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Read All About It

January 23rd, 2012

Hello readers! Check out Inside HigherEd this week: A project that encourages civility through digital media, and community college mental health counselors, who double as academic and career advisers, are understandably overwhelmed.

RELAUNCHING THE iPAD: Any digital textbook revolution that flows from Apple’s splashy unveiling may be contingent on everybody adopting its vaunted computing tablet, experts say:

A WALL OF CIVILITY: Five interactive screens at the University of Florida aim to encourage students to debate contentious issues politely. The early returns are good.

LIBRARIES: A PAPER WIKIPEDIA:  With the open-source encyclopedia blacked out to protest U.S. Internet bill, college librarians offer their services (and verifiable sources).

TOO MANY HATS? Community college mental health counselors report that their duties include academic and career advising, limiting time available to help on psychological issues.

EAST ASIAN ADVANTAGE: Students whose families came to the U.S. from China, Japan or Korea are more likely than others to take SAT courses–and to benefit from them with higher scores, study finds.

 

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Read All About It

January 17th, 2012

This week at Inside HigherEd: The Occupy movement goes to the elite (universities) and U.S. News & World Report publishes its college rankings online. These items and more are ready for your reading pleasure this week!

ELITES OCCUPYING ELITES: The sabotage of investment bank recruiting sessions by Ivy League students marks a shift in the protest movement, but it’s not one without precedent.

COMMON READING, COMMON GROUND:  At MLA, literature professors consider the non-literary values behind first-year reading programs — and how such programs play out in the classroom.

COLLEGE SPORTS REFORM – NOW? NEVER? From The Atlantic to sports radio, talk of a “crisis” in big-time college athletics is rampant. If you pay attention to history, the likelihood of transformative change is tiny. Unless …

LISTING TOWARD ORDER: Despite data collection bugs, U.S. News & World Report publishes the first online iteration of its controversial college rankings.

CALL FOR CIVIC LEARNING: College leaders will gather at White House today for new report on ways higher education can promote democratic awareness.

 

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Some Recruitment and Retention Resources

January 12th, 2012

Today’s webinar featuring Norb Dunkel and Deb Boykin, and hosted by Tom Ellett on creating a great housing operation generated interest in the recruitment and retention resources available through ACUHO-I. Here’s the ones mentioned during the webinar.

Factors Affecting Recruitment and Retention of Entry-Level Housing and Residential Life Staff: Perceptions of Chief Housing Officers
Steven St. Onge, Thomas Ellett, Eric M. Nestor
The Journal of College and University Student Housing 35(2) 2008

Recruitment and Retention of Entry-Level Staff in Housing and Residence Life:
A report on the activities supported by the ACUHO-I Commissioned Research Program

Thomas Ellett, Holley Belch, John Christopher, Stephen R. St. Onge,  Maureen Wilson, Norbert W. Dunkel, Sara Klein, Eric M. Nestor, Stewart Robinette,
Tom Scheuermann
2008 Report

A 3-D View of Recruitment and Retention of Entry-Level Housing Staff: Deja vu, Deliberation, Decisive Action
Tom Scheuermann, Tom Ellett
The Journal of College and University Student Housing 34(2) 2007

2008 Conference Presentations, Parts I & II
Tom Ellett, Stewart Robinette, Tom Scheuermann, Holley Belch
Part I: Recruitment and Retention of Entry-Level Staff in Housing and Residence Life

Part II: Recruitment and Retention of Entry-Level Staff in Housing and Residence Life

 

 

 

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Everyone Wants a Piece of the Freshman Read

January 11th, 2012

At many institutions, first-year students are required to read a specified book. There are usually activities, discussions and lectures regarding the book, and often a required class involving it as well (thus making it more likely a reasonable number of students will actually read the book). The problem is the freshman read has many masters: Those who want to use it as an introduction to the institution and its culture (whatever they perceive that to be); those who want the experience to be broadening and inspiring for the freshmen; those who want to have a big-name author visit the campus; those who want to make the institution look good to alumni and donors; those who want to make themselves look good…and so on…and we’re not even discussing the folks outside the institution with opinions on the reading program.  There are overlapping interests of course, but a freshman reading program has a tangled web of expectations, which a panel at the Modern Language Association conference recently dissected.

