Education category, Page 40
West Virginia University would end world language majors, continue Spanish, Chinese instruction
West Virginia University administrators reversed course Tuesday on two world languages, saying they will now recommend to the board of governors that Spanish and Chinese continue to be taught in person. But administrators said their final recommendations will include asking the board on Sept. 15 to eliminate foreign language majors...
Pa.’s state-owned universities now offering Google Career Certificates
Students attending Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities can now earn tech industry-recognized certificates during their undergraduate studies through a new partnership with Google, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday. The initiative is intended to move students more quickly and less expensively from campuses into good-paying, high-demand jobs. It also would help employers meet...
The math problem: Kids are still behind. How can schools catch them up?
On a breezy July morning in South Seattle, a dozen elementary-aged students ran math relays behind an elementary school. One by one, they raced to a table, where they scribbled answers to multiplication questions before sprinting back to high-five their teammate. These students are part of a summer program run...
WVU President E. Gordon Gee defends cuts, despite growing dissent and potential no-confidence vote
E. Gordon Gee says he’s not afraid to walk the campus of West Virginia University these days, unpopular president or not. “I am not someone who has fear,” he said. ”What I do fear is whether or not I’m doing the right thing, especially in the golden years of my...
BigFuture scholarship stuns Gateway senior
At one point in preparing to further his education after high school, Gateway senior Rocco Matrazzo submitted information online for College Board’s BigFuture program. The specifics were kind of hazy for him when he was called to the auditorium stage during an Aug. 25 back-to-school assembly, but they ended up...
Fueled by Heather Lyke’s leadership, Pitt athletics experiencing renaissance of success
One by one, they enter the room. Pat Narduzzi. Jeff Capel. Jay Vidovich. Dan Fisher. Every head coach of a varsity program at the University of Pittsburgh shuffles into a room in either the Petersen Events Center or the South Side football facility. They’re all here to meet with their...
Pitt chancellor: Multiple factors will play into a new contract for AD Heather Lyke
New University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel minced no words when it came to her assessment of Athletic Director Heather Lyke. “Heather is without question one of the best athletic directors in the country,” Gabel recently told the Tribune-Review. “She’s been recognized as such (for) wins on the field and...
Court ruling on Pa. education funding puts school infrastructure in spotlight
As residents of Hempfield recently learned, the cost associated with school building projects can easily climb above $100 million. For decades, school administrators could turn to what was known as PlanCon to pursue state funding to help ease the local burden. PlanCon — short for the Planning and Construction Workbook...
Yale and a student group are settling a mental health discrimination lawsuit
Yale University and a student group announced Friday that they’ve reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit that accused the Ivy League school of discriminating against students with mental health disabilities, including pressuring them to withdraw. Under the agreement, Yale will modify its policies regarding medical leaves of absence, including...
University of Pittsburgh is equipping many classrooms with ‘panic buttons’
The University of Pittsburgh says it is installing panic buttons in numerous classrooms ahead of Monday’s fall semester start, among other upgrades, after active shooter hoaxes in April drew heavily armed police to campus and terrified students. The changes follow a “major review of the procedures, policies and tools” for...
These Alle-Kiski Valley clubs put the cool in back-to-school extracurricular pursuits
Move over, traditional school clubs. Creatively different and cool clubs are popping up in Alle-Kiski Valley schools. Digging in the dirt, jamming on a guitar, running a marathon or competing against peers in video games are just a few examples of extracurricular activities mixing up club choices on campus as...
With program cuts, the vibe has changed for E. Gordon Gee, West Virginia University’s suddenly embattled president
Early in E. Gordon Gee’s second stint as president of West Virginia University, things seemed almost chummy between the slightly built leader obsessed with bow ties and the university that gave him his first presidency decades ago and then hired him back for an encore. For Gee, 79, West Virginia...
