80-Year-Old Graduates From College With Honors Alongside Two Of Her Grandchildren

Sweet story to end the semester.

Thinking about what barriers, if any, prevented her from being a "traditional student"
Is it ever "too late" to go back to college? is it worth it?

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/05/rosa-salgado-miami-dade-_n_7205582.html?utm_hp_ref=college&ir=College

Underprepared for the Profession: The lack of minority Ph.D.’s has a lot to do with the lack of socialization into academic life

Building Future Faculty Program, held annually at North Carolina State University
The program is aimed at helping underrepresented (by virtue of their race or gender) graduate students and Ph.D.’s to enter the profession. In three days of career workshops and networking, we built various forms of capital that we hope to parlay into full-time, tenure-track jobs

A cyclical, negatively reinforcing pattern seems to persist in doctoral education. One the one hand, faculty demographics do not reflect the increasingly diversified undergraduate population. Minority students may not pursue a Ph.D. because they see a lack of mentors, a lack of financial support, and a lack of "fit." Some undergraduates don’t even realize that graduate study is an option; their potential success in a Ph.D. program is dependent on them hearing about it, often by chance.

Read more here: http://chronicle.com/article/Underprepared-for-the/229915/

U. of Illinois to Offer a Lower-Cost M.B.A., Thanks to MOOCs

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign plans to start a low-cost online M.B.A. program in partnership with Coursera, the Silicon Valley-based MOOC provider, hoping to meet its land-grant mission of improving access and also to create a new stream of revenue at a time of shrinking state support for higher education.

Read more here:
http://chronicle.com/article/U-of-Illinois-to-Offer-a/229921/

Higher Ed Lobby Quietly Joins for Profit Colleges to roll back tighter rules

There is a current effort to crack down on for Profit Colleges that currently have access to grants and loans estimated to be in billions of dollars range . As we have talked about in class, students that attend for profit colleges may end up with a large amount of debt or unable to use their degree for the license needed for their profession. The goal of the new rules are to hold for profit colleges accountable. However, it seems that a number of colleges and universities are siding with for profit colleges. It was shared that one of the reasons for the shift is that the new regulations are not strong enough to weed out those problematic for profit colleges.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/05/higher-ed-lobby-rules_n_7215986.html?utm_hp_ref=education&ir=Education

Arizona Judge rule some Undocumented Students eligible for in state Tuition

 I previously posted on the blog an article about how the University of Illinois was working on proposing legislation that would allow undocumented students to be eligible for state financial aid. Some states are going as far as not allowing undocumented students to receive in state tuition. This article talks about how Maricopa Community College allowed undocumented students to receive in state tuition following the creation of the deferred deportation by President Obama. As a result, Maricopa Community College was sued by the state of Arizona.

A judge has ruled that federal law not state law governs residency status and that the state was in no position to challenge the rates offered by Maricopa Community College. I anticipate that this decision will be challenged and defer Maricopa Community College ability to offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented students.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/05/06/arizona-judge-some-undocumented-students-eligible-state-tuition

American Flags & Campus Controversy

The American Flag has been used to protest the treatment of Black Americans at Valdosta State University and Wright State University, as this article refers to students who are stepping on the flag to demonstrate their frustration. According to the article "Desecrating an American flag has officially been considered protected speech since 1989, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the First Amendment protects symbolic political expression, including burning the American flag. That hasn’t stopped critics on social media and in the conservative press from calling for the students to be punished -- or worse."

What does everyone think about the students' actions? Should colleges and universities be able to better monitor/manage the manner in which their students protest?

What's In A Name? When Peace College Transitioned to William Peace University

The Hurtado & Ruiz and Langdon articles brought to mind the transition of Peace College, the former women's college in Raleigh, North Carolina, to William Peace University, a co-ed institution. This transition began to take place in 2009 with the enrollment of male students in night courses, culminating with a name change and a shift to all co-ed classes in 2012. The after-effects have had an impact on the campus culture and climate. This blog post from The John William Pope Center For Higher Education Policy talks in greater detail about the trajectory of change, and speaks about the disconnect between the administration, students, alumnae, and other vested parties. 

This situation represents one in which the institutional identity was drastically changed. Additionally, reports indicate that the path towards these changes was not made clear to constituencies, and that institutional intentions could have been articulated in a way that incorporated the voice of students, faculty, and alumnae. From an outsider's perspective, even the name change emphasizes a strong shift with the addition of "William" to the name. This emphasis might serve to perpetuate a culture of gender-dominance, one in which Langdon identifies as a common occurrence at conversion schools.