What’s the situation at your institution? Does housing have influence over the selection of the book and administration of the related activities, or is that outside your purview? How are conflicts regarding what should be read and why resolved?

 

 

 

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Read All About It

January 9th, 2012

This week at Inside HigherEd, colleges are divided on course sections just for veterans; the University System of Georgia may be consolidating, and limiting student access to community colleges to students who are most likely to complete or transfer to a four-year.

VETERANS ONLY: While more colleges create sections only for those with military backgrounds, some institutions move away from that model.

FALLOUT FROM A LAB TRAGEDY:  Unprecedented criminal charges against U. of California regents and UCLA professor, stemming from a death, highlight importance of proper safety training.

MAJOR MERGERS IN GEORGIA: The recession opened the door for the University System of Georgia’s proposal to consolidate eight campuses. It still won’t be easy.

WHO COMES FIRST? While California’s community college system debates how to ration student access, two of its institutions have begun the sometimes-painful process.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: The Association of American Law Schools gathers in Washington today, but with few mentions of the crisis in legal education on the agenda.

 

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Continued Conversation: Living In, Living On, Moving Out

January 4th, 2012

Editor’s Note: Last year, President Alma Sealine got members thinking when she asked them to sum up in six words what it means to them to work in student life. Here is how it inspired these four professionals.

Participating in this conversation are Brandon Barile, assistant director of housing operations at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York; Stacey Phelps, assistant director of residential life at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut; Ed Dadez, vice president for student affairs at St. Leo University in Florida; and Amanda Davis, resident hall director of Whitehurst Hall at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Brandon Barile: My current position is my first live-off position, and it was a bit unexpected actually. I had planned to move from one live-on position to another, but fortunately things turned in my favor and I was able to live off. Having a partner, daughter, and dog, this was a very exciting opportunity! We bought a house near my job; it was so different to be able to order furniture, decorate, and decide for ourselves how our home would look in every aspect. I find the most calming thing is actually my five-minute drive home – that drive allows me to debrief quickly from my day and switch gears to be more focused on my personal life and family. I of course miss the financial security of living on campus, but living off also has a sense of accomplishment. I was a poor planner, though, so I tell the live-in staff that I supervise to build a financial foundation for their live-off life.

Stacey Phelps: I agree, Brandon. I think it is really important to plan or at least start saving while you live on campus because at any time that perfect off-campus position could come along. I lived off campus for about six years (three years in downtown Boston and three years in southern Maine). You have so much to pay for (first and sometimes last rent, security deposit, pet deposit, car registration, excise tax, parking permits for the school ­– or if you don’t have a car a down payment, a potential shift in car insurance payments). The city or state website for wherever you move makes it so easy to find out how much things may cost, and car insurance companies are wonderful with giving estimates on how much you could pay.

Boston was a difficult jump since it was such a big city, and I had to figure out so many things . . . do I live in the city or on the outskirts (Cambridge, Medford, etc.)? Should I get rid of my car and rely on public transportation and zip car? How far can I commute successfully on a daily basis? A lot was trial and error. I found a great apartment (shoebox) in the North End of Boston that I loved. My car was paid for, so I took it, but after some tire slashing and a towing incident I sold it after the first year and decided I could handle the 40-60 minute (Red Sox game nights, forget taking the train!) commute to Boston University. In both my moves, I used a real estate agent since I had such a short period to find an apartment. When I moved to Maine, she introduced me to another agent who had an apartment building he rented, and I found a great place close to the school and the beach. It pays off to spend some time with an agent sometimes since Craig’s List can be an exhausting process. If these options do not pan out, try contacting an off-campus housing office for your new institution or facilities. Oftentimes they have listings or know people in the area who rent to staff and faculty. They can also give you the inside information about your potential landlord.

I also think you should not be ashamed if you have to take on a part-time position on the weekends. Once I saw how much I was paid and that I was only paid once at the end of each month, I decided to lifeguard at the local YMCA on Saturday mornings for extra cash. While it was hard to do sometimes, the mid-month cash was a nice addition to my bank account each month, and life guarding was something I enjoyed and found relaxing, just sitting in my chair watching lap swim. I know plenty of mid-level folks who take on something whether it is holiday help or consulting for some extra money.

