via the Columbia Spectator

COLUMBIA: After a series of debates on the issue, Columbia University’s University Senate passed the resolution that will make course evaluations public. While many students expressed concerns that this move will lead to grade inflation — as instructors might cater negatively to students to protect their jobs — others affirmed that public course evaluations will improve teaching.

HARVARD: An instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health pleaded guilty on Monday to hiding marijuana in her underwear in order to transport it to Bermuda. Mey Akashah claimed she had a prescription for the substance from California, where medical marijuana is legal. Akashah said she was aware that marijuana is illegal in Bermuda, but chose to take it there anyway due to the “amount of pain” she was in.

PENN: University of Pennsylvania’s Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Education Doug Lynch resigned last week after inconsistencies in his resume were made public. Investigations from The Daily Pennsylvanian and the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed that Lynch had misrepresented the year he received his master’s degree and had not yet completed his doctoral degree. University officials said they had been aware of these issues for some time and were in the midst of an investigation when he resigned.

PRINCETON: Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman has approved a policy that will ban freshmen from engaging in rush and from attending any event sponsored by a Greek organization. Some students expressed concerns that the language in the policy will be ambiguous. Because the University will consider banning fraternities and sororities altogether if this policy is consistently flouted, other students are worried that the University will attempt to find violations in order to validate barring the Greek system next year.

YALE: The Flashback computer virus that has infected over half a million computers worldwide spread to Yale University last week. While the virus does not affect Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard or any newer Mac operating systems, fifty students reported having the computer virus.

BROWN: Brown University President Ruth Simmons will deliver the Commencement speech for the class of 2012. The first black president in the Ivy League, Simmons will soon step down as president in order to pursue personal projects. Simmons said she plans to return to the University as a professor of comparative literature and Africana studies.

CORNELL: Cornell University will be able to close the $122 million deficit forecasted three years ago by June 30, the end of the Fiscal Year 2012 — one year earlier than expected. Administrators say that unanticipated increases in revenue will help the University close the gap sooner than expected.