By Miguel Vasquez, President's Distinguished Teaching Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University
In the past few years, fierce debates about the rights of unauthorized immigrants have raged across the nation. The outcome of these debates will have tremendous demographic, economic, social, cultural, and political ramifications that will shape the country's future and the future of higher education. My adopted state, Arizona, has become "ground zero" in these disputes as they relate to Mexican immigration. As Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, has observed in discussing the abysmal graduation rates of Latino high school students, Arizona and the nation at large will "face a social revolution and economic train wreck" if policymakers, educators, and citizens do not address immigration soon and in a constructive way (2004).
Texts that Encourage Students to Think Systemically about Immigration
Narratives can help students consider the systemic effects of Mexican immigration through an empathetic lens. Suggested assignments include:
Arau, S. 2004. A day without a Mexican. Xenon Pictures.
Chavez, L. 1998. Shadowed lives: Undocumented immigrants in American society. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Gonzales, R. I am Joaquin. Film available on youtube.com.
Urrea, L. 1993. Across the wire: Life and hard times on the Mexican border. New York: Anchor Books.
Source: DiversityWeb.org
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
More Federal Aid Needed for Low-Income College Students, Report Finds
New York Times
By RACHEL GROSS
The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, an independent committee that advises Congress and the secretary of education on national policy, presented a report in Washington on Friday that did not bode well for low-income college students seeking degrees.
The report, entitled “The Rising Price of Inequality” sent a clear message to the federal government: without a broad increase in need-based state and federal aid, fewer low-income students will have the resources to remain enrolled in college and earn degrees over the next decade.
In the current landscape of state budget cuts, financial aid for students has more often been jeopardized rather than augmented. For instance, last year California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended completely phasing out the state’s Cal Grant program, which covers fees for the state’s neediest students. Though the proposal ultimately didn’t pan out, many states have since followed suit by cutting or limiting their financial aid. According to Friday’s report, initial enrollment rates for low-income high school graduates have been decreasing steadily, falling from 54 to 40 percent in the time period between 1992 and 2004. The report attributed the decrease to changes family concerns about college expenses and financial aid.
Furthermore, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reported on Friday, the financial burden of a college education has grown to take up a larger portion of a family’s income, with four years at a public college costing 48 percent—almost half—of a low-income family’s annual income in 2007. A four-year education was 41 percent of a low-income family’s earnings in 1992.
This is bad news for low-income students, but also could delay President Obama’s goal of having the United States produce the most college graduates by 2020, according to the authors of the report.
“Recent progress in increasing need-based federal grant aid is encouraging, but must be greatly intensified and broadened,” the report reads. “At a minimum, federal policy must seek to ensure that states and public colleges hold Pell Grant recipients harmless against increases in cost of attendance, through increases in state and institutional need-based grant aid.”
The authors also recommended a national experiment to gauge how college access would be impacted by
increasing opportunities for loan forgiveness and income-based repayment options, the Chronicle reported.
By RACHEL GROSS
The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, an independent committee that advises Congress and the secretary of education on national policy, presented a report in Washington on Friday that did not bode well for low-income college students seeking degrees.
The report, entitled “The Rising Price of Inequality” sent a clear message to the federal government: without a broad increase in need-based state and federal aid, fewer low-income students will have the resources to remain enrolled in college and earn degrees over the next decade.
In the current landscape of state budget cuts, financial aid for students has more often been jeopardized rather than augmented. For instance, last year California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended completely phasing out the state’s Cal Grant program, which covers fees for the state’s neediest students. Though the proposal ultimately didn’t pan out, many states have since followed suit by cutting or limiting their financial aid. According to Friday’s report, initial enrollment rates for low-income high school graduates have been decreasing steadily, falling from 54 to 40 percent in the time period between 1992 and 2004. The report attributed the decrease to changes family concerns about college expenses and financial aid.
