For some colleges and universities social networking is a scourge upon their academic landscapes. When students aren’t studying, or when they should be, they are “networking” on sites like Facebook and MySpace.

One person’s online social networking site may be an annoyance to some, but for others it may prove a useful tool. The San Francisco Chronicle has an article on the latest college strategy: social networking as a communications and marketing vehicle for current and prospective students.

Social Networking for Good not Evil

A respectable handful of colleges have already linked their home pages to their own new, hip MySpace page. There fresh content the likes of recent videos, photos and student comments can be added and subtracted just like any other MySpace page. The strategy is quite marketing related, but it provides prospective students with a more palatable inside look at the colleges they are considering, possibly even from a student’s perspective. It’s the glimpse behind the glossy marketing brochures.

“San Francisco State recently put up its own MySpace page, becoming the largest among the growing number of colleges and universities — from Boston University’s College of Communication and Graduate Admissions to Hiram College in Ohio — to embrace social networking.” (SF Chronicle)

Sum of its Parts

Some colleges have not stopped with a MySpace page. Some are going all the way, linking into their campus Facebook, and featuring podcasts, blogs and forums, and messaging systems.

An admissions counselor at SF State (Victor Villanueva) was the individual behind the university’s new MySpace presence:

“San Francisco State started its MySpace page after Villanueva attended a conference in Las Vegas titled ‘100 Ways to Effectively Recruit Today’s Students.’ He added a Facebook group about a month ago. The campus also has a self-guided campus tour that can be downloaded as a podcast.”

The Real Thing

Even though the colleges that have implemented the new sites have reported a remarkable number of hits and queries, the strategy still has its fair share of critics. Some say young adults will be turned off by “adults butting-in.’” Yeah? Well get this: Santa Clara University in California features student blogs on its site and just since September it’s received close to 40,000 hits. While it’s a sure thing the blogs are “adult-supervised” they are, nevertheless, an inside look—sights, sounds, smells and tangibles not otherwise conveyed by any other means.

Adversaries of educational Affirmative Action are undoubtedly happy. Today’s big news on the education front is the settlement reached between the University of Michigan and two of the case’s leading plaintiffs. The now historical case has dragged on for almost the last ten years. Over that time it grew into a “nearly 40,000-member class-action lawsuit.” (NY Times, “Michigan: Affirmative Action Suit Settled”).

Like many universities, the U. of Michigan had a strong preference for minorities in their admissions processes, both undergraduate and graduate. The goal of such programs has been to balance the scales of diversity. Michigan settled with the plaintiffs and has had to readjust its undergraduate admissions criteria in order to satisfy the new Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.

Who’s Next?

Clearly the issue raises hackles on nearly every front and the uproar will likely not die down anytime soon. Which raises the question, “Who’s next?”

Ward Connerly, the loudest adversary of Affirmative Action, has led the charge. With a head of steam and cocky from the Michigan win, he is set to test the waters in a range of Northwestern states, including Wyoming, Colorado and South Dakota, among others. Where he finds Affirmative Action dug in, he will surely challenge ‘til the death.

Connerly was instrumental in the California Proposition 209 vote, then Washington and now Michigan. An African American himself, Black liberal journalists have cast him as a mouthpiece for “rich, white benefactors” and caricatured him in political cartoons. Many of his critics also argue that Connerly is just too socially privileged to rally against Affirmative Action.

The Other “Minority”

If not ethnic minorities then who else could possibly be a minority group on a college campus in the U.S.? Plenty of sources report that along gender lines women now outnumber men on campus.

Are men, then, a minority?

If you consider the Towson University scholarships that favor academically challenged males, then one may argue young males are a growing campus minority. The program seeks to challenge the persistent devotion to “research that shows that high-school grades, not SAT scores, best predict how students will fare in college.” Towson believes that males are becoming scarcer on campuses because they are ineligible for many programs due to low performance in general academics, in sharp contrast to their typically high SAT scores. In other words male students are smarter than their academic records indicate; they’ve simply been academically “lazy.”

