Have you updated your Twitter yet?
What was your last blog about?
What is your status on Facebook?
These might seem like odd questions to be asking a high school counselor, but more and more schools are looking into the possible integration of some of these social networks into their schools to help improve the educational experience of their students.
There are varied responses to this. While some schools ban all of these sites outright, many are starting to acknowledge that it is a viable way to reach their students. A 2008 Survey conducted by College board shows 89% actively use Social Networking Sites, visiting these sites one or more times a day and spending an average of 32 minutes per visit. What may be surprising is that of these high school students using Social Networking Sites (SNS), 61% are using it to contact classmates for class notes, help with homework assignments, and other academic purposes. (Collegeboard, 2009)
One school uses Myspace to collaborate with another classroom two states away through comments, messages and blogs for various projects. Another uses it to engage the students in discussions about race and segregation. (Smith, 2007). At the Science Leadership Academy they firmly believe in using this new technology to help shape their students. “When I hear people say it's our job to create the twenty-first-century workforce, it scares the hell out of me," says their founding principal, Chris Lehmann. "Our job is to create twenty-first-century citizens. We need workers, yes, but we also need scholars, activists, parents -- compassionate, engaged people. We're not reinventing schools to create a new version of a trade school. We're reinventing schools to help kids be adaptable in a world that is changing at a blinding rate." (Smith, 2007)
Some schools are using it to bring up web safety and responsibility. Rather than ignoring the issue or allowing it to be someone else’s problem teachers and counselors are tackling it head on by posing questions and discussions to their students such as “what does it mean to be a fifteen year old calling him/her self nineteen and posting racy pictures?” Or “What are some possible outcomes from employers or colleagues who see your inappropriate collegiate spring break pictures?” (Smith, 2007) By engaging the students in direct conversation about these topics the faculty at these high schools hope to encourage safer net usage as well as encourage the students to connect with each other via the web.
While many schools are utilizing these online websites, the staff promoting it and who monitor the accounts usually draw a clear line between what is academic and personal. “I’ve no personal connection to my own Facebook account; and happily connect to anyone, including my students, within Facebook. Yet my twitter network is extremely personal to me; it’s my personal space, I don’t want to interact with family or students in twitter.” Writes Sue Waters of Edublogs.org. (2008) This allows a safer connection for these professionals to their students without divulging too much personal information but allowing them to still engage their students in a way that is more meaningful to the student. The use of blogs has also been more popular with various staff and faculty at high schools, allowing them to blog about their classroom experiences and strategies, which in turn provides a wonderful resource for other teachers and staff to draw from or connect to.
The whole idea of “Web 2.0” as it is being called may be a new concept to some folks working at the high schools, but it certainly is nothing new to the students attending. It is this constant moving forward of technology which can be difficult at times to keep up with, but is imperative if we are to stay connected to students and remain relevant in their world. There are also many opportunities to connect with people all over the world to share experiences- it just requires a little non-traditional thinking!
Academia Group, (2008) High School Students Tell All. http://www.academiagroup.com/ Accessed on 1/29/2009 http://www.academicagroup.com/node/5337
Collegeboard, (2009) Social Networking Sites and College Bound Students. www.collegeboard.com , Accessed on 1/29/2009, http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/trends/studentpoll/social-networking
Smith, F. (2007), My School, Meet Myspace: Social Networking At School, Accessed on 1/29/09 http://www.edutopia.org/how-use-social-networking-technology
Waters, S. (2008), Educational Networking and Staying Out of My Face, Accessed on 1/29/09 http://aquaculturepda.edublogs.org/2008/01/31/educational-networking-and-staying-out-of-my-face/
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Education and Web Technology
We've finally caved and joined Twitter.
After hearing and hearing and hearing about it we finally decided that we should join the bandwagon, create and account and start "tweeting" (hey, all the cool kids are doing it!). What surprised me the most though was the creative ways that teachers and professors in both k-12 and higher ed are using the various services.
Some classes are using it to collaborate with students across the country, professors use them to facilitate online discussion for projects or answer student questions... it goes on and on. This is fantastic- and I think so incredibly useful. The best part of it is that it doesn't cost the schools anything to use, other than the upfront cost of the computer and whatever the internet service costs are- both of which I'm fairly sure the schools have anyway.
I've also seen some college admissions departments use it to broadcast open houses, deadlines, etc which I think is absoultely brilliant. What an easy way for students to keep up with the college and feel connected to it. I know it's not in person, but any more it seems that more and more socializing is taking place on the web (how many kids spend hours and hours and hours on Facebook, or XBox Live?) so why not connect to students that way with a continual feed of information? It seems pretty logical at this point.
Are you using any of these tools in a creative way? Is your school utilizing any of these websites to connect to students, or is a particular teacher/professor? I would love to hear about more ways that these sites are being used!
After hearing and hearing and hearing about it we finally decided that we should join the bandwagon, create and account and start "tweeting" (hey, all the cool kids are doing it!). What surprised me the most though was the creative ways that teachers and professors in both k-12 and higher ed are using the various services.
Some classes are using it to collaborate with students across the country, professors use them to facilitate online discussion for projects or answer student questions... it goes on and on. This is fantastic- and I think so incredibly useful. The best part of it is that it doesn't cost the schools anything to use, other than the upfront cost of the computer and whatever the internet service costs are- both of which I'm fairly sure the schools have anyway.
I've also seen some college admissions departments use it to broadcast open houses, deadlines, etc which I think is absoultely brilliant. What an easy way for students to keep up with the college and feel connected to it. I know it's not in person, but any more it seems that more and more socializing is taking place on the web (how many kids spend hours and hours and hours on Facebook, or XBox Live?) so why not connect to students that way with a continual feed of information? It seems pretty logical at this point.
Are you using any of these tools in a creative way? Is your school utilizing any of these websites to connect to students, or is a particular teacher/professor? I would love to hear about more ways that these sites are being used!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Email Etiquette
This article I think is fabulous. As the recipient of the mail@anycollege.com email address and a former college counselor whose email was given out to every single student upon starting classes (I'd average over 100 emails per day coming in) this is a pet subject of mine. However, I believe that if you need something/want something/need to get your point across you cannot risk a poorly written email.
I am guilty of receiving emails that are poorly written and immediately blowing off the sender because of it. Any request in the email goes unanswered for some time and I won't take the time with it that I normally would. Why? I have felt that if you are asking me to take some of my time to assist you with something, you can at least take the time to use correct spelling and grammar in the email, especially that most email systems have not only a spell checker but a grammar checker.
A few of my own comments on the article:
E-Mail is forever. Once you send it off, you can't get it back. Once your professor has it, he or she owns it and can save it or, in the worst case, forward it onto colleagues for a good laugh—at your expense. (Call us at the college heartless, but this absolutely does happen- usually preceded by "Look at what this student wrote- can you believe it? Should I reply?" And believe me- the temptation to write back a smart *** response is strong.)
Professors might not be using the cruddy university E-mail system. So, send to the address they actually use, not the one on the university directory. (Check the syllabus or assignment sheet for clues.) (In the student's defense, shame on the professor if he/she does not regularly check the University email. When you can't find your syllabus at 2 AM and all you have is the University directory then you email the listed address there. That's why there is a University Directory and as much as they may hate the University standard email they should use it.)
Professors might not open mail sent from luckydogpig@thepound.com. They prefer to open mail sent from more reputable addresses, like you@theCruddyUniversityE-mailSystem.edu.