Referenced blog: 
A College Copes With Changes - The John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy

Racial Micragressions at University of Illinois

This article was posted earlier this week by the Chronicle of Higher Education about the University of Illinois and the experiences of racial minority students on our campus. As we've spent the semester talking about diversity in higher education and the importance of individuals' stories, this report resonates well with our conversations and the reality of our own experiences and our students' experiences here at Illinois. There were a few Inclusive Illinois talks this semester that I think addressed some of this, but I had not seen the full report until this article.  I may have completely overlooked an email from the university with this report in the plethora of other emails clogging my Inbox, but my immediate reaction was "why am I reading about this from the Chronicle and not my own university leadership?!" I found the individual stories of experiences from our students of color to be especially interesting, and disheartening that not just students, but our own colleagues, staff, faculty on this campus have used words and actions in such exclusive, discriminatory, and offensive ways as educators and professionals. Seems to counter the "Inclusive" Illinois philosophy.

Here's the link to the article (it's pretty basic): http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/most-minority-students-at-u-of-illinois-report-being-racially-stereotyped/98333

More importantly, here's the link to the report: http://www.racialmicroaggressions.illinois.edu/files/2015/03/RMA-Classroom-Report.pdf

The student who hung the noose

On April 1 on the campus of Duke University something very disturbing happened. I am sure many of you saw this on the news, but I don't believe we discussed this outright during class. A noose was found hanging on a tree near administrative buildings that are home to many of the multicultural communities. I have a close friend who works at Duke and through our text messages that day this was something that hit the Duke Community hard especially the African american students and staff

While I know we have moved past the basic racial and diversity issues, I thought this was interesting to bring up due to what happened after it was found and a student came forward. 

At first "It was swiftly condemned by university administrators at the time as "hateful and stupid."" In fact an e-mail was sent to the University community condemning “cowardly acts of hatred.” Student marches and silent protests were held. 

And then after a student came forward and took responsibility - "The investigation into the discovery of a noose hanging...has determined that it was a result of ignorance and bad judgment"

The student wrote an open letter to the Duke Community on May 1 apologizing for what they said was a "bad pun." 

You can read the full letter here - http://today.duke.edu/2015/05/nooseinvestigation. 

I have two immediate thoughts about this:

1. How in the world did he go through American school and not know anything about the noose and its historical context? Unless this student is an international student, I am unsure how this went unlearned. 
2. Ignorance does not mean you get out of jail free. Who are his friends that watched this happen and said nothing? 

And Questions:

1. Does a simple sanction and the ability to return to campus next semester give the correct punishment or should more have been done? 
2. Has the administration done the right thing here? In their response immediately and expanded?
3. Is there something really drastic missing from the K-12 Education system that we are leaving out important history? 

A Duke student wrote a letter back this the "Noose" Apology - http://newblackman.blogspot.com/2015/05/did-you-change-your-mind-black-duke.html. He brings up timing as this letter and lack of severe disciple came out in the midst of the turmoil in Baltimore and other cities. 

Other Links regarding this: 

• http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7191940?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000056

• http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/duke-student-apologizes-for-hanging-noose-and-will-be-allowed-to-return/98259

• https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/05/04/duke-announces-results-investigation-noose-found-campus

Thoughts?? Comments? 

Illinois State University President Dr. Dietz met with the leaders of the campus chapter of NAACP about the recent incidents across America and more specifically in regards to a racially charged twitter posting.  He urged students to read the message and attend the rally planned by the NAACP students.  Article link: http://mediarelations.illinoisstate.edu/isuhome/twitter.shtml

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (and a graduate of EPOL) releases a statement on unrest in Baltimore. Thoughts?

Cracking Down On For Profit Colleges

April 28, 2015

Abrupt Closing of Corinthian Campuses Leaves 16,000 Students Scrambling

http://chronicle.com/article/Abrupt-Closing-of-Corinthian/229717/

According to Blumenstyk and Fabris, 28 college campus owned by Corinthian Colleges Inc. was announcement that four of its schools — Everest College, Everest Institute, Heald College, and WyoTech would close their doors. This decision has affected 16,000 students, a majority of individuals who reside in California. Before the closure, Corinthian tried to find an interested buyer for their schools. However, one of the reasons why this company could not sale was due to the fact that “the California attorney general’s office refused to relieve the prospective buyers of liability stemming from the agency’s pending lawsuit." A lawsuit that was files for their misconduct of falsify information.

