Posts Tagged ‘College News Roundup’
The Value of Today’s College Degree
According to a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, a survey conducted by Widmeyer Communication indicates that Americans are split on the current value of a college degree.
The question was, “Is a college degree as valuable as it was twenty years ago?” This would put us at 1992. Of those surveyed, 46% said a college degree is just as valuable, while 41% stated that it wasn’t. While those may seem like surprising numbers, 60% of those surveyed indicated that regardless of whether or not a college degree is as valuable as it used to be, it’s still a good investment.
Why might some view a college degree as being less valuable today than in 1992? There could be a variety of answers for this.
As of 2012, more than 30% of U.S. adults have a bachelor’s degree, which is a record in American history. As the New York Times article “U.S. Bachelor Degree Rate Passes Milestones” points out, this increase began in the mid 1990’s. So more people have a college degree now than in 1992. Does more people having a college education make it less valuable? Maybe.
On the one hand, recent college graduates looking for a job may feel like their degree isn’t anything that’s going to put them ahead of the game. With the competition all having a bachelor’s degree as well, it’s the work experience, internships, and other “add-ons” to the degree that will land you a position. In addition, as college graduates struggle to find jobs and pay off loans, many will find themselves working retail, food service, and other jobs they could have obtained without having gone to college. Based on a 2010 article entitled “The Great College Degree Scam” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, as of 2008, out of the nearly 50 million college educated adults, 17 million were working in jobs that didn’t require a college degree.
On the other hand, if getting a college degree is the bare minimum requirement for so many jobs, getting a degree is all the more important. An employer is more likely to hire someone with a college degree over someone who doesn’t have one, even for retail and food service jobs. Having a degree can also be the difference between getting promoted to management and staying where you are.
One also needs to address the personal value of a college education. Those who’ve gone to college have a wide range of knowledge on more than just their field of study. They’re often more appreciative and accepting of diversity. They’ve learned to form solid opinions and ideas based on facts. College students know how to find the answers when they don’t know them. They can respectfully debate an issue. They can hypothesize. They can dream. College students in general are well-rounded people. Regardless of whether or not they currently have a job, or what that job is, the intellectual growth and personal development that comes with a college education is invaluable.
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
College Student Pleads Guilty to POTUS Threats
A 20-year-old student at Miami-Dade College pleaded guilty this week to posting threating messages about President Obama to Facebook. Joaquin Amador Serrapio Jr. might end up getting 5 years in prison for the threats. According to the AP:
“In the first post on Feb. 21, Serrapio said: “Who wants to help me assassinate Obummer while hes at UM this week?”
Then on Feb. 23, the day of Obama’s visit, the Secret Service said Serappio posted a second threat.
“If anyones going to UM to see Obama today, get ur phones out and record. Cause at any moment im gonna put a bullet through his head and u don’t wanna miss that! Youtube!” the message said.
Someone who saw the posts contacted the Coral Gables Police Department and the Secret Service dispatched two agents to Serrapio’s home, where Serrapio and his mother agreed to allow a search. There they found an iPad with one of the Facebook postings on it and a cell phone with a text message from one of Serrapio’s friends who had seen the messages.
“LOL you can get in trouble for sayin’ that,” the text said.
Serrapio replied that he was “challenging” the Secret Service and also issued threats against any agents who came looking for him.
“I wanna kill at least two of them when they get here,” Serrapio said in that text.
Investigators said the only weapons Serrapio possessed were two pellet guns. He was originally charged with threatening the agents as well, but prosecutor Seth Schlessinger said that charge will be dropped.
Serrapio said during the hearing he had just completed his second year of college. He declined through Ross to comment outside court.
Senator Franken Introduces Standard College-Aid Letters Bill
Senator (and former SNL star) Al Franken (D-MN) and eight co-sponsors are introducing a bill to simplify the financial aid process. Under this bill, Colleges would have to send all students their financial aid information in a standard letter so that families would be able to evaluate their options in a simple and understandable way. According to Bloomberg:
“Colleges send letters to students they’ve accepted outlining costs, scholarships as well as loan information. The letters are often confusing and fail to differentiate clearly between awards and the money a student might need to borrow to cover tuition and other expenses. There is no federal requirement to disclose interest rates or total loan payments as there are for other types of loans such as mortgages.
The bill would establish information that must be included such as the cost of attendance, the net amount a student is responsible for paying after subtracting grant aid, expected federal loan monthly repayment amounts and disclosures related to private loans, according to the statement.”