Subject lines are for subjects. Put a brief explanation of the nature of the E-mail (like "question about paper") in the subject line. And never include demands such as "urgent request—immediate response needed." That's the surest way to get your request "Pluto-ed." (Half the time when I would receive an email from randomwordshere@whateveremailaddress.com the student would also forget to sign it... and when I can't tell who emailed me and that person is asking for help there isn't a whole lot I can do. This would be up there when I would get a phone message from "John" asking me to call him back urgently... with no phone number in a student body of 1,400)
Salutations matter. The safest way to start is with "Dear Professor So and So" (using their last name). That way you won't be getting into the issue of whether the prof has a Ph.D. or not, and you won't seem sexist when you address your female professor as "Ms." or, worse yet, "Mrs. This and That." (Worse yet: salutations of "Hey you", "Dude" "Yo-" or none at all... your professors are not "dude" or any variation thereof, no matter how cool they are.
Clear and concise is best. Your prof might get 25 or 30 E-mails in a day. (If they're lucky. Most of my professor friends get over 100 per day. PER DAY!) So, it's best if you ask your questions in as focused and succinct a way as possible (hint: it's often good to number your questions). And, if your questions are very elaborate or multifaceted, it's best to hoof over to an in-person office hour. You'll get better service that way. (You will also get a quicker answer to your questions. Trust me, professors don't want to play email tag for three days for a question that could have been answered in two minutes in person.)
This is not IM-ing. So pls dun wrte yor profeSR lIk ur txtN. uz abbrz @ yor own rsk. coRec me f Im wrng. (Please, please don't do this. Most professors do not speak this language!) (So true. I often have sent emails back to students simply saying "Dear Student, I do not understand what you are saying. Thank you.-Nikki" This also goes for acronyms that I don't understand. It's one thing if I can generally sound it out but when you add JTEJW into your email or some other acronym (half the time not capitalized either so I'm really not sure what that word is) you've just doubly confused me. Even if I do understand, this is just simply inappropriate to write to any one at the college in.)
This is not College Humor. So resist the temptation to talk about the "bad ass" paper you need help with, your "loser" TA who didn't teach you what you needed to know, or the "cruddy" grade you just got on the midterm. (See above comments. Again, this is not a language professors speak. While they are human, they do take their work seriously. You should too. )
This is not Dr. Phil. Avoid sending long excuses about why you missed class. No professor wants to hear about how your grandfather just died (even if it's true—which it never is), how your Jeep got totaled, or why you just spent three days in the hoosegow. (If you absolutely have to send an excuse (and yes, even if your grandfather who was your best friend just died it's still seen as an excuse) keep it succinct. "Personal matters" cover everything from car problems to getting tossed in the slammer for a DUI. "Family emergency" covers mom in the hospital and little brother going AWOL. If you end up talking to the professor a few more details can come out in person, but please not in the email.)
Spelling mistakes make you look like a doofis, so always use the spell check. And while your at it, it wouldn't hurt to proofread your E-mail, two. (Please please please please please)
There are more details and suggestions in the article. I highly recommend reading it and putting the tips to good use when you're in college, and those good habits will eventually transfer into good email skills at your job.
Trust me, fewer things will become more annoying than poorly written email when you've got someone asking you for something.
I am guilty of receiving emails that are poorly written and immediately blowing off the sender because of it. Any request in the email goes unanswered for some time and I won't take the time with it that I normally would. Why? I have felt that if you are asking me to take some of my time to assist you with something, you can at least take the time to use correct spelling and grammar in the email, especially that most email systems have not only a spell checker but a grammar checker.
A few of my own comments on the article:
E-Mail is forever. Once you send it off, you can't get it back. Once your professor has it, he or she owns it and can save it or, in the worst case, forward it onto colleagues for a good laugh—at your expense. (Call us at the college heartless, but this absolutely does happen- usually preceded by "Look at what this student wrote- can you believe it? Should I reply?" And believe me- the temptation to write back a smart *** response is strong.)
Professors might not be using the cruddy university E-mail system. So, send to the address they actually use, not the one on the university directory. (Check the syllabus or assignment sheet for clues.) (In the student's defense, shame on the professor if he/she does not regularly check the University email. When you can't find your syllabus at 2 AM and all you have is the University directory then you email the listed address there. That's why there is a University Directory and as much as they may hate the University standard email they should use it.)
Professors might not open mail sent from luckydogpig@thepound.com. They prefer to open mail sent from more reputable addresses, like you@theCruddyUniversityE-mailSystem.edu.
Subject lines are for subjects. Put a brief explanation of the nature of the E-mail (like "question about paper") in the subject line. And never include demands such as "urgent request—immediate response needed." That's the surest way to get your request "Pluto-ed." (Half the time when I would receive an email from randomwordshere@whateveremailaddress.com the student would also forget to sign it... and when I can't tell who emailed me and that person is asking for help there isn't a whole lot I can do. This would be up there when I would get a phone message from "John" asking me to call him back urgently... with no phone number in a student body of 1,400)
Salutations matter. The safest way to start is with "Dear Professor So and So" (using their last name). That way you won't be getting into the issue of whether the prof has a Ph.D. or not, and you won't seem sexist when you address your female professor as "Ms." or, worse yet, "Mrs. This and That." (Worse yet: salutations of "Hey you", "Dude" "Yo-" or none at all... your professors are not "dude" or any variation thereof, no matter how cool they are.
Clear and concise is best. Your prof might get 25 or 30 E-mails in a day. (If they're lucky. Most of my professor friends get over 100 per day. PER DAY!) So, it's best if you ask your questions in as focused and succinct a way as possible (hint: it's often good to number your questions). And, if your questions are very elaborate or multifaceted, it's best to hoof over to an in-person office hour. You'll get better service that way. (You will also get a quicker answer to your questions. Trust me, professors don't want to play email tag for three days for a question that could have been answered in two minutes in person.)
This is not IM-ing. So pls dun wrte yor profeSR lIk ur txtN. uz abbrz @ yor own rsk. coRec me f Im wrng. (Please, please don't do this. Most professors do not speak this language!) (So true. I often have sent emails back to students simply saying "Dear Student, I do not understand what you are saying. Thank you.-Nikki" This also goes for acronyms that I don't understand. It's one thing if I can generally sound it out but when you add JTEJW into your email or some other acronym (half the time not capitalized either so I'm really not sure what that word is) you've just doubly confused me. Even if I do understand, this is just simply inappropriate to write to any one at the college in.)
This is not College Humor. So resist the temptation to talk about the "bad ass" paper you need help with, your "loser" TA who didn't teach you what you needed to know, or the "cruddy" grade you just got on the midterm. (See above comments. Again, this is not a language professors speak. While they are human, they do take their work seriously. You should too. )
This is not Dr. Phil. Avoid sending long excuses about why you missed class. No professor wants to hear about how your grandfather just died (even if it's true—which it never is), how your Jeep got totaled, or why you just spent three days in the hoosegow. (If you absolutely have to send an excuse (and yes, even if your grandfather who was your best friend just died it's still seen as an excuse) keep it succinct. "Personal matters" cover everything from car problems to getting tossed in the slammer for a DUI. "Family emergency" covers mom in the hospital and little brother going AWOL. If you end up talking to the professor a few more details can come out in person, but please not in the email.)
Spelling mistakes make you look like a doofis, so always use the spell check. And while your at it, it wouldn't hurt to proofread your E-mail, two. (Please please please please please)
There are more details and suggestions in the article. I highly recommend reading it and putting the tips to good use when you're in college, and those good habits will eventually transfer into good email skills at your job.
Trust me, fewer things will become more annoying than poorly written email when you've got someone asking you for something.
Friday, January 23, 2009
College Students and Democracy
Hearing a radio piece this morning about the debacle going on right now in Minnesota's Senate race made me recall a conversation in November on Election Day with my father.
I had mentioned something about how great I thought it was that so many younger people were getting involved in politics and were so passionate about the election this year. He said "Yeah, that's great, but... (pause... pause... pause...) I don't know if I want their opinion heard.
WHAT?!?!?
