…as if you’re not reading enough as it is. But sometimes you need a break, or encouragement. Or both. Adam Ruben, for NPR’s Three Books series, suggests these. What media helped you, or is helping you, through grad school? This can include inspiring books, a diverting website, or a TV show that expects nothing of you but slack-jawed attendance.
Through conversation during the past few months with my supervisor, we’ve accumulated a list of “stupid residence life tricks” — weird things housing and residential life professionals know that aren’t always common knowledge. Using this list and a digital camera, I’m launching a series of videos in this blog showcasing the tricks I use in my job.
To kick us off, here’s my take on how to quickly and inexpensively remove permanent marker from a dry erase board. Whether you need this because you accidentally grabbed a permanent marker while giving a presentation or because an entire floor’s white board were vandalized, this quick trick can save time (and elbow grease previously used scrubbing!).
What tricks do you want me to feature? Leave a comment below and you may be featured in an upcoming video!
For college freshmen, moving onto campus and officially entering the undergraduate experience can be frightening, sure. But these fears are generally overshadowed by the excitement of meeting new roommates, enrolling in classes, exploring campus, and all manner of Welcome Week activities with enough university swag and free food to fill a residence hall room.
The experience of parents dropping off their students offers less distraction, and more difficulty. In today’s world of GPS trackers in cell phones and moms and dads adding sons and daughters on Facebook, it’s widely accepted that this generation of parents is more involved in their childrens’ lives than ever before. This creates a challenge for university personnel, who must ensure that both the incoming crop of students and their parents feel cared for and comfortable with the move-in process, while still allowing for the inevitable separation that will occur.
According to this LA Times article, more and more colleges and universities are offering “parent orientations” to help parents adjust to the idea of leaving their children on their own. These workshops address nearly every detail about the college experience that might give a parent anxiety, including dorm life, financial aid and alcohol abuse. Some schools are even hiring new staff to serve as full-time parent liaisons.
And this NY Times article (with the accompanying ‘Letter to the Editor’ responses!), looks at approaches taken by universities designed to “punctuate and speed the separation,” including formal departure ceremonies and official check-out times for parents.
Any personal or professional stories from members? Over-anxious parents, attending seminars for first-year students? Or sneaking into freshman book discussion groups? What changes have been made (if any) to manage those parents who have a tough time letting go?
In this last installment in our what-to-do-in-Charlotte series (what to do other than attend our conferences, of course) we’ll focus on the area immediately around the Westin Charlotte, our host hotel.
Actually, we’ll start by talking about the Ember Grille, which is the Westin’s restaurant. Hotel restaurants get a bad rap, and sometimes this is for good reasons. Not so with the Ember Grille. It’s not cheap; entrees are $15-$22 for lunch, $18-$36 for dinner, and $18.99 for the breakfast buffet, but online reviewers, including the Yelp crowd, say Ember is generally worth it. Ember offers American food; sandwiches, steaks, fish, plus appetizers to share or for a light entree (hummus and veg, for example).
For cheaper eats that require no silverware, look to Matt’s Chicago Dog, at 435 Tyron Street. The address is a bit deceiving; Matt’s is located in a greenspace between several buildings and Tyron and College streets. To find it, go east from the Westin on College Street — a left turn from the front door. The greenspace will be in the block between Stonewall Street and East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Reviewers praise the all-beef hot dogs and noticeably fresh produce toppings. There are sandwiches available as well.
Sushi and Asian fusion can be found at Room 112 at 112 Tyron Street. Make a left out of the Westin onto College Street, turn left on 4th Street, then make a right on Tyron. Note, Room 112 is closed on Sunday. If sushi isn’t your thing, there are soups, salads, noodles and wok dishes as well.
Just want a treat and willing to walk a bit for it? Go to Crave Dessert Bar, 500 West 5th Street. Turn left from the Westin on College Street. Turn left on 5th Street, then go five blocks. There’s a full bar in addition to a menu of salads, sandwiches, and of course cupcakes, cakes and cheesecakes, in addition to other yummies.
Are you looking for something–a wine bar, a show, a decent bagel? Let me know, and I’ll try to find a place that’s handy to the Westin Charlotte.
Hello, and welcome to a new week! This week, Inside HigherEd marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its subsequent destruction with two stories; one discusses how rebuilding involves more than construction and the other talks about what happens when the worst financial crisis in decades hits right after Katrina. A literal, then a financial storm can do a number on an institution. Read about these issues and others at Inside HigherEd.
IN KATRINA’S SHADOW: Five years after storm, New Orleans colleges work to rebuild enrollment, faculty and — in some cases — trust.
