Teaching

Part of the enrollment boom at community colleges comes from those who have left four-year institutions. Their choices -- surprising to some -- are saving money and may improve their odds at earning bachelor's degrees.

Idea of shaving a year off of college completion time gains attention. Some see ideal way to cut costs for students and institutions, others see a gimmick, and -- to date -- students haven't embraced it.

CUNY's plans to create a new two-year institution, with a core curriculum and requiring full-time enrollment, represents a dramatic shift in the model -- attracting much enthusiasm and a few raised eyebrows.

Updated course management software offers increased flexibility and opportunities for social learning, company says.

Could timing be right for more colleges to replace traditional A-F scale (which many fear has become an A-B scale) with narrative evaluations? Is the report card the enemy of meaningful assessment?

At MLA, professors describe how departments are rethinking curriculums and the tenure-track/adjunct divide. Beyond pedagogy, programs want to protect themselves.

Faculty members describe different approaches to incorporating sustainability into their classes, in some very different disciplines.

Brown U. considers how to improve students' educational experience -- while not taking away their freedom. Among the strategies: e-portfolios and being overt about priorities.