OPA has selected these articles based on topics being reflected in national conversations. If you have selections to share, please forward them to rcvoris@alaska.edu, understanding that the articles need to be accessible to all without membership restrictions.

Students Ready to Fight Bill That Would Create Higher-Fee Classes

Source: The Los Angeles Times

Students and faculty are gearing up for a fight to oppose legislation that would allow California community colleges to charge more for high-demand courses during summer and winter sessions. Colleges would be able to offer extension programs for credit leading to certificates, associate's degrees and for transfer to four-year universities, if enrollment was at capacity the preceding two years.

Why Are So Few Students Ready For College Classes?

Source: The Denver Post

If you sometimes get tired of hearing about the need for public school reform, we can't say we blame you. The debates never seem to let up, and progress in student achievement often appears hard to come by.

But then you see a report such as the one last week from the Colorado Department of Higher Education on remedial education, and you realize the obsession with reform is not only appropriate, it's positively vital.

Data on How Colleges Use Social Media in Fund-Raising

Source: Inside Higher Ed

Facebook continues to be the most popular social media platform used by colleges to maintain relations with current and potential donors, according to a new survey by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Also highly popular are Twitter and LinkedIn. But the survey found that some forms of social media -- such as blogs and Flickr -- are seeing decreased use by colleges. A report on the survey suggests that colleges are trying to become more strategic about how they use social media, and may be more hesitant to be trying everything at the same time.

College Shootings In 2013: Campus Incidents Number 13 So Far

Source: Huffington Post

Last Friday, an 18-year-old student allegedly shot two women with a 12-gauge shotgun at the mall branch of New River Community College in Christiansburg, Va. The New River shooting took place just six miles from Virginia Tech, the location of the deadliest school shooting in American history on April 16, 2007. Tuesday is the sixth anniversary of that horrific day.

So far in 2013, there have been at least 13 shootings on or directly adjacent to a college campus, including an incident Monday night at Grambling State University in Louisiana.

25 Private Colleges With the Happiest Freshmen

Source: CBS News

When teenagers shop for a college, here is a question that they should be asking at every campus they visit: How happy are the freshmen?

Of course, no school will admit that their students are dissatisfied with the academics, campus life or financial aid. But there is a way to take the pulse of a freshman class: Determine what percentage of students return for their sophomore year.