As someone who is now living back on, I realized how much I loved the commute and needed separation from campus life to relax and focus on other things. I also have been reminded how hard it is to budget without the necessary expenses. I try and live as I did when I was off campus and save money that would have gone toward bills back in Maine for when I find my next off-campus position.

Ed Dadez: Since my first live-in graduate position at Ohio State in 1980, my wife and I have lived on university campuses 28 out of the past 31 years. We have lived on campus at the University of Dayton, Michigan State, Bucknell University (house on freshman quad), and Saint Leo University. Terry and I have raised two sons in campus residence halls and have very rarely had a problem. Even now as vice president for continuing education and student services, I love living on campus. I am able to attend campus events, athletic events, speeches, and eat in the dining hall with students, staff, and faculty. We like living where the life of the campus is located.

In addition, both of our sons moved off campus during their senior years at Saint Leo and loved living off campus. The positive for us was that as “empty nesters” we never had to worry about either son being a “boomerang child.” Neither of them have ever wanted to move back into our apartment, and Terry and I continue to enjoy our freedom.

Amanda Davis:As a young professional it is really interesting to hear you all chat about your experiences. I went right from living on campus as an undergraduate into a hall director position. I have never had to consider the cost of rent, electricity, water, etc. However, I still find it hard to save for the future. While in graduate school at the University of South Florida, I remember being told time and time again to save now while all of my big expenses were being paid, but I find it extremely difficult to do so, especially with all of the random expenses that occur. I think this is the one reason I am still persistent about living on campus. Even though I would love to have an off-campus position, I worry that I won’t be able to afford to move off campus. So in order to help me save I have started to look at other options to work to save money but still be available for my position. One of these options is selling Mary Kay. This is a great side job that lets me choose my own hours and decide how much effort I want to put into the business, and it is something I enjoy that gets me out of the residence hall. I am also looking at finding a way to do some outside consultations or such that can relate to student affairs but still be outside money.

I find myself continually going back and forth about living on and living off. I love the fact that every night there is something going on in my residence hall. Whether this is an RA program, a community council meeting, or just students studying by our fireplace, I never feel like I am alone, which is good for an over-extrovert like me. I love that I can wake up in the morning, go for a run around a safe community, and my office is right down the hall from my apartment. My friends who have to commute to work envy that I only have to fill up my SUV once a month because I bike or walk to work/meetings around campus. They laugh about the fact that I never have food in my cupboards, unless you are of the canine species, but if you are down for a meal I will bring you to our legendary cafeteria for some amazing stir fry. I know that I am lucky to still have the luxuries of living on campus, but there are many times that I wish I could just walk into my residence hall building and not have to always be the responsible resident hall director. Many times I have come home from hanging out with friends and have had an RA, resident, or GA ask me a question or tell me about a situation that just happened without knowing that all I want to do is go to bed or chill in my apartment. I always joke with my friends that I have 22 mothers/fathers, because that’s how many RAs I have, and they are all very curious about where I’ve been, where I am going, and when I will return. Now don’t get me wrong, I love that they are comfortable enough to talk with me and want me to be a part of their lives, but at times I just want to get away.

I think one of the questions I would propose, especially for those of you who have families, is what was it like to raise a family while living on? I currently am not considering the family life style; I barely have time to love my cute little dachshund, but I do hope that in the future I will have a family. I have two coworkers who have children, and I just am curious about how they succeed.

Barile: I loved that my office was just down the hall or a short walk from my apartment. I feel like I often didn’t move my car for weeks. I also really liked being able to attend programs, connecting with residents in very informal (“you live here, I live here”) approaches. I often had residents over for a home-cooked meal and made sure I was visible.

I started my family while living on campus, but I lived in an apartment-style community, so I would say there was still a sense of being live-on without being live-in (I think there is a major difference). I think that in many live-in/on roles there are expectations of being readily available. With a family, I just needed to be more prepared. My partner used to work evenings, which meant that any staff meeting or evening commitment required longer-term planning (and still does). But I found my live-in/on roles had more spontaneous things occurring that you simply couldn’t plan for.

