Education News category, Page 22
Charlie Kirk appearance at Pitt elicits student political discourse
More than 100 University of Pittsburgh students gathered in the campus quad Wednesday where Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA co-founder and conservative influencer, answered students’ questions as part of his “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour.” Kirk brought Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, to the session hosted by Turning Point USA’s...
Trump to rally at IUP venue with separate rules from campus political event ban
Former President Donald Trump is planning a campaign rally at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a state-owned campus that expressly prohibits “activities for the purpose of advancing a single political candidate or party” in any university-controlled facility. That prohibition, though, apparently does not apply to the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex,...
Penn State taps consultant to assess academic programs
Penn State University has hired a consultant to help determine “if it is teaching the right courses in the right places,” given shifting enrollments and employer demand. Hanover Research, headquartered in Arlington, Va., is expected to begin work in early October on the university’s Academic Portfolio and Program Review (APPR)...
Not-so-great expectations: Students are reading fewer books in English class
Chris Stanislawski didn’t read much in his middle school English classes, but it never felt necessary. Students were given detailed chapter summaries for every novel they discussed, and teachers played audio of the books during class. Much of the reading material at Garden City Middle School in Long Island was...
Gannon University looks to merge with Ohio college
Gannon University in Erie and Ursuline College near Cleveland intend to merge, creating what leaders say would be the largest Catholic university system in the Lake Erie region. Presidents of both institutions outlined the move to their campuses Monday. The plan is subject to review by both institutions. If approved,...
Shapiro names members of State Board of Higher Education
Gov. Josh Shapiro named Friday the inaugural members of a new State Board of Higher Education, a key part of his college reforms intended to curb price hikes through better planning and avoiding unnecessary competition. The body includes members from each sector of postsecondary education, plus government, business, labor and...
1st class of female students in 136 years set to make their mark on private Kiski School
Lilian Turpen doesn’t feel like she is part of a historic moment. But, as Turpen walked the 350-acre grounds of Kiski School in Saltsburg this month, she became one of the first girls to enroll as a student in the private boarding school’s 136-year history. Turpen, 14, of Clarksburg is...
Coming this fall: Penn State plans to regionalize or share more operations across its branch campuses
Penn State University intends to regionalize or share additional operations across its branch campuses this fall, including services such as advising and student affairs. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and top aides outlined the move Thursday during an update on efforts to ease financial pressures — some caused by sharp...
WCCC, Penn State expand transfer options for students
Westmoreland County Community College students pursuing two-year degrees in 11 high-demand fields could have an easier path to a bachelor’s degree under an agreement inked with Penn State University. Specifically, the pact outlined this week by Penn State and WCCC covers 14 of the university’s 19 Commonwealth campuses statewide, a...
Outgoing State System chancellor tapped by firm for national role
State System of Higher Education Chancellor Daniel Greenstein will join the consulting firm Baker Tilly and its higher education advisory practice. Greenstein, 64, will lead initiatives that deal with fast-evolving needs of higher education institutions, “prioritizing improved student outcomes and long-term institutional sustainability by optimizing operations, aligning academic portfolios with...
Penn State alumni-elected trustee could be removed after committee reviews ‘conduct violation’
The Penn State board of trustees is set to vote on removing an outspoken alumni-elected trustee after a committee reviewed a potential code of conduct violation. During a special meeting of the Governance Committee Monday morning, members discussed a potential code of conduct violation by Trustee Barry Fenchak in an...
School districts race to invest in cooling solutions as classrooms and playgrounds heat up
Ylenia Aguilar raised her two sons in Arizona — first in Tucson and later Phoenix, so they’re no strangers to scorching heat. Just recently, Phoenix hit its 100th straight day at or above 100 F (37.8 C), shattering the record set in 1993. She remembers scary moments “seeing soccer kids...
Veteran editor Martin Baron reflects on Trump’s effect on the media and the future of journalism ahead of Pittsburgh event
Martin “Marty” Baron knew by the time he reached high school that he wanted to work in newspapers. But while an undergraduate at Lehigh University, he also developed doubts. It’s partly why he graduated from Lehigh in 1976 with not only a journalism degree but also an MBA. “I said,...