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
New college graduates earning less than a decade ago
According to the Economic Policy Institute, new college graduates are earning less than they were a decade ago.
According to the LA Times, “In 2011, fresh college grads earned an average of $16.81 an hour, or about $35,000 a year. That’s down 5.4% from 2000. Women fared worse than men. Their wages declined 8.5% to $15.74 an hour over the same period while those of men dipped 1.6% to $18.29 an hour.”
The LA Times goes on to say, “The average graduate is on the hook for $25,250. And unlike other forms of debt, student loans are virtually impossible to discharge through bankruptcy. Uncle Sam frequently garnishes paychecks, tax refunds, even Social Security payments from people who haven’t paid their government-backed loans.”
New York Rangers Chris Krieder: From College to the Conference Finals
One month ago, New York Rangers forward Chris Krieder was just another student on the campus of Boston College. Now he is scoring game winning goals in the NHL playoffs. Krieder, 21, has 4 goals in his 14 NHL games since finishing school. All those games are in the playoffs. He is the first player to score 4 playoff goals before his first regular season game since the 1950s. Known for his blazing speed, Krieder has been an integral part of the Rangers’ slow march to the Eastern Conference finals.
Krieder, who is living out of a suitcase, has impressed his other teammates. Rangers forward Brian Boyle said, “He has surprised me, even though I knew he had a lot of talent. The way he handles himself is impressive. It’s not easy coming into a dressing room in this situation. He has helped us win games.”
College Tuition Dispute Takes Place on Texas Campus
With Gov. Rick Perry, slashing budgets across the board, University of Texas at Austin is raising proposing a 2.6% tuition raise. This is causing a lot of controversy on campus amongst the school’s regents and staff as well as students.
According to the Wall Street Journal:
“The dispute has reached such a point that the chancellor of the state’s multi-campus university system, Francisco G. Cigarroa, stated this week that he hasn’t tried to fire William Powers Jr., president of the Austin campus.
The trend of consistently raising tuition to counter reductions from other funding sources is not sustainable for students and parents,” Mr. Cigarroa said in a statement Wednesday.”
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
Half of Recent Grads Out of Work
According to a recent Rutgers University study, nearly 50% of recent college graduates are unemployed. The study which looked into college graduates from the last 5 years, or since the recession started, shows significantly less optimism in, what many label as, “the lost generation’s” ability to achieve the American dream.
Carol Van Horn, director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers and a co-author of the study said, “I think they’re less optimistic, more focused on trying to find a good job and help pay off their loans, and they’re also experiencing a slow start to their career. And that’s making them not only less optimistic but more concerned about job security and the like.”
Van Horn added “It seems to mark them with a set of attitudes that’s different than people who graduated 10 years ago.”
West Georgia University Student Battles Flesh-Eating Bacteria
West Georgia University graduate student Aimee Copeland is battling a flesh-eating bacteria after a zip-line accident. Copeland, 24, was zip-lining along the Little Tallapoosa River near Carrollton, Georgia. During this, the line broke resulting in a cut on her calf. She went to the emergency room and had 22 stitches.
After many trips back and forth to the doctor, with ongoing sever pain, Copeland was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection. After being transferred to a burn center in Augusta, Copeland had part of her leg amputated. Copeland is currently in critical condition. Her father Andy said, this was “without a doubt the most horrific situation that a parent can possibly imagine.”
According to Dr. William Schaffner of the Vanderbilt University Medical School, “This often is a very subtle infection initially,” he said. “These bacteria lodge in the deeper layers of the wound. The organism is deep in the tissues and that’s where it’s causing its mischief.”
A university blog post said, “Aimee is awake, understands everything and is nodding her head to questions! Aimee is still on her life support, and we are waiting to hear more about how she is doing today.”
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
Playoffs to Come to College Football?
It’s looking increasingly likely that NCAA College Football could end up with a “final four” of its own. The BCS is toying with the idea of a four-team playoff to decide the national championship winner. That idea, along with a small list of other options, are being presented to the various conferences who will decide the fate of the system. According to the Wall Street Journal:
“Commissioners from the BCS conferences will present to conference constituents two to seven options for a four-team playoff. Those options include holding semifinals at campus sites, as well as neutral-site games. A championship game will be held at a neutral site, either an existing bowl or a site that bids in advance to host the game.”
