The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

Early Move-In No Problem If You Pay For It

Campuses are chaotic on student move-in day, with packed cars lingering in loading zones and fully stocked dolly carts fighting for free elevators. What if you could bypass the mayhem and settle in to your dorm room a little earlier? At the University of New Haven and the University of Michigan, you can do exactly that — for a price. For $35 a day at New Haven and $75 a day at Michigan, freshmen and other students living in campus housing can move in as much as a week before the dormitories officially open. Read more at:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/early-bird-specials/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Elite IHEs Giving More Financial Aid To Middle Class Families

Some of the nation's most elite colleges, trying to ward off perceptions that they've become unaffordable to even high-income families, are bolstering their financial aid packages by offering grants to students whose parents earn as much as $180,000 a year. they are increasingly reaching out to families caught in the middle: those who are too wealthy to be eligible for federal grants, but not so wealthy as to be able to absorb the $50,000 a year for college, particularly with the rising costs of home ownership. The colleges say the emphasis on aid to higher-income families has not come at the expense of lower-income students. Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/27/at_elite_colleges_new_aid_for_the_middle/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Education+news

Student Sues University For Return Of Twice-Paid Tuition

Appearing in small claims court Friday, San Francisco State University student Angela Yuen Uyeda said university officials had unfairly forced her to pay twice for the fall 2009 semester. Like many students, Uyeda had already paid $2,034 for full-time tuition when the financially strapped university bumped up the price by 20 percent and sent out a second bill. "When you go to Macy's or any store, you buy something and you get a receipt, and that's the end," Uyeda said in an interview. "They don't come back and tell you, 'Oh, we raised the price.' " Read more at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/27/BARS1F4HC1.DTL#ixzz0y6qeo3aq

Incoming Students Are Treated As Young Donors

On a growing number of campuses, first-year students are hearing another message. Please give. Not for tuition, but instead as a young donor. With alumni-giving rates at record lows and lagging state support of postsecondary education, public and private schools alike are focusing their efforts on building lifetime loyalty among still-impressionable students. "We are unapologetically laying out expectations for their relationship with Penn," said Elise Betz, executive director of alumni relations. "Before our students enter a classroom, they are given this message." Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2010/08/26/colleges_see_prospective_donors_among_new_students/

Message To Parents Of New College Students Is "Let Go"

At this time of year, more and more colleges across the country are attempting to teach anxious mothers and fathers a lesson not contained in any traditional curriculum: Let go. Facing a generation of text-messaging parents who are often intensely involved in their offspring's lives and academic careers, many schools are launching or expanding orientation events to inform parents about all sorts of details. More important, campus officials say, is explicit advice aimed at easing the pain of separation for the older generation and discouraging intrusive habits. Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-me-parents-20100829,0,2120259.story

Community Colleges Get The Jump On Green Job Programs

 “Green-collar” jobs, like retrofitting a home to conserve energy or helping build a wind farm, an energy-conscious economy will need a new generation of environmentally smart managers, and that’s where community colleges are stepping up with new courses and degree programs. Some community colleges already are offering two-year degrees in environmental management and certificates for managers who want to add green qualifications — which means learning more about the environmental aspects of a particular field — to their résumés. These colleges are offering some courses and training on campus as well as online. Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/education/26GREEN.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Muslim College Students Alarmed by Increased Hostility

All of it points to a swelling hostility that many of these students had scarcely known was there and that religious and political leaders worry could fuel alienation and radicalism among some young American Muslims. At AU, there is little evidence of that. With their scoopneck shirts and skinny jeans, they are part of the patchwork of ethnicities and religions woven through most U.S. campuses. For them, any suggestion that being Muslim is incompatible with being American is disturbing. Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082606319.html?wprss=rss_education

There's No Dearth Of Entrepreneurship Courses

Courses in entrepreneurship are now offered by more than 1,200 American universities, and by thousands more organizations including community colleges, small-business development centers and chambers of commerce. Many of the courses are continuing education programs for people with job experience. They include one-week courses, night classes, online offerings and graduate degree programs. The courses vary widely, but they typically seek to leave students with some blend of two things: an entrepreneurial mind-set and a tool kit. Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/education/26ENTREPRENEUR.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Infographic: College in American

Here's a graphical representation of statistical data, trends and demographics in the higher education industry. See it at:
http://highereducationmanagement.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/college-in-america-infographic/

Professor Makes A Video Game A Part Of The Course

At Indiana’s all-boys Wabash College, the critically acclaimed video game Portal will appear alongside The Epic of Gilgamesh,Hamlet, and Aristotle as required material for undergraduate students seeking any degree.The game will be part of a mandatory Freshman seminar called “Enduring Questions” that will explore “fundamental questions of humanity” through “classical and contemporary works.” A theater professor named Michael Abbott is among the faculty members designing the course. Read more at:
http://mashable.com/2010/08/24/portal-college/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Mashable+(Mashable)&utm_content=Bloglines