Increasing Diversity on HBCU Campuses Often Leaves Blacks in Minority

August 15, 2018

As a White graduate of a historically Black college, Norton is somewhat unusual – but a lot less unusual as time passes.

Diversity, Discourse, and Compromise as Core to Higher Education

June 27, 2018

Last summer, we implemented gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. The request had come from a student club that presented the administration with a letter of support, rather than a petition, with signatures from supporters across campus.

2017 Population Estimates: Growth in Aging, Asian, Hispanic Populations

June 22, 2018

Pennsylvanians are getting older and more diverse according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 State and County Detailed Population Estimates released today. The release features age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin data down to the county level and allows state and county agencies to better understand their changing populations.

Black and Brown Students are Denied Access to Advanced Placement Courses

June 5, 2018

While the U.S. education system may position itself as a meritocracy in which those who work hard in a fair system can succeed, in reality the deck is stacked against low-income students and students of color, who do not even have access to advanced courses that will prepare them for college.

Four Honored for Commitment to Diversity in College of Agricultural Sciences

May 30, 2018

Four individuals have received the 2018 Dr. William Henson Diversity Achievement Award from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, an honor that recognizes distinctive and outstanding teaching, research, extension or creative work that advances diversity in the college.

Teaching Eval Shake-Up

May 24, 2018

Most institutions say they value teaching. But how they assess it tells a different story. University of Southern California has stopped using student evaluations of teaching in promotion decisions in favor of peer-review model. Oregon seeks to end quantitative evaluations of teaching for holistic model.

Student Wants to 'End Affirmative Action for Women'

May 24, 2018

The U.S. Education Department is investigating whether Yale University discriminates against men, stemming from an unusual complaint from a doctoral student completely unaffiliated with institution.

Shedding Light on Asian American and Asian Students’ Mental Health Needs

May 8, 2018

The “Let’s Talk!” conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Education recently convened Pan-Asian college students, supporters and other educational leaders for a forum addressing the success and well-being of Asian and Asian American college students across the country.

Responding to Microaggressions in the Classroom: Taking ACTION

May 7, 2018

The term “microaggression” was coined in 1970 to name relatively slight, subtle, and often unintentional offenses that cause harm. Since then, a substantial body of research on microaggressions has demonstrated their prevalence and harmful effects.

Black Lives Continually Demeaned, Devalued, Dehumanized

April 25, 2018

When the recent video of two Black men in Philadelphia being arrested at a Starbucks was exposed for the entire nation to witness, very few Black people were surprised.

No empty chairs at Bilingual Workshop on Good Agriculture Practices and Pruning of Fruit Trees

April 15, 2018

On Saturday April 12th, 2018, Penn State Extension offered field training for Spanish-speaking growers and workers in the fruit industry at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center and the Hollabaugh Orchard farm in Biglerville, PA.

Study Says Students Rate Male Instructors More Highly Than Women

March 22, 2018

“Our analysis of comments in both formal student evaluations and informal online ratings indicates that students do evaluate their professors differently based on whether they are women or men,” the study says.

There’s No Scientific Basis for Race—It's a Made-Up Label

March 14, 2018

The four letters of the genetic code —A, C, G, and T—are projected onto Ryan Lingarmillar, a Ugandan. DNA reveals what skin color obscures: We all have African ancestors. This story is part of The Race Issue, a special issue of National Geographic that explores how race defines, separates, and unites us. Tell us your story with #IDefineMe.

STEM Students Want Universities to Address Racial Issues

January 24, 2018

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was not Tiana Young's first choice for college, even though Young wants to dual major in aeronautical and mechanical engineering, and the private university is one the top schools in the country for science, technology, math and engineering.

Black Legal Scholar Sues Campbell, Catholic Universities

December 15, 2017

Amos Jones, the Black law professor who in July accused Campbell University of refusing to tenure Blacks in its law school, has filed an 86-page lawsuit against the Baptist-affiliated school.