Students Protest College Debt
While President Obama was travelling the country to pressure congress to renew low interest rates on student loans, students were protesting rising college debt. The protests on Wednesday were designed to draw attention to the day that US student loan debt was set to hit $1 Trillion. According to Reuters:
“Several hundred protesters, mostly college students wearing placards noting the size of their debt loads, rallied in New York City’s Union Square park on Wednesday.
They set fire to student debt documents and held signs reading ‘Debt free degrees’ and ‘Education in America: Don’t bank on it.’”
The Veep Visits NYU
Vice President Joe Biden visited NYU this week. His remarks included criticism of Mitt Romney’s foreign policy. Biden criticized the presumptive Republican nominee for comments that he made saying that he would rely on the State Department heavily for foreign policy advise.
Biden said, “In my view, the last thing I think we need is a president who will subcontract our foreign policy to some expert at the State Department. That kind of thinking may work for a C.E.O., but it cannot and will not work for a president, and it will not work for a commander in chief.”
The big sound bite from the speech though was when the Vice President created a bit of a stir by saying that the president has a “big stick.” He was referencing the famous Teddy Roosevelt quote.
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
Pat Summitt Steps Down
After 38 years on the job as head coach of the Tennessee Women’s Basketball program, Pat Summitt has passed the keys to Holly Warlick. Coach Summitt retires with the most wins of any coach in college basketball history (man or woman). She added an NCAA record 8 National Championships to those 1,098 wins.
Coach Summitt turns 60 next month. She is stepping down in large part due to early on-set dementia. She disclosed this condition last August and will focus her energies now on battling the illness. Summitt will remain a part of the Tennesse staff as “ head coach emeritus” and will help mentor current players as well as recruit new players. Holly Warlick will be taking the reigns after 27 years as an assistant to Coach Summitt. Coach Summitt said:
“I made a choice early in my career to challenge myself to step up my game each and every day. You can be sure I will take this same attitude into my new role as head coach emeritus and continue to teach our players the same commitment. I can promise you ladies, I’m here for you.”
Warlick added:
“Today I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I get to coach at a school that has always been in my blood and this is my home. It only took me 27 years to get to this point — I didn’t want to rush it. So I told Pat to take all the time she needed.
People have asked me, why have you not left? And I simply say, why would I? Why would I leave a place that is rich in tradition, has an unbelievable administration that has always supported women’s basketball, and have the most incredible, supporting fans in the country?”
State AG Deems Santa Monica College Tuition Plan Illegal
To combat budget shortfalls, Santa Monica College came up with a plan to charge more per credit for classes that were in higher demand and filled up quicker. Now the California Attorney General has deemed this plan illegal. They would have charged almost four times as much per class for the in demand classes. More than $800 million has been cut from California community colleges in recent years. Santa Monica College says they have not yet received an official opinion on the matter and thus would not comment on it.
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
Oberlin College Gets Sneak Preview of HBO’s “Girls”
On Thursday night, Oberlin College students got a sneak preview of HBO’s new comedy, “Girls.” The show, which is written and directed by Oberlin Alum, Lena Dunham, premieres on Sunday night. The show centers on the lives of post-college young women living in Brooklyn, NY. This screening was part of an effort on HBO’s part to market this show to college campuses.
Dunham rose to a level of notoriety within the indie film circle after her low-budget post-graduate film “Tiny Furniture” was well received on the festival circuit. That led to the development of this show for HBO. Comedy kingmaker, Judd Apatow, signed on to produce the show in his first return to television since his well-liked but poorly rated shows “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.”
Body of Missing Boston College Student Found
Tragedy struck the campus of Boston College on Wednesday. In a heartbreaking turn of events, the body of missing Boston College student Franco Garcia was pulled out of a reservoir near campus on Wednesday. Garcia was last seen leaving a bar near campus after a night out with fellow members of the school’s Symphonic Band. The 21-year-old chemistry major was the son of Peruvian immigrants. He had planned to attend medical school after graduation.
School President Rev. William Leahy said in a statement:
“The news of today causes deep sadness, and our hearts go out to the Garcia family and his many friends at Boston College. More than ever, we need to remember them in our prayers.”
Petrino Scandal Continues
University of Arkansas has been in the news lately as noted football coach, Bobby Petrino, was fired following a motorcycle crash involving the coach and a female member of his staff. That staff member, 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell, has now been placed on administrative leave.