“Like many universities, Towson has a student population that is predominantly female, and it is looking for ways to balance that out.”

Special Admissions

Towson’s program is called the Academic Special Admissions Program. Since the scholarship’s inception in the 2005-06 academic year the majority of students accepted have been male. However, TU makes it emphatically clear that the program is open to all students:

“Towson has been careful to avoid complaints of discrimination. Any student is eligible, regardless of gender or ethnic background. And students who are admitted do not take spots away from those who qualify for regular admission.”

A New Admissions and Scholarship Business Model

TU is just as cognizant of the political climate as is every other American college and university. And right here is a good example of the new model. See, everyone is now eligible to apply for everything. However, smart phraseology will make it possible still for admissions and scholarship programs to be aimed in the direction of specific “minority” populations.

It’s just that the lines between “minorities” are now blurred.

(The Towson University article was originally published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, a subscription-based review. The link accesses a copy of the original republished by the National Association for College Admission Counseling.)

Related:

• Minority Scholarships
• White Male Scholarship Guide

College costs are a leading topic of conversation in the higher education realm, especially when FAFSA season rolls around. It’s human nature. At tax time the talk is about taxes, at Christmas it’s about all the money we’re putting out on gifts and so on. When it’s in, it’s in.

Putting Off the Inevitable

Right now there are even more college cost conversations underway, many that have sat dormant and now are all rising to a big head. Each year about this time parents have the job of sitting down and completing their college-bound kids’ FAFSA form. In order to do that a careful summarization of their last year’s income is tallied and submitted online to get back the dreaded Expected Family Contribution (EFC)—a figure that ranks your eligibility for and level of financial aid.

Expected Family Contribution—a Narrow-minded Figure

The manner in which the EFC is calculated is the same throughout the U.S. Newsday today raises the question: what about families who live in areas with a very high cost of living? For example, what about families who live in California, or New York, New Jersey and Connecticut; their income may seem “well-to-do” compared to many in the country, but

“The government’s formula for determining financial aid, used by many of the nation’s 2,533 colleges, factors income but does not account for the costs of housing, energy, insurance or sales and property taxes.”

Neglected or Overlooked Processes Cost Too

For some maybe it is the EFC that strings them precariously along the financial aid spectrum, for others, reports the New York Times (“Cracking the Books for Financial Aid to College,” Chura), college costs may mount in more elusive places, like simple ignorance of the whole process, such as deadlines and availability of aid resources, the limits of 529 accounts and a slew of other factors:

“People shortchange themselves if they wait to understand their options until they are in the thick of filling out aid applications.”

For those who have some investments and the recommended 529 accounts, apparently there are “mistakes” that can be made that cost you even more when all is said and done:

“Mistakes range from giving money directly to a minor to selling investments in the year that an aid application is made.”

For example, many parents have had the wherewithal to open custodial accounts and/or 529s, but they must have enough advance notice on college plans to be able to use them effectively. Using funds improperly, even the financial differences between types of colleges and programs, could cost in fees, lost interest and other ways that may just be too late to see.

Half Empty or Half Full?

Again, many Americans simply neglect financial chores, the FAFSA and other aid forms being big chores. Miss deadlines for financial aid and you stand to lose thousands. If you don’t look for scholarships, you also stand to lose. They have deadlines, too, by the way.

Add up everything you have to lose and it’s enough to drive you to drink, but think about all you may gain, and you may just pull out all those forms you’ve stacked up and simply get it done.

There’s no question that an Ivy League education is an asset, but is it really worth the hefty price tag and elitism that comes along with it? According to this recent Wall Street Journal article, the diplomas that hang in the offices of most of the nation’s top CEOs are from state universities or small private schools. This may be surprising, as most people (myself included!) automatically assumed that getting that Harvard degree was like a “golden handshake,” where you are inducted into the elite club which rules finance and business. Turns out, this isn’t so. In fact, only 10% of CEOs heading the top 500 companies received an undergraduate degree from an Ivy League school.

Who are these big-time CEOs with the small-time degrees?

