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Pope Gregory VII issues a bull mandating the establishment of school in cathedrals/monasteries in order to train future clergymen. This would be the catalyst for the founding of the first universities. -
The University of Bologna is established in Bologna, Italy – the oldest still-functioning university in the world. -
The University of Oxford is established in Oxford, England. -
The University of Paris emerges in Paris, France. -
This bull of Pope Gregory IX gives the University of Paris autonomy and the ability to self-govern away from the church. -
Harvard College (present day Harvard University) is founded in Cambridge, MA. -
The College of William and Mary (present day William and Mary) is founded in Williamsburg, VA. -
The Collegiate School, now called Yale University, is established in New Haven, CT. -
The College of Philadelphia, now known as the University of Pennsylvania, is founded in Philadelphia. It is well-known for being one of the first institutions founded not under a specific religion (non-sectarian) in the colonies. -
King’s College (present day Columbia University) is founded in New York City, NY. It is well-known for its relationship with the British crown, having been founded under a royal charter of King George II of England. -
Transylvania University receives its charter and is founded in then Kentucky County, VA (present day Lexington, KY). -
West Point Military Academy is founded in West Point, NY. -
A bill to create a “national university” is introduced to Congress, receives endorsement, but is ultimately voted down by the House of Representatives. -
The US Supreme Court hears Dartmouth College v. Woodward. This landmark case solidifies rules against state interference and the growth of private institutions after New Hampshire threatens to alter Dartmouth's charter. -
Wesleyan Female Seminary (present day Wesleyan College) opens in Macon, GA. This is the first world-wide college chartered to grant degrees to women. -
The Second Morrill Act seeks to address racial segregation in higher education by requiring institutions to either admit Black students or establish a separate institution for them. -
The College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) is founded at Columbia University in New York City. The organization connects students with college readiness and success programs, as well as formulating standard entrance exams such as the SAT. -
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) is founded. The CFAT is responsible for such entities/programs as the TIAA and the Flexnor Report on medical education. -
The AAUP releases its declaration, fighting for faculty academic freedom and specifying the procedures for tenure and dismissal. The subsequent Statement of Principles was released in 1940. -
he stock market crashes, signaling the beginning of what becomes known as the Great Depression. Plummeting economics result in a downturn of collegiate enrollment and overall financial insecurity by institutions. -
Commonly referred to as the "GI Bill," this supported returning veterans of World War II with monetary assistance in obtaining education and training. Funds could be used for varied purposes such as college, vocational training, or apprenticeships. -
A landmark Supreme Court ruling that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. While aimed towards integrating K-12 schools, higher education feels this through changing policies surrounding student enrollment and admissions. -
In response to the emerging Cold War and Space Race, the NDEA provides federal funding to programs providing education in science, mathematics, and foreign language. This act also created the first student loans. -
Issued by then President John F. Kennedy, this order coins the term "affirmative action." This refers to employers being required to provide equal employment opportunities, prohibiting discrimination based upon race, creed, color, or national origin. -
Then President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the first issue of the HEA into law. This provides financial assistance to higher education students and hopeful applicants in low or middle-income families. Additional federal funding is also provided to institutions. -
Title IX is signed into law, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. Additional protections are granted in regards to discrimination based upon gender identity or pregnancy. -
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, commonly known as FERPA, is signed into law. This act protects the confidentiality of student records, as well as marking the age of 18 as a tipping point for new adults to be in charge of their records as opposed to parents or caregivers. -
Commonly called MISAA, this law expanded financial aid eligibility to middle-income students by offering additional provisions not granted in the HEA of 1965. New assistance types are introduced such as Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOGs), and the Guaranteed Student Loan Program (GSLP) is adjusted to provide more assistance to students and families. -
The Department of Education is established through the Department of Education Organization Act, signed into law by then President Jimmy Carter. This new department takes on duties regarding education previously held by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, providing more specified assistance and aid to schools and students. -
Signed into law by then President George H. W. Bush, the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the education field. This applies to policies and structures, including student and faculty admission, retention, and tenure, as well as updating building codes and policies to provide accessibility to those with disabilities. -
In a strike against affirmative action, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rules that the affirmative action policy within the admissions of the University of Texas School of Law is unconstitutional. The rationale is that race could not be used as an admissions determinant due to it not being a compelling government interest. -
Aimed at making higher education more affordable, this law increased funding for the Federal Pell Grant Program, reduced the interest rates of subsidized Stafford loans, and introduced the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan for student loan repayment. -
In an effort to combat rising student loan interest rates, the BSLCA links any new federal student loan interest rates to the 10-year Treasury Note rate plus a fixed margin. -
ChatGPT is released for public use. AI soon takes over higher education, forcing institutions to quickly create policies regarding it's use, especially in terms of academic honesty. -
Building upon Hopwood v. Texas, this Supreme Court ruling further determines that race-based affirmative action programs in most college admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.