A RECOVERY AT RISK: Delgado Community College has finally passed its pre-Katrina enrollment levels — only to face massive budget cuts that could reverse the progress.
BLINDING TECHNOLOGY OF ONLINE LEARNING: Will digital education face legal scrutiny for shutting out blind students?
3 MILLION AND COUNTING: As policy debate rages about for-profit colleges’ value, their enrollments continue to soar, nearing 12 percent of all students.
YOU’VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED: New project aims to track down students who have enough credit to earn associate degree but, for whatever reason, never were awarded one.
Good morning! On Inside HigherEd today, Retention with smartphones; major happiness in and out of college and “Politics or Civility?” (Are these necessarily mutually exclusive? That’s a pity.)
POLITICS OR CIVILITY? New sociology research suggests that nonpolitical campus characteristics may influence whether conservative students thrive with or feel intimidated by faculty at overwhelmingly liberal institutions.
WHO’S ON FIRST? U.S. investigates gender equity complaint that conference policy of having women’s basketball teams always play first in doubleheaders make them seem like “warm-up” act for men.
THE SATISFACTION GAP: Sociologists consider why their graduates appreciate the major in college, but don’t when they are a few years out.
TAKE ME AWAY, COUNTRY ROADS: West Virginia’s universities offer a case study in internationalizing largely from scratch.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Georgia Gwinnett has boosted retention by giving its faculty smartphones and encouraging students to call them.
In this second installment of our what-to-do-in-Charlotte posts, we’re going to talk about the yummy noms that can be had in the area. Specifically, we’ll discuss the greasy spoons. we’ll worry about the silver spoon places on another day.
Our meetings and events manager, Lisa Martin, has made several trips to Charlotte while planning the 2010 conferences. She recommends Mert’s for their award-winning soul food. Mert’s is less out-of-the-way than some of the options below, so if you’re limited for time, this is a good option. At 214 College Street, it’s a straight 10-minute walk northeast from the Westin. Lisa warns that speed isn’t Mert’s selling point, but taste more than makes up for it.
My source for this list is RoadFood.com, a site maintained by Jane and Michael Stern, who travel the country looking for out-of-the-way places to enjoy hot cuisine, not haute cuisine. How do they make this dream life work? By telling the rest of us about it. They have written books and articles about their finds, and won three James Beard journalism awards for their work. Here’s their recommendations for Charlotte:
Bar B Q King: At this drive-in eatery that allows you to never leave your car, the Sterns recommend the fried seafood, in every form the restaurant offers. It gets a “worth planning a day around” rating.
Bill Spoon’s Barbecue: Spoon’s is known for its yellow mustard slaw, which adds color and crunch to pulled pork sandwiches. It seems the Sterns and their followers rate every menu item highly, from the barbecued chicken to the banana pudding. It is really hard to type “banana pudding” without having any of that yummy stuff handy.
John’s Country Kitchen: Breakfast is the way to go here; pancakes, fried livermush and grilled biscuits are popular.
Lupie’s: This is one of those places where macaroni and cheese is, somehow, considered a vegetable. However, vegetables are also vegetables, and very tasty at Lupie’s. They have a vegetarian chili, in addition to the meat version, which the Sterns recommend. If you follow the link to the Sterns’ website, you can see one of the most beautiful photographs ever taken of a bacon cheeseburger.
Old Hickory House: There was no energy wasted on the ambiance here, but after sampling the slow-smoked pork butt, crispy-oily hushpuppies and goopy, meaty Brunswick stew, no one seems to care.
Penguin Drive-In: Have you ever wanted to eat a burger as big as your head? The Penguin Drive-In offers you this opportunity. The burger will be tasty too, as will the fries and deep-fried pickle chips. Once again, clicking the link will show you pictures of beautiful, massive burgers. The Penguin Drive-In also gets the Sterns’ highest rating: “Worth driving from anyplace.”
Price’s Chicken Coop: Not surprisingly, the fried chicken is recommended, but the Sterns also enjoyed the sweet potato pie, fried apple pie (in case regular apple pie was too healthy for you) and the Cheerwine available from a vending machine. There’s no place to eat-in, and aside from eating your car, the only other handy option is to sit on the side of the road with your cardboard-packaged chicken dinner. But it seems to be worth it, as Price’s also gets a “Worth driving from anyplace” rating.
Wondering what to do during your (few) free hours during the Business Operations Conference, the Living-Learning Conference, or the ACUHO-I/APPA Facilities Conference? This post is the first in a “what-to-do-in-Charlotte” series. Readers, please add your own suggestions too!