Obviously, there’s a bunch, but we’ll mention a few. First, there’s the CEO of Wal-Mart, H. Lee Scott, who attended Pittsburg State University in Kansas. There’s also Intel CEO Paul Otellini who went to the University of San Francisco, and Cosco CEO James Sinegal who went to San Diego City College. Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson attended the University of Texas-Austin, and Proctor & Gamble’s CEO A.G. Lafley graduated from Hamilton College in New York. All this goes to show that innovation, perseverance, intelligence, and acumen go a lot further in cultivating success that the byline on your degree.

“What counts most, CEOs say, is a person’s capacity to seize opportunities. As students, they recall immersing themselves in their interests, becoming campus leaders and forging strong relationships with teachers. And at state and lesser-known schools, where many were the first in their families to attend college, they sought challenges and mixed with students from diverse backgrounds — an experience that helped them later in their corporate climbs.”

Why Did They Choose State or Small Schools?

Several of the CEOs mentioned that they chose the schools they did because they could receive more individualized attention at a state or small school, whose professors were devoted to teaching rather than advancing their own careers. In addition, they pointed out that there’s no point in attending a difficult, prestigious school if it doesn’t fit your needs, or just doesn’t pay attention.

“You can go to a top-end school and end up dramatically underperforming, or you can go to a place that cares and blow away what everyone thinks,” says Mr. Green, who still stays in touch with his economics professor, Charlie Kramer. A trustee at Dean, he feels angry when he encounters “parents who are afraid or ashamed to say their son or daughter is attending a community college,” he says.

Interestingly, there might be a good reason not to attend a prestigious school: you might be viewed as unwilling to ‘start at the bottom’ of a company, or just simply over-qualified. And as most CEOs spent a lot of time with one company, working through the ranks, it might be a drawback.

“A lot of people who earn degrees from tier-one universities and business schools aren’t willing to start at the bottom of a huge company” and spend years scaling layers of management and hoping to reach the top, says Richard Tedlow, a business historian at Harvard Business School.

What About No Degree at All?

It’s true that some CEOs out there actually dropped out of college to pursue their ideas and businesses. Bill Gates quit Harvard to start Microsoft. One case in point is Steve Jobs, who dropped out of Reed College in Oregon to go work for Atari, and then to start Apple. However, this is of course the rare success story; many more people who drop out of college never make it as far as Steve Jobs, and even he had a long struggle to get anywhere, stating that dropping out “wasn’t romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room so I slept on the floor of friends’ rooms and returned Coke bottles…to buy food.”

However the take-home message seems to be: make the best educational decision for your budget and goals, as an Ivy League degree does not promise success. A student can achieve the same level of success with a degree from a state or small school, its all about the individual that makes the difference.

End of a Long Fight Over….Stickers?

A four-year legal battle by a Georgia school board regarding text-book stickers claiming evolution is “a theory, not a fact” is finally coming to an end. Cobb County School Board was fighting in a federal court to keep the stickers, but has abandoned the case. The stickers, which were seen by the government as a means to undermine the teaching of evolution, were placed on the textbooks after parents complained that competing theories such as the literal biblical creationist belief was not taught. A federal judge ordered the stickers removed in 2005, which the school board fought until this week.

The stickers read: “This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.”

Another Page in the Evolution Saga

This court case’s resolution is just another chapter in the fight of creationism vs. evolution in the science class. Last year, a federal judge barred a school district in Dover Pennsylvania (the notorious Dover case) from teaching “intelligent design” as an a competing theory with evolution, stating that it was just a slick re-packaging of creationism which had already been barred. In addition, earlier this year the state school board in Kansas attempted to adopt official stances contrary to evolution, although those anti-evolution members were ousted by voters.

Is Creationism (“Intelligent Design”) Really A Competing Theory?

