Universities Weblog

(Source: University of Nebraska)

Be careful when declaring your major next fall. It could cost you.

So says a recent New York Times article, which details a growing trend among public universities to charge more for certain majors.

Consider:

Should an undergraduate studying business pay more than one studying psychology? Should a journalism degree cost more than one in literature? More and more public universities, confronting rising costs and lagging state support, have decided that the answers may be yes and yes.

"This is not the preferred way to do this," said Patrick V. Farrell, provost at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. "If we were able to raise resources uniformly across the campus, that would be a preferred move. But with our current situation, it doesn't seem to us that that's possible."

Some majors, like biology and chemistry, have long charged extra for lab fees and such. So what's new? Still, we'll see if this "trend" continues and if the cost differentials grow.

(Source: Amherst College)

Princeton did it, and now Amherst is following suit. Starting in fall '08, the college will not include loans in its financial aid packages. Instead, it will meet all demonstrated need through grants.

From a campus press release:

Amherst College's trustees have voted to replace all loans with scholarships in its financial aid packages beginning in the 2008-09 academic year. In 1999, Amherst became the first college in the nation to eliminate loans for low-income students. This new policy will eliminate loans for all Amherst students.

The new program substituting scholarships for loans builds on Amherst's longstanding leadership around financial aid. Amherst was one of the first colleges in the country to adopt a need-blind admission policy; an applicant's financial need is not considered as part of the application process, and every admitted student receives financial aid that meets the student's demonstrated need. The college is not only widely considered to be one of the nation's very best liberal arts colleges, but it is also highly regarded as one of the "best values" in the U.S.

Good for Amherst, and better for its students. Will other elite institutions continue the trend? Stay tuned.

(Source: University of Pennsylvania)

You're fresh out of college, or just about to graduate. You want an MBA, or think you do. Should you pursue one now or gain work experience first?

Check out this article, which considers arguments for both, along with one more option.

(Source: Roger Williams University)

On the heels of his racial slur, Roger Williams trustee Ralph Papitto will see his name removed from the university's law school. He won't, however, get his money back (we can assume).

From InsideHigherEd:

The Ralph R. Papitto School of Law at Roger Williams University will soon lose the Papitto name, now associated with a slur.

"I do not want this controversy, which at present is running out of control, to further the damage already caused to the university," he wrote. "A continued public discussion and debate over the name of the law school serves only to further damage the university. Therefore, and as a reflection of the sincerity of my regret and of my deep commitment to Roger Williams University, I have today asked the Board of Trustees to remove my name from the law school."

Amazing. One word negates a lifetime of service and philanthropy. Good thing Chris Rock doesn't have his name on a law school.

(Source: Roger Williams University)

A racial slur uttered by the board chair at Roger Williams University has thrown the institution's leadership into a tizzy. This isn't the first time the race card has been dealt at RWU; not long ago, the campus drew attention when a few students tried to create a scholarship for white students. Now this.

From InsideHigherEd:

Roger Williams University announced last week that its board chair of nearly 40 years, Ralph R. Papitto, a major donor for whom the law school is named, was retiring from the board. The press release praised Papitto's "visionary leadership" and said that he considered the diversification of the board as one of his greatest accomplishments.

Papitto, 80, on Sunday admitted using the slur in the board meeting, but said that he is not a racist or anti-Semite and that he doesn't know why he used the word. He said that Roberts was always "agitating" for more diversity on the board and he questioned the loyalty of trustees for talking about the situation. He compared himself to don imus, whose radio career was destroyed after he used slurs to talk about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

Looks like new leadership is in order.

(Source: Monroe Community College)

Displaying yet another sign of mission creep, some community colleges have built dorms to accommodate students who want to live on campus. Let's see: first baccalaureate programs and now dorms. These are community colleges, right?

From InsideHigherEd:

Paper-thin dorm room walls and fire alarms at dawn are typical expectations of four-year college student life, but not exactly what one thinks of when envisioning life at a community college.

"With more traditional-age students enrolling at community colleges for a variety of reasons, colleges and students seem more receptive to on-campus housing," she said. "They want that college experience."

Then go to a four-year school, I say. Someone has to pay for construction. Taxpayers? Students? Donors? And how about staffing these dorms? And the liabilities associated with housing students? Is it worth the investment? Unless budgets grow considerably, will the academic enterprise suffer as a result?

What do you think?

(Source: Vanderbilt University)

Gordon Gee has been around. He's been president of five institutions over the past 30-plus years, and currently heads Vanderbilt. Before heading south, he presided over Brown and was chided for a short tenure there. Now he's leaving for Ohio State-actually, going back to OSU. He was president there from 1990-1997.

Here's a bit from his announcement:

Today, it is with Mixed Emotions that I have informed the Board of Trust and its Chairman, Mrs. Martha Ingram, of my intention to resign the Chancellorship of Vanderbilt on August 1 of this year. At that time, I will assume the Presidency of The Ohio State University. This was by far the most difficult professional decision that I have ever made. I want you to know that I am not leaving Vanderbilt. Rather, I am following my heart and returning to a place that I consider my home. My decision is that simple and that complex. Over the past several weeks, members of the University Board and the University family have done everything possible to make me feel valued and appreciated. I assure you that I do.

Ohio State alums: Watch today's 4:00 p.m. (EST) Board of Trustees announcement via webcast here.

(Source: Harvard University)

Drew Faust officially became Harvard's 28th president on July 1, succeeding Derek Bok, who was serving his second tenure as president, this time as interim. Faust really succeeds Larry Summers, the short-timer whose Presidency was marked by controversy and ill feelings.

Faust faces a tall agenda, including the expansion in Allston, ongoing attempts to centralize operations and build bridges across schools and disciplines, and of course a capital campaign in the neighborhood of $5 billion. Most of all, she'll be expected to lead differently than Summers did and to continue the healing process Harvard so desperately needs.

Look here to find Faust's presidential page, which includes her bio and a link to a Boston Globe story about her academic life.

Here's wishing Faust great good fortune.

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(Source: University of Maine)

Graduates of Maine colleges who remain in the state will receive a healthy tax benefit, according to the Boston Globe. Seems the brain drain has crippled Maine. Now, legislators want to stem the tide.

Check it out:

Maine Governor John E. Baldacci will sign a law today that will provide tax credits to help cover the cost of college loan payments for students who earn degrees in Maine and remain in the state.

"We're trying to combat the high cost of student education and student loans," Bossie said. "On top of that, we're trying to address the economic problems of the state. We have a lower income and fewer degree holders than any other New England state."

Read the rest here.

So if you go to college in Maine, stick around when you're done. And use the tax savings to buy a bigger snow blower.