Now, I do know with my parents when to choose my battles and this was one where I chose to simply say "Now, that's not very democratic of you." which seemed to suffice... but what I really wanted to do was launch into this:
That's the beauty of being in a democracy. People don't agree. And just because they don't agree with your point of view does not take away the validity of their view or mean that they should stay out of the democratic process. I think it's great to see colleges encouraging this participation in the whole process from start to finish. It's going to give us a more informed populace in the long run, and while we might not see eye to eye on everything it will also teach us how to engage in a healthy debate in our community. There is little I think that is sadder than people who complain that they hate how their community (on any level- neighborhood, city, state, etc) is being run but refuse to take part in any of the fixing process.
I liked that our new President put that back on us as well, not only with his inauguration speech but getting the grass roots movement out and going again. There seems to be a realization from the younger generation- namely, college students- that we have to get out there and fix things ourselves rather than waiting for some superhero president or the government itself to do it.
Again, colleges are hotbeds for this, and the greatest thing is it becomes a social activity, where instead of going to the football game students are out knocking on doors canvassing the community on the latest issues. And it's perfectly socially- even cool if you'll believe that- to do that.
So, take advantage of this while you're in college. Engage in the discussion. Learn about the issues. Talk about them and get involved with them! Then get involved with the organizations that support your views.
Hey, you and I might now always agree, but if we know how to disagree I think that's half the battle... and if we are both willing to work for our causes I think we'll take our whole society forward with us.
I just realized that this morning's radio show probably rekindled a book I heard a review about last night and want to read: Mad for Democracy. And now I can't remember the author... anyone know?
I had mentioned something about how great I thought it was that so many younger people were getting involved in politics and were so passionate about the election this year. He said "Yeah, that's great, but... (pause... pause... pause...) I don't know if I want their opinion heard.
WHAT?!?!?
Now, I do know with my parents when to choose my battles and this was one where I chose to simply say "Now, that's not very democratic of you." which seemed to suffice... but what I really wanted to do was launch into this:
That's the beauty of being in a democracy. People don't agree. And just because they don't agree with your point of view does not take away the validity of their view or mean that they should stay out of the democratic process. I think it's great to see colleges encouraging this participation in the whole process from start to finish. It's going to give us a more informed populace in the long run, and while we might not see eye to eye on everything it will also teach us how to engage in a healthy debate in our community. There is little I think that is sadder than people who complain that they hate how their community (on any level- neighborhood, city, state, etc) is being run but refuse to take part in any of the fixing process.
I liked that our new President put that back on us as well, not only with his inauguration speech but getting the grass roots movement out and going again. There seems to be a realization from the younger generation- namely, college students- that we have to get out there and fix things ourselves rather than waiting for some superhero president or the government itself to do it.
Again, colleges are hotbeds for this, and the greatest thing is it becomes a social activity, where instead of going to the football game students are out knocking on doors canvassing the community on the latest issues. And it's perfectly socially- even cool if you'll believe that- to do that.
So, take advantage of this while you're in college. Engage in the discussion. Learn about the issues. Talk about them and get involved with them! Then get involved with the organizations that support your views.
Hey, you and I might now always agree, but if we know how to disagree I think that's half the battle... and if we are both willing to work for our causes I think we'll take our whole society forward with us.
I just realized that this morning's radio show probably rekindled a book I heard a review about last night and want to read: Mad for Democracy. And now I can't remember the author... anyone know?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Hope...
Is there anything else I could possibly write about today?
I've been listening to inauguration coverage since 6:50 this morning and I never thought something political could be this exciting. The simple fact of so many millions of people being excited for today has infected me with their enthusiasm for the day. Even though I've voted in a few other elections now I never bothered to watch the inauguration or swearing in- but then was there as much riding on it as there is today?
I have a lot of hope for some change in the way Higher Ed is handled. I hope that the Financial Aid process can be simplified, I hope that more support can be given to students for attending college, I hope that college costs can be kept down, I hope that some of the regulatory issues (red tape red tape and more red tape) that cause college costs to soar can be dropped... it goes on and on.
Some of these are big issues. How can you cut tuition costs without making the school suffer from less money? How can overall costs of college be kept down? I'm not really sure of answers to these questions or if there are good answers at all, but I would really like to see the new Education Secretary give it a go. Even though he's a K-12 guy there has been enough talk about colleges and enough support from college students of the Obama "movement" (can we call it anything else??) that it should warrant some attention... but I guess we will see!
I'm going to get back to listening to the radio- though I wonder how much more John Phillip Sousa I can take by the end of the day?
Welcome, President Obama!
I've been listening to inauguration coverage since 6:50 this morning and I never thought something political could be this exciting. The simple fact of so many millions of people being excited for today has infected me with their enthusiasm for the day. Even though I've voted in a few other elections now I never bothered to watch the inauguration or swearing in- but then was there as much riding on it as there is today?
I have a lot of hope for some change in the way Higher Ed is handled. I hope that the Financial Aid process can be simplified, I hope that more support can be given to students for attending college, I hope that college costs can be kept down, I hope that some of the regulatory issues (red tape red tape and more red tape) that cause college costs to soar can be dropped... it goes on and on.
Some of these are big issues. How can you cut tuition costs without making the school suffer from less money? How can overall costs of college be kept down? I'm not really sure of answers to these questions or if there are good answers at all, but I would really like to see the new Education Secretary give it a go. Even though he's a K-12 guy there has been enough talk about colleges and enough support from college students of the Obama "movement" (can we call it anything else??) that it should warrant some attention... but I guess we will see!
I'm going to get back to listening to the radio- though I wonder how much more John Phillip Sousa I can take by the end of the day?
Welcome, President Obama!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Are You Kidding Me?
We are in an economic mess that is sending anyone in the financial sector into a tizzy, hurting about everyone in the country and our legislative body is considering this in the middle of it??? Are you kidding me? On one hand we're trying to figure out how to save our country from a nasty downward economic spiral, and on the other we can't decide how our college football teams should decide who's the best team. (Excuse me while I go bang my head on the wall for a while...)
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 68
Supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2009
Mr. ABERCROMBIE (for himself, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. WESTMORELAND) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
RESOLUTION
Supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.
Whereas the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has examined establishing a Division I A National Championship Football playoff system;
Whereas in 1976, a proposal to establish an NCAA Division I A football championship was introduced to the NCAA Division I membership on the recommendation of a special committee that had studied the feasibility of a playoff;
Whereas in 1994, a blue-ribbon panel was formed to gather information regarding the viability of establishing an NCAA Division I A football championship;
Whereas in 1998 the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was established through an agreement between the Fiesta, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls and the University of Notre Dame along with the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific 10 and Southeastern Athletic Conferences;
Whereas the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform was established in 2003 by the presidents of 46 nonautomatic qualifying schools in an aggressive effort to alter the system that governed postseason play in college football;
Whereas on September 4, 2003, the House Judiciary Committee held the oversight hearing, ‘Competition in College Athletic Conferences and Antitrust Aspects of the Bowl Championship Series’;
Whereas on October 29, 2003, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing, ‘BCS or Bust: Competitive and Economic Effects of the Bowl Championship Series On and Off the Field’;
Whereas the BCS adopted regulations to include more teams following the mobilization of the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform and the congressional committee hearings;
Whereas on December 7, 2005, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held an oversight hearing, ‘Determining a Champion on the Field: A Comprehensive Review of the BCS and Postseason College Football’;
Whereas on February 1, 2008, the Georgia House of Representatives adopted, by a vote of 151 to 9, H. Res. 1034, recognizing the BCS system as ‘dysfunctional’ and urging the NCAA to implement a playoff system to determine a national champion in the sport of college foot;
Whereas all the regular season champions of the automatic BCS qualified conferences, the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10, and Southeastern Conferences, are ensured a berth in a BCS bowl game each year;
Whereas no more than 1 team from the nonautomatic qualified conferences, Conference USA, the Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Western Athletic Conferences, shall earn a BCS bowl game berth in any year;
Whereas the automatic BCS-qualified conferences received an average of $31,400,000 in postseason revenue for the 2007 to 2008 postseason, and the nonautomatic qualified conferences received an average of $5,900,000;
Whereas the postseason revenue earned provides an advantage to the automatic BCS qualified conferences in recruiting, retention, facility maintenance, and other athletic programs, as well as alumni relations;
Whereas the BCS system makes it highly unlikely that a nonautomatic BCS qualifying conference team will ever compete for the BCS National Championship and rarely able to play in a BCS bowl game;
Whereas legal scholars have debated whether or not the BCS constitutes an unreasonable restraint of trade, in violation of section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act under the Rule of Reason test, where the procompetitive benefits are weighed against the anticompetitive effects;
Whereas the Rule of Reason test also requires there be a feasible less restrictive alternative that alleviates some of the anticompetitive effects;
Whereas the declaration of the winner of the BCS Championship Game as National Champion has annually instigated heated debate about whether the victor is actually the best team in the NCAA;
Whereas various solutions to fairly determine a champion have been proposed and should be investigated;
Whereas including more teams and players in deciding the national champion leads to more competition and fairness for the student athletes and fans;
Whereas the NCAA administers 88 team championships in 23 sports for its member institutions, including postseason playoff systems for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I AA), as well as Division II and III football; and
Whereas the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I A) is currently the only major college sport without an NCAA championship: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;
(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and
(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.
