Survey Ranks Colleges for 'Free Speech'

Fire: "The Ivy League offers students sterling credentials, but is miserly when it comes to offering them free speech — try the University of Chicago instead. That’s just one of the findings from the first-ever rankings of the free speech climates at 55 of America’s largest and most prestigious campuses, based on the largest free speech survey of college students ever performed ... Other highlights: Seven of the top 10 colleges for free speech are public, and only one of the top 10 is in the Northeast, while the bottom 10 include many schools that repeatedly make headlines for campus censorship."

"The top-five colleges for free speech are: The University of Chicago, Kansas State University, Texas A&M University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Arizona State University. The bottom-five: Syracuse University, Dartmouth College, Louisiana State University, University of Texas, DePauw University."

"The 2020 College Free Speech Rankings take into account the varied dimensions of free expression on campus — from the ability to discuss challenging topics like race, gender dynamics, and geo-political conflicts, to whether students hold back from openly sharing their views. The rankings are designed to help students and parents make enrollment decisions based on a range of factors including openness, tolerance, self-expression, administrative support for free speech, and campus policies. The rankings capture and score, on a scale from 0-100, the overall speech climate, as well as the distinct experiences of conservative and liberal students."

The Bright Side of Digital College

Vox: "The pandemic, says Kevin Carey, the director of the Education Policy Program at the New America Foundation, is hastening what he thinks is the long-term trend: 'the integration of technology into the planning, design, and implementation of college in a way that’s so taken for granted and ingrained that the distinction between in-person and online really starts to collapse altogether' ... Unlike a live lecture, a recorded one has a shelf life. It might take two-and-a-half hours to record one hour’s worth of lecture, but once it’s done, a professor could use that hour for four or five years straight ... While those digital lectures might not be as good as live lectures, professors will not have to spend time creating them and can devote their freed-up time to discussions, office hours, and other forms of high-value engagement."

"Digital lectures also have logistical benefits from the student’s standpoint. With asynchronous delivery, you never miss out on a class simply because it happens at the same time as another class. Seven years ago, then-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, making the case for investing in classroom technology, argued that with 'streaming video, students — particularly those who are geographically isolated or who are taking advanced courses with limited enrollment — can connect with experts who might be thousands of miles away and can use nearly limitless instructional resources'.”

"The most selective schools could still offer unique advantages in terms of their in-person discussion seminars, providing students access to the best peer groups and other factors. And in the near future, it should be possible, through licensing or other schemes, for everyone to benefit from the best lecturers in the world. Faculty, meanwhile, could have more time for their research or for real teaching and mentoring activities rather than duplicative lecturing."

Judge Rules Against 'Test-Optional' Policy

USA Today: "University of California schools can no longer use SAT and ACT test results in deciding undergraduate admissions as the school system's 'test optional' policy at some of its campuses may unfairly benefit those who can access a test amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a judge ruled. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman said that 'test optional' policy at some UC campuses denies students who do not submit standardized test results a 'second look' during the admissions process that those who do submit the tests are afforded."

"The system allowed for a 'test optional' policy at some campuses, which permitted students who wanted to take the SAT and ACT to submit their scores in hopes of boosting their admission chances. Seligman said attorneys for the UC system showed that by submitting their scores, students at the 'test optional' campuses 'can only help, and never hurt an applicant ... Put another way, the tests are treated as a plus factor, and thus test-submitters are given a second opportunity for admission consideration'."

"In a statement provided by spokeswoman Claire Doan, the University of California system said it 'respectfully disagrees' with the ruling and would consider further legal action. 'An injunction may interfere with the University’s efforts to implement appropriate and comprehensive admissions policies and its ability to attract and enroll students of diverse backgrounds and experiences,' the statement said."