Penn in the News

Over the past two decades, and across the nation, the university has been undergoing profound changes. These structural changes underpin an emergent philosophy of the new university today -- one that should give pause to anyone concerned about the direction of higher education. For much of the 20th century, and especially after World War II, the university served as the vehicle of upward mobility, the principal pathway to securing a middle-class and eventually upper-middle-class life.

Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School says, “It’s actually easier for blue-collar people to get help thinking about alternative careers because most of the government help is aimed at them.”

Jonathan Moreno of the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts & Sciences shares his thoughts on a new book criticizing the work of a late, well-known neuroscience professor.

A group of recent studies on technology in education, across a wide range of real-world settings, have come up far short of a ringing endorsement. The studies include research on K-12 schools and higher ed, both blended learning and online, and show results ranging from mixed to negative. A deeper look into these reports gives a sense that, even as computers become ubiquitous in classrooms, there's a lot we still don't know — or at least that we're not doing to make them effective tools for learning.

Earning a college degree can be a pathway to higher wages and better employment opportunities, but for those who fail to graduate, those prospects quickly fade. And at a time when a majority of students finance their education with loans, dropping out of school comes with greater risks. Yet a series of studies by Third Way, a think tank, show that many colleges and universities are leaving students with no better than a 50/50 chance of graduating or finding work that pays more than what someone with a high-school diploma can expect to earn.

Dennis Culhane of the School of Social Policy & Practice is quoted about the impact of resource programs on homelessness.

The Department of Education on Thursday denied a request from the Center for Excellence in Higher Education, a Utah-based chain of career colleges, to switch its status to nonprofit for federal financial aid, leaving the chain unable to shake loose regulations aimed at for-profit schools. There are distinct benefits to being designated a nonprofit school.

Are the wealthiest colleges educating enough low-income students? It’s a question that’s been debated for years. Back in 2008, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, argued that given their affluence and the tax breaks they enjoy, the richest colleges should do more. Concerns about the rich colleges pulling their weight died down in the wake of the recession, but have recently been bubbling up again.

J.D. Foster of the School of Veterinary Medicine is highlighted for administering clinical trials on dogs and cats.