Furthermore, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reported on Friday, the financial burden of a college education has grown to take up a larger portion of a family’s income, with four years at a public college costing 48 percent—almost half—of a low-income family’s annual income in 2007. A four-year education was 41 percent of a low-income family’s earnings in 1992.
This is bad news for low-income students, but also could delay President Obama’s goal of having the United States produce the most college graduates by 2020, according to the authors of the report.
“Recent progress in increasing need-based federal grant aid is encouraging, but must be greatly intensified and broadened,” the report reads. “At a minimum, federal policy must seek to ensure that states and public colleges hold Pell Grant recipients harmless against increases in cost of attendance, through increases in state and institutional need-based grant aid.”
The authors also recommended a national experiment to gauge how college access would be impacted by
increasing opportunities for loan forgiveness and income-based repayment options, the Chronicle reported.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
New Evaluation Toolkit Measures College Access Programs
New Evaluation Toolkit Measures College Access Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the lack of evaluative data on many college access programs, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, in partnership with the Institute for Higher Education Policy’s (IHEP) Pathways to College Network, has launched the “Evaluation Toolkit” to help increase the effectiveness of college access programs that serve disadvantaged student populations. The “toolkit” is an innovative online resource that guides users through the process of conducting small-scale, high-quality program evaluation.
The Evaluation Toolkit presents college-access professionals with a free, user-friendly Web-based guide that provides step-by-step instructions on how to approach program evaluation. It is designed to strengthen the capacity of practitioners to collect, analyze and apply data to improve program outcomes.Additionally, the Evaluation Toolkit features an introductory section, Evaluation 101, with basic information for users who may be unfamiliar with the fundamentals of program evaluation.
More specifically, the Evaluation Toolkit will help users:
* Develop a comprehensive plan for their program evaluation
* Identify data collection methods needed to answer their research questions
*Work with and analyze data to determine the effects of their program practices and services
* Use findings to improve and/or advocate for their program
“We created the Evaluation Toolkit to help college-access practitioners measure the effectiveness of their programmatic efforts, which
are oftentimes geared toward our nation’s most neediest and underserved students,” says Pell Institute Director Chandra Taylor Smith, Ph.D. “It is our hope that this resource brings about tremendous benefits for the higher education leaders—practitioners as well as policymakers and researchers — who work passionately to help those students already facing multiple barriers when attempting to enter into and graduate from college.”
With support from Lumina Foundation for Education and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Evaluation Toolkit was developed for two purposes: 1) To develop a freely accessible, research-based resource that will enable outreach programs to more readily and systematically use data and outcome measures to improve service delivery, and 2) promote research that will identify effective program models across outreach programs and document the collective impact of programs by using the evaluation data generated through a common assessment framework.
“We’ve endeavored to create an incredible online tool to support the hard work of practitioners who are on the front lines of college access and success initiatives,” said IHEP Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives Lorelle L. Espinosa, Ph.D. “The Evaluation Toolkit is also a perfect complement to the newly redesigned Pathways to College Network Web site, which has four online libraries housing
up-to-date research and an expanded set of online tools for college-access and -success practitioners.”
A program of IHEP, the Pathways to College Network is an alliance of national organizations that advances college opportunity for underserved students by raising public awareness, supporting innovative research and promoting evidence-based policies and practices across the K-12 and higher education sectors. It promotes the use of research-based policies and practices, the development of new research
that is both rigorous and actionable and the alignment of efforts across middle school, high school and higher education in order to promote college access and success for underserved students. For more information about the Pell Institute, visit the organization’sWeb site at www.pellinstitute.org.Additional information about
the Evaluation Toolkit is also available on the Pathways to College NetworkWeb site at www.pathwaystocollege.net. Also, learn more about IHEP by visiting www.ihep.org.
https://www.wdhstore.com/hispanic/data/pdf/june24-newevaluation.pdf
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the lack of evaluative data on many college access programs, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, in partnership with the Institute for Higher Education Policy’s (IHEP) Pathways to College Network, has launched the “Evaluation Toolkit” to help increase the effectiveness of college access programs that serve disadvantaged student populations. The “toolkit” is an innovative online resource that guides users through the process of conducting small-scale, high-quality program evaluation.
