Ready to get schooled? Alright, let's go.
The Big One
National offices for 16 sororities are forbidding University of Virginia sorority members from attending fraternity parties, and they're showing no signs of backing down from their controversial decision.
"While we value the input our chapter leaders have to offer on this important and ongoing dialogue, our members' safety and well-being must remain our top priority," reads a joint statement released Thursday from the national and international presidents of 16 sororities with UVa chapters. "That is why we stand by the collective decision of our 16 International Presidents, which supports an existing [National Panhellenic Conference] policy that our organizations will not participate in men's bid day activities on any campus. Per our members' request, we will engage directly with our respective chapters to address their concerns and move forward from here."
The Washington Post compared the directive to something they'd expect from the 1950s when women were always the victims and men were always the aggressors and women were incapable of protecting themselves (or so it's said).
Making Moves
Virginia Commonwealth University has decided to drop its SAT requirement for applicants with a high school GPA of 3.3 or higher. School officials believe grades are a better predictor of student success.
Johns Hopkins University announced two new awards programs that will provide $15 million for faculty-led research projects. The funding was proposed to make up for declining research funds from traditional government resources like the National Institutes of Health.
K12 Inc. released its second quarter earning results Thursday morning, reporting a profitable quarter after suffering a loss in the same period a year ago.
Decision Science Labs, an edtech startup secretly launched by D.C.'s first deputy of education and a Georgetown University professor raised more than $1 million in seed funding.
From the Community
Two University of Maryland alums developed a new alternative to Yelp – a visual restaurant search engine app that features professional photographs of drool-worthy food at nearby restaurants. The app, Eyefull, is perfect for picky-eaters in particular who are looking USDA organic, Halal or Kosher meal options.
What I'm Reading
- This Catholic University of America alum helped make the Super Bowl happen this year.
- Is bearing the burden of student debt getting easier?
- How universities are using LinkedIn.
- UVa launched a new MOOC on real-world policymaking.
- A George Mason University alum was named Travel Channel CFO.