Source: GovTrack.us. H. Res. 68--111st Congress (2009): Supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff..., GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) (accessed Jan 19, 2009)
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 68
Supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2009
Mr. ABERCROMBIE (for himself, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. WESTMORELAND) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
RESOLUTION
Supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.
Whereas the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has examined establishing a Division I A National Championship Football playoff system;
Whereas in 1976, a proposal to establish an NCAA Division I A football championship was introduced to the NCAA Division I membership on the recommendation of a special committee that had studied the feasibility of a playoff;
Whereas in 1994, a blue-ribbon panel was formed to gather information regarding the viability of establishing an NCAA Division I A football championship;
Whereas in 1998 the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was established through an agreement between the Fiesta, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls and the University of Notre Dame along with the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific 10 and Southeastern Athletic Conferences;
Whereas the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform was established in 2003 by the presidents of 46 nonautomatic qualifying schools in an aggressive effort to alter the system that governed postseason play in college football;
Whereas on September 4, 2003, the House Judiciary Committee held the oversight hearing, ‘Competition in College Athletic Conferences and Antitrust Aspects of the Bowl Championship Series’;
Whereas on October 29, 2003, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing, ‘BCS or Bust: Competitive and Economic Effects of the Bowl Championship Series On and Off the Field’;
Whereas the BCS adopted regulations to include more teams following the mobilization of the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform and the congressional committee hearings;
Whereas on December 7, 2005, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held an oversight hearing, ‘Determining a Champion on the Field: A Comprehensive Review of the BCS and Postseason College Football’;
Whereas on February 1, 2008, the Georgia House of Representatives adopted, by a vote of 151 to 9, H. Res. 1034, recognizing the BCS system as ‘dysfunctional’ and urging the NCAA to implement a playoff system to determine a national champion in the sport of college foot;
Whereas all the regular season champions of the automatic BCS qualified conferences, the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10, and Southeastern Conferences, are ensured a berth in a BCS bowl game each year;
Whereas no more than 1 team from the nonautomatic qualified conferences, Conference USA, the Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Western Athletic Conferences, shall earn a BCS bowl game berth in any year;
Whereas the automatic BCS-qualified conferences received an average of $31,400,000 in postseason revenue for the 2007 to 2008 postseason, and the nonautomatic qualified conferences received an average of $5,900,000;
Whereas the postseason revenue earned provides an advantage to the automatic BCS qualified conferences in recruiting, retention, facility maintenance, and other athletic programs, as well as alumni relations;
Whereas the BCS system makes it highly unlikely that a nonautomatic BCS qualifying conference team will ever compete for the BCS National Championship and rarely able to play in a BCS bowl game;
Whereas legal scholars have debated whether or not the BCS constitutes an unreasonable restraint of trade, in violation of section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act under the Rule of Reason test, where the procompetitive benefits are weighed against the anticompetitive effects;
Whereas the Rule of Reason test also requires there be a feasible less restrictive alternative that alleviates some of the anticompetitive effects;
Whereas the declaration of the winner of the BCS Championship Game as National Champion has annually instigated heated debate about whether the victor is actually the best team in the NCAA;
Whereas various solutions to fairly determine a champion have been proposed and should be investigated;
Whereas including more teams and players in deciding the national champion leads to more competition and fairness for the student athletes and fans;
Whereas the NCAA administers 88 team championships in 23 sports for its member institutions, including postseason playoff systems for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I AA), as well as Division II and III football; and
Whereas the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I A) is currently the only major college sport without an NCAA championship: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;
(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and
(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.
Source: GovTrack.us. H. Res. 68--111st Congress (2009): Supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff..., GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation)
Friday, January 16, 2009
If You Want Free Money...
Anycollege.com has a scholarship.
If you go to the Anycollege.com website you will see a large link on the upper right corner that says "Win a Scholarship". That is what you click to find the application. It's on the front page... not hidden at all. If there are questions you can email mail@anycollege.com and I will be able to respond to any questions about the scholarship.
That being said, I do receive a few questions each day about the scholarship: how it is paid out (directly to the college), the dates for the drawing (The 30th/31st of March, June, September and December) and whether an essay needs to be submitted (no). That's fine, those are legit questions.
Then I also receive emails from students who want an application. Again, this is fine, I'm pleased to help students who have heard of us.
I also receive quite a few emails that claim to not be able to find the scholarship application on our site. This concerns me a bit because it's pretty obvious, and anyone who has spent 15 seconds on our home page should be able to see it. One today was sent to 5-10 other places that offer scholarships, but said "I was recently viewing your web site and encountered problems finding the application section." What?! OK, that's fine that the email is sent to several places, but this clearly isn't true. Something tells me that if this student actually looked at any of these sites that he/she would have found the scholarship page on at least a few.
Now, this does not mean I won't respond to the student. He/she will receive the same email that everyone else does- "Here's the link, thanks for your interest, etc etc etc..." But I can't help at being irked a little bit that the student had to include something about not being able to find the scholarship- why couldn't the email have simply said "I am interested in your scholarship, can you please send me an application." It's a little more truthful and really, simple and direct is the way to go with something like this.
I won't get into the requests that I get for an application that have a poorly written essay attached... actually on second thought I don't know if I can resist saying a little something... I understand trying to get an edge on the competition for a scholarship (never mind that we have a random drawing), but please note: if you are going to send an essay there are three things to remember. #1: Grammar. This includes correct word usage, punctuation and CAPITALIZATION! #2 Spelling. You typed it on a computer which I'm pretty sure has spellcheck. Use it! #3: Sob Story. I'm glad you're good at dealing with adversity, that you're putting yourself through college and that you are bettering yourself. That truly is wonderful. But do I need to get 3 pages of that wonderful? As Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit". Thankfully, I'm not doing the scholarship award based on essays, though I appreciate the literature.
So what's the moral here? Be simple and direct when asking for scholarship applications. It's OK to simply say "I need an application" without telling me that your dog died of a horrible disease and you're traumatized for life which caused you to search for three hours on our website and not find the scholarship application. I'll still give it to you, but you won't be the subject of a blog with a simple request. :)
Have a great weekend!
If you go to the Anycollege.com website you will see a large link on the upper right corner that says "Win a Scholarship". That is what you click to find the application. It's on the front page... not hidden at all. If there are questions you can email mail@anycollege.com and I will be able to respond to any questions about the scholarship.