A day after protest, West Virginia University announces 1 administrator’s retirement, HR restructuring
West Virginia University says it intends to restructure a large administrative unit on the Morgantown campus as part of its continuing review and transformation efforts. It was not known if or how many jobs would be impacted, beyond a vice president who is retiring and will not be replaced. Changes...
Hempfield Area posts lists of library books before purchase following approval of new policy
Following the approval of new district policies governing library resource materials, Hempfield Area School District posted an expansive list of books being considered for purchase at each of its libraries online Saturday. The books, ranging from elementary school books about animals to National Book Award-winning novels, will be listed online...
West Virginia University students hold walkout to protest cuts in academic programs
Christian Adams arrived at West Virginia University this month to begin his second year of work toward a degree in Chinese studies, only to receive devastating news. His undergraduate major is being yanked out from under him, eliminated along with dozens of other academic programs, including every foreign language taught...
IUP team investigates WWII bomber crash site in Germany
Among the trees of a national forest park near Frankfurt, Germany, survey lines, pin flags and neatly aligned squares of excavation dotted the ground in precise rows. With ground-penetrating radar, metal detectors, mesh and a host of other tools, a team of undergraduate students and teaching assistants, led by faculty...
Hempfield scholastic community kicks off a new start at Harrold School
Hallways bustled Thursday as Hempfield Area School District’s ninth grade class members took their first steps through the doors of the former Harrold Middle School and into a new paradigm for the district. When they return next Thursday for the first day of class at what’s now being called Harrold...
Arkansas school district says it will continue offering AP African American Studies course
LITTLE ROCK — The Little Rock School District said Wednesday it will continue offering an Advanced Placement course on African American studies despite Arkansas education officials saying the class won’t count toward a student’s graduation credit. The 21,200-student district announced the decision days after the Arkansas Department of Education said...
They’re back: College students arrive on Western Pa. campuses
Overstuffed move-in carts, frazzled parents and traffic lined up outside dorms are making a comeback this week and next as Western Pennsylvania college students arrive for fall semester classes. Campuses, meanwhile, are trying to curb stress among the new arrivals. Some initiatives to soothe the psyche are as involved as...
University of Pittsburgh trustees chair abruptly resigns
Douglas Browning has resigned as chairman of the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees due to “an unanticipated personal matter,” officials confirmed on Tuesday. He notified the university Monday evening. By Tuesday morning, his bio had been removed from the university website. The site now lists Louis R. Cestello, vice...
Going to college? Here’s what you should know about student loans
NEW YORK — If you’re heading to college or starting to think about where you’d like to apply, you’re probably considering options for funding your education. If you need to borrow money to pursue your dreams, you are far from alone. According to the Federal Reserve, 30% of all U.S....
Hempfield school library book policies approved at heated meeting
New rules will govern books and other library materials at Hempfield Area School District, after the school board voted Monday to enact two policies defining what content is permitted on the district’s bookshelves. About 80 people attended the board meeting and more than a dozen residents spoke their opinions on...
Carnegie Mellon cyber hacking team wins record 7th title in annual competition
LAS VEGAS — Carnegie Mellon University’s cyber hacking team, the Plaid Parliament of Pwning (PPP), defended its title in DEF CON’s Capture-the-Flag competition — its seventh victory in the past 11 years. The team joined forces with the University of British Columbia’s Maple Bacon team and hackers from CMU Alum...
Many Western Pa. colleges still looking to enroll students for fall in late push
Acceptance letter in hand, Dana Sinatra appeared to be destined to enroll at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and play basketball there. But Sinatra, 19, a forward on her high school basketball team, began to have doubts several months ago about the 1½-hour travel distance from her McDonald home....
WVU facing possible academic program cuts, 7% faculty reduction
West Virginia University has unveiled preliminary recommendations to discontinue 32 of its 338 majors and reduce faculty ranks in Morgantown by 7% to confront enrollment losses and adapt to shifting student demand. Twelve of the majors are undergraduate level and 20 are at the graduate level, officials with the state’s...
