Pepper-Sprayed for being Non-Violent

Wow! The campus police made a big mistake. Students at the University of California at Davis were pepper sprayed as they sat peaceful arms linked together protesting non-violently. And if being pepper sprayed isn’t bad enough, they were also jabbed with police batons. Thank goodness for everyone shooting footage because the public can have an eyewitness account of the unnecessary act of the campus police. The officers who sprayed the students were suspended with pay and according to reports, Chancellor Linda Katehi, is the person who ordered the police to use the pepper spray. Once word got out of this, students and some faculty called for her resignation. Katehi issued a statement saying she would form a committee to investigate what happened and report to the campus community within 90 days.

What started the whole ordeal was police were ordered to remove the students and their tents from the premises. The students were part of the Occupy movement, in which they were protesting against economic inequality, tuition increases, budget cuts at the University of California, and interestingly enough police conduct. The students ignored the request by the police to disperse, so then the students were peppered sprayed and were physically removed one-by-one. Katehi called for a review of student conduct policy to find out if the police did or did not act in accordance with policy. And if they did, then she wants to change the policy so that students can protest within reason and not worry about being harmed by campus police.           

Katehi is drawing much criticism from everyone. The president of the University of California system issued a statement saying the incident was appalling and there needs to be an effort made to ensure peaceful protests go unharmed. On Saturday, the day after the incident, students’ anger rose to which they protested against Katehi by lining the walkway from the office to her car as she exited the campus. Students did not say a word they just stood around her in silence. Katehi did not acknowledge them at all. Katehi issued a statement saying she would address the students in the coming days and that she needs to regain the students’ trust, so the first thing she did was place the chief of police on administrative leave Monday morning after gathering more information. Even observers in the community who do not agree with the Occupy movement, showed sympathy toward the students and agree that the police were out of line with over aggressive actions.

In closing, it will be interesting to see if Katehi retains her position. I feel she has a lot of explaining to do and she obviously does not understand student protest. If she was the person who ordered the use of the aggressive action by campus police, she should be removed or state that she was wrong in her decision. She has yet to do either. I think what she should have done was went out to where the students were protesting and speak to them as her students instead of stereotyping them as an out-of- control mob. One would think that she would have student affairs qualities mastered by now to be able to reach out or show compassion for the students. This was a good lesson for her of what not to do during a non-violent student protest.

 http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/11/21/experts-and-activists-question-use-pepper-spray-davis#ixzz1eRvb7Dfa

       

Chilean Protests

Chilean Protests over Higher Education
Chilean students’ have been protesting all semester about the high costs of tuition for higher education to get the governments attention to help pay for school or lower the costs. The Chronicle published many articles about this, one of them speaking how Chile has one of the highest costs of tuition (http://chronicle.com/blogs/global/thousands-march-in-chile-to-protest-high-cost-of-college/29612) for higher education based on the per capita income. Students obviously are outraged by this and shown from these chili protests photos. (http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/12/6633605-chilean-students-throw-rocks-get-blasted-by-water-cannons-while-protesting-education-system)
In June of 2011, the protests began with some high school students who were protesting about attending the poorly funded private secondary schools. However, this carried over to the University of Chile and its students very quickly because of the extremely high costs of University of Chile’s tuition is. Times Higher Education (http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=417904) wrote a report describing how Chile has very low levels of public spending on higher education, but has very high tuition costs which THE describes as the highest student fees in the world. Many of the students who attend higher education in Chile are usually first generation enrollees. Many of them come from very low income backgrounds. They do have a chance of obtaining financial aid, but the interests rates are hovering around 5.5%, and are expected to start payment immediately after graduation. Due to this, students have been protesting the decision of the University for almost 6 months now.

There have been some negotiations that have tried to take place, but the students’ are not budging on anything right now the University is trying to deal with them. A majority of the talks are about student loans, scholarships (who is granted them and how much), and what happens when students can not pay their fees.

I know this is would probably never happen on a college campus in the US, but what if it did. Could a student protest, usage of the first amendment right, with enough attention, grant colleges to lower the cost of their tuitions if enough students stopped attending? I understand the need for higher education in today’s day and age, but if there were peaceful protests, and not violent ones where public bystanders would be in fear of getting hurt and not be for the students ideals, could enough students have enough power to withhold the government? Are there too many students who would not join a protest in fear of not getting their diploma? I know it couldn’t happen because how driven people are in the US, but it sure would be quite a skeptical to see if it happened.

