Representatives approved a bill in May that requires public universities to allow students, faculty and staff to identify their sexual orientation on demographic forms. The students who spearheaded the effort to add the questions believe the anonymous responses will help colleges increase LGBT resources and support services and track LGBT students' retention rates. Advocates also consider the data instrumental in promoting inclusion and programming for LGBT students.
