Higher education round-up: Aug. 30

Swarthmore College

A Swarthmore student who recently accused administrators of mishandling a sexual misconduct case is claiming that the college is retaliating against her by not allowing her to become a dormitory resident adviser. The student, Mia Ferguson, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year, alleging mishandling of sexual assault on campus. The school is denying the retaliation charges, claiming that Ferguson is unemployable because she has refused to provide police with the identity of a victim of an alleged rape.

Temple University

Temple administrators announced this week that they have canceled the university’s traditional “Spring Fling” event amidst concerns over dangerous drinking practices. The school’s dean of students said in an announcement to the campus that the event had recently been “undermining our academic mission and our duty to safeguard student health and wellness.” A visiting student died at Temple’s Spring Fling in April after falling at an off-campus rooftop party.

Harvard University

A group of former Insomnia Cookies employees at Harvard staged a protest earlier this week, calling for higher wages and health care benefits. The employees, who were joined by members of a local union, were fired this week after they launched a strike on Sunday. The Harvard Crimson reported that protesters have been picketing near the store throughout the week. Insomnia was first launched on Penn’s campus.

Princeton University

David Petraeus, the embattled former general and Central Intelligence Agency director, will speak at Princeton in October, The Daily Princetonian reported. The appearance will mark the first time that Petraeus, who attended graduate school at Princeton, will speak on the campus since he resigned from the CIA in the fall of 2012. Petraeus has slowly been reintroducing himself into public life, recently agreeing to accept academic posts at the City University of New York and at the University of Southern California.

George Washington University

George Washington’s business school dean was fired after his school overspent by $13 million last year, The GW Hatchet reported. Doug Guthrie, university administrators said, had invested in online and executive education programs that exceeded the school’s budget by nearly 25 percent. “It had become increasingly clear that the financial management and operational differences between the dean and the administration were too great to surmount,” a university spokesperson said.

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