English majors rejoice. Cliff Notes is now offering their famous, and sometimes infamous, study guides for free over the internet.
The website, www.cliffsnotes.com, offers guides to over 160 works of literature and is now competing with the already popular free online study guides sparknotes.com, freebooknotes.com and antistudy.com.
While Cliffs Notes had been a leader in literature guides with their familiar yellow and black study booklets a common sight among both college and high school students alike, the company faced increased competition in recent years from a plethora of websites, which offered the same product for free.
At the same time, sparknotes.com upped the ante by rolling out booklet versions of their study guides, which were sold next to Cliffs Notes in many bookstores across the country.
Despite the increased competition, the most popular Cliffs Notes have remained unchanged: “The Scarlet Letter,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Hamlet.”
Cliffs Notes will continue to offer their their study guides in booklets and has no plans to make those free.
EMERSON FACULTY CONTINUE TO BATTLE PRESIDENT
Emerson College faculty members walked out of an annual meeting with administrators Tuesday after plans were announced to reform the academic structure, according to a statement from the faculty union.
Over 70 faculty members of the Emerson College Chapter of the American Association of University Professors expressed concern over the governance of academics, as well as employment conditions, continuing a dispute from last school year.
They reconvened at 10 Boylston Place for remarks by the chair of the Faculty Assembly, professor Tom Kingdon.
“We should be concerned when the existence of the AAUP – the professor’s long-standing advocate – comes under attack,” he said in a statement.
He said that Emerson President Jacqueline Liebergott is attempting to limit the faculty’s participation in the governance of the college’s academic structure. Administrators have not yet issued a response.
MASS. STUDENTS INCREASE TEST SCORES
Gov. Mitt Romney issued the results of the latest Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam, and announced that on the first try four out of five students in the class of 2006 passed both the math and English portions.
Students must pass both portions of the test to graduate from high school.
Compared with last year’s results, in which 68 percent of students in that class passed the exam on the first try, this year’s results show significant improvements, according to Romney.
Passing rates of minority students also rose, especially among grade 10 students.
Though Romney was pleased with the results, he said in a statement that he “will not be satisfied until the achievement gap has been erased.”
“We are seeing excellent improvement across the board – in every grade, every age and ethnic group and in every part of the state,” Romney said.