It baffles me that people would try to argue that intelligent design (ID) could qualify as science, and therefore have a place in a science classroom. I have absolutely nothing against the belief system behind ID, and believe that the tenet of freedom of religion is something that every American has the right to enjoy. My perspective is rather the “call a spade a spade” argument. Science is, by definition, “a system of acquiring knowledge–based on empiricism, experimentation, and methodological naturalism–aimed at finding out the truth.” Therefore, for something to be considered science, it must adhere to the above stated principles. (The products of science are not absolute truth, but rather what is deemed true given the existing evidence.) In addition, scientific data is procured and theories must be testable using the scientific method, which refers to a process for evaluating empirical knowledge and observations in nature without assuming the existence or non-existence of the supernatural. Yes, it works both ways. Therefore, the scientific method could, in theory, provide the same sort of evidence to both sides of the question. In reality, it has only provided evidence for one side.

Scientific theories are formulated as a direct result of evidence, not the other way around. Therefore a theory devoid of evidence cannot be assumed to be accurate or true (see above about absolute truth). When new evidence comes along, theories can either be modified to fit the evidence or it can be deemed as contradicted and discarded, in the extreme case. ID falls short of the criteria for being deemed “science” in every way possible: no evidence (that would certainly be enough) and in fact ignores contradicting evidence, it is theory-driven rather than evidence-driven, its hypotheses are neither testable nor refutable, it cannot be physically observed in the natural world, it has no predictive value, assumes the presence of the supernatural, etc. Given this, ID cannot meet the standard for science.

Alternative theories SHOULD be debated and explored in the public forum, and a philosophy class is the proper forum. If proponents really just cared about presenting opposing views rather than casting doubt on a strong theory that they believe conflicts with the existence of the supernatural, that should be satisfactory. I say believe, because I have yet to really understand why the ideas of evolution and god are mutually exclusive.

As I am still in China visiting my family there, a news story caught my eye about an ongoing educational issue there: education in public schools about HIV/AIDS. For many years, the government of China has been a bit in denial about the seriousness of this disease in China, and has, in the past, been resistant in education about the virus. Fortunately, that is slowly changing as a matter of necessity.

Not Just a Foreign Problem

Over 650,000 people suffer from HIV/AIDS in China, which works out to about 0.1% of the population. This is still quite a bit lower than the USA’s percentage (0.6%), however when you consider how large the population of China is, and how easily it might spread, this is not to be taken lightly. Furthermore, knowledge of transmission methods and ways to prevent infection is lacking in the more rural parts of China where Western science is not well understood. As recently as the 1990s, China maintained that AIDS was only an outside, foreign problem and only foreigners were required to take AIDS tests. Public health disasters in China, such as unsanitary blood donations, created small outbreaks that spread as citizens remained in the dark about the virus.

China Comes Around, Finally

According to China Daily online, now 80% of middle schools in Beijing are offering HIV-prevention courses—none offered these courses a year ago. China also wrote the country’s first textbook aimed at educating about HIV, which deals with issues as diverse as condoms to online relationships, and has required that six class hours are required every semester in middle school. Surprisingly, part of the education is aimed at countering the current stereotype against people with HIV—it encourages people not to be prejudiced. These changes are all welcome, and important, to a country who is attempting to create a high-quality education system modeled after Western standards.

One Education Under All
What if free education began at 4 years old, high school ended in 10^th grade, and birth certificates came with $500 bonds to be used for college? These educational reforms, outlined in a brain-storming report compiled by key educators, politicians, and CEOs, may be a reality by 2021. This diverse panel’s mission is to create ideas to rebuilt America’s lagging educational system, in order to stay competitive for high-tech jobs as China and India meet the market. Americans have become accustomed to a high standard of living, which may begin to slip away if our economy weakens.

New Ideas Funded By Microsoft Money
The group, called the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, is partially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In the think-tank’s report, independent contractors, rather than school boards, would oversee school districts and money would be allotted to schools based on demographics. Teachers’ pay would rise, but their pensions would decrease. The ideas are drastic, and have faced opposition from teachers’ unions and national school board associations—this should be expected though, as these two groups would suffer the largest changes in their regular routines. Much of the feedback from the government has been positive though: several senators have stated that the report merits serious consideration in Congress. This report may be well-timed, as Bush’s ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act is soon up for review and may be altered at that time to reflect new ideas.