The closer affected 16,000 students who now find themselves left without a school and left with loan debt that may or may not fall on tax payers’ payment. However, it is stated that the main reason why Corinthian Colleges Inc. were audit was due to their false promises of job placements and opportunities to their graduating students. In other words, their students were promised with a job in their training profession as long as they completed their college program.

What I am thinking is what took so long for the U.S. Department of Education and California Attorney General to crack down on these schools. These colleges were charging an enormous amount of money to their students for a false American Dream fantasy. I feel bad for these individuals as I am assuming many of them are probably low-income and who probably approached these schools with the open mind set of wanting a better life and living outcome.  

An Administrator Turns Heads With a Pledge to ‘Take Back Control’ of the Faculty Senate

As a follow-up to our previous conversations regarding the changing role of the Faculty in governing/managing universities, an administrator at Kean University has vowed to take back control of the Faculty Senate.

This particular administrator has emailed individuals that report to him requesting that they provide him with the votes to elect a predetermined slate of candidates. In reading the article, it appears that this practice has been known to occur but not publicly. Additionally, the Kean University Spokesperson has indicated that there is nothing improper about the email.

http://chronicle.com/article/An-Administrator-Turns-Heads/229719/

LGBT Patient Treatment Guidelines Published for Physicians

The Association of American Medical Colleges has released a set of guidelines aimed at helping medical schools better train physicians to treat people who are LGBT, don’t identify with a gender, or are born with differences of sex development. The guidelines, contained in a report, are the first comprehensive set of standards for treating lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients, according to a news release from the organization.

Such patients “often experience challenges when seeking care in doctors’ offices, community clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms,” the release states. “These experiences, which can range from being made to feel unwelcome to outright discrimination and mistreatment, lead to poorer physical and emotional health.”

The report, which lists 30 skills physicians should master in eight areas, originated in a committee the association convened in 2012. That group is developing a “curriculum-integration workshop” to be tested at the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine in 2015.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/medical-colleges-group-releases-standards-for-treating-lgbt-patients/89835

Professor Fails the Entire Class

Irwin Horwitz had had enough. His students, he thought, weren't performing well academically and they were being disruptive, rude and dishonest. So he sent the students in his strategic management class an email:

"Since teaching this course, I have caught and seen cheating, been told to 'chill out,' 'get out of my space,' 'go back and teach,' [been] called a 'fucking moron' to my face, [had] one student cheat by signing in for another, one student not showing up but claiming they did, listened to many hurtful and untrue rumors about myself and others, been caught between fights between students…."

Horwitz said he would fail every single student.

Read more @ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/27/professor-fails-his-entire-class-and-his-university-intervenes

Is this right or wrong? The University says this will not stand, students will not fail. Others argue that they agree with the actions of the teacher and that all students should fail. Others say that this happened because today's college (undergraduate) students are the 'entitlement generation'..... thoughts?

More Mascot News

Our discussions on university mascots and logos have been some of our fullest this semester – here's another recent story of a mascot change. Eastern New Mexico University is moving to change the name of their women's athletic teams from the Zias to the Greyhounds (apparently men's teams were changed years ago). Zias refers to the local Zia Pueblo peoples, native to the New Mexico region.

Controversy is afoot. Some in the university cite broad majority support from students, athletes, and alumni groups; others claim this initiative has taken place purposely under the radar. Still others believe this is largely a financial decision, allowing the university to align the licensing and merchandizing of both men's and women's teams. No one has reached out to the Zia pueblo on the matter of use and representation.

Here is a link to the blog post from the Chronicle of Higher Ed:
gs/ticker/jp/eastern-new-mexico-u-drops-use-of-tribal-name-for-womens-teams

And the original, local story from Portales, NM, which does a much better job of outlining the support and resistance across the university community:
http://www.pntonline.com/2015/04/24/zia-name-symbol-dropped/

The Difference Between Cultural Exchange and Cultural Appropriation

An interesting read on a discussion of cultural exchange vs appropriation and what they both mean.

"Where do we draw the line between “appropriate” forms of cultural exchange and more damaging patterns of cultural appropriation?
To be honest, I don’t know that there is a thin, straight line between them.

