Compiled by Natalia Korshin
Northern Light
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Tuition proposal loses federal aid
provision
A controversial proposal to cut federal financial aid
money from colleges that repeatedly raise tuition will not
be part of a proposed bill, Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif.,
the bill’s sponsor, announced.
McKeon’s bill originally included a provision that
would penalize colleges and universities that raise tuition
at double the rate of inflation for three consecutive years.
It was initially discussed last March and was introduced
in October as part of the Higher Education Act.
University of Wisconsin, Madison would have been one of
the institutions affected by this bill, according to the
American Council on Education.
The bill “sent a strong message to colleges and
universities that more must be done to reign in the cost
of tuition and fees,” McKeon said in a statement.
He said there is currently a positive trend of institutions
working to lower costs, but will put the provision back
in the bill if this trend does not continue.
McKeon cited the American Association of State Colleges
and Universities as an organization whose efforts convinced
him to drop the provision. The organization had opposed
the provision, AASCU spokesperson Heather Berg said.
“Part of our argument was that it’s going
to hurt the students, not the institutions, because they
still have to come up with that money,” Berg said.
She added public colleges and universities often have
little control over tuition costs due to funding cuts from
state legislatures and strains on resources from increasing
enrollment.
Courtesy of www.uwire.com
San Diego State University
Four-year graduation rate climbs
Is it still possible to graduate from college in four
years?
According to information released by San Diego State University,
the four-year graduation rate has increased from 5.9 percent
for the freshman class entering in 1993 to 12 percent for
the class entering in 1999.
Director of Enrollment Services Sandra Cook said one reason
for the improvement is that the university has become more
selective and is accepting in better students. In addition,
the average SAT composite scores of freshmen have increased
from 983 in 1998 to 1,071 for the fall 2003 semester.
SDSU has made some changes that may help students to stay
on track, Cook said. In 2000, the university instituted
mandatory advising for freshman at orientation, which has
forced students to take foundation courses such as English,
math and speech during the first year.
Computer science junior Jason Miller said it is important
for the university to give incoming students more direction
in what they need to be doing to graduate on time.
“I look back at the classes I’ve taken since
I’ve been here and I realize many of the ones I took
weren’t needed,” he said. “If I would
have had a better idea of what classes I needed to take,
maybe I would be graduating in four years instead of five.”
Courtesy of www.uwire.com
Southampton, New York
The Hamptons for $300 a month
Supply, demand and cathedral ceilings have intersected
in the Hamptons. College students fed up with dorm living
and unable to find cheap apartments are crowding into 8-
and 10-bedroom homes during the off-season for vacation
rentals and splitting the rent a dozen ways. To students,
it’s Xanadu for $300 a month.
“Everybody does this,” said Jeff Bausch, who
shares a cavernous home near the Suffolk County airport
with 10 friends, most from other parts of Long Island. He
said this as he strolled around the property, past a swimming
pool, a tennis court and garbage cans brimming with empty
beer bottles. “This is our lifestyle. We also have
a Ping-Pong table.”
Many of the off-season renters are students at Southampton
College, where living on campus costs $2,515 a semester
for a double room, and at least $1,440 for a mandatory meal
plan. Many move out after an obligatory two years in the
dorms, seeking cheaper housing, fewer rules and the chance
to end the school week by drinking in the backyard pool.
“We’re one of the few campuses where our academic
schedule is determined by winter rentals,” said the
college’s dean, Dr. Charles G. Hitchcock. “We
have to begin after Labor Day and be done by before Memorial
Day.”
“This is a million-dollar house, and we’re
a bunch of twentysomethings living in it,” said Ed
Manly, who lives in the 11-student house near the airport.
“It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Courtesy of the New York Times online
Arizona State University
Concern expressed about campus trees
When Tempe resident Korky Day saw the condition of trees
on the Arizona State University campus, he took it upon
himself to correct the problem. He compiled a detailed list
of more than 100 damaged trees and forwarded it to ASU officials
only to see no changes. Day said he has contacted ASU Facilities
Management repeatedly for about a year and received no response.
“This has been going on for quite some time,”
he said. “I really think administrators are dragging
their feet on this issue.”
One of Day’s main concerns is the palm trees on
campus. He said excessive trimming and negligence are to
blame for the damage. Pre-business freshman Steve Suvanto
said he hasn’t noticed damaged trees on campus.
“Sometimes I like to sit on the benches under trees
between classes, but I never saw anything that looked wrong,”
he said. “If they are being mistreated though, I think
it’s an issue that should be looked at.”
An ASU spokeswoman was unaware of Day’s attempts
to notify administrators. “We work really hard to
keep everything maintained and in good condition,”
said Nancy Neff. “We have professionals and that’s
their job to do that.”
Day said the issue has been lingering for more than a
year and it is only getting worse. “All I want is
for these trees to be taken care of,” he added.
Courtesy of Web Devil |