Students Will Graduate Earlier
One especially revolutionary idea would “change the way students move between high school, college, and the workforce.” Specifically, that all students would take an exam at the end of 10^th grade that would dictate the next step in their education “(vocational school, community college, university, etc).

“Now many students just slide through high school, because they know that all they have to do is get passes in their courses or a satisfactory score on an eighth- or ninth-grade-level literacy test to go to college, the report states. “With this system, they will know that they have to work hard in school to get anywhere.”

In addition, eliminating 11^th and 12^th grade would save the school system $67 billion nationally, which would free up that money to be used for earlier education like free preschool. My thoughts on this report are mixed. On the one hand, I do agree that a drastic overhaul of the educational system is warranted. Privatizing schools I believe is a great idea to promote fiscal responsibility, but I believe they should interact with seasoned educators who know the ins-and-outs of running a school filled with crazy teenagers (rather than employees on the payroll!).

Beginning education earlier is a fantastic idea—studies evaluating the impact of early preschool and HeadStart programs have all been overwhelmingly positive. However, dumping 10^th graders into the workforce or into college might not be such a great idea. High school is about more than just learning; its also about reaching the emotional maturity to excel in college or a job and not all students are ready at the 10^th grade level. Actually, many aren’t even ready at the 12^th grade level!

Global Literacy Tied to Health and Wealth

I just arrived in China last night (although, China is 12 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone so “night” is subjective) on a 2 week stay to visit my parents in Shanghai. On the flight over, I was reading a current issue of National Geographic where I learned that the literacy rate in developing countries has been fast catching up to the developed world over the past 35 years. Literacy, which specifically refers to the ability to read and write, affects more than its name suggests: it is also a litmus test of the education level of that country’s general population.

Raising the level of literacy in a nation has far-reaching effects, as all the knowledge contained in books is useless to those who cannot read it. From understanding medicine labels and road signs, to opening up new pathways of thought, increasing the ‘global level’ of literacy is an important goal.

In the past few decades, this global level of literacy has grown dramatically as the world is becoming increasingly interconnected through economics, politics, and the internet. A quick snapshot of current literacy levels:

• Europe 99% (94% in 1970)
• Americas (North and South) 94% (85% in 1970)
• Asia 78% (51% in 1970)
• Africa 65% (28% in 1970)

Importantly, increasing literacy levels is correlated with higher per capita gross domestic product (a measure of the wealth per person in a nation). This makes sense as a population with higher educations is able to be more competitive in the global market. Furthermore, high literacy levels go hand-in-hand with lower infant mortality rates as well (better doctors, medical knowledge, understanding of health and science, etc).

Women More Likely to Be Illiterate

Gender is also heavily involved in global literacy levels: women are still much more likely to be illiterate in developing nations than are men. In areas of the world where women are viewed as property or indentured servants, depriving them of the ability to read is a way of depriving them of a way to better their lives through information. Out of the 770 million people in the world who are illiterate, two-thirds are women. In India, less that 50% of adult women are literate and in Niger, only 15% can read. To address this problem, the United Nations has pushed for global literacy programs, which is starting to bear fruit in younger generations. Younger women in India (ages 15-24) are much more likely to be literate (70% can read) than the older generation. In an increasingly information-driven world economy, literacy rates both a national concern as well as an individual one.

Abuse of Power

Professors and teachers are in positions of power when it comes to students, and unfortunately they occasionally abuse that power. Take the recent case of Elvin Escano, community college computer science instructor, who is currently charged with changing students’ grades in exchange for money and alcohol. Escano was charged with grand larceny, computer tampering, forgery and falsifying business records.

“In a statement, Brown said Escano used his position over a 29-month period as an instructor and lab technician at LaGuardia Community College to inflate student grades for courses and exams: In exchange for better grades, students gave him cash payments ranging from $200 to $2,500 or items such as wine and alcohol.

