The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

Students Often Reject Mental Health Counseling

A new study out of the University of Michigan has found that over half of the surveyed students who exhibited severe anxiety or depression did not seek counseling or other aid, even when professional help was available free of charge on campus. The Virginia Tech case has spawned an intense re-evaluation of how college students shoulder the stress and challenges of life on campus. Read more at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20070626/ts_usnews/collegestudentsdontseekmentalcounsel

How Will The Supreme Court Decision Impact IHEs

Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down school diversity plans in two public school systems led media coverage throughout the country, and although the case was viewed largely as a K-12 issue, the higher education community was left asking what, if any impact, the decision could have on admissions at colleges and universities. Here are links to some analysis on the higher education issues. Read more at:
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=HENA&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=22776

New Jersey Residents Think Higher Education Works Well

More than seven out of 10 New Jersey residents say state colleges and universities deliver either an excellent or good education, but 59 percent think getting a college degree is less affordable than a few years ago, according to a poll released yesterday. Despite the good news the image of the state colleges and universities has been tarnished by various state scandals and allegations of corruption. Read more at:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1183092053244080.xml&coll=1

Michigan Research Universities Form A Research Corridor

Michigan's three major research universities -- the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University -- generate as much or more research and development than most other institutions in the country. But to do better the three created the University Research Corridor (URC). This alliance can accelerate statewide economic development and diversify Michigan's economy. Read more at:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/OPINION01/706280331/1026/SCHOOLS

This New College Has Everything But Enough Students

They have hired the faculty and secured millions in state funding, feverishly prepared lesson plans and accreditation applications and have worked out deals all over the state. Now, they just need students. Lots of them. Gwinnett College, Georgia's first new public college in more than 100 years, opens its doors to freshmen on its 205-acre campus off Ga. 316 in seven and a half weeks. The administration counted on 3,000 students, but they have enrolled just 435 so far. Read more at:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2007/06/27/0628metgwc.html

Corporate Partnership Will Pay Off For Syracuse

JPMorgan Chase will invest $30 million to help develop new financial service technology and infrastructure courses at Syracuse University under a 10-year partnership announced Wednesday. There are plans to build a new corporate technology center at Syracuse to focus on the fields of financial and information technology. The program will provide a training ground for new students and create hundreds of new jobs in Syracuse and upstate New York. Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2007/06/27/syracuse_jpmorgan_team_for_new_classes/

More Friday Morning Classes Could Reduce Student Drinking

College students kick their weekends off early by drinking more alcohol on Thursday nights when they don't have Friday classes before 10 a.m., a study shows. Students with a 9 a.m. Friday class drank an average of 1.39 drinks on Thursday night, while students who did not have class on Friday drank an average of 2.41 drinks.The authors of the study recommended that universities offer more classes on Friday mornings and require students to take those classes. Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-06-26-drinking-thursday_N.htm

From Animal House To Public Service

One of the most enduring features of American university life – the social fraternity – ultimately waned for more than a decade. But they also help explain why the phenomenon still appeals and why its retooling is aiding something of a rebirth with the "millennial" generation. "The party animal frat boy is old school and old hat," says Jon Williamson, executive vice president of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Read more at: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0626/p20s01-ussc.html

Welcome To Indoctrinate U

A new documentary is making the rounds that argues, with vivid examples, that the nation’s colleges are squelching freedom of expression and are no longer free marketplaces of ideas. The film carries the striking title “Indoctrinate U,” Does the film offer a fair picture of campus life in 2007, or is it just a pastiche of notorious events?  Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/education/27education.html?ex=1340596800&en=fb56fc21dcea1a45&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

A New Competitor To The Common Application

Since its birth in 1975, the Common Application has revolutionized the college application process, making it easy to apply to several schools at once. This has been a blessing to students but a curse to some of the college officials who have had to handle the deluge. Today, a for-profit company called Applications Online is launching its own online application that it says will give the nonprofit Common Application competition and help more students, particularly low-income students, apply to a greater variety of colleges. Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/26/AR2007062601883.html?nav=rss_education