Thoughts for Veterans Day
On this Veterans Day, we honor the service of our active-duty and veteran students, and hold high hopes for your continued safety! We look forward to seeing you achieve your academic dreams!
Current Events
New York’s Tuition-Free College Scholarship Program: Too Good to Be True?
New York isn’t the first state to offer tuition-free college, but it is the first to offer free tuition for a four-year degree. The Excelsior Scholarship program was proposed by Governor Cuomo in January and approved by the legislature last week.
Artificial Intelligence – Choosing to Be a Victim or a Victor
Last week, serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban created a stir with his statement at the SXSW (South by Southwest) conference that the world’s first trillionaire will be someone who masters artificial intelligence (AI). In the past, Cuban has been an avowed proponent of the value of a liberal arts degree for its ability to teach critical thinking. However, at SXSW, he advocated the study of computer science, stating, “Whatever you are studying right now, if you are not getting up to speed on deep learning, neural networks, etc., you lose."
The Content Trap, Part I: Classifieds – User Connections
Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration is known for its case study methodology. In the Content Trap, Dr. Bharat Anand describes several corporate users, their industries, and the ways in which these companies improved their connections to enhance their growth and success.
We have witnessed declining newspaper readership over the past few decades, and many believe that the culprit is digital alternatives. Dr. Anand notes that this decline has been underway for more than 60 years, caused by multiple technologies from radio and TV networks to cable TV and 24/7 news channels. The impact of the Internet is no greater on readership than the technologies that preceded it. The other two sources of newspaper revenues are classified and retail ads. Classified ad revenues declined precipitously during the past decade (2000-2010) and the reason is that sellers and buyers favor products with more connections.
Higher Ed: For Students, the Sum of the Parts May Be Greater than the Whole
It’s common knowledge among those of us researching student retention in online higher education that swirling (attendance by a student at multiple institutions) is much more prevalent with online, than on-ground, programs. Some of the explanations offered include that it’s easier to switch from one online program to another and there’s less social integration among online students so less social stigma in leaving. Others posit that online students are much more savvy about reviewing courses at multiple institutions to enable them to build a richer collection of courses. Lastly, some note that the more frequent semester starts offered by online institutions makes it more conducive for students switching schools to accommodate their personal and work schedules, and to finish their program sooner.
It’s Time For All Of Us To End Fake News (Or Fake Truth)
As part of the 2016 presidential election and the post-election analysis, the topic of “fake news” was discussed almost as much as the email hacking of the Democratic National Committee. With both sides pointing fingers, conservatives at progressives and vice-versa, it’s clear that both sides were successful in distributing “news” that their followers could post on Facebook or Twitter and opt for broader distribution of the “truth” vis-à-vis their political perspective.
Higher Ed Insights: Week of Oct. 24, 2016
Last week marked the passing of Dr. William G. Bowen, former provost and president at Princeton University, president of the Mellon Foundation, and author of several noteworthy books on higher education. During his tenure at the Mellon Foundation, he created an internal research division, the non-profit reference sources JSTOR and ARTstor, and the iThaka research foundation dedicated to examining the interface between technology and education.
Down and Out in Silicon Valley
Oakland has been chosen as a pilot for the concept of UBI (universal basic income). Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley incubator and early-stage funder of Airbnb and Dropbox, announced a pilot in May to provide 100 individuals a monthly stipend for up to a year. The purpose is not just to test whether the UBI theory will succeed, but to also test the logistics of how to manage such a program. Matt Krisiloff, the manager of the pilot, noted that he was inspired to conduct the experiment based on his work with Artificial Intelligence.
The Trust Issue
The Blavatnik School of Government is a relatively new school at Oxford University, focusing on global public policy. In the August 2016 first edition of their first journal entitled The Government Review, the school assembled a series of papers dealing with The Trust Issue with governments.
Saluting, and Serving, our Veterans
Our university’s core mission is to educate those who serve. In this week’s guest post, Director of Veterans Outreach George Vukovich explains how supporting our nation’s veterans is not an afterthought for APUS staff and faculty; it’s a daily commitment.
Veterans Day celebrates and honors those who selflessly served our great country as members of the U.S.