How Far Would You Go To Pay Off Student Loans?

A popular blog topic for this class seemed to be student loans and repayment. Some of the discussions have focused on educating students about loans before they sign, loan forgiveness, and repayment plans. I am guessing that most of us will graduate with loans. I have been very frugal when taking out loans but even with a small amount of loan, I am not looking forward to the day my repayment plan begins. I could think of many things I would do to have those loans simply wiped away. FYI: None of these things are illegal or unethical, in case you were wondering. However, that is not the case for everyone.

An article in the Chronicle discussed one former student, Michael Vivenzio, had a unique loan repayment plan...selling marijuana. Yep, you read that right. This particular student had around $100,000 in student loan debt. He moved to Oregon to grow and sell pot with a friend. Unfortunately, for Mr. Vivenzio, he was caught and sentenced to two and a half years of prison and a pretty hefty fine. In addition, the authorities seized 831 marijuana plants and $27,000 in cash from Mr. Vivenzio. Quite the business they had, I guess. Vivenzio had managed to repay about $80,000 before he was arrested.

What a lot of graduates are not aware of is that there are many loan forgiveness programs available. These programs are sponsored by the Federal Government and can erase anywhere from a few thousand dollars of loan to $100,000 dollars in loans. This seems like a good deal to me. The options of professions to go into, however, are somewhat limited but can lead to quality careers. Some of the fields include: teaching, medical, nursing, mental health, and legal.

Some grads complain that there is an absence of job possibilities but I wonder if some of them are aware of the loan forgiveness programs available or maybe they just want to the government to pay their student loans without putting in any effort. While I will never condone selling drugs, I think this article shows the extent some may go to in order to pay off their student loans. $100,000 is a lot of student loan debt. I wonder if Vivenzio had anyone is his life educating him about student loans. This can help us remember the importance of educating the students we work with so they do not get themselves in so deep with dept that they feel overwhelmed and as if there is no way out.

Library Drama: Forget the Books, Give Me Video Games

The value of the college library has significantly declined over the years. Libraries were once recognized as the cornerstone of the institution. Today libraries fight to prove that they still serve as a useful resource for today’s college students. Many of our class discussions have resulted in a debate on whether or not libraries are necessary and if students can get the same benefit by utilizing on-line resources. Throughout the debate it was determined that institutions are reducing costs by relying on electronic text and journal articles instead of traditional books. What if I told you that libraries are using their savings to bring gaming centers and video games to campus? Yes, college libraries are creating gaming space for students to play, rent, and learn the history of gaming.

An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights multiple universities around the world who are “adapting to the needs of students” by introducing gaming centers in the library. The University of Calgary will soon open the doors to the Taylor Family Digital Library which will house a retro gaming space. The project cost the institution $175 million dollars to build. Likewise, the University of Michigan forked over $20, 000 to enhance its archive of video games. Author Ben Wieder highlights many professors who believe that the historical contexts of video games should be known by all students who are seeking a degree in media relations.

As you might imagine, libraries have been met by a fair share of resistance. In 2009 Miami University was suffering from budget cuts which resulted in the library losing 15 staff members. Today you will find the university “rolling out 42-inch plasma screens and Xboxes.” The new additions didn’t necessarily go over well with faculty. What’s the solution? Ms. Santucci, the colleges assistant dean for instruction and emerging technologies, reports that she makes sure not to bring out new equipment “too soon after cuts are announced.” I sure would hate to be one of the staff members who was let go due to budget cuts only to find a library full of brand new flat screen televisions and gaming consoles.

I am a big fan of video games and I trust that students can learn meaningful lessons while playing. The hardcore gamers are increasingly becoming more critical of video game producers. They demand that the characters and scenes in games are consistent with the events that have taken place throughout our history. However, I have a hard time understanding the motivation to bring gaming to the library. I trust that any and all gaming can be carried out within the confines of the student’s residences. I find it appalling that library personnel are losing their jobs in order for institutions to bring the latest, greatest games and consoles to campus. I feel that this article serves as a symbol of the efforts libraries are making to stay relevant on today’s college campuses. If gaming centers are the answers, I believe the presence of libraries on college campuses looks grim.

