Campus connection
Campus Connection keeps you up to date on the latest news, issues and trends happening in the world of higher education.
Research and Compiled
by MESHA Y. WILLIAMS
Bomb and anthrax scare
A graduate student at the University of Missouri-Rolla created a scene Tuesday when he declared he had a bomb and anthrax on campus. About a dozen people were quarantined after a white, powdery substance was found. Police officials said no one in the group showed any ill effects of being exposed to the substance. The incident took place at the civil engineering building on campus. Police found a note on the student threatening to destroy the building. Campus officials said the student was depressed over his grades. For more read
http://www.usatoday.com/.
Administrators make more money
College administrators are receiving higher salaries. Data collected by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources reported administrators’ salaries rose 4 percent. In addition, the data also indicated that women were holding more administrative positions, more of them were chief academic officers of colleges, and are staying on staff for only three years. For more, read
http://www.insidehighered.com/
College in need of money
LeMoyne Owen College is in dire financial straits. The historically black college located in Tennessee is $6 million in debt and looking for donors to help keep the institution operating. The college has 650 students and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has placed the college on probation.
For more read, www.tennessean.com
Sorority sisters snubbed
More than 23 sorority sisters of Delta Zeta at DePauw University were asked to leave their sorority house. The young co-eds on the Indiana campus said they were let go because national officers didn’t like their appearance. Members of the national headquarters are worried about declining recruitment and judged that the young women were not committed to the organizations. For more information, read http://www.nytimes.com/
Columbia clash
Columbia University has clashed with West Harlem residents about expanding its campus in the neighborhood. The two sides are in dispute over a 17-acre industrial parcel near the Hudson River. The community consists of mainly low-income residents and small businesses. Columbia would like to tear down the businesses and move the residents to another area in order to make way for its new business and arts school. In addition, plans call for dormitories to be built in the area. The problem is that residents and business owners don’t want to move from the neighborhood. The university is seeking to get the property through eminent domain. For more, read http://www.nydailynews.com
Film depicting Islam leaves campuses feeling uneasy
Some colleges have canceled the showing of “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West,” a documentary film, because some view the message as encouraging more attacks on America and Europe. Colleges such as Pace University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook have all canceled showings of the film in recent months. Supporters of the film say it presents a side that isn’t represented in higher academia.
For more read, http://www.nytimes.com/
Self-centered college students
College students today are considered more narcissistic. Five psychologists presented their findings in San Diego after studying the behavior of college students from 1981 to 2006. It’s the largest study completed of this type. Researchers said the students’ behavior must be countered because it will impact society negatively.
For more read, http://www.ajc.com/
Tuition rising
Brown University approved a $704 million budget for next year and plans to increase tuition by five percent. Undergraduate tuition at the Ivy League university will be $45,948. For more read, http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/
Strategic plans
Gallaudet University’s interim president, Robert Davila, is trying to strengthen the D.C. institution’s enrollment, recruitment and retention rates. After student protests last fall, The Middle States Commission on Higher Education delayed its decision on whether to renew the university’s accreditation.
For more read, http://www.wjla.com/
Cartoon learning
Some K-12 students will have a chance to look at history in a different way, thanks to Ohio State University. The university’s research library and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists have teamed up for a new project where teachers can use editorial cartoons and lesson plans to teach American history. The project is nationwide and up to 12 lesson plans and 72 cartoons have been created. For more, read http://media.www.thelantern.com
