The weekly digest from
and other news from the New England Board of Higher Education
January 22, 2020
American University in Bulgaria
The American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) was founded in 1991, soon after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. It began as a branch campus of the University of Maine. Today, AUBG shares some significant challenges with many small New England colleges. Bulgaria, like many parts of New England, is in a serious demographic crisis. Its population peaked at nearly nine million in about 1985, and has been declining ever since. When AUBG was founded, Bulgaria was not a member of the European Union (EU), and the university quickly became the institution of choice for Bulgarian young people seeking a top-quality education in English. However, since Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, such young people have a range of options throughout Europe at very favorable prices. It's not unlike the challenges some New England campuses fear from the prospect of “free public college” movements.
More from The New England Journal of Higher Education
In three recent lawsuits, male students who were accused and disciplined for sexual misconduct argue that Title IX policies were administered unfairly at their universities, denying them due-process rights to cross-examine their accusers and have a live hearing before a neutral fact-finder. What could the court rulings mean for victims, perpetrators and universities, going forward?
NEBHE Fellow for Open Education Lindsey Gumb explains how Open Educational Resources (OER) could grant all students equitable access to high-quality, postsecondary instructional materials at low or no cost.
Newslink
State funding of public higher ed rose 5% nationally but below that in five of the six New England states ... read the latest from NEJHE's DC Shuttle, featuring national news drawn from our friends at the New England Council.
NEJHE's Comings and Goings highlights key appointments and job changes in New England higher education and beyond.
Jose Fuentes, chair of Hampshire College Board of Trustees
News around NEBHE
A new policy brief shares insights, gleaned through the implementation of NEBHE's High Value Credentials for New England (HVCNE) initiative and its advisory committee, on defining, identifying and supporting high value credentials.
The Teagle Foundation and the Davis Educational Foundation are co-funding a three-year impl ementation grant to develop systematic transfer pathways between community colleges and four-year independent colleges in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Among other things, the Guarantee will mitigate credit loss, increase persistence and degree completion, and meet geographic needs of students who lack proximity to a public four-year institution.
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