But even if the line between exchange and appropriation bends, twists, and loop-de-loops in ways it would take decades of academic thought to unpack, it has a definite starting point:Respect."

"What Cultural Exchange Is Not

One of the reasons that cultural appropriation is a hard concept to grasp for so many is that Westerners are used to pressing their own culture onto others and taking what they want in return.

True cultural exchange is not the process of “Here’s my culture, I’ll have some of yours” that we sometimes think it is. It’s something that should be mutual."

What Cultural Exchange Can Look Like

There needs to be some element of mutual understanding, equality, and respect for it to be a true exchange.

That’s what cultural exchange can look like – engaging with a culture as a respectful and humble guest, invitation only.

http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/09/cultural-exchange-and-cultural-appropriation/

Resign, Please

 In reading the highlights of Inside Higher Ed, I was quick to come across a reporting by Kellie Woodhouse. According to Woodhouse:
"new president takes the helm of a university, it’s common for there to be turnover among the leadership ranks. But by asking top administrators at Texas A&M University's flagship campus to submit letters of resignation before a new president even begins his term, the A&M system's chancellor is taking transition turnover to a new level of formality and breadth. In a letter, Chancellor John Sharp requested that vice presidents and advisers to the president of Texas A&M's College Station flagship submit their letters of resignation to incoming President Michael Young, the former president of the University of Washington. Sharp says he wants to institute the practice systemwide, making it standard operating procedure that the upper ranks at each of the A&M universities and the system office offer to resign when a new president or chancellor comes in."

In reading this piece, I was quick to identity yet another practice of higher education hiring and demoting of individuals from their higher education positions. I am not sure what I think about this practice. I think it has negative and positive aspects. For instance, is having administrators resign from their leadership roles interpreted as a chance for others to hold these roles or is it yet another structural process of inequality and control. Also, Woodhouse quotes Sharp and mentions how these high level positions are not lifetime positions. I am wondering when it comes to working in institution of higher education is any position a lifetime position or even a position one keeps for a period of time. And if so, what is an effective period of time and who has the say so when that time is up. 

 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/22/top-administrators-texas-am-asked-submit-resignation-letters-new-president

$2.50 Can Make a Difference

Students at Loyola University Chicago initiated a $2.50 per semester student fee increase to create a scholarship fund that will support undocumented Loyola undergrads who don't qualify for federal financial aid. This is a powerful example of a completely student-initiated movement to increase access to higher education for their peers. An additional $2.50 per student per semester (with 10,000 students) would create $50,000 additional funds for scholarships, plus faculty, staff, and alumni are also contributing. Students with the Latin American Student Organization and student government developed this resolution and promoted it across campus. Here's the link to the full resolution if you want to read it.

True, this article presents the positive perspective of a student movement at one institution that has a strong foundation in social justice. I wonder if/how this would work at other institutions (smaller, larger, public, private, community colleges, etc.).

If you want, you can also read the comments from Upworthy's Facebook post of this article if you want to hear both sides ... just be prepared to get all fired up at some people's reactions. I sure did (people say some hurtful and disrespectful things without making a valid argument against this).

http://www.upworthy.com/they-asked-students-to-vote-on-a-fee-of-250-each-semester-to-help-dreamers-the-results-are-in?g=2

UIUC professor shows that tuition hikes are pushing blacks, rural residents out

"In alarming testimony Monday before a state Senate appropriations committee, Lorenzo Baber, an assistant professor of education policy, organization and leadership at the UI, demonstrated that enrollment trends show an Urbana campus student body that is less black and rural and from more affluent areas. The reason, he said, is the UI's rising unaffordability, as tuition increases and student aid remains stagnant."

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2015-04-15/tom-kacich-prof-shows-ui-tuition-hikes-are-pushing-blacks-rural-residents-out.

Indiana students 'appalled' at religious freedom law

This Higher Ed Chronicle interview is with an Indiana IPFW professor and she discusses faculty, staff and student concerns over this law that has a lot of potential for open discrimination toward minority groups, even outside of LGBTQ populations. People are starting to think "maybe it's time to move" out of Indiana.

To read more about how state laws can affect university enrollments and campus climate, check out the article here: http://chronicle.com/article/An-Indiana-Professor-on-the/228985/

Faculty letter Critizing the current Chancellor at Vanderbilt University

This was posted a week ago but it was about an anonymous faculty letter criticizing the current Chancellor of Vanderbilt University arguing that there is too much centralization of administration where faculty have no say, cuts of funding opportunity for faculty, and there are programs such as Opportunity Vanderbilt that are undermining faculty ability to fund programs within their college even with the $4 billion endowment it says.