The school fired Petrino after it came to light that he allegedly gave Dorrell favorable treatment in hiring her to his staff. He also refused to disclose initially that she was a passenger on his motorcycle.
Jeff Long, the school’s athletic director, said:
“Coach Petrino knowingly misled the athletics department and the university about the circumstances related to his accident.”
Petrino also allegedly had given the staffer about $20,000 and because he had not disclosed his relationship with her, he gave her “an unfair and undisclosed advantage for a position on his football staff.”
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College News Roundup
Up-to-date college news from this week:
Shooting at small Oakland, CA College
Tragedy struck this week at Oikos University in Oakland, CA as a gunman opened fire on campus killing at least 7. According to the AP, the shooter, One Goh, had intended to target a female administrator. In a news conference, Alameda County Dist. Atty. Nancy O’Malle said:
“On Monday, April 2, One Goh committed crimes of such enormity and brutality that our community, our country and citizens around the world are left reeling. The scope of this murderer’s rampage is unprecedented in Alameda County.”
Students Pepper Sprayed
While protesting rising tuition costs, students at Santa Monica College were pepper sprayed by campus police earlier this week. During a board meeting, over 100 students protested outside and were subsequently pepper sprayed with over 30 students needing medical attention. Chants ranged from ”Let us in, let us in” to “No cuts, no fees, education should be free.” Santa Monica College president Chui L. Tsang was less than sympathetic to the students stating:
“Santa Monica College regrets that a group of people chose to disrupt a public meeting in an unlawful manner. The College has launched a full investigation into the matter. The College’s action comes at a time when SMC is confronted with the greatest budget crisis ever to face higher education in California.
Kentucky Wins National Championship
Led by national player of the year Anthony Davis, the University of Kentucky Wildcats won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Their 67-59 win gave coach John Calipari his first national title and is the school’s eighth championship. Davis only shot 1 of 10 from the floor and all six of his points came from the free throw line. However, he had 15 rebounds, tied an NCAA championship game record with six blocks and added five assists and three steals.
Texting in Class
According to a US News and World Report Article texting is a huge problem in college classrooms. A study by University of Pittsburg of over 190 students showed that students read 2.6 text messages and sent 2.4 texts during one class. Author of the study Fang-Yi Flora Wei said:
“College students may believe that they are capable of performing multitasking behaviors during their classroom learning, such as listening to the lecture and texting simultaneously. But the real concern is not whether students can learn under a multitasking condition, but how well they can learn if they cannot sustain their full attention on classroom instruction.”
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College News Roundup
FLOTUS to Speak at Two College Graduations
First Lady Michelle Obama will be serving as the commencement speaker for at least three college graduations this spring. However, she will not be straying far from the White House! The lucky schools are North Carolina A&T, Virginia Tech and Oregon State University.
She’ll head to neighboring Virginia on May 11th , where she will be speaking at Virginia Tech. The First Lady chose Virginia Tech due to their resilience following the awful tragedy on their campus in 2007. The next day she’ll head to historically black college North Carolina A&T. She chose A&T because the school has “been instrumental in educating generations of African-Americans.”
Finally, on June 17th, she’ll head to Oregon State University where her brother coaches the Men’s Basketball Team. The school has been recognized for their ongoing efforts to champion healthy eating. As many know this has been the main cause for First Lady Obama in her first term.
Georgia Drops College Ban From Immigration Bill
State Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville has chosen to drop a provision from his immigration bill that would have barred undocumented immigrants from attending state colleges in Georgia. Sen. Loudermilk was unable to get the bill to the floor of the house with that language and as a result he has dropped this provision from the bill.
“There’s other provisions in there that we really need to streamline the process of identification and also security,” Loudermilk stated. “Instead of just jeopardizing all this when we didn’t have the support for the education part, I told them to pull that off if we need to and move forward with the rest of it.”
Final Four This Weekend
The Men’s NCAA Basketball tournament will come to a close this weekend as the Final Four arrives in New Orleans. The lucky schools who have made it this far all happen to be from the Midwest! This “all Midwest” Final Four features University of Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State and Louisville. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, March 31 with the finals on Monday.
In a matchup of high profile coaches, John Calipari’s Kentucky will face off against Rick Pitino’s Louisville. Tip off for that game is at 6:09. Following the conclusion of the Kentucky/Louisville matchup, Ohio State and Kansas will square off in what is certain to be a great game. Tip off for that game is scheduled for 8:49pm.
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