Author Archives: osullivan2014
Class Dismissed: A new book on educational inequalities in the US
A new book on educational inequalities entitled Class Dismissed – again published by Princeton University Press – argues that colleges in the US are good in terms of diversity but that students get very little cultural support along the way once they get into college.
The American Dream is over: Education and low social mobility in the US
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220923080309467
A recent book published by Princeton University Press introduces us to the Gatsby Curve – a measure of how societies do in terms of intergenerational social mobility. The US is doing worse than even and other countries such as Norway, Finland and Denmark also do poorly.
More than a third of Harvard’s Graduating elite are heading into Elite Professions!
Robert Reich reminds us of the path to wealth in the US thanks to tried and trusted graduate pathways from Harvard and other elite colleges into Finance and Hedge Funds:
More than a third of Harvard’s graduating seniors are heading into finance or management consulting – two professions notable for how quickly their practitioners “make a bag”, or make money, reports the New York Times.
Educational Inequality in Chinese Third-Level due to Private University fees
I recently learned that CUHK Shenzhen can charge about 50 K USD per year per student and that Xi-an Jiaotong Liverpool can charge about 70 K USD per year. These might seem very and yet they are on a par with premier universities in the US. It seems Chinese parents see price as a sign of quality and they would not want in any other way.
French Universities can no longer function
A recent report in Le Monde reveals that at some top French universities over 50% of faculty are on zero/hour precarious contracts
Recours massif aux enseignants précaires : « La réalité, c’est que l’université n’a plus les moyens de fonctionner »
Faute de budget pour embaucher des titulaires dans un enseignement supérieur exsangue, plus de la moitié des personnels enseignants sont désormais des vacataires, auxquels s’ajoutent de nombreux contractuels. Reportage à l’université de Grenoble.
Education and Social Mobility
Dependence on Tech caused staggering Educational inequality
AI can bring a third digital divide in terms of educational inequality: where the rich have access to technology, increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, and to teachers to help them use this technology as part of their learning, while poor kids just have access to the technology?
Cultural Environment contributes disproportionately to educational inequality in Ireland
Economic inequality has been associated with reduced educational intergenerational mobility:
World ‘going backwards’ on equal access to higher education
Universities told to spend 5 per cent of total income on equality programmes after report finds UN 2030 goal ‘highly unlikely’ to be met
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20231006075137584
Class and Wealth, not merit, determine success in Ireland’s education system – Kathleen Lynch
https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/education-inequality-class-divide-5216581-Sep2020/
New UNESCO Report shows how online education during Covid-19 created staggering educational inequalities:
https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/ed-tech-tragedy
The debate on the Irish Government’s funding of private schools rages on:
One in five students at top universities consider dropping out over cost of living
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/12/one-in-five-students-at-top-universities-consider-dropping-out-over-cost-of-living?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
GRADE INFLATION: 9 out of 10 students in top universities get firsts or 2.1 degrees
New research shows that it doesn’t really matter what you do in university. What matters is getting in to the top universities. This is the hard part. If you get in you have a 90% chance of getting a first or a 2.1 degree.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/nine-out-10-students-get-first-or-21-leading-universities
Education is no longer the key factor when it comes to social mobility in Ireland. Family wealth and inheritance play the most significant role when it comes to social mobility and home ownership.
Students and Mental Health
Wellcome Trust study aims to use peer-delivered problem solving and behavioural activation – two strategies found to help improve symptoms of mental health problems – as standalone early interventions for young people with depression.
https://wellcome.org/news/university-students-depression-mental-health-interventions
There is no patient-provider confidentiality with AI Therapists!
In 2022, 18% of children aged 7-to-16-years-old and 22% of young people aged 17-to-24 had a probable mental health condition.
https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2024/research/urgent-childrens-mental-health
Yale-NUS introduces a for-credit “Resilience and Success in College” elective course for first-year students to help them with wellbeing
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240415151821371
Students in Ireland are left “lost” to deal with their own mental health illness
Charities are paying College Fees during the Cost of Living Crisis:
PhD students discuss how to deal with anxiety
Academic Freedom
Iranian students continue their protests for greater freedoms
The Most Popular article in Times Higher Education in 2022 tells us something needs to change when it comes to academic research: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/masturbation-journal-paper-exposes-deeper-problems-research
Liberal Arts Degrees must change to meet Business Needs AGAIN!!
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/liberal-arts-degrees-must-change-meet-industry-needs
Lawyers and legal academics working on human rights issues are leaving Hong Kong:
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/china-lawyers-crackdown-exodus/
Maureen Ruprecht Fadem on Academic Freedom in the United States:
Hong Kong University is to “punish” students who bring the university “into disrepute”
How Self-Censorship works in China
COVID 19 and UNIVERSITIES
The Great China Lockdown Novel:
The Psychological Effects of Lockdown in China
Covid-19 and Humanities Research
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/what-can-humanities-offer-covid-era
CASUALISING ACADEMICS: the new buzz phrase for the future of academic life
As more and more universities and colleges try and cope with the fallout from the Coronavirus Pandemic, lecturers and junior staff fear for their academic futures. While universities are eager to get more and more high achieving PhD and research students into their departments, very often the lecturers that teach and inspire them are slowly being shown the back door.
A recent OECD report asks universities not to “casuals” academics:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/dont-casualise-academics-says-oecd
Prestigious Art College Closes in Hong Kong
One wonders how this is related to the pandemic. Colleges and universities with huge deficits like Savannah College must be wondering whether it is viable to maintain large physical campuses with exorbitant rents.
Students shocked as prestigious art college SCAD closes Hong Kong campus
State Universities in California prepare for another online term:
PLANS OF US UNIVERSITIES FOR THE NEW TERM:
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Here-s-a-List-of-Colleges-/248626
After COVID-19 will students come back?
Half of UK University Workers nn temporary contracts:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/apr/02/lecturers-went-on-strike-over-insecure-jobs-now-we-fear-coronavirus-cuts
COVID 19 could result on higher student numbers at Universities:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/covid-19-could-be-curse-graduates-boon-universities
Academic Barbarism 