Education News

MPR News keeps track of the latest education news in Minnesota so you can understand the events shaping the future of learning and how it impacts students at any level.

Stay informed about local education events, policies and more happening in schools and colleges across Minnesota.

Pulling the plug — A perfect storm is brewing that could change higher education Nevada is considering closing down five of its nine higher education institutions because of budget shortfalls this legislative term. And in California, at least three universities are considering going private because of the state’s lack of funding. In Connecticut, Montana and…
Would a University of Wisconsin split drive up tuition?
“My fear is that this potentially moves UW-Madison toward becoming a higher tuition model that would exclude those very students who have been able to attend UW-Madison from the past.” University of Wisconsin Regent John Drew during discussions today on a proposal to separate the University of Wisconsin – Madison from the rest of the…
Video: Carleton student photographs year of beard growth
Carleton student Corey Fauver filmed himself growing — and coloring and cultivating — his beard for a year. It’s stop motion, so you can see it slowly evolve, but later on in the video he plays around with it in some interesting ways. Got this from City Pages, which says his video took second place…
With legislators pressing them for budget-cut scenarios this week, officials from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) have been using an interesting (and familiar) tactic that injects a little drama — necessarily or unnecessarily? — into the proceedings . So what are they doing? When explaining how a 15-20-percent…
After I posted about the book Why Does College Cost So Much? yesterday, I got a note from Rand Park, director of corporate relations for the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He pointed me to a 2003 article from The New Yorker. It focuses on a phenomenon, mentioned in the book, that is…
Donna Shalala: UW-Madison needs new business model We are at a crossroads in 2011 with regard to UW-Madison and the University of Wisconsin System. It’s always uncomfortable to argue that the System’s flagship institution deserves special treatment. It’s not an argument that says UW-Madison is better; rather, it’s an argument that UW-Madison is different. (Wisconsin…
House higher-ed legislators press MnSCU officials
Legislators got a little animated during the House higher-ed committee’s meeting this afternoon. Several pressed Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) officials on several budget-related issues. Here are the highlights — and what got them going: Enrollment. Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona) warned MnSCU) system CFO Laura King that enrollment increases caused by people seeking more…
The House higher-education committee is meeting to hear the take that Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system officials have on the higher-ed portions Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed budget. Spotty Wi-Fi will keep me from tweeting much, but you can find me at @MPRAFriedrich.
How to navigate Winona State University
This sounds cool. How many other colleges and universities have this sort of thing? Winona State University introduces Winona State Mobile, a mobile application for iPhone and iPod Touch. The application allows users to search campus maps, locate WSU buses, take a virtual tour of campus, stay up to date with WSU news, search faculty…
Why is the price of college so high?
I’ve been posting about the various legislative hearings on the higher education portion of Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget. Time and again, the implicit question I hear is: Why is college so expensive? Why is the cost of it rising faster than inflation? Critics tend to point to bloated administration, luxurious student amenities, and overpaid, underworked…