Opportunity Vanderbilt is basically a need blind admissions where instead they replaced loans with actual grant aid for students and that it is costing them too much money for sustainability.

The letter was signed anonymously and argues there are core faculty that are against the Chancellor and should take steps to review everything the Chancellor has implemented.

I wanted to point this out because we talk about sustainability for colleges in regards to low SES students. Although they can afford to do this with a 4 billion endowment, many institutions do not adopt this type of model at all. Is it really to create a space to recruit to the best qualified students regardless of need or is it something else? Have others experience this type of administration centralization effect at other universities or at UIUC?

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/02/anonymous-faculty-letter-criticizes-vanderbilt-u-chancellor

U.C.L.A. Faculty Approves Diversity Requirement

The UCLA faculty recently voted in favor of a requirement that mandates students to take a course on diversity in order to fulfill graduation requirements. According to the article: "Under the requirement, students will be required to earn at least a C in a course that 'substantially addresses racial, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, sexual orientation, religious or other types of diversity.' Currently more than 200 courses, in a range of disciplines, qualify, and more courses are expected to be created over time."

Proponents of the requirement rally that diversity education is important because of globalization, while opponents criticize that it could make it difficult to graduate and could cause a "ghettoization effect". While I agree that diversity education is important and stand behind their decision, I do agree that most students will likely take the class they feel most comfortable in, thus diluting the ultimate goal of the requirement. You can read the full story here.

teachable moment FAIL: high school in Denver targets young women of color in ad campaign

I want to file this in the category of "people trying to do a good thing and missing the mark...by a MILE."  (Pun intended.  It's the mile-high city. GET IT?? Ok, sorry, that sucked.) So a Denver high school attempted to educate its young black and Latina female students by a targeted ad campaign with posters titled "101 Things Black and Latina Girls Should Know."  I look at this and see, well, they recognized that young women of color are subject to different (maybe multiple) cultural standards and may have different needs, and tried to "reach" these students.  Upside: messages like "Your body is beautiful just the way it is." True, and accurate. More young women across the spectrum need to be reminded of this in a culture full of body shaming and totally ridiculous dress codes for high schoolers (don't get me started on rape culture).  Downside: "wearing too much makeup looks like a clown" and "twerkin' and grindin' ain't cute."  Ouch. No. Stop.

Apparently there were also "101 Things Black and Latino Boys Should Know," and this included at least one message about striving for careers other than professional sports and rapping.

The posters were taken down, the school apologized, several students said something to the effect of, Ok good try, but that was quite offensive. If this is how the conversation starts in high school, how does this affect us as practitioners working with college students?

You know what I would have found interesting? A similar campaign composed of messages from the young women themselves: "101 Things Black Girls Want You to Know" and "101 Things Latina Girls Want You to Know."  Instead of trying to impose standards on them and tell them about themselves, let's let them tell US about themselves.

Here's the link: http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2015/04/denver_public_high_school_blasted_for_racially_insensitive_posters.html

Because I'm white, I sit here quietly and don't have an opinion

So this isn't exactly news because it isn't referencing a published source, but is something that has come to my mind regarding diversity and the College of Education.

Oftentimes something related to diversity is brought up in other classes, anything from cross-cultural sensitivity/competence, access to higher ed, using historical contexts to draw conclusions to current issues, etc., and often the conversation ends the same: the system is flawed, and as informed and aware scholars/practitioners, we move the needle when, where, and how we can.  I am all for increased conversation and engaging dialogue around these issues.  Professionally I want to continue to work for increased access and completion for underrepresented populations.  I'm obtaining a degree to be a practitioner, and I chose this institution for a variety of reasons, one of which being the diversity of our faculty. What has continually surprised and shocked me is vitriol from other students. A conversation in another class earlier this week left me bewildered and both personally and professionally confused, and these were some of the comments that ended up on social media regarding a debate that had something to do with international politics and classism and righting the wrongs of the system.

"them privileged folk was all for a classless society til I talked about dismantling capitalism and white supremacy"

"Naw, that ain't even it. Did you hear the "there are only so many top jobs" comment?"

"I was in my seat mad as **** the whole second half of class. heart beating fast. like...do y'all not know how sick y'all are?"

