College Shorts - 03/18/10

Hamilton adopts need-blind admissions

While tough economic conditions have caused many colleges to favor applicants who do not require financial aid, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., has decided to swim against the current by adopting a need-blind admissions policy.

Admitting those students who would otherwise not be admitted due to financial needs will cost Hamilton $2 million a year. Six trustees have each pledged $500,000 to jumpstart the need-blind effort, but Hamilton’s long-term goal is to raise $40 million to permanently fund an endowment for need-blind admissions.

Hamilton is aware of the financial risks but is prepared to tackle them. Monica Inzer, the dean of admissions and financial aid at Hamilton, said that with the previous system, some students who were likely to be accepted were cut once the financial aid budget ran out. Those who did not require aid would be accepted instead.

Hamilton enacted this new aid policy, which will debut with this fall’s first-year class, in order to “level the playing field.” Inzer said that, although it is not always easy to do the right thing, the policy is the right thing to do.

—The New York Times

Naval Academy adopts stronger cyber security

The United States Naval Academy presented a plan last week that involves expanding its cyber security curriculum. An expansion of the program would better prepare the student body for cyber warfare.

According to the Associated Press, the Naval Academy recognizes that it falls behind the other two major military academies, the United States Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, in preparing its students for defending and attacking computer systems.

The academy began to notably expand in December 2009 with a new center for cyber securities studies and has continued to do so. The academy is also testing three new courses this semester: “Cryptology and Network Security,” “Computer Forensics” and “Fundamentals of Cyber Security.” The school now offers cyber security internships, as well as a club as an outlet for more knowledge and experience.

—The Chronicle of Higher Education

Judge rules in favor of Californian students

John E. Munter, a judge of the Superior Court of San Francisco, ruled on March 10 that the University of California must pay a total of $38 million to thousands of former students who accused the university of raising fees illegally after promising not to. The university violated a contract in which it promised 2,900 professional school students a fixed tuition fee throughout their enrollment.

This is the second time the University of California has lost a class-action lawsuit because of increasing professional student fees.

Christopher M. Patti, a lawyer for the university, claims that the professional students were told that the university would increase its fees. Patti said that when the professional students enrolled, there was no longer a constant fee; therefore, they should have expected the additional costs.

—The Chronicle of Higher Education