I know many of my colleagues have live-in roles (apartments in residence halls) and have kids. It has worked out for them, and I believe would’ve worked out well for me as well had this opportunity not come up. The biggest benefit for me is being able to have a better work/life balance. I do think residence life staff could do a better job teaching work/life balance to new live-in professionals.

Phelps: I will speak to the introverts who are trying to make this decision. I know many times I felt overwhelmed about attending events and programs and then coming home to even more discussions and events. I love my time in the hall and staying connected . . . but felt I could connect even more when I lived off campus. This became very true when I was at the University of New England. I knew I would have quiet time at home, so I decided to attend more functions on campus and was able to give more of myself in the process.

Dadez: For me it was quite the opposite. As an introvert, if I had lived off campus I would never have gotten to know students as well as I have over the years. I would have put in my 8+ hours and driven home for seclusion. Living on campus provided me with reasons not to go home, but to be active and visible on campus.

Barile: I think living off campus does require additional commitment on my part to make sure I’m getting out to see students. I try to make it to each RA staff meeting once a semester. If I’m already on campus, I might stay for a student activities’ program or an RA program. I do miss being just about to sit down in my apartment, realizing that “Lost”  was a repeat that night, and then going out to see what was happening in the hall or around campus. It takes more planning when you live off campus and if you have a family. As much as we need to encourage live-in staff to have a work/life balance, I think we also need to encourage live-off staff at all levels to remain connected to campus. As res lifers, we all know our job isn’t 9 to 5.

Davis: I think there is a difference for those who live in versus those who live on. As someone who currently lives in, I feel that I have an obligation to respond to things that occur in my area, even if it is my weekend off or if I am not on call. I am very visible to my residents; they know where my apartment is and frequently come to visit or say hello to me or to my dog. They seem mesmerized that I have an apartment and always try to look inside when I’m going in. I feel that this is a great advantage because it helps me build a closer relationship with my residents, but I have also noticed that it can cause this illusion that I am always available to the students, and if I am not available they become discouraged or feel like I have ignored them.

I do believe it is hard to find work/life balance while living in the residence hall. I have had to make it an expectation in my personal life that I get involved outside of the university. I do this by going to the gym, being involved in my local religious organization, and joining a local recreation sports team. This has really helped me take myself out of the building and have relationships with others in the community. However, I won’t lie – it is hard explaining to those I meet outside of the university that I live on a college campus and that I am not an RA. It is a speech I have worked very hard on developing and have gotten very good at explaining that I am not a student, that I have a master’s degree, and I do a whole heck of a lot more than act as a dorm mom.

When it comes to work/life balance, I will say that I take full credit for my unbalanced life, as I have always been one who works diligently to get the job completed correctly the first time. I have tried very hard to set up a better balancing system but have discovered that recently, with the additional responsibility I have been given within the department, I am having to set more time for work and less time for other outside obligations. I guess my question would be, is there truly a balance in this day and age between work and life? My supervisor recently told me that when working in housing one must first go through the trenches before they reach housing paradise. I am assuming this is my time in the trenches, but I look at those around me who are my mentors and role models and see that they too have unbalanced lives. Do you all think that as housing professionals as a result of living in/living on we just become immune to having unbalanced lives, and does that continue with moving off?

Phelps: I took the weekend to think about your questions about how it all fits. I think the path starts to fall into place over time. My first live-off position happened because I took a short break from student affairs and worked in academics for a year at Boston University. It helped me to realize that a career as an RD or in academics was not where my passions lie and instead I loved housing and operations. The next position I took was at the same institution, as an assignments manager, and then I moved on to become an assistant director. I really enjoyed my time off campus and discovering my independence and recognizing I can make it on my own. I was nervous to move back on campus; I was afraid of losing the independence I developed. However, I live in a house on campus rather than in a residence hall or apartment in a complex, which made the jump easier.

Dadez: My wife and I are starting to think more about moving off campus in the near future, but it is so convenient to be right here. Our first step will probably be to start replacing all of the current apartment furniture with new furniture that we will purchase. This will at least have us better prepared to move into a house that will need to be furnished. At this time, we would have to buy at least 80 percent of a household to live off campus unless we went back to milk crates, long boards for bookshelves, and a sofa bed.

