There’s a lot of college news this week, so let’s get right to it!
Lawsuits regarding tuition refunds will move forward against American University and George Washington University. Plaintiffs argue that they should receive partial refunds of tuition and fees paid during the pandemic, when the universities moved to online classes.
A former University of Southern California coach is on trial for alleged involvement in the Varsity Blues scandal. As part of his defense, lawyers released emails exchanged by various USC officials pointing to a pattern of using admissions to raise funds for the university.
The University of Chicago has offered full tuition scholarships for undergraduates affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The university will also extend college-readiness programming and increased financial support for students impacted by the invasion and expanded fellowship programs for college students unable to continue their studies in Ukraine.
Students at the University of Virginia have voted to end the school’s long-standing “single-sanction” rule that mandated the expulsion of students who violated UVA’s honor code. The change is meant to create a “more rehabilitative and compassionate educational policy” and was announced following the suicide of a Stanford student, Katie Meyer, who had been notified of disciplinary action shortly before her death.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to block a court order that would have capped enrollment at UC Berkeley under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The legislation changes the way the law applies to colleges, allowing Cal to welcome its full incoming class to campus in the fall.
Inside Higher Ed has come up with a fun – and challenging – spin on March Madness: using academic performance, not athleticism, to determine the winners of the upcoming NCAA tournaments. Using the academic progress rate (APR) and graduation success rate (GSR) as metrics for each team, Inside Higher Ed’s brackets ultimately wind up with Stanford as the March Madness “academic performance” pick in women’s basketball, while Villanova takes the top spot for the men’s teams.
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