The Weekly Dispatch

By Sara Hebel & Scott Smallwood | Open Campus

A weekly newsletter about the role of higher education in society, exposing failures and examining solutions. Plus, updates as we build Open Campus.

Previous issues

What Driving 14,000 Miles Taught Walter Wendler

#27 Feb 21, 2020

Should Public Colleges Play the Merit-Aid Game?

#26 Feb 14, 2020

A Massive Gift Highlights Pell's Declining Purchasing Power

#25 Feb 7, 2020

#24

Jan 31, 2020

In One City, a Microcosm of Our Higher Ed Issues – To learn what obstacles loom largest, and how individual lives are affected, zoom in to a city. We'll
#23

Jan 24, 2020

What Colleges Don't Get About the Public – This week's email reminds us of a song: I'm just a soul whose intentions are good | Oh Lord, please d
#22

Jan 17, 2020

Do Liberal Arts Colleges Pay Off? Is That Even the Right Question? – A new study contains good news about the value of a liberal-arts education. But is that best measured
#21

Jan 10, 2020

What the Future Holds for Higher Ed – The predictions are in for 2020 and beyond: College closures. Admissions scrutiny. Big Brother U.
#20

Jan 3, 2020

Higher Ed's Rickety Ladder – A new series examines colleges' role in social mobility. Instead of acting as a leveler, higher ed of
#19

Dec 13, 2019

The Personal Stakes of Student Debt – About one in six American adults has student debt. If you're one of them, we want to hear from you.
#18

Dec 6, 2019

Do Teens Think College Will Be Worth It? – A survey offers a view into what young people think about college. Plus, The Boston Globe is spending
#17

Nov 22, 2019

What College Graduates Earn — At Least at First – Get ready to dig into the most granular data we've ever had about what colleges graduates earn. Plus,
#16

Nov 15, 2019

Helping More Than Just Star Students – A university well-known for helping high-achieving minority students earn science, math, and engineer
#15

Nov 8, 2019

What Do College Athletes Really Think? – On their way out the door, here's what student-athletes say about their experience.
#14

Nov 1, 2019

Some College, No Degree. Now What? – About one in six U.S. adults went to college and left before earning a credential. New data details t
#13

Oct 25, 2019

To Fight Skepticism, Colleges Need To Engage with the Public – Here's one associate dean's pitch for how colleges can make a better case for themselves: Start talki
#12

Oct 18, 2019

Early Decision Isn’t As Common As You Might Think — But It Still Favors the Wealthy – We can debate whether or not early decision is now “the norm.” Either way, it still favors the wealth
#11

Oct 11, 2019

How Parent Borrowing Makes College Possible — at a Steep Price — for Black Families
#10

Oct 4, 2019

Under the Spell of Meritocracy – We take stock of the part of the Harvard admissions ruling that doesn't deal with race-based admissio
#9

Sep 27, 2019

The Poor Are Getting Poorer. Professors Can Stop Making It Worse. – This chemistry professor believes everybody can get an A. First, faculty need to change their attitud
#8

Sep 20, 2019

This One University Enrolls More Pell Students Than the Whole Ivy League – How well are colleges moving people up social and economic ladders? And are we paying enough attentio

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