And this is where I slowly lose my mind as I try to navigate the constant minefield of awareness, advocacy, inclusion, and engagement, because no matter what, I feel as though what is communicated to me is: "as a white (privileged) person, your existence perpetuates these problems."  I doubt my own ability to form innocuous comments and questions.  At certain engagements with people outside of our program (like my family), I've learned to talk differently about what it is that I do, because so often my audience does not hold the same ideals and there's only so much of being attacked one can take over holiday dinner; the best illustration I can think of for this is how in my first year as a college adviser, one of my best students, a low-SES, first-gen, African-American male was admitted to UIUC, and he texted me as soon as he heard the news and I cried because I was so happy to see him accomplish something he never thought he would. That same day, my brother, a white male with a low GPA but a higher ACT score, was denied admission to UIUC, and try as I might explain why my student was admitted over my brother, it just made everyone else mad.  Now, in graduate school, I feel again unable to contribute to or participate in some of these conversations because my opinions or experiences aren't welcome, and I am part of the problem, not the solution. I've had it communicated that I'm practically a saint for wanting to help "poor minority kids" from one side and accused of using altruism stemming from my privilege to want to make amends to people who don't need help.

I just want to work with students, understand how and why we got to where we are, and do what I can to help others succeed. Where, as a scholar, am I allowed to have an opinion, and when, as a professional and practitioner, can I bow out of the conversation without making it seem not to be about my feelings being hurt, but because I'm politely disengaging from communication that I don't see to be serving me or my students?

Economic Diversity Reward

I came across this interesting article as part of the NYTimes and thought it tied in to our discussions regarding access and financial aid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/upshot/07up-leonhardt.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0

A prize to the college that graduates and enrolls the most low income-high achievers. So while there is still a limit to access for students that are perhaps not as stellar by some admissions standards, there is an opportunity to really enhance educational opportunities for students that may not have had access in the past.

Vassar College was the first recipient. "Almost one in four Vassar students have family incomes low enough to qualify for federal Pell Grants." The President of Vassar is someone I think we could all take notes from, she has a background of researching economic diversity in higher education, devoted more money to financial aid then to building fancy new buildings, and she pushed her staff to recruit more low-income students. That's a pretty cool thing for a President to focus on, especially in an age where fancier buildings and money seem to be a bigger priority.

And what will they do with the $1 Million dollar prize money - devote some to orientation opportunities that are helpful to the college transition, increase scholarships for immigrants who aren't eligible for financial aid, and finance internships for low-income students.

What do you think about this prize that the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is offering annually?

PS - Apparently you can only win the prize money once.

First Generation Students Unite

This article and video "First Generation Students Unite" was posted this morning by The New York Times. I found it interesting and timely given our discussion last week of The Hope in the Unseen and the readings for today. 

In the video, students tell their stories as first generation college students today with a focus on the first ever Inter-Ivy First Generation Student Network Conference that was held at Brown in February.  I found that many of their stories connected well with the readings for this week, especially in regards to academic preparation, transition and adjustment to college, parent education, financial challenges, and student support services.  Their stories put a face to the data and readings.  The author shares research that characterizes first-generation students as fitting into one of two group: the “privileged poor” or the “doubly disadvantaged.” The students talk about the assumptions they challenge daily, and how their experience resembles a parallel universe. As educators, how can we help our first generation students feel a stronger sense of belonging instead of exclusion on our campuses?

What are your reactions?

(Here's the direct URL if the link above doesn't work: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/education/edlife/first-generation-students-unite.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150408&nlid=69861899&tntemail0=y&_r=0)

I'm transferring to Stanford

So Stanford recently made this announcement  and while this is a great step toward access, what about equity? Not all these students come from the same background.  The announcement stated 16% of students accepted under this new program for the freshman class of 2019 are first-generation. Stanford has a Diversity and First-Gen office. It would be interesting to follow this group of students from the class of 2019 until graduation. I am really hoping that there is a connection being made from the office of admissions and financial aid  providing support via the Diversity and First-Gen office. For now I can say, good job Stanford.  If cost of living were not so high in California...

Yik Yak takes over the NASPA Annual Conference

While at NASPA, Yik Yak has been the talk as student affairs professionals were engaging with the App about inappropriate topics, all while we advise students not to participate.

Read more here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/25/naspa-yik-yak_n_6942124.html

Meet the squirrel & then watch a great video!

Two things...

