Education News

MPR News keeps track of the latest education news in Minnesota so you can understand the events shaping the future of learning and how it impacts students at any level.

Stay informed about local education events, policies and more happening in schools and colleges across Minnesota.

Vikings’ Peterson: Pay college athletes
After the recent ruling allowing the unionization of Northwestern University football players, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tells reporters his thoughts on whether full-ride scholarships are enough payment for college athletes: “Guys will say scholarships are good enough. No. No. Because you work for those full scholarships. You qualify academically, and if you don’t Read more →
Ridiculous resumes: 6 of higher ed’s most padded CVs These stories are probably good for business at executive search firms, and the brazenness of public figures who maintain false claims about their education and work histories is difficult to believe. (Education Dive) At Last, Porn Studies For those of you looking for new scholarly research projects, Read more →
William Mitchell president to return to faculty
This just in from the William Mitchell College of Law: William Mitchell president and dean announces plan to return to teaching in 2015; search to begin for new law school leader Eric S. Janus has announced that he will conclude his role as president and dean of William Mitchell College of Law in June 2015 Read more →
Best, Brightest and Rejected: Elite Colleges Turn Away Up to 95% In the just-completed admissions season, Stanford University accepted only 5 percent of applicants, a new low among the most prestigious schools, with the odds nearly as bad at its elite rivals. Deluged by more applications than ever, the most selective colleges are, inevitably, rejecting Read more →
IQ2 Intelligence Squared debate: Is the future of the university online?
With the popularity of MOOCs (massive open online courses) and the availability of online degree programs at a fraction of their on-campus price, does the traditional classroom stand a chance? Will online education be the great equalizer, or is a campus-based college experience still necessary?
Winona State prof to Gov. Dayton: Give us another Minnesota Miracle
I recently received this from Darrell Downs, president of the Winona State University Faculty Association. You might remember him as the guy who said MnSCU’s Charting the Future plan smacked of overcentralization. Dear Governor Dayton: With the first Minnesota Miracle in 1971, Governor Wendell Anderson and the legislature hammered out a response to the inequitable Read more →
Can Free College Save American Cities? Nine years and $50 million into a bold experiment, Kalamazoo is beginning to find out. (Politico via NAICU) Student to profs: Don’t force us to take tests online If we know that digital isn’t helping some students learn, then I can’t understand why students are now expected to learn this Read more →
Something from Augsburg to hum the rest of the day
Just because it’s spring, the song is snappy — and you can see a brief snippet of Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow grooving with Maureen Reed, executive director of the Nobel Peach Prize Forum. It’s at the 1:41 mark.
College admission rates for Class of 2018: an imperfect but closely watched metric Admission rates are volatile from year to year, and comparing rates from one college to another is a precarious business. (The Washington Post) A New Model for For-Profit Education? Exactly how much power would “socially conscious companies” have from “abuse by shareholders demanding Read more →
Student debt weighs down women more. Blame the wage gap
Women have made gains in the workplace but there's still a wage gap. Although attending college costs the same for both genders, women are more burdened by student loan debt after graduating. They spend a higher proportion of their salaries on paying off debt because, well, they have lower salaries to work with than men -- from the very start.