That being said, I do receive a few questions each day about the scholarship: how it is paid out (directly to the college), the dates for the drawing (The 30th/31st of March, June, September and December) and whether an essay needs to be submitted (no). That's fine, those are legit questions.
Then I also receive emails from students who want an application. Again, this is fine, I'm pleased to help students who have heard of us.
I also receive quite a few emails that claim to not be able to find the scholarship application on our site. This concerns me a bit because it's pretty obvious, and anyone who has spent 15 seconds on our home page should be able to see it. One today was sent to 5-10 other places that offer scholarships, but said "I was recently viewing your web site and encountered problems finding the application section." What?! OK, that's fine that the email is sent to several places, but this clearly isn't true. Something tells me that if this student actually looked at any of these sites that he/she would have found the scholarship page on at least a few.
Now, this does not mean I won't respond to the student. He/she will receive the same email that everyone else does- "Here's the link, thanks for your interest, etc etc etc..." But I can't help at being irked a little bit that the student had to include something about not being able to find the scholarship- why couldn't the email have simply said "I am interested in your scholarship, can you please send me an application." It's a little more truthful and really, simple and direct is the way to go with something like this.
I won't get into the requests that I get for an application that have a poorly written essay attached... actually on second thought I don't know if I can resist saying a little something... I understand trying to get an edge on the competition for a scholarship (never mind that we have a random drawing), but please note: if you are going to send an essay there are three things to remember. #1: Grammar. This includes correct word usage, punctuation and CAPITALIZATION! #2 Spelling. You typed it on a computer which I'm pretty sure has spellcheck. Use it! #3: Sob Story. I'm glad you're good at dealing with adversity, that you're putting yourself through college and that you are bettering yourself. That truly is wonderful. But do I need to get 3 pages of that wonderful? As Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit". Thankfully, I'm not doing the scholarship award based on essays, though I appreciate the literature.
So what's the moral here? Be simple and direct when asking for scholarship applications. It's OK to simply say "I need an application" without telling me that your dog died of a horrible disease and you're traumatized for life which caused you to search for three hours on our website and not find the scholarship application. I'll still give it to you, but you won't be the subject of a blog with a simple request. :)
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Admin and Profs Are Human Too...
Continuing on last week's blog about students writing silly things, let's move on to the college staff.
I came across this blog today (see? there's that blog addiction again) and almost fell out of my chair laughing. Turns out the prof writing an email to a student had a little typo (or Freudian slip... depends on your point of view) that said: You don’t need to apologize for emailing me two hours after class about an assignment not due until [much later]. It shows that you’re on top of things, and professors love stupids who are on top of things.
Oh goodness. Stupids?
Now, that's not to say I've never done that myself. I have a tendency to miss the "c" key on my keyboard so occasionally I have found in an email of my own to various colleges informing them of how many "licks" they received on their website the week or month before. Maybe I've got some odd repressed desire to lick a college? I'm not sure about that one.
Well, the point of this whole thing is that the staff at the college is human too... and despite the fact that these folks are the ones grading papers on grammar they are not immune to mistakes themselves. But they're usually pretty funny when they happen!
I came across this blog today (see? there's that blog addiction again) and almost fell out of my chair laughing. Turns out the prof writing an email to a student had a little typo (or Freudian slip... depends on your point of view) that said: You don’t need to apologize for emailing me two hours after class about an assignment not due until [much later]. It shows that you’re on top of things, and professors love stupids who are on top of things.
Oh goodness. Stupids?
Now, that's not to say I've never done that myself. I have a tendency to miss the "c" key on my keyboard so occasionally I have found in an email of my own to various colleges informing them of how many "licks" they received on their website the week or month before. Maybe I've got some odd repressed desire to lick a college? I'm not sure about that one.
Well, the point of this whole thing is that the staff at the college is human too... and despite the fact that these folks are the ones grading papers on grammar they are not immune to mistakes themselves. But they're usually pretty funny when they happen!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
College Education... What?!
Today I have been listening intermittently to Hillary Clinton's Senate Hearing to become Secretary of State. For some reason, hearing a very well educated and well spoken woman applying for one of the top jobs in the country reminded me of a few run-ins I've had in the past.
For a little background, I'm about 3 months away from obtaining my Master's degree in Education, (which then obviously I have an undergraduate degree as well), and I don't consider myself any type of feminist or anything like that. I'm just, well, you know... a regular person. I'm mid twenties, and have been working since I was 15 (including the college years).
But, when asked what I do for the past several years I have always been fairly vague- I don't want to bore anyone with the details of what I do... "Oh, I work at a college" or "I work for a marketing company" works just fine. However- it seems to always get the response, "So are you the secretary?"
Am I the what? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a secretary, administrative assistant or anything else of that nature. That being said, why would anyone assume immediately that that is the position I hold? I think it's fairly clear that I have a college education and have always been fairly ambitious... so why the secretary? And WHY do I get the really amazed look when I tell them that I have been in charge of running the Student Services office? Or that I handle a majority of the client retention efforts from the marketing company? I may be in my mid-twenties and female but that doesn't immediately qualify me for only secretarial duties!
The only thing I can think of is that A) these folks are typically of a generation older, where maybe that was one of the main ways for women in their twenties to work back in the day or B) I look like front desk material. (ha ha) Either way, I wonder if there is some kind of education/generation gap between someone 20-30 years older than I am with understanding that us young-uns with our college edjamacashun are capable of holding positions of responsibility within a company.
So, here's my call to you of the similar generation; current or future college students or recent grads: go out there and don't settle for anything less than what you want to do! And even if they try to tell you you'd be the best secretary in the world, if that's not what you do let them know it! :)
For a little background, I'm about 3 months away from obtaining my Master's degree in Education, (which then obviously I have an undergraduate degree as well), and I don't consider myself any type of feminist or anything like that. I'm just, well, you know... a regular person. I'm mid twenties, and have been working since I was 15 (including the college years).
But, when asked what I do for the past several years I have always been fairly vague- I don't want to bore anyone with the details of what I do... "Oh, I work at a college" or "I work for a marketing company" works just fine. However- it seems to always get the response, "So are you the secretary?"
Am I the what? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a secretary, administrative assistant or anything else of that nature. That being said, why would anyone assume immediately that that is the position I hold? I think it's fairly clear that I have a college education and have always been fairly ambitious... so why the secretary? And WHY do I get the really amazed look when I tell them that I have been in charge of running the Student Services office? Or that I handle a majority of the client retention efforts from the marketing company? I may be in my mid-twenties and female but that doesn't immediately qualify me for only secretarial duties!
The only thing I can think of is that A) these folks are typically of a generation older, where maybe that was one of the main ways for women in their twenties to work back in the day or B) I look like front desk material. (ha ha) Either way, I wonder if there is some kind of education/generation gap between someone 20-30 years older than I am with understanding that us young-uns with our college edjamacashun are capable of holding positions of responsibility within a company.
So, here's my call to you of the similar generation; current or future college students or recent grads: go out there and don't settle for anything less than what you want to do! And even if they try to tell you you'd be the best secretary in the world, if that's not what you do let them know it! :)
Monday, January 12, 2009
College Rankings And You
"College XYZ Is the #1 Ranked College In America!"
How often do we see this? Colleges often use these badges of recognition to advertise for prospective students, and students looking for colleges ask frequently about rankings.
The only trouble is: whose rankings?