Clairview School teacher recognized for building inclusive classroom for special education students
Special education teacher Cameron Kovatch was recognized with the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit’s Annie Sullivan Award. A teacher at the Clairview School in Hempfield, Kovatch received the award at the intermediate unit’s board meeting Aug. 27. The award, named after Helen Keller’s teacher, recognizes special education teachers for helping students with...
As drug overdose rates rise, Saint Vincent organization talks prevention and awareness with Westmoreland families
Good kids can sometimes make stupid choices. That’s what Laurie Moorhead tells the families she meets while giving drug prevention presentations in schools across Westmoreland County. Moorhead has spent a decade working for Saint Vincent Prevention Projects. Since 1978, the organization — affiliated with Saint Vincent College in Unity —...
Penn State seeks to add 800 students at its main University Park campus as branch campus enrollment sags
Penn State trustees plan a nearly $225 million addition to the university’s five-year capital plan to fund endeavors that include a new classroom building to support a planned 800-student expansion at University Park. The move from 9,200 to 10,000 incoming students is envisioned to take place over several years. Student...
Western Pa. districts split on students’ cellphones as schools across the country add device policies
When backpack-clad students returned to Allegheny Valley School District classrooms, many had cellphones in hand. That did not last for long. The district that once allowed teachers to determine how to handle cellphones in class cracked down at a board meeting earlier this month, requiring students to put their devices...
Carnegie Mellon launches computer science podcast
Carnegie Mellon University has launched a new podcast to explore innovations in computer science. The first season of “Does Compute,” hosted by Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, contains 10 episodes featuring experts, alumni and students. Some of the topics addressed tackle smartphones, medical breakthroughs and the challenges of artificial...
Attack on Jewish students not a hate crime, officials say
Law enforcement has concluded that the attack on two Jewish students at the University of Pittsburgh was not a hate crime, nor was the assailant targeting a specific group, Pitt officials said. A statement from Pitt on Tuesday offered no motive for why the suspect, Jarrett Buba, 52, of Pittsburgh’s...
As students return to Columbia, the epicenter of a campus protest movement braces for disruption
NEW YORK — As Columbia University resumes classes Tuesday, students and faculty are planning, and bracing, for a resumption of the pro-Palestinian protests that convulsed the Manhattan campus at the tail end of the spring semester and touched off a wave of college demonstrations nationwide. In recent weeks, the university’s...
Rural Pa. faces widening health services gap, but state officials think loan forgiveness could help
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. BELLEFONTE — Health care professionals in rural Pennsylvania would be eligible for student debt relief under a bipartisan proposal aimed at addressing workforce gaps in...
Jewish students at Pitt attacked; suspect arrested
A man wielding a bottle attacked a group of Jewish students at the University of Pittsburgh late Friday near the Cathedral of Learning, officials said. Two students were injured and the suspect was quickly arrested. “The alleged perpetrator, who has no known Pitt affiliation, was immediately arrested by Pitt Police...
10 years after Ferguson, Black students still are kicked out of school at higher rates
Before he was suspended, Zaire Byrd was thriving. He acted in school plays, played on the football team and trained with other athletes. He had never been suspended before — he’d never even received detention. But when Byrd got involved in a fight after school one day, none of that...
Westmoreland County Community College eyes search firm to fill vice president position vacant since 2022
Amid the search for a new president, Westmoreland County Community College soon could hire a search firm to help fill a vice president position that has been vacant for two years. The board of trustees voted Wednesday to pay $39,000 for Massachusetts-based search firm Spelman Johnson to identify a vice...
State System of Higher Education recommends interim chancellor
The chair of the State System of Higher Education Board of Governors intends to recommend Christopher Fiorentino, retired president of West Chester University, as interim system chancellor while a search for Daniel Greenstein’s successor is conducted. Cynthia Shapira notified students, faculty and staff at the 10 state-owned universities in a...