Barile: Oh, yes, the purchasing of furniture. My partner and I began with our own bedroom furniture and then slowly added/replaced other items so that on our recent move off campus, we had just about everything. One suggestion I have (to make things easier on you when you move) is to perhaps not purchase the furniture and replace your current live-in furniture, but rather create a savings account for different furniture sets – then, when you make the purchase, they can deliver and set up in your new home. Moving furniture is probably my least favorite thing.

I often wonder if professionals realize the difference in salary when taking a live-off versus live-on position and if they have really taken into account that after new expenses it’s likely that you’re making less in your new position than in the old position. Between meal plans, utilities, travel, rent, etc., these new expenses can really eat away at the higher salary you may have received to move off campus.

Phelps: Really pay attention to things like utilities when you move. In my first apartment everything was included, and in the second apartment I paid electricity which included hot water. You start to learn very fast that hair dryers use a lot of electricity and that long, hot showers become a luxury. Remember that hot water heaters can be adjusted by a landlord and understand exactly how you are billed and how much you pay in additional fees and surcharges.

Don’t forget to ask Human Resources if cell phone providers or other services offer discounts to university staff. You can save money by looking into these things, whether it is money off your cell phone bill or a local garage that offers a discount to university employees.

Dadez: After reading what the two of you just wrote, I guess my wife and I will continue to live on campus. It has been a long time since I paid for utilities, water, TV, phone, Internet, trash pick-up, etc. And when something breaks, it is fixed right away. In fact, why would any of us want to live off campus?

Davis: I was just thinking the same thing, Dr. D. I am pretty sure living off campus is becoming less and less appealing. I guess the only thing I wish for is more personal space. I do sometimes feel that it is expected that I attend more events or be more available because I live on campus. I know this is a part of my job, but at times it does get to be a bit much; however, it sounds like I may have to get a second job if I am intending on living off. Oh, this conversation has been more and more educational.

Barile: I would say many live-on/in positions are created with the general idea of availability and being able to respond more quickly in an incident or to a situation. If an off-campus position offers an additional 10 or 12k than what you were offered living in, that extra money would definitely be going towards other expenses. That’s why saving now is so important. Do I miss not having to mow my lawn, do plumbing and roofing repairs and garbage clean up, paying utilities (especially considering the heat usage in the winter)? Absolutely. But there is just something to having your own home.

How can supervisors perhaps better prepare live-in staff for the transition?

Phelps: I think the best way for a supervisor to start assisting their staff is through tools such as Human Resources. I know that many human resources offices can give information about and discounts for oil delivery, cell phone plans, garages, and other places that have deals so that school employees will frequent their businesses. The HR department can also give honest feedback about how it would be if a staff person commuted. It may be as simple as the human resource person knowing that the supervisor is open about their own live-off situation and staff are welcome to ask questions. While for the most part residential life people are in each other’s business, you may need to open the door a little bit to others who may be struggling with the decisions of moving off, buying a house, or starting a family.

For me it was less about my supervisor and more about conversations with my parents and my friends on how I could make it a reality. I relied less on res life people and more on those who had made the jump during college or after. It was a great conversation to have since they can actually relate to you, when for the most part it is hard to understand what we do.

 

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Read All About It

December 19th, 2011

Welcome back to the workweek! (Yay?) Today on Inside Higher Ed: pets, therapy animals, and assistance animals and interpretations of the law; and interpretations of interpretations in a World Religions class; both raise hackles.

PETS OR THERAPY ANIMALS? Colleges might have to be more careful in answering that question from now on, thanks to federal suit against university that denied student’s request for a dog in her apartment.

MAXIMUM PELL PRESERVED: A budget compromise would slightly increase funding for the National Institutes of Health and change eligibility for the largest federal grant program for college students.

BEHIND THE BILLBOARDS: Texas Association of Business goes after community college graduation rates with a campaign that was influenced by Complete College America.

TRUSTEES TAKE A PASS: Trustees see numerous problems on the horizon, but few are willing to challenge presidents or push radical changes, report finds.