First, we discussed school mascots in our last class period, and thus I wanted to share (in case everyone was not aware) that Undergraduate Admissions has been welcoming newly admitted students to campus with a squirrel, and I am not sure what word to use other than a mascot suit. Anyways, it seems to have caused a bit of confusion, and some newly admitted families were concerned it was the new mascot. The squirrel was previously named Oskee, but due to concern the name had to change, so everyone....meet Sassafras (at least I think that's the squirrel's new name)... who is NOT the new mascot, just a squirrel welcoming new students....



Second, I recommend that everyone watch the following video. It's has some great points that should be considered. Especially when helping students select majors, or through the process of helping high school students make college plans.

Essentially, it discusses how the future is about to change and job opportunities are going to increase in the trades, such as electricians, who by the way can make a pretty good starting salary of $50,000+

It's a long video but the first 5minutes covers a lot of great information, such as how students go to school for the wrong majors - majors which often do not suit their skills. The link to the video is below.... I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would when I was told to watch it ;)

http://vimeo.com/67277269

Caucasian Only!

Recently, I gave a talk about my experiences living in South Korea at the LGBTRC Quench presentation. I discussed the effects of color-ism within the Indian community and within my family to provide context.  I discussed in details about the interactions with students and teachers who were apprehensive at first. I openly talked about how I was treated for being a person of color in Korea while providing context of accepted norms of beauty and body image.

Although South Korea is rather new to the international stage, although this can be contested, there are a lot of advertisements for English teachers that require one to be Caucasian only. Things became so bad that the recruiters required a Skype/video interview along with having to attach a picture with your resume.  The media's distinction of people of color is not a pretty one.

Here is a video in Korean with subtitles attempting to describe the meaning of using black face followed by some examples in how black face has been portrayed in the media:

Korea Black Face

This next video depicts a nationally aired "documentary." The documentary talks about the immoral behavior of foreigners (Americans). They basically say that we (Americans) date/rape/manipulate Korean women and give them HIV.  FYI, by Korean Law you must have an HIV and Drug test completed in country.  If tested positive for HIV and/or Drugs you must fund your own ticket back to your home country. Because clearly, people with HIV cannot teach English properly (sarcasm).

Foreigners in Korea

To add to the constant harassment of not being white enough to be a qualified English teacher, there are now more and more White recruiters of English teachers in Korea that run "Caucasian Only Ads."  Today's post/vent was brought on by this article that is circulating among my English teaching friends in Korea.  To them, this is nothing new. To the recruiter, this is nothing new.  Nothing he will challenge, and by his attitude an adjustment everyone must make when coming to Korea or not come at all.

Presidents in Indiana Decry 'Religious Freedom' Law

Presidents of 3 universities in Indiana have publicly criticized Indiana's "Religious Freedom" law, which opponents of the law view as an avenue for discrimination among groups of people, mainly the LGBT community. Indiana U, Butler U, and DePauw U Presidents all made public statements that reinforced their university's commitment to anti-bias and nondiscrimination, as the law could have negative effects on views of higher education institutions. It will be interesting to see if any other universities follow suit, and how this law might affect higher education institutions in the state of Indiana. Full story here.

Your Not Alone, It Is All Part of the Process...

"A Common Time to Get Stuck"

By Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong

Julie Miller Vick is senior associate director of career services at the University of Pennsylvania, and Jennifer S. Furlong is director of the office of career planning and professional development at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York Graduate Center. They are the authors of "The Academic Job Search Handbook" (University of Pennsylvania Press).  

I received the following message and email from a professor in the EPOL department and thought it was an important reminder to what not only Ph.D. graduate student face or endure during their graduate program, but that any graduate students in general who is in the mist of course work and/or research projects can use some REMINDING THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE AND THAT IT IS ALL PART OF THE PROCESS...

Professor writes....I think you might find the following link from the Chronicle of Higher Education to be of particular interest.  It speaks to a common point during the doctoral program, after coursework and during dissertation research, where students might feel "stuck" in a variety of ways.  Please check it out.  

http://chronicle.com/article/A-Common-Time-to-Get-Stuck/137851/

In general, the articles talks about how the third year in graduate school is reported to be one of the toughest years for Ph.D. students. It talks about the different stories and situations graduate students may face and how working independently can seem over whelming and challenging for some. In reading this article, it right away gave me a reminder to what being a graduate student is and how at time we can get caught up in the process. I hope you find it inspiring as I found it to be a reminder to breathe and enjoy the process of growth!!