A report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England has found that fewer scholars secure their first job at a university by age 30 than in 1995-6 and that the number of older academics at English universities has dramatically increased, Inside Higher Ed reported. The proportion of professors under 30 dropped from 14 percent to 8 percent over the past 15 years, and the proportion of professors over 60 increased to 9 percent from 5 percent, according to Inside Higher Ed. Experts believe the trend could be caused by increased financial concerns related to the recession, the elimination of England's default retirement age and increased funding for universities that allow professors to remain faculty members for longer periods of time, according to Inside Higher Ed. The concerning trend could be in part mitigated by creating more "exit routes" for older academics who still want to be involved in research, Inside Higher Ed reported. For example, "senior colleges" could give professors emeritus status and facilitate their research, according to Geoff Whitty, the former director of the Institute of Education of the University of London.
Over a year has passed since the end of a three-year trial period that allowed students two Pell Grants at one time to help pay for summer classes, and colleges are worried that the end of the program may have a long-term effect on enrollment and graduation rates, according to Inside Higher Ed. Many community colleges and some public institutions have seen decreased summer enrollment this year the first full summer without the year-round Pell Grant, Inside Higher Ed reported. President Barack Obama suggested cutting the program from the Department of Education to trim the budget. The department found that the program cost more than anticipated and had not met their expectations of increasing college completion rates, according to Inside Higher Ed.
In response to recent controversy surrounding the leadership of Chick-fil-A's public opposition to same-sex marriage, college students across the nation have used social media to advocate for the closure of Chick-fil-A franchises on their campuses, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Although former presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee R-Ark., declared a national Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day on Wednesday, many students used the day to distribute petitions demanding the removal of on-campus Chick-fil-A restaurants. Students at Appalachian State University, Wichita State University, New York University, University of Florida and many other schools have used the website Change.org to distribute such petitions, according to The Chronicle. Despite Chick-fil-A's public stance on gay marriage, the manager of a branch in Nashua, N.H., donated sandiwches to an upcoming gay rights festival, the only manager to come out publicly in support of gay marriage, The Boston Globe reported.