The Evaluation Toolkit presents college-access professionals with a free, user-friendly Web-based guide that provides step-by-step instructions on how to approach program evaluation. It is designed to strengthen the capacity of practitioners to collect, analyze and apply data to improve program outcomes.Additionally, the Evaluation Toolkit features an introductory section, Evaluation 101, with basic information for users who may be unfamiliar with the fundamentals of program evaluation.
More specifically, the Evaluation Toolkit will help users:
* Develop a comprehensive plan for their program evaluation
* Identify data collection methods needed to answer their research questions
*Work with and analyze data to determine the effects of their program practices and services
* Use findings to improve and/or advocate for their program
“We created the Evaluation Toolkit to help college-access practitioners measure the effectiveness of their programmatic efforts, which
are oftentimes geared toward our nation’s most neediest and underserved students,” says Pell Institute Director Chandra Taylor Smith, Ph.D. “It is our hope that this resource brings about tremendous benefits for the higher education leaders—practitioners as well as policymakers and researchers — who work passionately to help those students already facing multiple barriers when attempting to enter into and graduate from college.”
With support from Lumina Foundation for Education and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Evaluation Toolkit was developed for two purposes: 1) To develop a freely accessible, research-based resource that will enable outreach programs to more readily and systematically use data and outcome measures to improve service delivery, and 2) promote research that will identify effective program models across outreach programs and document the collective impact of programs by using the evaluation data generated through a common assessment framework.
“We’ve endeavored to create an incredible online tool to support the hard work of practitioners who are on the front lines of college access and success initiatives,” said IHEP Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives Lorelle L. Espinosa, Ph.D. “The Evaluation Toolkit is also a perfect complement to the newly redesigned Pathways to College Network Web site, which has four online libraries housing
up-to-date research and an expanded set of online tools for college-access and -success practitioners.”
A program of IHEP, the Pathways to College Network is an alliance of national organizations that advances college opportunity for underserved students by raising public awareness, supporting innovative research and promoting evidence-based policies and practices across the K-12 and higher education sectors. It promotes the use of research-based policies and practices, the development of new research
that is both rigorous and actionable and the alignment of efforts across middle school, high school and higher education in order to promote college access and success for underserved students. For more information about the Pell Institute, visit the organization’sWeb site at www.pellinstitute.org.Additional information about
the Evaluation Toolkit is also available on the Pathways to College NetworkWeb site at www.pathwaystocollege.net. Also, learn more about IHEP by visiting www.ihep.org.
https://www.wdhstore.com/hispanic/data/pdf/june24-newevaluation.pdf
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ten Ways To Retain Faculty of Color
by Dr. Marybeth Gasman, June 22, 2010
Recently I gave a talk at the American Association of University Professors' annual meeting. The talk focused on the retention of faculty of color-unfortunately only one White faculty member attended the session. My comments were directed at those in positions of power within historically White institutions-I was saddened that many of these individuals did not attend the session.
Below are the 10 ways to retain faculty of color that I discussed in my talk. Many of these suggestions can be used with all faculty members. I invite you to add more in the comment feature of this blog.
1) Hire a critical mass of faculty of color. Quite a few historically White institutions have done this and it works. Not only does hiring a critical mass show commitment on the part of an institution, it also helps to create a less isolating and alienating atmosphere on campus and in individual departments. [For those who object: we hire critical masses of White faculty all the time.]
2) Don't "over committee" faculty of color. Although it is important to have diversity in representation on campus committees, deans and chairs must make sure that faculty of color are not asked to serve disproportionately. There are some majority faculty who can and will advocate for the rights and perspectives of faculty and students of color.
