Higher education

Yale University has introduced new workshops for students aimed at reducing sexual misconduct and improving the sexual climate on campus. Many sexual misconduct and prevention programs for college students center on decision-making and consent.

But if you’re at the point where there’s a question about consent, then you already have a communication problem, says Yale student Matt Breuer. He’s a Communication and Consent educator at the university. He says Yale’s workshops begin with conversation about sexual pressure.  

Many service members join the military because they’re eligible for tuition assistance and the GI Bill. But service members are losing these educational benefits because of federal budget cuts.

Michael Sanzo signed up in 2004 as an Army infantryman. 

"I knew when I was 18, 19 years old that I wasn’t ready for college. I had no way to pay for it. So I made a decision. Cause I knew how important it was to have a degree."

A new report looks at the experiences of undocumented students at 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the US.  The study calls on institutions of higher education to improve policies that affect undocumented students.

Of the 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from high school each year, only about 5 to 10% go on to higher education. A new report finds inconsistency in the way colleges and universities manage undocumented students.

As families struggle to keep up with skyrocketing higher education costs, the Obama Administration has unveiled a new website, which shows what most families end up paying for college: school-by-school.  

In his State of the Union address, President Obama announced the release of the new College Scorecard, "... that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria – where you can get the most bang for your educational buck."

Connecticut’s colleges and universities have taken important steps to address and prevent sexual violence on campus. That’s according to the 2012 Campus Report Card. But there’s still work to be done to improve sexual assault training and education.

The prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses nationwide is staggering. Research shows that up to one in four women experience unwanted sexual intercourse during college, and one in twelve men admit to acts that meet the legal definition of rape. 

Gateway Community College has created the state’s first Patient Navigator Program.  Students are trained to help people get the health care they need.

There’s a growing demand for Patient Navigators, says Vicki Bozzuto, dean of workforce development at Gateway Community College in New Haven.   "You might find a Patient Navigator in an emergency room, you might find them in a homeless shelter, you might find them on a street or in a doctor’s office."

Quinnipiac University received approval from the State Board of Education Wednesday to award a medical degree. Sixty students are expected to begin classes at Quinnipiac’s medical school next August.

The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine will become Connecticut’s third medical school. 

Dr. Bruce Koeppen is founding dean.  

A host of new laws took effect in Connecticut on July 1st - among them, An Act Concerning Sexual Violence on College Campuses.

The law makes clear to all Connecticut’s colleges and universities – public and private –  what's expected in terms of sexual assault reporting procedures, disciplinary hearings, and prevention training for students and faculty.   

Anna Doroghazi of Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services says many colleges are already in compliance.  

Connecticut College has the highest tuition in the nation among private, not-for-profit four-year colleges, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. But experts say sometimes statistics can be misleading.  

The College Affordability and Transparency Center website is part of President Obama’s push to make the costs of higher education more transparent. Schools are ranked in several categories, including tuition sticker price, and net cost to families.

As colleges around the region wrap up for the year, we turn our attention to a surprising and disturbing fact. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. 

In April, a 19-year old Yale University freshman - Zachary Brunt of Alexandria, Virginia –  took his own life.  He was found dead in a physics lab. 

The following story is in two parts. We begin by hearing the voices of two friends of Zach’s. 

PART ONE

Before Alie Garry could enroll at Tunxis Community College, in Farmington, Conn., the 18-year old Simsbury resident had to take a required standardized test called, ominously, the “Accuplacer.” It told her what she might not have wanted to hear - that she needed remedial classes in math and English. But now, three years later, she is grateful for the Accuplacer.

A recent report by the US Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General finds inadequate enforcement of a federal law aimed at preventing alcohol and drug abuse on college campuses.   The review was requested by two state lawmakers on behalf of a Connecticut resident.

Unless Congress acts, interest rates on certain college loans are set to double this summer.  WNPR looks at what that would mean for Connecticut students.

More than 84 thousand college and university students in Connecticut had subsidized Stafford student loans last year.  Their interest rate was 3.4% thanks to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act which locked in a low rate for four years.