Digital reforms to the Common Application, used by high school students to submit applications to 456 colleges and universities, will make the process simpler, faster and more intuitive beginning in 2013, The New York Times reported on Thursday. Improvements to the system, known to its creators as the Common App 4.0, will include the display of only a few questions at a time, and the system's ability to tailor the application based on a student's information. The cost of improving the system which was last updated six years ago is estimated to be between $7 million and $8 million, according to The Times. The improvements adapt to changes in technology that have taken place in recent years, as well as the sheer number of applications submitted through the Common Application system, which has increased by about 25 percent in the last year alone, The Times reported. The number of applications submitted through the Common Application system is projected to exceed 10 million by the end of this decade, according to The Times.
Apple officials announced the launch of several new educational initiatives, including 100 free college courses created in collaboration with colleges and universities, that can be viewed on the iPad, Inside Higher Education reported Thursday. The new courses, which will be available free of charge, will combine audio, video, books and documents, as well as the opportunity to interact with instructors, according to Inside Higher Ed. Phil Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple, voiced the company's concern about the current state of American education, indicating the potential of iPad technology to motivate reforms, Inside Higher Ed reported. The project will include thousands of new educational applications for the iPad, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Mountain State University President Charles Polk, whose $1.8-million salary ranks him as one of the highest paid private college presidents, was fired by the University Board on Wednesday, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Although the decision has been attributed to Mountain State University's accreditation troubles, the exact reason for his dismissal has not been released, The Chronicle reported. According to reports in the local media, Jerry Ice, chairman of the board, will serve as interim president, The Chronicle reported. The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools placed the university on "show cause" status in June 2011, indicating that the university might not meet criteria for accreditation and raising questions concerning the university's governance and distribution of resources. Currently, the University has a 2.5 percent graduation rate for students seeking bachelor's degrees, according to The Chronicle.
