Inside Higher Ed, by Scott Jaschik

The Jacob Kent Cooke Foundation announced Monday that its annual prize for elite colleges that promote equity is going to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this year. The $1 million prize is designed to show that colleges with highly competitive admissions can also craft admissions and financial aid programs to enroll many low-income students. UNC said it would match the $1 million to create a new $2 million fund to support efforts for low-income students. The first two winners were Vassar and Amherst Colleges, respectively, making UNC the first public institution to win the honor. UNC-Chapel Hill is "doing as outstanding job of admitting and graduating high-achieving, low-income students," said Harold O. Levy, executive director of the Cooke Foundation. "The university has given generous financial aid to attract the students and help them graduate." 

When choosing a college, key factors across the board tend to include cost, financial aid candidacy, reputation, location and campus life. According to The Princeton Review's 2017 College Hopes & Worries Survey, anxiety levels about college admissions are up this year. 76% of respondents reported high levels of stress, 4% more than last year's survey respondents, and 20% more than in the survey's initial year, 2003. Another factor was campus safety. We created this ranking using the most recent data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting and the National Center for Education Statistics. We accessed more than 2,000 four-year colleges and universities. Top-ranked colleges boast low overall rates (off-campus) and maintain safe campuses with little of no crime. More information about our methodology can be found here. To see the Top 100 Safest Colleges, click here.  

ITGA Conference, by Poppy Humphrey

Representatives from Manchester Student Homes, The University of Sussex and Nottingham Trent University were flying the flag for the UK at the recent ITGA 2017 Conference in Eugene, Oregon. For those of you that were able to attend, we're sure you'll agree that this year's conference was another great opportunity for the ITGA to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, ideas and solutions in terms of effective Town Gown management. Manchester Student Homes has been involved with the ITGA for the past seven years with MSH manager, Cooper Healey, sitting on the Board as European lead. Involvement with American colleagues has resulted in the development of a similar model being replicated in the UK. The UKTGA hosted its most recent conference in November 2016 at Nottingham Trent University. Cooper, Tim and Poppy hosted a session in Eugene to discuss the work of the UKTGA.

The Diamond Back, by Lindsey Feingold

The second year of alcohol sales at UMD basketball and football games generated a net profit for the first time since the initiative began in 2015, according to Joe Mullineaux, Dining Services senior associate director. In total, the sales garnered $1,012,534, Mullineaux said. Then, last year's debts, which arose due to startup costs, were repaid, and the predetermined $200,000 was granted primarily to Terps After Dark, which provides an alternative to drinking with alcohol-free late night events on the campus. The profits from the 2016-17 year will be spit evenly between sexual assault prevention and counseling services according to Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement. "We continue to make substance-free Terps After Dark program-ming a priority, and extra money this year allows us to bolster sexual assault prevention and counseling services as well." 

Fairfield & Westport Minuteman, by Staff Writers

Westport students Brandon Malin, Alison Green and Jordi Katz teamed-up recently to create heat safety signs for local parking lots. The goal of the Heat Safety Campaign is to avert potential tragedy. The signs alert drivers to the dangers of leaving children and pets in parked cars, as cars can quickly become overheated. Thanks to support from First Selectman Jim Marpe, the Westport Police Department, the Department of Public Works and Westport animal charity WASA (Westport Animal Shelter Advocates), some of the signs will be installed in town parking lots shortly; others will be installed in private lots in town. Marpe stated, "I am very proud of the students. This is a great example of Westport's volunteer spirit and how well the town and schools work together towards a common goal."  Police Chief Foti Koskinas said, "Even 'quick trips' into a business take longer than you think."    

Daily Hampshire Gazette, by Staff Writers

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