There seems to be this perception that XYZ College is the #1 College in the Country or the #1 College in the country for Business Majors or for... well, you name it. But what does that #1 mean? Does it mean that they have a higher percentage of students that are employed immediately out of school? Or that their students graduate on time in higher numbers than similar schools? (Similar schools... that's always a good one. Only compare yourself to schools that are similar in affiliations, size, location, athletics, demographics... you choose the statistic that works best for your comparison.) Or does it mean that the 5 students who graduated out of the program of 1,102 got really good jobs (but never mind about the rest of the students)? Or that the faculty has the most experience/highest degrees/most published material/most prominent backgrounds? Or.... this list could go on and on and on... there are so many variables that can make a school or the program the "best" that any number of schools could claim that #1 spot depending on the variable being looked at.
And then we get into different ranking agencies. The Princeton Review and US News may have very different ideas of what goes into a college ranking... again giving a maximum number of schools the opportunity to be #1 at... well... something!
I see so many students and parents getting caught up into this "must go to high ranked school" mindset... but I wonder how many of them understand the ranking system and what goes into it? Beyond that I have serious issues with students choosing a college based on it's ranking rather than how they felt on the campus, whether they liked the course offerings and if the overall school was a good fit. Believe me, it's not worth struggling through college and hating every step of the way just to go to a school that some organization somewhere along the lines said was the #1 school in something.
So, as a response to the students and parents who ask for Anycollege to post college rankings I have to say that's a next to impossible order because 1) whose rankings do we use and can we trust them? and 2) there are better ways to choose a school.
What has stuck with me on this point for many years was from when I was looking at schools myself. The admissions counselor said to me "I guess we're ranked in the top three theatre schools in the country, but I don't know who said that. For all I know it was the Moms of [College Name] Theatre Students who decided that, so I don't put much stock into it. Why don't you just look at the program and decide for yourself."
I didn't end up going to that school, but it was the best advice on looking at colleges I ever had.
How often do we see this? Colleges often use these badges of recognition to advertise for prospective students, and students looking for colleges ask frequently about rankings.
The only trouble is: whose rankings?
There seems to be this perception that XYZ College is the #1 College in the Country or the #1 College in the country for Business Majors or for... well, you name it. But what does that #1 mean? Does it mean that they have a higher percentage of students that are employed immediately out of school? Or that their students graduate on time in higher numbers than similar schools? (Similar schools... that's always a good one. Only compare yourself to schools that are similar in affiliations, size, location, athletics, demographics... you choose the statistic that works best for your comparison.) Or does it mean that the 5 students who graduated out of the program of 1,102 got really good jobs (but never mind about the rest of the students)? Or that the faculty has the most experience/highest degrees/most published material/most prominent backgrounds? Or.... this list could go on and on and on... there are so many variables that can make a school or the program the "best" that any number of schools could claim that #1 spot depending on the variable being looked at.
And then we get into different ranking agencies. The Princeton Review and US News may have very different ideas of what goes into a college ranking... again giving a maximum number of schools the opportunity to be #1 at... well... something!
I see so many students and parents getting caught up into this "must go to high ranked school" mindset... but I wonder how many of them understand the ranking system and what goes into it? Beyond that I have serious issues with students choosing a college based on it's ranking rather than how they felt on the campus, whether they liked the course offerings and if the overall school was a good fit. Believe me, it's not worth struggling through college and hating every step of the way just to go to a school that some organization somewhere along the lines said was the #1 school in something.
So, as a response to the students and parents who ask for Anycollege to post college rankings I have to say that's a next to impossible order because 1) whose rankings do we use and can we trust them? and 2) there are better ways to choose a school.
What has stuck with me on this point for many years was from when I was looking at schools myself. The admissions counselor said to me "I guess we're ranked in the top three theatre schools in the country, but I don't know who said that. For all I know it was the Moms of [College Name] Theatre Students who decided that, so I don't put much stock into it. Why don't you just look at the program and decide for yourself."
I didn't end up going to that school, but it was the best advice on looking at colleges I ever had.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Oh, those professors.
Continuing with my blog addiction I came across a blog today that reminded me of why I love working with college students and college bound students. Plus it's Friday and I thought a little humor might be nice.
I'm going to go slightly out of order on this blog and tell you the moral first, which is this:
ATTN COLLEGE STUDENTS AND COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS: Stop taking yourself quite so seriously. At some point you will make a fool of yourself by being so gosh darn serious about yourself and yes, the administrators and professors at the college will have a good laugh about it. (And if you could read what you wrote, you would too!)
I truly wish I still had some of the papers from when I was a TA (teaching assistant) in an intro level class. The class was comprised of mostly freshmen, and Fall semester was the best because they were trying soooo hard to sound highly academic or thoughtful or scientific or I don't even know what... now that they were in college that it turned into complete and utter gibberish. Weird analogies, made up jargon, bizarre imagery- you name it, it ended up in papers.
The professor that I was the TA for would take a few of the most choice samples throughout the semester and post them in the student lounge where the students in that particular major hung out between classes... it was always a day that everyone looked forward to because the samples were usually hilarious. The professor eventually got in a little trouble for posting these (I guess openly mocking the students was frowned upon), but really, I would think if someone was careless enough to A) write these things in the first place or B) actually think that they made some kind of profound academic statement should take a step back and have a good laugh about what he/she just wrote as well.
Those of us reading the papers do appreciate the thought put into it, but you do need to remember that we are normal people who usually come equipped with a sense of humor. Even I've looked back at a few things I've written in my early college years and I couldn't believe I subjected a professor to reading that. It may sound funny to say about academia, but "keep it real". Then again, it is one of the more appealing parts of teaching an intro level class... "I wonder what my students will write about THIS!"
Maybe it means we're horrible people, but I think you would laugh too if you heard some of the things students write into their papers or admissions essays. (We'll save excuses on grades for a different day, that's a completely different story... it should *not* be confusing why you're failing a class if you have never turned in a single piece of homework...)
So, when you're tempted to write "He spun round with a sort of guilty bound, like an adagio dancer surprised while watering the cat’s milk" or "She is a swan of beauty and grace which sails through the portals of the mind into greater sunsets" please think twice. And finally, if you're going to use a statistic please make sure it's correct: "Like more than 90% of married women in that time, she married."
College students aren't the only ones prone to this, unfortunately. See what the best of academia has produced here: http://www.denisdutton.com/bad_writing.htm
Of course, the opposite side to this whole blog is not to take yourself seriously at all, which the administrators and professors at the college find simply annoying in my experience. So find the happy middle ground, don't be afraid to laugh at yourself once in a while, and just enjoy the process of writing! Take a step back and look at the big picture... sometimes it looks a little different from back there.
I'm going to go slightly out of order on this blog and tell you the moral first, which is this:
ATTN COLLEGE STUDENTS AND COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS: Stop taking yourself quite so seriously. At some point you will make a fool of yourself by being so gosh darn serious about yourself and yes, the administrators and professors at the college will have a good laugh about it. (And if you could read what you wrote, you would too!)
I truly wish I still had some of the papers from when I was a TA (teaching assistant) in an intro level class. The class was comprised of mostly freshmen, and Fall semester was the best because they were trying soooo hard to sound highly academic or thoughtful or scientific or I don't even know what... now that they were in college that it turned into complete and utter gibberish. Weird analogies, made up jargon, bizarre imagery- you name it, it ended up in papers.
The professor that I was the TA for would take a few of the most choice samples throughout the semester and post them in the student lounge where the students in that particular major hung out between classes... it was always a day that everyone looked forward to because the samples were usually hilarious. The professor eventually got in a little trouble for posting these (I guess openly mocking the students was frowned upon), but really, I would think if someone was careless enough to A) write these things in the first place or B) actually think that they made some kind of profound academic statement should take a step back and have a good laugh about what he/she just wrote as well.
Those of us reading the papers do appreciate the thought put into it, but you do need to remember that we are normal people who usually come equipped with a sense of humor. Even I've looked back at a few things I've written in my early college years and I couldn't believe I subjected a professor to reading that. It may sound funny to say about academia, but "keep it real". Then again, it is one of the more appealing parts of teaching an intro level class... "I wonder what my students will write about THIS!"
