A North Carolina university wants to break the mold for people studying the arts. A new degree program will not require students to narrow their creativity to a single area of study.

William Peace University will launch an Interdisciplinary Arts degree program this fall, allowing students to explore multiple areas of interest under one degree.

Matt Hodge, associate professor of theatre and director of program, said it will replace the traditional fine arts degree, let students customize their studies and prepare them for the current job market.

"The program matches this philosophy that you don't have to be someone that fits this one box, one label, you get to create your box, you get to create your label," Hodge explained. "That's going to open more doors and help you craft a unique artistic identity in the world."

He said Interdisciplinary Arts students will take core classes, and then tailor their degree with electives in art, dance, film, game design, media, music and theatre. The change added William Peace to a short list of about a dozen universities offering an undergraduate Interdisciplinary Arts degree.

Hodge pointed out the way the program is structured will also make it easier for students to achieve a minor or double major. He believes one key to the new degree will be immersive learning opportunities. Students will take some courses to get credit for doing real-world work, both on and off campus.

"By the time you graduate, not only have you had a customizable degree, but you also are graduating with resume building," Hodge emphasized. "You have an internship, you have multiple connections you've done. You've really done networking out in the city. So, you really are a holistic, modern professional artist."

He added students working toward the current fine arts degree will have the ability to switch to the new program. And for incoming students, there are no prerequisites or auditions, it is as simple as declaring your major.

The first semester for Minnesota college students is winding down.

Supporters of the state's new free tuition program - which assists low-income households - say for those who haven't taken advantage, now's a good time to consider eligibility going into 2025.

Preliminary data from the state show this new program, which covers full tuition expenses for households earning less than $80,000 a year, awarded roughly 17,000 scholarships this fall.

Mike Dean, executive director of the group North Star Prosperity, said he feels those numbers are a "game changer" in removing accessibility barriers when it comes to higher education.

"We know that getting that post-secondary education or credential," said Dean, "is really the surest path to joining the middle class right now. "

Eligible households still have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, as part of the process.

The latest application round, which usually begins in early October for the next academic year, began taking shape in late November.

Federal officials pushed things back after a tumultuous rollout of a streamlined system last winter that resulted in delays.

Minnesota's program covers the tuition tab for eligible students after they've exhausted any other state and federal grants and scholarships.

States such as Minnesota have seen enrollment gradually decline for undergrad students, and Dean said opening up the doors to more people - who otherwise wouldn't have been able to finish or pursue a higher-ed path - helps address workforce shortages.

"Research shows that by 2031," said Dean, "72% of all jobs will require some sort of education or training beyond high school."

He was referring to a recent study from the Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce.

Program supporters stress that the Minnesota initiative can also help those interested in technical schools and gain valuable training for jobs some employers are having a hard time filling.

State data first reported by EdSource show that fraudsters have stolen more than $7.5 million in student financial aid from California community colleges so far this year.

The theft amounts to less than one-tenth of 1% of student aid awarded in the Golden State.

Victor DeVore, dean of student services with the San Diego Community College District, said they use technology to flag suspicious applicants, and require them to submit proof of identity and residency, but it's still a game of cat and mouse.

"Last year, we had about 10,000 fraudulent applications that we blocked," said DeVore. "But even with that, every time we have some kind of metric or filter, the fraudsters are able to get through that."

The California Community College Chancellor's office says about 25% of applications are flagged as suspected fraud, up from 20% two years ago - as both fraud and its detection get more sophisticated.

The problem got worse during COVID as so many classes went online, making it difficult to require students to get financial aid checks in person.

The financial fraud means less money goes to students in need.

But Nicole Albo-Lopez, vice chancellor of educational programs and institutional effectiveness with the Los Angeles Community College District, said the enrollment fraud that goes with it has real consequences.

"The biggest frustration is when our classes are being filled by individuals that have no intention of actually attending the class," said Albo-Lopez, "keeping students from completing their educational goals within a preferred time frame, because they'll have to wait a semester or two to be able to take that class."

Many schools now require students to meet via zoom with staff trained to detect fraud - and they drop students who haven't verified their identity a few weeks before classes start.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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Educators across the state are watching the University of North Texas, as the school denies it overstepped the parameters of Senate Bill 17.

The legislation went into effect in January and forbids public colleges and universities from having Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices and programs.

The accusations were made after UNT faculty members realized the university changed course titles and class descriptions.

Brian Evans, Ph.D, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors - said they first noticed the changes in May.

"You had about a couple of hundred of fall course syllabi that the UNT administration required instructors to scrub words like class, equity, and race," said Evans. "And then more recently - in October - the UNT administration censored over 200 courses in a similar way."

During a faculty senate meeting, UNT Provost Michael McPherson said the changes were not related to SB 17, but were an exercise to bring the College of Education into alignment with standardized testing.

Evans' organization, along with two other education groups, sent letters of concern to the university. He added that UNT administrators crossed a huge red line when they unilaterally censored course content.

"It appears that the UNT administration is doing the opposite of what Senate Bill 17 is saying," said Evans. "Senate Bill 17 was not about curriculum. Senate Bill 17 was about employment practices."

The groups want university administrators to reverse what they call the "scrubbing" of curriculum, stop censoring the professors work, and involve educators in any future changes to course work.





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