Let’s start with the museums. Charlotte has a lot to talk about there, as the city gained three new museums in just the past year.
One is the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, where you can see works by Miro, Degas and Ernst, among others. Admire the building too, with its four-story atrium, which suffuses the building with natural light. The fourth four gallery extends far over the plaza outside, and seems to be held aloft by an oblong column rooted in the ground.
Another is the Mint Museum, so named because the building was formally the first branch of the U.S. Mint. (Its name makes me think of ice cream and mojitos, though.) Now it is home to a huge selection of artwork: early American pieces; ancient pieces from the North American continent; American and European ceramics; costumes and accessories; Asian art; African art; maps and contemporary pieces. In addition to its usual displays, the Mint has rotating special exhibitions as well. Are you into shoes? “The Heights of Fashion: Platform Shoes Then and Now,” will be on view while you’re in Charlotte. It seems very apros, as platforms have swung back into vogue again. (Current styles are more Louboutin than Disco Stu, though.)
The third is the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. The Hewitt Collection, containing works from prominent African-American artists who achieved international recognition and broke new ground, has a permanent home at the museum. John and Vivian Hewitt were not who you picture when the words “art collectors” come to mind. He was a writer, she a teacher, and they saved and prioritized so they could purchase art. In 1998, they pledged their collection to the Harvey B. Gantt Center. In addition, other galleries display rotating exhibits.
I just had to share. This story about the University of Illinois’ new super-accessible residence hall and dining hall for students with disabilities is inspiring, and if you’re like me, it will make you a little weepy too. You’re probably seeing a lot of emotionally overwhelmed parents and students lately, but let this story introduce you to two more.
Kelsey Rozema, best of luck at the University of Illinois!
In this charming photo essay, University of Missouri freshmen show the move-in item they cannot do without…beyond underwear (enough pairs to last until Thanksgiving!) or a hairdryer.
During move-in this year, or in previous years, what are some unusual items students brought with them, feeling they were essential to a happy life on campus? Were they right, or did some things turn out to be less important in college life than they were during high school?
Semi trucks! Volunteer moving teams! Interior design for dorms! Organized chaos!
For housing departments at colleges and universities across the country, the next couple of weeks mean the stress and strain of new and returning students moving in on campus. They’re bringing with them anxious families, increased traffic, and all the comforts of home (and maybe a semi truck or two). Here’s a round-up of campus move-in news from around the nation:
The ABCs of Moving the Kids to College : From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, common (and not-so-common) mistakes parents make as they help their kids with the big move.
Vanderbilt Students Return to Campus Aug. 21, Move-In Goes Green: How one university is attempting to reduce the environmental impact of move-in day, one cardboard box at a time.
Residence Hall Move-In Starts Sunday: At Texas A&M, Residence Life has designated August 22 as “Residence Hall Move-In Assistance Day,” with teams of move-in volunteers there to assist and welcome new and returning students.
New Vaccine Requirement for Incoming College Students: A new Texas-wide state law addresses the dangers of bacterial meningitis. Though it went into effect January 1, the incoming freshman class moving in this fall will put it to the test.
Dorm-It-Yourself: In the video below, a student from Ryerson University School of Interior Design gives tips and tricks for sprucing up a student residence (on a student budget!)
How about you, members? Any crazy stories, interesting initiatives or new tricks you’ve discovered this move-in season?
Another Beloit Mindset List has been released. [Insert grumping about how old it makes me feel, which only serves to make me feel--and look--even older.]
The list is gradually aging, just like the rest of us. It turns 13 this year, and while it doesn’t have to endure the rigors of 7th grade, its founders are mindful of its future. The list that was started partly for fun, to entertain and inform professors at Beloit College of the “common knowledge” that might not be so common among their students. The wider world took notice, and the list became an annual tradition. In six years, it will be older than the students it profiles.
Here’s a selection of Beloit Mindset list items, from various years of release:
Few in the class know how to write in cursive. (2010)
South Africa’s official policy of apartheid has not existed during their lifetime. (2002)
Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines. (2006)
They have never feared a nuclear war. “The Day After” is a pill to them—not a movie. (1998)
There has always been Diet Coke. (2001)
This generation has never wanted to “be a Pepper too.” (2002)
When they were born, Madonna was still a radiant woman holding a beatific child. (2001)
Harry has always known Sally. (2003)
Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess. (2010)
Males do not carry a handkerchief in a back pocket. (2002)
Dilbert has always been ridiculing cubicle culture. (2007)
There have always been non-stop flights around the world without refueling. (2003)
Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister. (2009)
They have never used a bottle of “White Out.”