Respone to Occupy Protests

A Chronicle of Higher Education article, November 16, 2011, discusses the Occupy Protests at the University of California - Berkeley. Recently there was a violent altercation between protestors and the campus police who were trying to enforce rules that barred them from camping overnight. The students joined arms to create a barrier around the protest area and were met with police who hit them with batons and pulled their hair. The immediate reaction from University President, Robert Birgeneau, was to release a statement condemning the actions of the protesters, claiming that their linking of arms was beyond passive resistance. He reminded the students some of the most successful protests have utilized passive resistance to push their message.

Students quickly became outraged as they viewed the presidents response as a lack of support for them. They argued that campus police were out of line when they used batons and resorted to physical violence against protesters. The President released a followup statement that took a softer line against the protesters. He claimed that because he was in Asia at the time, he had limited access to the internet and was not able to view the videos of the clash that showed the force utilized by campus police.

The article goes on to state that protests on campus require balancing free speech, keeping the campus safe, and managing public perception. Some schools are having a harder time with this than others. Idaho State University has flipflopped on its approach to dealing with occupy protesters. According to the article they initially approved a permit for an overnight protest, then tried to limit the protest to daytime hours, and then allowed the overnight protest anyway when demonstrators ingnored instructions. Seattle Community College officials have expressed their view that they do not have the legal authority to prevent protesters from occupying city park. The Supreme Court has ruled that colleges can limit when protests can occur without limiting free speech and it seems that some colleges are better at this than others.

Students at Duke and Harvard have reported that the rapport with administration is actually quite amicable. At Duke, protesters have asked to be made aware of any weddings that are planned at a local chapel so that they do not disrupt the services. Harvard was checking student ID's prior to allowing students to enter Harvard Yard, but since demonstrators have been so well behaved, this has become less necessary. As the article points out, it is interesting that Berekely who has such a history of student activism has a President who is flipflopping on policy regarding student protest. Of all schools it would seem that UC-Berkeley would have set policies in place.

I wonder if the problem with having set standards for dealing with protests is difficult considering the varying dynamics of student protest, including size of the demonstrations, the possible presence of competing protesters, and historical background of the issue being protested, for example. I'm guessing this is probably the case. I wonder though, if we can do a better job of planning for student protests so that we do not appear to flipflop when we set standards for student conduct.

Gender Inequitites in Mathematical Acheivement

In my current edition of Journal of College Admission, I read an article titled "Gender Inequities in University Admissions Due To The Differential Validity of the SAT". The article attempts to explain the gender inequity in higher education and seems to blame the SAT for that difference. The hypothesis is that the mathematical portion of the exam is biased toward male test-takers, therefor unfair to female test-takers, which in turn effects the type of institution that each sex would be admitted to.

Males generally score 35-50 points higher on the quantitative portion, where the English and reading portions of the exam are pretty even. What or whom is to blame for the disparity? The author of this article says it is social cultural norms. This is a much better answer than what was given 30 years ago....genetic differences. The author also indicates that there is a threat to girls for doing well in math, so some of the reason they may not do well on that section of the SAT is purely psychological (clearly a more reliable study is needed here). A more scientific explanation for modern gaps could be that geometry, statistics and data analysis are the areas where high school men tend to outperform women. More than 40% of the quantitative assessment is in these areas. So, women are already set up to underperform on the SAT compared to men.

What I do not understand is where the author seems to get the idea that women are under-represented in higher education these days. Hasn't everything I have been reading of late talk about the reverse? In fact, I just completed "Why Boys Fail", an entire book about the fact that men are not entering colleges at the rate of women. So, I am a little unclear on what the author of this article is referring to. He could be talking about certain types of institutions where men are more likely to enroll than women or perhaps it is certain academic majors that are more likely to admit men than women.

This was the backdrop for my final blog. Are there gender inequities in certain majors? Being that my employment experience has been at a school that specializes in education and health care (fields typically dominated by women), my institution has historically been 60/40 where more women are enrolled than men.

One of the points in this article was that College Board, who is the company that authors the SAT, apparently admits that the quantitative portion is geared to those skilled in certain elements of mathematics. The areas that it measures however are not deemed to be the most important indicator of college success....so, then why ask these questions?

I really have not ever understood the point of standardized testing, and prior to a meeting I attended earlier this month, I might have been among the first to say that college admission should not focus so much on the scores of these standardized assessments. However, I had the opportunity to go to a College Readiness workshop conducted by ACT, org. I learned a lot at this session. Specifically, I learned about how the different scores translate to having met certain competencies. For anyone who does not remember the scoring of the ACT, it is on a 36 point scale. Science reasoning, English, reading and mathematics are evaluated. What I did not know prior to this workshop was that a student scoring a 14 on a certain subject was actually only meeting the competencies of an 8th grader (as determined by the ACT, Org., of course).

