ACUHO-I News Blog

In an attempt to help veterans further their educations in the long-term, lawmakers may have, ironically, significantly disadvantaged current veteran students.

When the Higher Education Act was renewed last year, Congress changed it so veterans’ military benefits would not count against their eligibility for unsubsidized loans and institutional aid. This change was made effective for 2010-2011, but the additional GI monies are available this year. So some veterans may be required to return all or some of their student aid, thanks to this glitch.

The House attempted to mend this error with a technical corrections bill passed in March but the Senate has not yet voted on it, even as the 2009-2010 school year rapidly approaches.  The University of California is urging their senators to pass the bill to avoid disrupting the educations of veterans as well as creating a logistical and bureaucratic mess.

Despite rising awareness and prevention campaigns, alcohol-related deaths, drunk driving, and binge drinking are all on the rise on college campuses, according to a new study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

The findings have been published in a special edition  of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs devoted to college drinking problems. Fourteen studies in the issue report the results of projects funded by the NIAAA’s Rapid Response to College Drinking Problems initiative which, between 2004 and 2005, selected 15 college campuses to help develop programs to combat the problem. These figures show that drinking-related accidental deaths among 18- to 24-year-old students rose from 1,440 in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005. Reported binge drinking went from 42 percent to 45 percent. And students who admitted to drinking and driving increased from 26.5 percent to 29 percent.

Ralph Hingson, Sc.D., M.P.H., is the lead researcher for the project and the director of the NIAAA’s division of epidemiology and prevention research. In a release he expressed his concern over the numbers and pointed out that, “the irony is that during this same time period, our knowledge of what works as far as intervention in this age group has increased. That knowledge isn’t yet being put into place.”

A copy of the report is available as a PDF download here.

A contributor to this problem on many campuses is the so-called “Thirsty Thursdays,” where students begin their weekend celebrations (and associated alcohol consumption) a day early because they have no classes scheduled for Friday.  InsideHigherEd.com last week reported on the study which was based on the responses of 895 undergraduates at the Loyola College in Maryland in fall 2008.

In the report, students who did not have a Friday class reported drinking an average of 3.38 drinks on Thursday nights, roughly four times more than those with a Friday class before 10 a.m. These trends were consistent for all respondents, regardless of gender, class year, or individual propensity to drink.

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

ECONOMIC REALITIES AND ADMISSIONS: Surveys by NACAC finds high schools reporting more students being influenced by cost, and colleges seeing signs of those choices:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/09/nacac

NOT-SO-SECRET AGENT MEN (AND WOMEN): When it comes to international students, the still-controversial practice of paying commissions to recruiters gains greater acceptance, and visibility:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/10/agents

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Why do some public colleges always seem to fare better on state appropriations than others? Research helps, but so does a campus in a Democratic state, and in proximity to the statehouse:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/10/approps

THE BEST UNIVERSITY?: Peer evaluations filled out by Clemson’s top officials partially back contention that they didn’t conspire to game U.S. News rankings. But president ranked the university’s undergraduate program higher than Harvard and Berkeley:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/09/clemson

According to an article in Career Journal, the Wall Street Journal’s career site, a subtle transformation is taking place among millennials, AKA Generation Y. As jobs disappear and companies are ravaged by the slumpy economy, some recent graduates are endeavoring to show their employers or potential employers that Gen Y doesn’t always denote a sense of entitlement and the expectation of Fridays off. Of course, this transformation might have taken place with or without an economic crisis; it’s a part of young adults’ adjustment to becoming self-sufficient post-college. Perhaps, however, the economy will bring out the acknowledged talents of Gen Y, making us all better in the end.

Hiring from within can be an economical solution to the need to fill an empty position in tight economic times, if the other circumstances that go along with internal hiring are right for your institution.

According to an article in Inside HigherEd by Lucy Apthorp Leske, internal searches work best when:

• The usual hiring protocols are followed when the decision to hire internally is made, and the reasoning is clearly explained to all constituents.
• It’s important for the hire to have a quick understanding of the issues as only an insider can.
• An insider offers skills or experience that are uniquely suited to the position.
• A quick transition time is desired.

If these conditions apply, an internal hire can easily save $10,000 and a lot of time, thanks to a shortened interview period and avoiding the expense of visiting candidates and relocation expenses.

An internal hire is less attractive if the department needs a fresh perspective, internal politics would compromise the hire’s effectiveness, or if the options for hiring internally are limited.