Authorities allege Escano tampered with computer records in LaGuardia’s registrar’s office to reflect the higher grades. The indictment also accused Escano of recruiting students to promote his scheme and generate more business for him, sometimes paying them with grade changes.”

However, the instructor has received only a slap on the wrist by being placed on a paid sabbatical by his employer, LaGuardia Community College in New York. Likely, they are attempted to be fair by waiting for the final verdict. If he is found guilty, he could spend up to seen years in prison!

Students Use Technology Skills to Change Grades

Instructors aren’t the only ones who’ve been caught in the act of changing grades lately: a senior at Cherry Hill High School in Philadelphia is accused of hacking into school computers to change grades for cash. At least five other students are also suspected of paying him to change the grades for them, and may also be expelled.

“A person familiar with the school district investigation said officials believed that a senior at the school obtained a privileged password to the school computer system and changed grades for at least five other students in exchange for money.”

This is particularly embarrassing for Cherry Hill High due to its prestigious reputation, high graduation rate (99%), and college attendance (98%) of its students. Now that reputation has been cast into doubt by a few unscrupulous students who may not have realized their actions will affect all their classmates as well. Ironically, interviewed students thought that the cheaters may have attempted to change grades due to the high competition to get into college.

Interviewed in the school parking lot, sophomore Dara Weinraub, 16, said: “Some kids act like a test is the end-all, be-all, and make it worse for themselves. There’s more to life.”

Brian Libes, a 16-year-old junior, said this about the idea of cheating: “They can, so why not?”

Zack Rosenblatt, a 16-year-old sophomore, said changing grades was unfair to other students. “Everybody else has to work hard for their grades, so why should these kids be any different?” Rosenblatt said.

“It’s dishonest; so wrong,” said senior Ellis DeGuzman, 17. “We go to a school that is tougher than most, so there is a lot of pressure to get into the Ivies.”

When students and teachers are academically dishonest, who suffers? In addition to themselves (whether or not they are caught), these incidents highlight the ugly side of education and compromise the experience of learning and achievement for everyone. While prison sentences and expulsion may seen harsh, it is important to have no tolerance for these acts of dishonesty in order to preserve the integrity of our educational system.

Is a Degree Worth It?

Ever wonder whether getting a college degree is worth the time, effort, money, and stress? Now there’s evidence to say that getting a degree significantly raises your income level and job success! It seems intuitive that more education would make you more competitive in the job market, but it’s nice to know this equates with financial success as well.

The College Board Report

A report released by the College Education Board this year affirms that receiving a college degree leads to a more successful career, and a higher income. The median income for persons with a college degree is 63% higher than the median incomes of those who have only received a high school diploma. In layman’s terms, that means that if a person with a diploma had an income of $25,000, a 65% increase would equate to about $40,750! Over the course of a career spanning 25 or so years, it is obvious that the difference mounts up quickly in terms of quality of life and how long before you can afford retirement.

Furthermore, they found that the education that children receive is correlated with that of their parents. If a child’s parents have been to college, they are more likely to also attend, putting them in a better situation for success. The report comments that a goal of educators should be to reach out to students whose parents did not go to college, to encourage them to attend. As the global market becomes more and more competitive, it is becoming increasingly important to have a valuable degree to make you stand out.

Surprise: Women Earn More than Men

Despite much previous evidence that showed an “earning gap” between men and women, in favor of men, the College Board Report found that women earned more than men.

Sandy Baum, senior policy analyst at the College Board and a professor of economics at Skidmore College, addressed this issue among others.

“The real issue here is that at every level of education, women earn significantly more than men,” she said. “However, female high school graduates have particularly few options for reasonable wages. The male/female gap is greatest for high school grads than for college grads.”

Exceptions to the Rule

This does not mean that there are variations in these populations: obviously some high school grads do just fine, and some college degree-holders might not excel. The statistic is the average of the population at large, gathered by the College Board. So remember that while some wealthy moguls or movie stars decided to skip college and still became a success, those are the exceptions to the rule. Its better be well-prepared, and well-educated, that to rely on luck.