3) Provide mentors to faculty of color-including other faculty of color and majority faculty. Both kinds of mentors are essential for understanding how the academy works.
Full Story at:
http://diverseeducation.com/blogpost/272/ten-ways-to-retain-faculty-of-color.html
Recently I gave a talk at the American Association of University Professors' annual meeting. The talk focused on the retention of faculty of color-unfortunately only one White faculty member attended the session. My comments were directed at those in positions of power within historically White institutions-I was saddened that many of these individuals did not attend the session.
Below are the 10 ways to retain faculty of color that I discussed in my talk. Many of these suggestions can be used with all faculty members. I invite you to add more in the comment feature of this blog.
1) Hire a critical mass of faculty of color. Quite a few historically White institutions have done this and it works. Not only does hiring a critical mass show commitment on the part of an institution, it also helps to create a less isolating and alienating atmosphere on campus and in individual departments. [For those who object: we hire critical masses of White faculty all the time.]
2) Don't "over committee" faculty of color. Although it is important to have diversity in representation on campus committees, deans and chairs must make sure that faculty of color are not asked to serve disproportionately. There are some majority faculty who can and will advocate for the rights and perspectives of faculty and students of color.
3) Provide mentors to faculty of color-including other faculty of color and majority faculty. Both kinds of mentors are essential for understanding how the academy works.
Full Story at:
http://diverseeducation.com/blogpost/272/ten-ways-to-retain-faculty-of-color.html
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Data.ed.gov Launches
On June 17, the U.S. Department of Education launched a new website, Data.ed.gov, which will increase access to education data. The site will ultimately serve as a one-stop shop where practitioners, researchers, and the public can access information about Department grant programs. Through the Web site and other initiatives, the Department will make the grantmaking process more transparent to the public by providing easily accessible data about applications as well as applicants and their partners. The site will protect applicants' privacy and proprietary information.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A lesson they won't forget
June 22, 2010
By Cynthia Dizikes, Tribune Reporter
For-profit school's error costs students certification
When Denise Parnell enrolled in the Illinois School of Health Careers last summer, she was told she could use her education to become a certified nursing assistant - a lifelong dream for the 20-year-old single mother who lives with her aunt in Englewood.
But in June, just as Parnell was finishing the 8-month-long program at the for-profit school, she learned her hard work and thousands of dollars in federal loans had been wasted. The school's program wasn't approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and Parnell was no closer to qualifying for a nursing job than when she started.
Complete story at Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-for-profit-schools-20100622,0,4737059.story
By Cynthia Dizikes, Tribune Reporter
For-profit school's error costs students certification
When Denise Parnell enrolled in the Illinois School of Health Careers last summer, she was told she could use her education to become a certified nursing assistant - a lifelong dream for the 20-year-old single mother who lives with her aunt in Englewood.
But in June, just as Parnell was finishing the 8-month-long program at the for-profit school, she learned her hard work and thousands of dollars in federal loans had been wasted. The school's program wasn't approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and Parnell was no closer to qualifying for a nursing job than when she started.
Complete story at Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-for-profit-schools-20100622,0,4737059.story
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How do you communicate with your students?
Survey: college kids are text crazed
Text messaging has far eclipsed e-mail and instant messaging as college students' favored way of staying in touch, according to a new study that finds that 97 percent of students now send and receive text messages, while only about a quarter of them use e-mail or instant messaging.
Ball State journalism professor Michael Hanley, who surveyed 5,500 students for the study, also found that smart phones now account for 49 percent of mobile communication devices on college campuses. That's up more than 10 percent since just October.
Hanley says that, except for studying, students are quickly leaving computers and e-mail behind. He says college students' hectic lifestyles are behind their embrace of smart phones and texting. AP
Source: Chicago Suntimes
Text messaging has far eclipsed e-mail and instant messaging as college students' favored way of staying in touch, according to a new study that finds that 97 percent of students now send and receive text messages, while only about a quarter of them use e-mail or instant messaging.
