Universities Weblog

Chomping at the bit to become the next Naked Chef? Here’s a New York Times article about home-based cooking classes, a fresh approach that seems a bit half-baked. But perhaps it’ll whet your appetite for more information on culinary arts education. If so, check out these programs: Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami, Las Vegas and Atlanta Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago Pennsylvania Culinary InstituteWestern Culinary InstituteTexas Culinary AcademyCalifornia School of Culinary Arts Hospitality and Restaurant Management Program Orlando Culinary Academy

Today's students often view the 1960s campus counterculture with a mix of admiration and confusion. Colleges across America were embroiled in civil unrest, as students protested the Vietnam War, authority and Administration, Johnson and Nixon, and just about anything else that ticked them off. It was also a time of freedoms of various sorts, experimental living, tie dyes, psychedelic rock, big hair and bad fashion.

To relive that era and learn more about what went on and why, visit the Free Speech Movement site at Cal-Berkeley, where it all started. You can read pamphlets, see pictures, listen to audio recordings and watch movies. It's a real trip, man. Just don't get any ideas about occupying the president's office.

Peace.

Want to earn an extra $1 million during your career? Get a bachelor's degree. How about $2 million? Get a master's.

As this Chicago Sun-Times article on DeVry University points out, however, two barriers often impede would-be students: money and time. But because for-profit schools operate more efficiently, they can offer degree programs that require less of each.

An accelerated program such as those at DeVry University, the author says, "can be impressive if the student is willing to roll up sleeves and go for an intensive program. Because courses are offered throughout the day and throughout the summer, a year-round push can be pursued. A bachelor's degree can be attained in three years, and a master's degree in one more."

Additionally, he says, "for-profit schools place their heaviest emphasis on direct professional skill development rather than liberal arts. While the philosophical differences can be debated forever, there's no denying these schools offer a chance for millions of disadvantaged teen-agers to skip Chaucer and Descartes, and plunge into a crash effort that vastly boosts their earning power in much shorter time."

As I discussed in an earlier post, for-profit universities have hit their stride in recent years. Demand for career-relevant education has increased, and these institutions have responded well to students' wishes. Bet you didn't know, for example, that DeVry is the nation's number one institution awarding degrees to minority students in computer and information sciences.

In fact, DeVry offers a range of degree programs in business, information technology, and health care. Start here to learn more.

Navigating the murky waters of financial aid frightens most students and families. If you're in that boat, look here for some BASIC advice before jumping into the deep end. The article includes links to relevant sites; I especially recommend finaid.org, a comprehensive resource for finding scholarships, loans and other forms of support.