ISLAM (AND CONFLICT) IN CLASS: Two Muslim students at a Texas college disrupt a world religions class to challenge an adjunct professor’s interpretations. He then quits to protest what he calls college’s failure to back him up.

 

 

 

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Supporting International Students Webinar and Presentation

December 14th, 2011

Serendipity is a great thing. While looking for something else, I found this presentation, Cultivate Cultural Empathy to Assist the Transition of Asian Students to American Culture. It was presented by Yashvin Madhak at our 2011 Annual Conference and Exhibition. And of course this reminded me of our webinar and roundtable, How to Respond to the Needs of International Students. That webinar is taking place tomorrow, Thursday December 15 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST.

There will be a presentation by Richard Kington, Director of Accommodation Services, University of Edinburgh; and Kate Baier, Senior Director of Residential Life at new York University. It will be hosted by Tom Ellett, Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at New York University. There will be a fifteen-minute presentation followed by a Q&A with the guest panel. It’s free; there’s no better deal in professional development, so register now!

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Read All About It: Extra Credit Therapy Animal Edition!

December 13th, 2011

Inside Higher Ed has a story about the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice’s case against an institution that denied a student’s request to have a therapy dog in her campus apartment, and the repercussions of the departments’ decisions. Institutions have, until now, relied on the Americans with Disabilities Act to guide their decisions about animals. ADA allows assistance animals, dogs or miniature horses, that perform essential tasks for their physically disabled handlers. ADA is silent on therapy animals, which calm their owners’ depression, anxiety or stress. HUD and the DOJ made it clear they expect student housing departments to follow Fair Housing Act guidelines concerning therapy animals. FHA guidelines recognize and protect therapy animals.

Our own Steve Waller gets a nice mention as well. Thanks for representing us so nicely, Steve!

In light of the lawsuit, Steve Waller, director of residential life at Louisiana State University and chair of the Public Policy Advisory Committee of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International, created a white paper on government regulations on therapy animals in campus housing. ACUHO-I just last week created a task force to identify best practices and procedures for colleges seeking guidance. Waller said the Kearney lawsuit has prompted some institutions to come forward looking for advice on an issue that’s become more prevalent in recent years. (Still, LSU hasn’t received a therapy animal request in the 10 years he’s worked there, Waller said.)

Read more at Inside Higher Ed.
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Read All About It

December 12th, 2011

State institutions wonder what they’ve done to deserve the wrath of the Occupy movement and what might result from Obama’s meeting with college and university presidents, this week at Inside HigherEd.

OCCUPY SOMEONE ELSE: As public universities raise tuition to cope with state cuts and increased enrollments, administrators wonder why they, not lawmakers, are the targets.

THE PROBLEM SOLVERS: What, if anything, can a former hedge fund analyst and his motley crew of Silicon Valley number-crunchers teach higher education?

AT THE WHITE HOUSE ROUNDTABLE: A meeting between Obama and college presidents appears to mark a forthcoming policy shift.

COMPLETION CONUNDRUM: Citing severe state budget woes, community college leaders are pessimistic about the feasibility of the push to graduate more students, survey finds.

POLITICIZATION OF STUDY ABROAD: Some faculty members and administrators at California State U. are trying to block resumption of programs in Israel.

 

 

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Responding to International Students’ Needs Webinar

December 8th, 2011

Hearkening back to our post about the Chronicle of Higher Education story about international students’ integration in their communities (in this case, international students at U.S. institutions), ACUHO-I is offering a free webinar roundtable that may be of interest: How to Respond to the Needs of International Students, presented by Richard Kington, Director of Accommodation Services, University of Edinburgh; and Kate Baier, Senior Director of Residential Life at new York University. It will be hosted by Tom Ellett, Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at New York University. There will be a fifteen-minute presentation followed by a Q&A with the guest panel. The event will be Thursday December 15 at 2 p.m. EST; spaces are limited.

vRoundtable International Student Needs December 2011

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More on Therapy Animals and Legal Action

December 7th, 2011

So as you’ll recall, a former student complained to the Department of Housing and Urban Development that the  University of Nebraska-Kearney would not allow her to live with her therapy dog in her campus apartment, and HUD upheld this claim, saying the University of Nebraska Kearney’s requests for supporting documentation were excessive. In late November, the Department of Justice stepped in, reaffirming HUD’s decision. Both departments hadn’t taken a particular interest in higher education housing before, so these were decisive stances.

