Arizona bans affirmative action
Voters in Arizona last week approved a ban on affirmative action in public colleges and universities.
Proposition 107 prohibits "granting preferential treatment to or discriminating against any person or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin," according to the ballot presented to voters Nov. 2.
The measure will not only affect admissions and outreach programs at Arizona's institutes of higher education, Inside Higher Ed reported Nov. 3, but also hiring practices and scholarship allocations. California, Michigan, Nebraska and Washington all have similar bans, according to the article.
Bomb threats at Western Illinois University
Three times in 12 days, 800 students were evacuated from a Western Illinois University residence hall following bomb threats. Bomb-sniffing dogs and state bomb squads were brought into the residence hall all three times, the Galesburg Register reported Nov. 5.
University police, state authorities and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials have yet to make arrests following the two latest threats — on Nov. 4 and 5 — and officials warn that the culprits could face federal prosecution.
On Oct. 25, authorities were called to the same building after a freshman student called police from his cell phone with a bomb threat, the Voice of Aurora, Ill., reported Nov. 4. He later told police that he made the call because he was curious about how long it would take police to respond, according to the article.
Panel recommends doubling higher ed funding in Colorado
A panel in Colorado has recommended that the state double funding for public colleges and universities to $1.5 billion a year, the Denver Post reported Nov. 5.
The Higher Education Strategic Planning Steering Committee recommended raising taxes in order to finance the budget increases in its report, released Nov. 4.
The committee stated in its report that since 1980, Colorado has cut state contributions to higher education by 70 percent, leading to underperforming state school .
The proportion of income Coloradans spend on higher education is one fourth the national average, according to the report.