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

RANKINGS RANCOR AT CLEMSON: University responds harshly to official’s assertions of data “manipulation” to rise on the U.S. News charts, denying unethical behavior — but directly challenging few of her allegations:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/04/clemson

HOME DISSECTION KITS AND MORE: Thanks to sets of do-it-yourself experiment packages, lab science courses are slowly gaining acceptance in online delivery:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/05/science

NOT SO POLITICALLY INCORRECT: As College Democrats fight for official recognition at Liberty U., other liberal student groups maintain peaceful relationships at traditionally conservative institutions — and so do their conservative counterparts at more liberal institutions:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/02/groups

That sounds pretty snazzy, doesn’t it? Well it seems to be true, at least in terms of the racial diversity of students’ friends during college. Most students make friends within their own ethnic and racial groups, rarely venturing outside of that. However, residence halls, and assignments can be a fertile place for these preferences to be tweaked, according to “Interracial Friendships in the Transition to College: Do Birds of a Feather Flock Together Once They Leave The Nest,” an article in the current issue of Sociology of Education.

According to authors Elizabeth Stearns (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Claudia Buchmann (Ohio State University) and Kara Bonneau (Duke University):

“Residential college campuses offer multiple settings for contact… First, college students tend to reside together on campus. Residence halls may be particularly conducive environments for fostering interracial friendships, given the close and sustained nature of the contact that is found in them. The more intimate and informal nature of residence hall life may serve to put roommates and hallmates on an equal footing in terms of status and provide a richer seedbed for forming friendships relative to the structured, formal settings of college classrooms.”

Moreover, the authors note, administrators can further encourage such contact through assignments and other residential programs.

A student at Community College of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania wanted to start a club. So she created a brochure about her intended group and distributed it on campus. College officials called the student to the dean’s office and told her she should follow established channels for creating a student group: Completing an application; showing that at least 10 students have an interest in the group; and getting a faculty adviser. The student also says, however, that Community College of Allegheny County officials questioned the purpose of her group, and advised her not to move forward with its formation. College officials say their concerns were centered on preventing unauthorized solicitation on campus.

Christine Brashier was attempting to form a chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, and she says the intent of her proposed group was the real problem, that the leadership of her school is attempting to thwart her attempts to start a pro-concealed-carry organization. Brashier contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (better known as FIRE), and FIRE wrote college president Alex Johnson with their concerns. In this Boston Globe story, representatives of FIRE claim that similar issues have arisen at other institutions as well.

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

REACHING STUDENTS WHO DON’T REPORT DEPRESSION: Study at 20 colleges suggests that screening those seeking primary medical care, combined with new type of case manager, can yield huge gains in treating those who might never get help:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/29/depression

PAYING FOR CAMPUS HEALTH CARE: At college health gathering, a packed house hears encouragement for the idea of requiring all students to be enrolled in a single insurance plan:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/28/health

IN GLOBAL RECESSION, GLOBAL ED STILL GROWING: At international educators’ conference, panelists discuss the impact of the financial crisis on student mobility.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/29/international

CLIMATE REPORT: About three-fourths of colleges are meeting their reporting deadlines under a national pledge to reduce carbon emissions:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/28/climate

THE DISTANCE ED TIPPING POINT: Community colleges consider: What happens when your online enrollments hit 50 percent (or some other level that changes nature of the institution)?
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/26/distance

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

THE FUTURE OF STUDENT LOANS: House hearing elicits widespread agreement that big changes are coming, and that a single federal loan program would make sense. But left unanswered: Is administration’s plan clearly the best option?:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/22/loans

CREDIT LIMIT: Congress passes legislation that will help shield students from credit card companies’ aggressive tactics, but not everyone is cheering:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/21/credit

LOST MEN ON CAMPUS: Scholars at national conference link issues of identity and masculinity to gender gaps in academic performance.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/22/men

TEST PREP, TO WHAT END? New analysis from admissions group suggests that SAT coaching improves scores, but modestly. But study also finds that modest increases make a difference at many institutions:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/20/testprep

No, we’re not talking about golf; a post in Green, Inc., a New York Times blog about environmental issues, discusses some institutions’ addition of a “green fee” that will pay for environmentally friendly development or energy offsets. In a strange twist, there are student groups campaigning for this fee at colleges and universities. Most of the fees are well south of $10 per semester or quarter, though a few triple or quadruple that.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (put more sustainably, AASHE) has a page devoted to news about green fees. Students at institutions featured on the page voted largely in favor of mandatory green fees.