Maybe it means we're horrible people, but I think you would laugh too if you heard some of the things students write into their papers or admissions essays. (We'll save excuses on grades for a different day, that's a completely different story... it should *not* be confusing why you're failing a class if you have never turned in a single piece of homework...)
So, when you're tempted to write "He spun round with a sort of guilty bound, like an adagio dancer surprised while watering the cat’s milk" or "She is a swan of beauty and grace which sails through the portals of the mind into greater sunsets" please think twice. And finally, if you're going to use a statistic please make sure it's correct: "Like more than 90% of married women in that time, she married."
College students aren't the only ones prone to this, unfortunately. See what the best of academia has produced here: http://www.denisdutton.com/bad_writing.htm
Of course, the opposite side to this whole blog is not to take yourself seriously at all, which the administrators and professors at the college find simply annoying in my experience. So find the happy middle ground, don't be afraid to laugh at yourself once in a while, and just enjoy the process of writing! Take a step back and look at the big picture... sometimes it looks a little different from back there.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Recruiting for College in the Recession
I wrote a little article for our member colleges... just thought I'd share it with you and get some feedback...
All through 2008 we kept hearing threat of our national economy starting to go into the “R” word (recession) only to find out in December that we had been in one all along. For many of us who work in and with higher education this was not a big surprise, as the past year saw huge slashes in budgets for all departments, salary and hiring freezes or even layoffs in extreme cases with more forecasted for 2009. Yet despite these dire financial circumstances our colleges and universities are expected to do more with less: meaning with decreased resources these schools still need to bring in more and more enrollments.
For many schools this loss of support from lost endowments or state funding will cause a need for closer inspection of current marketing and admissions practices to ensure that they are getting the most for their money on every action taken by the department. In 2007 Noel Levitz reported that the average four year private institution spent $1,941 per student on recruitment. These costs included salaries and benefits of the admissions staff, advertising, outsourcing/vendors, supplies, travel, etc. This can be compared to the public universities who spent an average of $398 per student or the two year public schools who spent $121 per student. (Noel Levitz, 2007) However, it will be interesting to see what happens to these figures in 2009 (the year of the next Noel Levitz study) after adjusting to fewer available funds.
One way that many schools are trying to cut costs is looking at relying more heavily on their web presence. Many studies such as ones conducted by Noel Levitz, Eduventures Inc, and Christian Science Monitor are showing students relying more and more on the college website to obtain the information that will help them make the decision to attend one school over another.(Ashburn, 2007) “Your website may be your most powerful recruitment tool” says Gary Fretwell of Noel Levitz (2007). This is because students have access to it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, they do not need to schedule an appointment to visit it nor do they need to wait to get the information in the mail when it is at their fingertips. In the publication University Business, Robert Sevier of Stamats Communication recently agreed, asserting “Your website is or will soon become your marketing center of gravity. The purpose of print, e-mail and other channels is to drive traffic to the web”. (2008) If that is the case, then how are some schools driving more traffic to their website?
Many schools are using keyword searches where they pay companies like Google or Yahoo per click for various words or phrases. Unfortunately this is becoming extremely popular and where the cost-per-click (CPC) was once only $8.00 to $15.00 it is on the rise to around $30.00 to $60.00. (Blumenstyk, 2006) Another route to handle this is to turn to a directory for exposure, such as Zinch, Collegebound.net or Anycollege.com. These sites have various ways of setting up costs, such as pay per lead systems where a single, qualified lead can cost as much $40.00-$75.00 or they have flat rates where any number of leads can come through at one rate and the college can choose if and how they would like to contact that student.
While at one time directories such as these were solely the domain of for-profit colleges such as the University of Phoenix or Argosy, today non profit schools are turning in larger and larger numbers to these sites. Anycollege.com currently has a member base of 93% non profit colleges and only 7% are for profit. These numbers show a clear turn in the marketing direction of the colleges and universities around the country. Coleen Daly of UMASS Online, one of the largest non profit online schools in the United States looked into the financial viability of these online directories and concluded “The analysis [UMASS Online] has conducted show these programs are cost-effective”. (2008) Northwest Missouri State University was able to track sixteen students who were accepted to start in Fall ’08 that came from directory leads and were able to see that they paid less than $100 per accepted student on these leads. This is on top of having the results of exactly how many students clicked through to their website from the directory, found their online application or requested information.
By using the college website to reach out to students it allows the college to still reach prospective students in a less staff-intensive way, also saving time and money. Interactive emails, text messaging and podcasts are becoming more and more popular as ways to reach out and engage the students on an individual basis while still being cost effective. (Blumenstyk, 2006) One text message can reach thousands of students, which in turn drives them to the website or allows them to reply back directly to an admissions officer, eliminating much of the need for hours spent cold calling prospective students as well as thousands of dollars in print material.
This strong web and technology presence is also getting utilized in another way: adult learners are turning back to colleges as they find themselves out of a job. “A lot of people find themselves laid off and realize this is a good opportunity to retool, to get some new expertise or branch out and expand their job opportunities,” Reginald Bassa of the University of Missouri-Kansas City said. (2008) In ever increasing numbers these adult learners who are returning to school either after a career has hit a dead end or who never took the opportunity in the first place are joining the ranks of high school juniors and seniors using the web to find the college that will have the right program, schedule and services to fit their needs. Web searches and information are particularly attractive to these students because they can perform their initial college search plus research the colleges that look appealing to them from the comfort of their own home and at a time that works with their family.
While it’s still a fairly new way of procuring prospective students both traditional and non-traditional, utilizing the web through driving students to the college website and expanding the college branding strategy through use of online college search engines and directories can be an extremely cost effective approach to the limited budgets and staff that are looming in almost every college in 2009.
Resources:
Ashburn, E. Prospective Students Rely on Campus Visits and Web Sites to Learn About Colleges, Report Says. Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/25/2007, Vol. 53, Issue 38: Accessed on Academic Search Premier on 12/31/2008
Blumenstyk, G. Marketing the For Profit Way. Chronicle of Higher Education. 12/01/2006 Vol. 53 Issue 15 Pages 20-25. Accessed on Academic Search Premiere on 12/31/2008.
Bogdon, T., College Education During Recession Could Pay Off. Kansas City Tribune, 12/19/2008, retrieved from http://kctribune.com/article.cfm?articleID=18559
Sevier, R. Marketing: The Big Questions Answered. University Business. 05/2008, Pages 57-59. Accessed on Academic Search Premiere on 12/31/2008.
Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education. 14 Steps to a Great Admissions Website. Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education. 01/2008. Volume 20 No. 1. Pages 1-2.
All through 2008 we kept hearing threat of our national economy starting to go into the “R” word (recession) only to find out in December that we had been in one all along. For many of us who work in and with higher education this was not a big surprise, as the past year saw huge slashes in budgets for all departments, salary and hiring freezes or even layoffs in extreme cases with more forecasted for 2009. Yet despite these dire financial circumstances our colleges and universities are expected to do more with less: meaning with decreased resources these schools still need to bring in more and more enrollments.
For many schools this loss of support from lost endowments or state funding will cause a need for closer inspection of current marketing and admissions practices to ensure that they are getting the most for their money on every action taken by the department. In 2007 Noel Levitz reported that the average four year private institution spent $1,941 per student on recruitment. These costs included salaries and benefits of the admissions staff, advertising, outsourcing/vendors, supplies, travel, etc. This can be compared to the public universities who spent an average of $398 per student or the two year public schools who spent $121 per student. (Noel Levitz, 2007) However, it will be interesting to see what happens to these figures in 2009 (the year of the next Noel Levitz study) after adjusting to fewer available funds.