Secondhand smoke has always been an official carcinogen. (2010)
They have never needed a prescription to buy ibuprofen. (1999)
Oprah has always been a national institution. (2001)
Woodstock is a bird or a reunion, not a cultural touchstone. (2000)
They may never have heard of an 8-track, and chances are they’ve never heard or seen one. (1998)
A “45″ is a gun, not a record with a large hole in the center. (2000)
Big Brother is merely a television show. (2002)
Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino. (2008)
Their lifetime has always included AIDS. (1998)
John Lennon and John Belushi have always been dead. (1999)
The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union. (2006)
They don’t know who Mork was, or where he was from. (1998)
Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” (2009)
They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly. (2005)
They never “rolled down” a car window. (2007)
There have always been ATM machines. (2000)
They have no idea how big a breadbox is. (1999)
Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option. (2008)
Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton. (2005)
Leasing has always allowed the folks to upgrade their tastes in cars. (2010)
Retin-A has always made America look less wrinkled. (2006)
For daily caffeine emergencies, Starbucks has always been around the corner. (2005)
Large fine-print ads for prescription drugs have always appeared in magazines. (2003)
Babies have always had a Social Security Number. (2009)
Greetings, blog readers! Today, Inside HigherEd looks at the potential for sexual orientation questions on the Common Application and gay and lesbian college presidents form their own organization…among other news, of course.
HUNGRY FOR JOBS: Do law schools need a hunger strike to push them to be more forthright with would-be students about the tight employment market?
BETTOR GRADES: A new company offers cash payouts to students who wager that they will earn uncharacteristically good marks, but some academic officials worry about the unintended consequences.
ASKING MORE THAN MALE OR FEMALE: Common Application considers adding voluntary questions about sexual orientation and gender identity.
HAS THE CONVERSATION CHANGED? Did a brutal week for for-profit colleges alter the political landscape for the sector?
OUT PRESIDENTS: Gay and lesbian college leaders gather for first time — and form a new organization for professional development and advocacy:
There are disadvantages to hand-selecting your own roommate, Maureen Dowd points out in a New York Times op-ed column. She was paired with roommates with whom she didn’t always get along, and they had to negotiate arrangements they could all agree to. Everyone who has had a roommate (whether in college or otherwise) has a similar story, though most didn’t result an all-corn diet as Dowd’s did. While she grew weary of corn at the time, Dowd feels the experience was worth it, for the personal growth it offered. She read a Wall Street Journal article on services that institutions and students can use to match themselves with roommates with skepticism. She thinks this limits student growth and links it to societal problems as well: “Choosing roommates who are mirror images may fit with our narcissistic and microtargeted society, but it retards creativity and social growth,” Dowd writes. “This reluctance to mix it up also has been reflected in the lack of full-throated political and cultural debates on campuses (as opposed to ersatz debates on cable TV), replaced by a quiet P.C. acceptance of differing views or an obnoxious stereotyping of anyone different.”
ACUHO-I members who allow students to self-select say that students are more likely to stick with matches they’ve made themselves, even when things get difficult. The students take more ownership of the relationship. Fewer complaints about roommate conflicts (particularly problems that can be solved with a little discussion) makes life easier for housing pros.
Personally, I’ve wondered if roommate selection software allows a false sense of control. I could pick someone like me–neither a night owl nor an early bird; a moderately tidy–but just because we both self-describe this way doesn’t mean we’ll agree with each other’s self-assessment. Or that there won’t be other issues that have nothing to do with sleep or messes. So perhaps there are still getting-to-know-you issues, even when roommates select each other.
What do you think? If you use self-selection, has it made your work easier? Do you think students lose out on an important life experience? If you don’t, does this have anything to do with it?
Forbes.com recently shared a list of the ten most expensive college dorms (their word, not mine) in the United States. Topping the list was Sarah Lawrence College in upstate New York, where room and board can cost in excess of $13,000 annually. The article explains the competitive nature of campus housing, including the upgrades and outsourcing to private companies that many universities are utilizing to remain competitive.
Throughout my two years at Indiana University South Bend, our staff has been asked repeatedly to describe the add-value of the on-campus experience. With more than a dozen apartment complexes in a five-mile radius of campus (and no residency requirement to help fill our beds), we often have to remind ourselves that we are selling an experience rather than a product. For a low-cost living arrangement, we may not be the cheapest game in town. For higher levels of academic success, a supportive community, and connections to campus, we’re the only game in town. But that doesn’t always sway students and parents when they see our rates.
How do you articulate the add-value of your on-campus housing, particularly when asked to compare it with less expensive off-campus options?
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