Environmental Classism/Racism and the Sides of Human Rights

December 7, 2017

On November 29th, Boston City Council unanimously passed a plastic bag ordinance that aims to reduce our reliance on disposable plastic bags. Stores will charge a 5-cent fee for each paper or sturdy plastic bag that they sell customers who come without a reusable bag.

Policymakers Can't Ignore the Overrepresentation of Black Students in Special Education

December 4, 2017

In their recent study featured in Education Week, Morgan, Farkas, Hillemeier, and Maczuga got it wrong in arguing that more black children should be identified with educational disabilities and challenging federal policies meant to address overrepresentation by race in special education

Studies Show Minimal Socialization Boost for Interracial Dorm Roommates

November 2, 2017

When Dr. Russell H. Fazio, a psychology professor at The Ohio State University, examined interracial relationships between Black and White dormitory roommates a while back, he found that the relationships were more likely to dissolve if the White student had a “negative racial attitude.”

White Perceptions of Affirmative Action

October 31, 2017

New results -- showing majority of white people believe they face discrimination -- surprise many. But attitudes, especially about college admission, don't always reflect the bias and disadvantages experienced by nonwhites or actual enrollment trends.

Asian American Students Still Struggling With Burden of Expectations

October 27, 2017

When Amy Chua published “The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother ” in 2011, a book about how she raised two high-achieving daughters, people took notice. Chua is Chinese American and both daughters were on their way to Harvard, with an impressive roster of activities that included excelling at piano and violin.

Experts Tell Congress Free Speech on Campus "Essential"

October 27, 2017

In order to prepare students for the complex situations they will face in the world and the workplace, higher education leaders and government officials must resist efforts to restrict free speech on campus and keep colleges as places of “ongoing intellectual challenge,” a university president testified at a Congressional hearing Thursday.

Campus ‘Free Speech’ Bill Struck Down by Louisiana Governor

September 20, 2017

BATON ROUGE, La. — A proposal aimed at protecting controversial speakers’ appearances at Louisiana colleges and calling on campuses to penalize students who disrupt them has been vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, who described the bill as a “solution in search of a problem.”

Rural Areas Show Overall Population Decline and Shifting Regional Patterns of Population Change

September 12, 2017

The number of people living in rural (nonmetro) counties stood at 46.1 million in July 2016—14 percent of all U.S. residents spread across 72 percent of the nation’s land area.

Insensitive or Racist?

September 5, 2017

Study finds that students who deliver microaggressions are also likely to harbor racist attitudes.

How Women Select Majors

August 22, 2017

Study finds adherence to gender norms around femininity is linked to gender disparities in selection of programs of study.

The Missing Black Professors

August 22, 2017

Study of top public universities finds limited faculty diversity, yet signs of progress -- except for African-Americans in STEM.

U. of Florida Denies White Supremacist Richard Spencer’s Request for Event Space

August 17, 2017

The University of Florida has denied the National Policy Institute’s request to rent event space for Richard Spencer, the white supremacist who leads the organization, to speak on campus, the university’s president said in a statement on Wednesday.

Justice Department Will Target Affirmative Action

August 14, 2017

A bombshell report in The New York Times Tuesday night revealed that the U.S. Justice Department plans to investigate and sue colleges over their affirmative action policies in admissions.

Talk About Diverse Hiring Often Means Faculty. What About Staff?

June 30, 2017

When colleges talk about diverse hiring, much of the focus — and the funding — goes to recruiting and retaining faculty members from underrepresented minority groups. But a program in the works at the University of California at Berkeley is looking at new ways to elevate an overlooked cohort: minority staff in nonacademic areas, like student-affairs administrators and office managers.

Research Shows Increase in School Segregation in the South

June 27, 2017

Report by Civil Rights Project at UCLA, Center for Education and Civil Rights at Penn State finds intense segregation of Black and Latino students. Charter Schools are more segregated for Black and Latino Students.