Textbook Regulation, Law School, and the Disappearing Final [Higher Ed Snapshot 7/23]

Photo via gadgetdude, under Creative Commons

UPDATED 12:05 p.m. 

Don't keep up on what's going on at colleges and universities in the area and across the country? No worries-- Connect2Mason's new Senior Editor for Off-Campus & Community News Jordan J. Frasier has you covered. Here's a round up of higher education headlines from down the street and around the country.

Consider them five things you should know. 

------------------------

 
National Textbook Regulation Takes Effect 
A provision of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 that took effect this month requires textbook publishers to openly disclose the price and revision information of books when marketing them to professors. Publishers are now also required to sell bundled items, like CDs and pass codes, as separate items.  Read the full Albany Times Union story here.

Law School Popularity Increases Despite Less Jobs, Higher Tuition
The number of LSAT tests administered between June 2009 and February 2010 increased 13.3 percent over the previous year. At the same time law school tuition rose and according to recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22,000 legal jobs were cut in the last year. Read the full US News & World Report story here.

Finals No Longer an Assumed Ending for Courses at Harvard 
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard adopted a resolution earlier this summer that changed the way finals are administered. The new guidelines no longer make it a given that a final will be given -- reflecting a larger trend that shows a decrease in the number of undergraduate classes administering end of semester final exams. Read the full Harvard Magazine story here.

Syria Bans Full Face Coverings at Universities
The Syrian Education Ministry issued a ban Sunday that prohibits students and teachers from wearing the niqab, a full Islamic veil that only reveals a woman’s eyes, at Universities. The ban does not prevent the wearing of the hijab, or headscarf, which is a more common attire. Read the full Associated Press story here.

GWU Partners with the Smithsonian
George Washington University and the Smithsonian Institute formed an official partnership Friday that will enable the two organizations to share resources and engage in joint research. Read the full GW Hatchet story here.

--------
Did Jordan miss something? Shoot him a tweet at @jordanjfrasier to tell him what you think should have been included, and feel free to give him a heads up a during the week.