The admissions director at a public institution in the state of Colorado, has quite a bit of flexibilty to admit students with varying scores. Students are admissible based on a high school gpa as well as their test scores. If a gpa is higher, there is more room to have a slightly lower ACT score and vice versa. I have seen students be admitted with scores hovering around that 14 mark for a composite score. This means they are at 8th grade knowledge. Is it a disservice to admit them into college? I am now starting to think that it is.

But, is it just the proposed gender inequity mentioned above that leads to lower scores? There has been speculation about cultural sensitivity and lack of culturally reposnisive questions on those tests as well. So, I guess , more than anything, I just find myself wondering about the future of standardized tests. Will they change? Will we change? Will they always carry the weight that have in the college admission process? Some research shows that fewer colleges and institutions are requiring these scores. Only 75% of then require the SAT score in 2010-2011, according to the article.

I guess we will wait and see!

Engaged Adjunct Faculty May Lead to Engaged Students...

Since the last weekend class, I have thinking about the role of adjunct faculty in higher education. As discussed in class, issues of higher education are complex and intertwined. Prior to the class discussions, I had a simplistic view of the relationship between adjunct faculty, higher education, and students. I believed adjunct faculty played a crucial role but were simply undervalued by administration. In my mind the way to improve adjunct faculty morale was to increase their pay. However, the discussions during the last weekend class enlightened me to the fact that not only is throwing money at an issue fiscally incompetent, it would probably do little as a long term solution. So, I set out explore viable alternatives.

I found an article that sought to explore through qualitative inquiry of 85 participants at a medium sized public four year institution, the experiences of adjunct faculty. The researchers were interested in the effect the sense of inclusion by adjunct faculty had on students and faculty. According to the author’s literature review, most of the research available pertains to community colleges and focuses primarily on the increasing numbers of adjunct faculty in the system of higher education. Although the researchers did acknowledge that a few universities are striving to promote a sense of inclusivity among the adjunct faculty, the vast majority do not. The researchers felt their data would draw a connection between adjunct faculty’s sense of inclusivity in the institution and overall student engagement.

Three prevailing themes emerged from the data collection. The first theme, receiving outreach, involved the adjunct faculty’s perception of and experiences related to inconsistent outreach, messaging, and communication from and across the institution. Mentoring emerged as a strong sub theme and a possible solution to address the lack of connectedness reported by some adjunct faculty. The next theme focused on challenges and the relation to teaching. The last theme identified by the researchers, developing skills, related particularly to professional development opportunities, specifically the lack of professional opportunities.

After analyzing and integrating the data related to the aforementioned themes, the researchers shared possible recommendations for institutions to implement to improve the sense of inclusion among adjunct faculty members. The recommendations narrowed down to advocacy and programming components. In relation to advocacy, the authors suggest some very simple steps that may be taken by administration to promote engagement with adjunct faculty members such as meeting with them for five minutes per week. The programming components suggested by the authors seemed quite simple to institute as well. Many respondents reported email dysfunction because some faculty do not have email access over the summer, or their email address may not include their full name as one of the main reasons for their feelings of disconnect from the campus. At the institution where I work, it was only within the last year that adjunct faculty’s email address actually included their full name. Prior to that, only full-time faculty had the honor of their email address including their full name. The authors recommended making access to email comparable to their full-time counterparts to better develop a sense of campus connectedness among adjunct faculty members.
Although I am a novice student to the world of qualitative research, I can appreciate the methodology employed by the researchers to collect, analyze, and integrate the data. The overall goal of the researchers was to gain an understanding to the question: How do adjunct faculty members describe their experience as a member of an institution of higher learning. Before reading this article, I only had anecdotal information gleaned from conversations with adjunct faculty. By administering open ended survey questions, the researchers were able to identify common repeated themes among the respondents.

Having been a part time staff member recently, albeit not a faculty member, I related to the feelings of disconnect reported by the survey respondents. It seems counterproductive for institutions to marginalize the front-line individuals most readily available to promote engagement with the students they serve. Although student engagement is typically a campus-wide initiative, faculty are typically the folks that students interact with on a regular basis throughout the semester. If the adjunct faculty members are feeling disconnected from the institution how can they be expected to be authentic in promoting a sense of belongingness among the students?