One way that many schools are trying to cut costs is looking at relying more heavily on their web presence. Many studies such as ones conducted by Noel Levitz, Eduventures Inc, and Christian Science Monitor are showing students relying more and more on the college website to obtain the information that will help them make the decision to attend one school over another.(Ashburn, 2007) “Your website may be your most powerful recruitment tool” says Gary Fretwell of Noel Levitz (2007). This is because students have access to it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, they do not need to schedule an appointment to visit it nor do they need to wait to get the information in the mail when it is at their fingertips. In the publication University Business, Robert Sevier of Stamats Communication recently agreed, asserting “Your website is or will soon become your marketing center of gravity. The purpose of print, e-mail and other channels is to drive traffic to the web”. (2008) If that is the case, then how are some schools driving more traffic to their website?
Many schools are using keyword searches where they pay companies like Google or Yahoo per click for various words or phrases. Unfortunately this is becoming extremely popular and where the cost-per-click (CPC) was once only $8.00 to $15.00 it is on the rise to around $30.00 to $60.00. (Blumenstyk, 2006) Another route to handle this is to turn to a directory for exposure, such as Zinch, Collegebound.net or Anycollege.com. These sites have various ways of setting up costs, such as pay per lead systems where a single, qualified lead can cost as much $40.00-$75.00 or they have flat rates where any number of leads can come through at one rate and the college can choose if and how they would like to contact that student.
While at one time directories such as these were solely the domain of for-profit colleges such as the University of Phoenix or Argosy, today non profit schools are turning in larger and larger numbers to these sites. Anycollege.com currently has a member base of 93% non profit colleges and only 7% are for profit. These numbers show a clear turn in the marketing direction of the colleges and universities around the country. Coleen Daly of UMASS Online, one of the largest non profit online schools in the United States looked into the financial viability of these online directories and concluded “The analysis [UMASS Online] has conducted show these programs are cost-effective”. (2008) Northwest Missouri State University was able to track sixteen students who were accepted to start in Fall ’08 that came from directory leads and were able to see that they paid less than $100 per accepted student on these leads. This is on top of having the results of exactly how many students clicked through to their website from the directory, found their online application or requested information.
By using the college website to reach out to students it allows the college to still reach prospective students in a less staff-intensive way, also saving time and money. Interactive emails, text messaging and podcasts are becoming more and more popular as ways to reach out and engage the students on an individual basis while still being cost effective. (Blumenstyk, 2006) One text message can reach thousands of students, which in turn drives them to the website or allows them to reply back directly to an admissions officer, eliminating much of the need for hours spent cold calling prospective students as well as thousands of dollars in print material.
This strong web and technology presence is also getting utilized in another way: adult learners are turning back to colleges as they find themselves out of a job. “A lot of people find themselves laid off and realize this is a good opportunity to retool, to get some new expertise or branch out and expand their job opportunities,” Reginald Bassa of the University of Missouri-Kansas City said. (2008) In ever increasing numbers these adult learners who are returning to school either after a career has hit a dead end or who never took the opportunity in the first place are joining the ranks of high school juniors and seniors using the web to find the college that will have the right program, schedule and services to fit their needs. Web searches and information are particularly attractive to these students because they can perform their initial college search plus research the colleges that look appealing to them from the comfort of their own home and at a time that works with their family.
While it’s still a fairly new way of procuring prospective students both traditional and non-traditional, utilizing the web through driving students to the college website and expanding the college branding strategy through use of online college search engines and directories can be an extremely cost effective approach to the limited budgets and staff that are looming in almost every college in 2009.
Resources:
Ashburn, E. Prospective Students Rely on Campus Visits and Web Sites to Learn About Colleges, Report Says. Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/25/2007, Vol. 53, Issue 38: Accessed on Academic Search Premier on 12/31/2008
Blumenstyk, G. Marketing the For Profit Way. Chronicle of Higher Education. 12/01/2006 Vol. 53 Issue 15 Pages 20-25. Accessed on Academic Search Premiere on 12/31/2008.
Bogdon, T., College Education During Recession Could Pay Off. Kansas City Tribune, 12/19/2008, retrieved from http://kctribune.com/article.cfm?articleID=18559
Sevier, R. Marketing: The Big Questions Answered. University Business. 05/2008, Pages 57-59. Accessed on Academic Search Premiere on 12/31/2008.
Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education. 14 Steps to a Great Admissions Website. Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education. 01/2008. Volume 20 No. 1. Pages 1-2.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
New Years... Resolutions?
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break and is back feeling a little more relaxed after some lighter weeks.
We are getting to the time of year where colleges are beginning to make decisions, send out decision letters and help students moving along with the dreaded Financial Aid since it's the beginning of tax season.
Financial Aid... why do these words inspire absolute terror in so many parents of college students? It's not just the looming possibility in this economy of not getting enough, but merely the thought of filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) that sends folks into a tizzy. They're overwhelmed with the prospect of filling this out before they've even looked at the form because they've heard how difficult it is.
But where on earth is that perception coming from?
Every financial aid officer that I personally know will tell you the FAFSA is an extremely easy document to fill out. Most of them will walk you step by step through the process as well, unless you're at one of those massive schools that seem to have 3 financial aid officers for every 15,000 students. (Exaggeration, yes, but when you're waiting in line for three hours to talk to one that's how it feels.) But there are workshops and other community resources offered in many places to assist parents with walking through the forms. Heck, the FAFSA form itself shows you how to fill it out- all you need to do is be able to match the instructions on the FAFSA with the line number on your taxes since it tells you exactly where to find the information it's asking for.
It also frightens me that a simple Google search for "FAFSA" offers so many places that will fill yours out for a nominal fee of $79.99. First off, the very first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free"... so why pay? And, what scares me even more is that these rather disreputable (in my opinion) companies will have your tax information as well as your birthday, social security number... etc. Would I trust them with this? Personally, absolutely not.
So, if you're coming up on starting your Financial Aid for the first time take a deep breath. The FAFSA isn't that bad. If you fill it out online it will even be remembered for next year. I think the last time I filled it out about a year ago I did the whole thing in a little under 15 minutes, so if I can do it and receive aid (so it must have gone in correctly) I believe a trained monkey could figure it out.
We are getting to the time of year where colleges are beginning to make decisions, send out decision letters and help students moving along with the dreaded Financial Aid since it's the beginning of tax season.
Financial Aid... why do these words inspire absolute terror in so many parents of college students? It's not just the looming possibility in this economy of not getting enough, but merely the thought of filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) that sends folks into a tizzy. They're overwhelmed with the prospect of filling this out before they've even looked at the form because they've heard how difficult it is.
But where on earth is that perception coming from?
Every financial aid officer that I personally know will tell you the FAFSA is an extremely easy document to fill out. Most of them will walk you step by step through the process as well, unless you're at one of those massive schools that seem to have 3 financial aid officers for every 15,000 students. (Exaggeration, yes, but when you're waiting in line for three hours to talk to one that's how it feels.) But there are workshops and other community resources offered in many places to assist parents with walking through the forms. Heck, the FAFSA form itself shows you how to fill it out- all you need to do is be able to match the instructions on the FAFSA with the line number on your taxes since it tells you exactly where to find the information it's asking for.
It also frightens me that a simple Google search for "FAFSA" offers so many places that will fill yours out for a nominal fee of $79.99. First off, the very first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free"... so why pay? And, what scares me even more is that these rather disreputable (in my opinion) companies will have your tax information as well as your birthday, social security number... etc. Would I trust them with this? Personally, absolutely not.
So, if you're coming up on starting your Financial Aid for the first time take a deep breath. The FAFSA isn't that bad. If you fill it out online it will even be remembered for next year. I think the last time I filled it out about a year ago I did the whole thing in a little under 15 minutes, so if I can do it and receive aid (so it must have gone in correctly) I believe a trained monkey could figure it out.
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