Depending on the state in which an institution is located, a fee can be easier or harder to institute. In Florida, for example, legislators must vote on any state university fee increases. (Legislators, likely not wanting to be known for rising student costs, voted down green fees.)

As you can imagine, green fees don’t have fans in every corner.

Do you think Green Fees are a good idea or not? How much leverage does your institution have regarding its fees?

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

NEXT BUDGET VICTIM? JOY: Faculty find economic downturn does more than just kill programs and jobs; it chips away at quality of life and fills campus with anxiety:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/14/morale

COLLEGE FOR THE UNEMPLOYED: President Obama pushes changes to help ex-workers keep insurance benefits even as they seek more education or training, and promises new look at role of community colleges:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/11/unemployed

‘SHOW ME THE MONEY’: As colleges sort out which admitted applicants are pledging to enroll, it’s clear that there is no one trend on “yield” — but many. Most revolve around dollars:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/11/enroll

ATHLETIC REVIVAL: After a two decade absence from intercollegiate competition, Roosevelt U. decides to restore sports programs despite tough economic times. Officials believe the benefits outweigh the risks:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/15/roosevelt

The May+June 2009 issue of the Talking Stick magazine is now out, available through the postal service or in its online format. The cover story, this time, is a photo essay from the ACUHO-I study tour of China as well as the ACUHO-I Global Housing Summit. Some amazing photos taken by ACUHO-I members as well as written reflections from those who were there capture the experience and shares it with the membership at large.

Other stories this issue include a piece co-written by ACUHO-I president Norb Dunkel and ACPA president Tom Jackson that addresses how campus housing and student affairs departments must work together to further the “international” missions of their campuses. Luke LaCroix shines the light on sophomore programs. Tonie Miyamoto looks at LEED. Plus much more news from ACUHO-I and the college housing profession.

Read the latest issue and share your thoughts about it either in the comments below, or in the forum of the ACUHO-I online network.

Will the Millennials do what previous generations — the Boomers and the X-ers, namely — didn’t? Will they end the culture wars and usher in a more peaceful, equitable era worldwide? Two reports from the Center for American Progress, one focusing on the political views of young adults, and the other on their social and racial views, answer Yes.

The election of Barack Obama, the candidate of choice for a large majority of 18-29 year olds,  proves both points. A majority of millennials identify more with liberal values than conservative ones–and the conservative values they favor are those encouraging free trade, the privatization of social security and other domestic issues. They are liberal on social issues, particularly concerning gay marriage. And, as the report on racial views demonstrates, they are less likely to be concerned with race in part because they are the most diverse generations of Americans yet: 60 percent white and 40 percent minority: with 18 percent Hispanic; 14 percent black and 5 percent Asian.

Similar views have been reflected in other surveys of Millennials, and Neil Howe’s work.

However, big things were projected for the Boomers and X-ers, and while the world has certainly changed, the predictions didn’t pan out completely. The oldest of the Millennials are still getting started in the job market (if they are able to find jobs) and have yet to prove their worth as social movers n’ shakers. Do you think the Y Generation will keep their “progressive” values as they get older and change how the world works, or will their fate be the same as that of the Boomers and X-ers?

Show of hands…when was the last time you sent a text message?

We all know that our students are now coming to campus better able to use technology to communicate. Everything from blogs to Twitter, texting, and smart phones.The feature in the recent Talking Stick by Richard Holeton The Net Generation on Campus & Online is a must read!

Students are coming to school owning cell phones at a 99 percent clip, and more and more of them are using smart phones…the Blackberry or iPhone. A higher percent of college students own and use a smart phone than working adults. Employers are at risk of falling behind the Net Generation in using and adapting to communications tools. A recent survey by Big Blue shows that from even these technologically advanced students, more than half feel they need to improve their technology skills before they graduate, and 80 percent expect to encounter new technology once they enter the workforce. As these students graduate and become professional employees, our institutions will need to consider getting our current employees, and ourselves, trained and armed with the current technology devices.As we tentatively dip our toes into the social networking world of Facebook and MySpace, the kids will be racing off to a brand-new, yet undiscovered technology (Twitter), leaving us looking and feeling both inadequate and confused. How will our employees view us if we don’t know the rudimentary basics of today’s communication technology? In order to compete with the private sector, we cannot rely on technology, software and communication tools from the 1980s.

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