Higher Education Quick Takes

A student at the University of Connecticut has been charged with second-degree forgery and third-degree computer crime for breaking into his professor's computer and changing grades, The Day reported. The student improved his grades and those of some other students, and dropped the grades of four students. What the student apparently didn't realize was that UConn has a system to detect such fraud: it notifies professors that they have recorded grade changes, so if a professor receives such an email and hasn't made the changes (as was the case here), the case can be investigated.

The law dean at the University of California at Berkeley has been sued by his executive assistant for sexual harassment, The Washington Post reported. The suit charges that the dean, Sujit Choudhry, inappropriately hugged and touched his assistant, and the university did not respond appropriately when she complained. The suit points to documents stating that the university found that Choudhry did harass his assistant and that he was ordered to apologize and had his salary reduced by 10 percent for one year. Berkeley declined to comment on the suit, but said later that Choudhry was taking a leave of absence.

The U.S. Senate education committee on Wednesday voted to approve the nomination of John B. King Jr. as secretary of education.

The panel voted 16 to 6 in favor of King’s nomination, sending it to the floor of the full U.S. Senate.

King has been serving as acting secretary of education since Arne Duncan stepped down at the end of December.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts voted in favor of King’s nomination Wednesday but said she would withhold her support on the Senate floor until the Education Department provides answers to her questions about loan servicing and debt relief for students who attended some for-profit colleges.

A majority of college students are handling their finances responsibly, according to the results of a survey conducted last December by Sallie Mae, the student loan company, and Ipsos, a market research firm. Among the 800 traditional-aged college students (between 18 and 24) who responded, 77 percent reported paying their bills on time. More than half (55 percent) set aside savings every month. And 60 percent said they never spend more money than they have, while 65 percent said they have a paying job.

The newly released report also looked at how students make payments. Debit cards were the top choice. But 56 percent of respondents have credit cards.

"Today’s college students demonstrate a careful approach to managing money," the report said. "Students have a cautious attitude toward debt, with the majority saying they never spend more than they have, and the majority agreeing that credit cards can contribute to impulse buying and debt accumulation."