Actually, it turns out that the list depends at least somewhat on the audience whom Scott Jaschik is addressing.

In an interview with E-Campus News [http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/ten-higher-ed-stories-020/], he listed the following ten stories:

1. College incompetence handling sexual assaults

2. Links between college sexual assaults and other issues

3. Sexual assaults and student athletes

4. Anonymous vigilantism in response to sexual assaults

5. Race relations on campus

6. Private colleges are on the brink

7. Unions for college athletes

8. Political correctness

9. Free community college

10. Competency-based learning

But in a speech to the Educational Writers Association [http://www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/higher-ed-beat-what-are-top-10-stories-college-campuses], he listed the following ten stories:

1. International students–particularly from Brazil

2. International partnerships–such as Confucius Institutes

3. Competency-based education

4. The Obama plan on college accountability

5. The fudging and faking of rankings

6. Affirmative action

7. Undermatching of highly talented, low-income students and the most prestigious colleges

8. Adjunct professors

9. Sex-assault policies

10. MOOC-like entities and discounted degrees

Although, as some of my previous posts have made clear, I believe that the (mis)handling of sexual assaults on campus is a major issue that until very recently has been under-reported, I think that the first list goes to the other extreme in identifying aspects of the issue as the top four higher-ed stories of the year.

The second list seems much more balanced. Jaschik’s explanations of his selections are included in each of the articles.