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Higher Education News

World & Nation
An August 2006 report from the U.S. Census Bureau finds that the number of the nation’s residents without health insurance increased by 1.3 million in 2005 to a record 46.6 million individuals—15.9 percent of the population, almost one in six people. During the same period, the percentage of U.S. residents with employer-sponsored health coverage decreased from 59.8 percent to 59.5 percent, the lowest percentage since 1993.

Making matters worse, the number of children without health insurance increased for the first time in years, to 11.2 percent in 2005 compared with 10.8 percent in 2004. That’s more than 8.3 million children without health insurance in 2005.

Immigrants now make up 12.4 percent of the nation’s population, up from 11.2 percent in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. That’s a 16 percent increase. And while six in 10 Americans say immigration is a good thing for the U.S., Public Agenda reports, surveys also show half of the public says there are too many immigrants.

A Ralph Nader-inspired organization, the National Coalition for Universities in the Public Interest (NCUPI), in partnership with VotersforPeace.org, has begun an effort to mobilize support among higher education faculty and staff to oppose the Iraq War.

The groups are asking voters to sign a pledge that they will not vote for any candidate who supports the war. NCUPI says it will recruit volunteers to spread the pledge on campuses across the nation through educational activities like debates, forums, and teach-ins.

New hires at some public universities in Ohio will need to sign a form declaring that they have no ties to terrorist groups as defined by the U.S. State Department.

The universities using the forms say they are following the law. But critics argue that the forms threaten academic freedom.

The University of Akron, Ohio State University, and the University of Cincinnati confirmed that they were using the form.

Faculty & Staff
A report, based on data collected by the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics in 1993 and in 2003, found that the number of employees—including faculty members, administrators, and support personnel—at postsecondary institutions had grown by 22 percent over the period, to about 3.1 million, up from 2.5 million. The civilian labor force grew by 13 percent over the same period, while student enrollment grew by 16 percent.

Part-time staff members increased by 34 percent, twice the rate of increase for full-time staff members, while professional positions—such as faculty members and research assistants—outpaced nonprofessional positions. For example, the number of faculty members rose by 26 percent, while service and maintenance positions decreased by 2 percent. You can find Changes in Staff Distribution and Salaries of Full-Time Employees in Postsecondary Institutions: Fall 1993–2003 at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006152.pdf.

Professional News
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit that alleges the University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest university and a for-profit enterprise, obtained federal funds under false pretenses.

The complaint, filed under the federal False Claims Act by two former enrollment counselors in California in 2003, alleges that the university wrongfully obtained at least $3 billion in federal funds during the prior six years.

The university, the plaintiffs say, paid recruiters on the basis of how many students they could get to enroll in the university. Department of Education rules prohibit institutions from giving “any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments.” The university certified that it was in compliance with all federal regulations when it applied for eligibility for Pell Grant funds and other federal money under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.

The case will now go back to the lower court for trial, unless the decision is appealed.