FLOSS In School - Open Source Software in the Education System

Andrew Cuomo, New York State's attorney general (and the Democratic candidate for governor), announced Thursday that his office has started an investigation into "deceptive credit card marketing practices" that focus on college students. He said that his office has sent letters to every college and university in New York State, asking for information on agreements and marketing deals so he can look for "problematic" practices. Cuomo's statement said he was concerned about reports of colleges giving credit card companies students' personal contact information without the students' permission and of cases in which the credit card companies "have bombarded students with solicitations at student centers, athletic events, orientations, classroom buildings, and other campus locations."

Researchers find that some kinds of community colleges are achieving more gains than others in diversifying the science and engineering student body.

Ron English, football coach at Eastern Michigan University, told the Associated Press that his comments have been misunderstood and that he has great respect for single mothers. English has been trying to quiet criticism over comments he made over the summer in which he said that he wanted football recruits whose fathers had been involved in raising them because they know how to be taught by a man. This week he told the AP that "I regret that some people thought I was attacking single moms," and he noted that his views come from his own experience. "I was raised by my grandmother. My father wasn't really a part of my life until I was a teenager. So, I have all the respect in the world for women raising kids on their own." And while saying he wouldn't discriminate against those raised in single-parent homes, he said it was legitimate to talk about the issue. "I received some great e-mails from women, telling me they didn't know how rational people couldn't understand what I was saying and encouraging me to stick by my guns," he said.

D’Arcy Norman points out that Unlimited magazine has recently devoted an issue to open education. Duncan Kinney writes an Open Education Primer. George Siemens and Max Fawcett debate massively open online courses (MOOC).

“ckelty” has a new post discussing Rice University Press shutting down (covered by OEN). From the post:

As a board member of Rice University Press, a former employee, and a participant observer in the whole experiment, I’ve had a worms-eye view the fiasco as it has unfolded. I won’t detail all the ways in which RUP is innovative, but for those in the business, i’ll just say: you should all be madly copying their ideas, because RUP had and has no real competitors.

Curriki has a new post listing 10 sources for free textbooks.

Talk of ending journalism school at CU-Boulder is latest effort to transform such programs, suggesting the only way to build them anew is to tear them down.

Ron Feemster describes his efforts to help community college journalists learn their craft. (Spoiler alert: He's no longer employed there.)

Federal appeals court finds that U. of Wisconsin at Madison improperly rejected funds for Catholic activities that involved worship.

Education Management Corporation, the company that runs the Art Institutes, Argosy University and other for-profit colleges, has turned to external consultants to help employees craft letters voicing opposition to the U.S. Department of Education's proposed regulations on "gainful employment." CEO Todd Nelson wrote to employees last week asking them to cooperate with representatives from DCI Group who would write personalized letters on behalf of employees, which they could then sign and send to Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Steve Burd, editor of the New America Foundation's Higher Ed Watch blog, which first reported on Nelson's request, characterized it as an attempt at "manufacturing dissent."

In an e-mail message to Inside Higher Ed, an Education Management spokeswoman, Jacquelyn Muller, said it was "important" for the company's employees and students to be able to speak out against the proposed rules. "We will continue to communicate our opposition to the proposed Gainful Employment Rule and support voluntary efforts that allow our employees, students and faculty to do so as well."

A California judge has dismissed a student's claim that last-minute tuition increases imposed on students by California State University campuses were unfair, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. A San Francisco State University student had asked the small claims court to refund her share of the additional tuition increase the Cal State system imposed in July 2009 in the wake of huge budget cuts. A class action aiming to overturn the tuition increase is working its way through the courts, too.

A large California community college district has gotten rid of all of its emergency notification boxes to save money -- a move not yet commonplace despite boom in cell phone usage.

Susquehanna U. Press is placed "on hiatus." Move follows decisions at Rice, Scranton and SMU.

Scholar reflects on a career trying to teach and enforce "the Queen's English." Bonus: a double limerick.