Student Union
- By Reuters
Climate Activists, Traditionalists Square Off in Harvard Alumni Board Vote
A Harvard University board election pits proponents of two popular causes against each other: those focused on climate change and those who want to keep money and what they describe as special interests out of the contest.
Votes are due Tuesday for five open seats on the Harvard University Board of Overseers, a 30-member alumni body that helps set strategy for the Cambridge, Mass. School.
Usually nominees come from Harvard's alumni association. But five of this year's 13 candidates were nominated by Harvard Forward, a campaign by recent graduates who want the school to divest fossil fuel assets from its $41 billion endowment along with other steps.
While the outcome will not directly determine investment decisions, it could send a symbolic message as many schools face calls to sell oil stocks.
"We have a great opportunity, and a duty, to hold Harvard to its highest ideals," said Nathan Goldberg, a campaign co-founder.
U.S. universities with endowments of $11 billion have pledged to divest from fossil fuels. But another group with $181 billion has rejected divestment calls, said trade group Independent Petroleum Association of America. Endowments totaling another $180 billion have partially divested.
Harvard's upstart slate has prompted pushback from some alumni leaders. In an open letter they said the campaign had "copious funding" and threatens to have "special interests" control the Overseers.
Harvard Forward's efforts could "undermine our collective alumni efforts to keep Harvard a strong and effective leader in education and research," said Vanessa Liu, first vice president of the Harvard Alumni Association.
The association put forward eight candidates for the five open seats. The Overseers approves candidates to the Harvard Corporation, the body that can make divestment decisions. Harvard Forward says it will have spent about $59,000, raised from alumni.
The results of the election are due in coming days.
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‘College Deserts’ leave many communities without higher education options
“College Deserts” – areas where high schools are located more than 30 miles away from the nearest community college – leave large groups of people unable to pursue higher education because of transportation problems, Lexi Lonas Cochran writes in The Hill.
Most college deserts are in the Southern U.S., with a recent study in Texas showing that long commuting distances discourage many potential students from attending college. (December 2024)
Analysts say rate of college closures likely to increase
If current trends continue, the rate of college closures is expected to increase, according to a new study reported in Forbes.
Closures are more likely to affect private institutions, and while the number of closures might seem small on a national level, it could cause serious problems for the smaller and mid-sized communities where those colleges are located. (December 2024)
Judge upholds racial considerations in US Naval Academy admissions
Although the U.S. Supreme Court last year decided that civilian colleges and universities could not consider race or ethnicity in admissions, a judge ruled that the U.S. Naval Academy had established a national security interest in a diverse officer corps.
That means the academy – and other military service academies – can continue to consider race. A similar policy at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has also been challenged, but that case has not yet gone to trial, according to a report in Navy Times. (December 2024)
Harvard recommends gap year as a strategic move
While some students and parents see the gap year as a waste of time, others see the break in academic studies as valuable for developing maturity, earning money or focusing goals.
MSN.com explains some of the reasons why Harvard – and other prestigious schools in the United States – are recommending that students take a gap year. (December 2024)
Student dilemma: Financial aid applications can expose undocumented parents
Many students in the U.S. rely on financial aid to attend colleges and universities, but as Julia Barajas reports in LAist.com, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid could cause a dilemma for students with an undocumented parent.
If students fill out the application, they will share their parents’ financial information – and potentially raise questions about their immigration status -- with the federal government. If they don’t fill out the application, they won’t get federal financial aid. (December 2024)
