Federal Shutdown Includes Agencies Supporting Research

The longer the shutdown goes on, the more likely it is that research and education programs on campuses will not receive funds on the schedules they have planned. Lobbyists for research institutions also warned about the impact of the shutdown on future grants. Agencies have extensive peer-review processes involving agency officials and outside teams of experts who gather to review applications. Agency officials field questions all the time about preparing grant applications. None of this will take place while these government agencies are shut down.

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by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed.

University of California leads fight over access to research

The university was poised to lose access to Elsevier’s journals when its five-year contract ends on Dec. 31. But on Friday [12/21] afternoon, the adversaries agreed to extend the deadline for one more month… As America’s largest research university system, UC believes it has the leverage to alter the century-old subscription model and accelerate open access. Its 10 campuses account for nearly 10 percent of research produced in the U.S.

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by Lisa M. Krieger, The San Jose Mercury News.

Let’s establish a cradle-to-career education policy

California ranks near the bottom of all states (47th) in the share of recent high school graduates who enroll in four-year colleges or universities, transfer to a four-year college or earn 60 transferable credits within six years. If we are going to close this gap, the work cannot begin in higher education. We know that children who enter kindergarten unprepared and cannot read at grade level by the third grade are more likely to end up in the prison system than enrolling in college. The gap must be addressed in a coordinated way across the entire continuum of our education system, from pre-Kindergarten through post-secondary education and into the workforce.

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by Lenny Mendonca and Pete Weber, Capitol Weekly.

If California’s economy favors the educated, why do the poor earn fewer degrees?

Median wages in the state have fallen in the last two decades for every education level except those with a bachelor’s degree and above, according to the report. Which is why getting more low-income Californians to complete college is important if the state wants to make a dent in its poverty rate, which is the highest in the nation… Researchers concluded a family’s income is still a key factor in whether or not a student goes to college… The San Joaquin Valley and the Inland Empire were singled out in a 2017 study for lagging the rest of the state in terms of college completion. “In the San Joaquin Valley, what we saw is the high school graduation rate is actually higher than the state average and the college-going rate is also quite robust,” Johnson said. “But the vast majority of students who go on to college from high school go to community colleges.”

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by Michael Finch II, The Sacramento Bee.

If California’s economy favors the educated, why do the poor earn fewer degrees?

There is a $44,000 yearly earnings difference between people who have college degrees versus a high school diploma, researchers concluded in a report released Monday. Yet, a significant number of Californians are not finishing college. Employers are already facing a shortage of highly educated workers… The underlying issue noted in the report is the under-representation of groups that are most affected by poverty in the higher education system. African-Americans and Latinos account for a majority of the state’s high school students but do not fare as well at the university level. Researchers concluded a family’s income is still a key factor in whether or not a student goes to college.

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by Michael Finch II, The Sacramento Bee.

Californians want tuition-free community college to be priority for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom

Asked what California should do with a revenue surplus in the coming budget recently estimated at $14.8 billion, 57 percent of respondents said that money should go toward “education, health and human services.” The poll did not further break down that category into specific segments or programs. Just 21 percent wanted it to go toward the state’s reserves and 16 percent chose transportation or other infrastructure projects.

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by Nico Savidge, Ed Source.

Faulty payroll system leaves hundreds of University of California employees without checks

Kennerk also said that the university officials are undercounting those affected. Cianca said it is difficult to say how many employees were affected by payroll errors, but as of two weeks ago he believed about 20 grad students at UCSB and 150 at UCLA had experienced problems. He said he didn’t have numbers for Merced or Riverside… Kennerk said around 370 people have filled out an online survey form stating they were affected by the payroll issues, and the organizations were working on ways to reach out to them… The UCSA wants the UC system provide restitution for late fees and other financial repercussions resulting from missed paychecks. The UC system is researching whether that is possible.

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by Andrew Sheeler, The Sacramento Bee.

Court Forces University of Arizona to Release Climate Scientists’ Traditionally Confidential Emails

E&E’s victory was obtained via State of Arizona open records laws. These laws, which allow taxpayers to request copies of government records, have been misused by anti-science groups to target scientific research. In response to this abuse by both conservative and liberal groups that have economic, political, or ideological reasons for seeking to suppress particular types of scientific inquiry, most states where the issue has arisen have sought to make it clear by statute, regulation, or judicial decision that their public records or freedom of information laws do not destroy traditional areas of confidentiality that protect the scientific endeavor. Unfortunately, not all states have enacted such reforms.

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by Dr. Jeff Masters, The Weather Underground.

Educator: In Finland, I realized how ‘mean-spirited’ the U.S. education system really is

If you have paid any attention to the education debate in this country during the past dozen years or so, you’ve heard that students in Finland score at or near the top of international test scores, time and time again… After World War II, the Finns realized their human beings are their most valuable resource. Their budget reflects this belief. In spite of having three major political parties, all factions agree that human development is paramount, and the educational program has had consistent attention over decades. The public school system is free to all, for as long as they live… The fact that students can fail and return, or work and return, or retire and return had a palpable effect on the mood and the tone of the buildings.

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by Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post.

‘Research Universities and the Public Good’

American research universities are the envy of those around the world. So why is the value of these institutions so frequently questioned by politicians, pundits and others? In Research Universities and the Public Good: Discovery for an Uncertain Future (Stanford University Press), Jason Owen-Smith offers a defense of these institutions, while acknowledging that they are not always well understood.

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by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed.