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.

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.

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?

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:

CONGRESS’S ‘SECRET SHOPPER’: Government Accountability Office uncovers fraud and deception in for-profit colleges’ recruiting practices.

PRIVATIZED PATHWAYS FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS: Universities increasingly turn to for-profit companies to offer comprehensive first-year programs — including academic courses — to students from abroad.

WASHED UP: Google Wave was supposed to be the most revolutionary Web 2.0 tool yet for higher ed. This week, Google pulled the plug. What happened?

CALIFORNIA DREAMER: Christopher Edley has a vision for bringing an elite university into the world of online bachelor’s degrees. Is he building a new financial base or putting the faculty role at risk?

NCAA GRADES COACHES: Organization now tracking how well teams’ athletes perform in classroom under specific leaders.

“Variations on a Theme,” Joanna Nikas. New York Times, July 2010.
A photo essay on unusual theme houses at colleges and universities.

“Earned Housing,” New York Times, July 2010.
Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY, assigns upperclass student housing based on students’ behavior the previous year. Students with the best behavior, campus involvement and GPAs choose first. This photo essay documents the process.

“Failure to Communicate,” Abigail Sullivan Moore, July 15, 2010.
Roommates have long been forced to work out conflicts of interests and schedules. But housing officials feel students are less willing, or able, to work out problems themselves. Students are more likely to text each other rather than talk; more likely to text other people than each other, or they lean on their parents or R.A. to resolve relatively simple conflicts. There’s an accompanying blog post at the Learning Network, the NYT education blog.

“Overbooked, University Struggles to Find Room,” Jacques Steinberg, August 3, 2010.
The University of Iowa is hardly alone with this problem. More students will be arriving on campus than they estimated, and so lounges, apartment buildings and other “extra” spaces are being utilized.

THE NEW CLASH OF RIGHTS: Federal judge upholds right of public university counseling program to kick out student who wouldn’t “affirm” gay clients. Legal climate remains unsettled.

PRIVATE PARTNERS: Colleges team with outside developers to finance and fast-track building projects, but ratings agencies say these ventures are a real part of a college’s debt picture.

IN WHOSE INTEREST? Why would a few minority organizations that don’t normally speak on higher ed issues suddenly issue statements backing for-profit sector? Could this be “astroturfing”?

A SEPARATION AND A RETURN: Catholic center will no longer nominate and pay for adjuncts to teach Catholic thought at Illinois. And for at least one more semester, controversial adjunct will be back.

COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING ADVOCATES UNDETERRED: Despite last week’s ruling that one institution could not count the activity as varsity for gender equity requirements, other colleges sponsoring the sport hope for its eventual legitimization.

This week, Inside HigherEd revisits a story they featured earlier (and we featured it here too), about a residence hall named after a notable alumni…and Klan member. The University of Texas has decided to change the name. Also, the line between academic freedom and separation of church and state; studying abroad may be good for the soul, and it’s definitely good for GPAs and what happens when you give away too much money.

REMOVING AN HONOR: Should campus buildings feature names of Klan leaders? Professor’s research spurs U. of Texas to change a name, but it’s not the only university that might face the question.

AN ERROR WITH CONSEQUENCES: Birmingham-Southern finds it was awarding millions more in extra aid for years — and tries to recover through layoffs and deep cuts.

ACADEMIC OUTCOMES OF STUDY ABROAD: As emphasis on assessing education abroad increases, one system-wide study finds it’s associated with higher GPAs and graduation rates upon return.

TEACHING OR PREACHING? Controversy at Illinois involves academic freedom, gay rights, adjunct rights and separation of church and state. Where some see issues as black and white, others see a lot of gray.

A MOVING GOALPOST: NCAA aims to adjust measure it uses to judge academic progress of teams’ athletes after concluding that it does not predict graduation as accurately as once thought.

THROWING IN THE TOWEL: Having attracted far fewer students than expected, Michigan State shuts down undergraduate programs in Dubai. Is the bubble bursting?

FOLLOW THE MONEY: Delta Cost Project’s newly released database will allow anyone to see where individual colleges get revenue and where it goes.

PICKING UP THE PACE: Many community colleges are embracing call to decrease time to degree completion by starting accelerated programs.

HOW TO TEST WRITING: College Board revamps tests used by many colleges to place students in or exempt them from composition courses. Will a new, different kind of essay win over the critics?

AVATARS TO TEACH THE TEACHERS: U. of Central Florida research team says it has built a virtual training ground that could improve teacher preparation and retention.

PAMPERING OR PRIORITY? George Washington U. drops maid service for freshmen, drawing some student complaints. But other colleges cling to the practice, even in tough times.

NEW VENUE FOR ANTI-BIAS DEBATE: Supreme Court decision shifts the conflict over discrimination by religious student groups from the courts to the campuses.

ALL EYES ON INDIA: Proposed legislation would provide a clear legal framework for foreign institutions to offer degrees, but the terms might deter otherwise interested universities.

STEP TOO FAR ON TEXTBOOK COSTS? Bill passed by Pennsylvania Senate decried as attack on academic freedom for requiring professors to select “least expensive, educationally sound” option.

TEMPERING TUITION HIKES: Private colleges hold increases to 4.5 percent, falling again below pre-recession averages. But rates still exceed inflation.