In light of this, Steve Waller, Director of Residential Life at Louisiana State University and chair of ACUHO-I’s Public Policy Advisory Committee, created a white paper that provides a concise overview of FHA and ADA policies (well, as concise as it gets in these situations) and what they may mean for student housing professionals. Of course, you’ll want to work with your legal team when creating and adhering to policies in this area, but this will give you a thorough primer.

Many thanks to Steve for his hard work and clear explanation of a complicated issue.

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Read All About It

December 5th, 2011

Hello readers! This week at Inside HigherEd: Obama invites a select group of college presidents to the White House; do black students at elite institutions cluster in lower-paying fields (and if so, why?) and can or should an institution dictate how its employees conduct their private lives?

Summoned to the White House: Obama invites small group of college presidents for a discussion on access, affordability and productivity.

Price Back in the Spotlight: A Congressional subcommittee and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are both taking steps to address rising tuition costs.

Banned: Years after a court case gave a state Baptist convention more control over Shorter U., it is moving to become more “intentionally Christian” — in part by defining who may not work there.

Private Scholarship, Public Funds: Washington State creates public-private scholarship where corporate donors call the shots on how to spend and invest the fund, which includes state money.

‘Opting Out’: New book argues that black students at elite colleges still cluster in low-paying fields such as education and social work — and that universities are partly to blame.

 

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Read All About It

November 28th, 2011

This week in the news at Inside HigherEd: Unrest continues at the University of California Davis; student loans, and the fallout for college sports from the Penn State

REFUSING TO PAY: A pledge for student loan borrowers to stop paying back their loans has emerged from the Occupy movement, causing concern in some quarters.

NCAA CROSSES A LINE: Association’s inquiry into Penn State sex abuse scandal represents a break with its tradition of staying out of criminal and civil matters in sports programs, legal experts say.

FALLOUT FROM PENN STATE: Scandal of the last three weeks may have influenced public opinion of big-time athletics.

APOLOGY AND MORE PROTESTS: Use of pepper spray against nonviolent students at Davis continues to shake academe. Calls grow for chancellor to resign and for other presidents to speak out in favor of protecting protest.

SPORTS SLASHED AT MARYLAND: A number of factors led U. of Maryland to eliminate eight varsity teams, but analysts say other institutions might soon have their own choices to make.


 

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The Community and the Communities Within It

November 22nd, 2011

The Chronicle of Higher Education had a thorough story about Chinese students who attend college in the United States. Much of the article was about the U.S. institutions’ recruiting, and the extensive effort the Chinese students (and their parents) make to get into a U.S. institution, including paying thousands of dollars for essay writing and application services. (For more on this issue, listen to this broadcast of American Public Media’s Marketplace.)

These recruiters often make it appear an applicant is more fluent in English than he or she is. The applicant is admitted on this basis, then sent to an institution somewhere in the U.S., where, along with academic and cultural challenges that would be difficult even with a common language, he or she is lost amid a world of English speakers. The Chronicle article discusses how this obviously impacts classroom life; students labor to understand lectures, to make presentations, to communicate with group members. However, it also touched on the social issues at hand. Obviously, difficulty communicating in the predominant language is a major barrier to cross-cultural friendships. And admittedly, many American students are unwilling to make the effort (or it simply hasn’t occurred to them). But also mentioned were significant cultural differences; for example, the value of oneself vs. the group that predominates in the U.S; differing social mores and values. As a result, the foreign students tend to group together, particularly Chinese students, sources said.

It’s unfortunate but true: This happens on every (or nearly every) college campus in the U.S. While students say they want to mingle with people from other cultures (and this wish may well be sincere), often people end up hanging out with folks who are similar to themselves.

The article’s sources mentioned difficulty getting Chinese students involved in campus life. Have you found this to be true? Have you been able to overcome this? Is it a matter of language fluency (which would make social interaction easier) or do you  think there’s more to it?

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