Ball State journalism professor Michael Hanley, who surveyed 5,500 students for the study, also found that smart phones now account for 49 percent of mobile communication devices on college campuses. That's up more than 10 percent since just October.
Hanley says that, except for studying, students are quickly leaving computers and e-mail behind. He says college students' hectic lifestyles are behind their embrace of smart phones and texting. AP
Source: Chicago Suntimes
Monday, June 21, 2010
Three North Carolina immigrant youth on hunger strike in Raleigh, demanding Senator Kay Hagan support DREAM Act
Three North Carolina immigrant youth on hunger strike in Raleigh, demanding Senator Kay Hagan support DREAM Act
By Kosta Harlan
Raleigh, NC - Three young immigrant women are on day six of a hunger strike to demand that North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan (Democrat) support the DREAM Act. The women, Viridiana, Loida and Rosario, of central North Carolina, have vowed to continue their hunger strike until Senator Hagan publicly endorses the DREAM Act.
The DREAM Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 1.5 million undocumented youth in the United States. Immigrants’ rights activists across the country have been pushing Congress to take action on the bill.
The hunger strikers, who are known as the North Carolina Dream Team, urge supporters to call Senator Kay Hagan's office and leave a message stating support for the DREAM Act and for the hunger strikers. Senator Kay Hagan's D.C. number is 202-224-6342 and the Raleigh office number is 919-856-4630.
The following interview was conducted with Viridiana and Rosario on day six of the hunger strike at their encampment at the North Carolina State Capitol.
Listen to the interview here: http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/6/20/three-north-carolina-immigrant-youth-hunger-strike-raleigh-demanding-senator-kay-hagan-sup
Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at info@fightbacknews.org
By Kosta Harlan
Raleigh, NC - Three young immigrant women are on day six of a hunger strike to demand that North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan (Democrat) support the DREAM Act. The women, Viridiana, Loida and Rosario, of central North Carolina, have vowed to continue their hunger strike until Senator Hagan publicly endorses the DREAM Act.
The DREAM Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 1.5 million undocumented youth in the United States. Immigrants’ rights activists across the country have been pushing Congress to take action on the bill.
The hunger strikers, who are known as the North Carolina Dream Team, urge supporters to call Senator Kay Hagan's office and leave a message stating support for the DREAM Act and for the hunger strikers. Senator Kay Hagan's D.C. number is 202-224-6342 and the Raleigh office number is 919-856-4630.
The following interview was conducted with Viridiana and Rosario on day six of the hunger strike at their encampment at the North Carolina State Capitol.
Listen to the interview here: http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/6/20/three-north-carolina-immigrant-youth-hunger-strike-raleigh-demanding-senator-kay-hagan-sup
Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at info@fightbacknews.org
Friday, June 18, 2010
5th Annual Nation Student Writing Contest
Dear Friend,
We want to make sure you know about the fifth annual Nation Student Writing Contest. The deadline is June 30. We're trying hard to get the word out and it would be a great help if you can forward the info below to any students or educators you think may find it of interest. Please let me know if you have any questions and many thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Peter Rothberg, The Nation
peter@thenation.com
212-209-5425
The Fifth Annual Nation Student Writing Contest 2010
co-sponsored by The Nation Institute
How has your education been compromised by budget cuts and tuition hikes?
Essays should not exceed 800 words and should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates fresh, clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship.
We'll select five high school and five collegiate finalists and two winners--one from college, one from high school. Each winner will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a Nation subscription. The winning essays will be published in an issue of the magazine in the fall of 2010, and will be featured at TheNation.com. The finalists will be awarded $250 each and subscriptions, and their entries will be published online. Entries (only one per student) will be accepted through June 30, 2010. A winner will be announced by September 15. Please send entries to studentprize@thenation.com.
Please help spread the word!
More info here:
http://www.thenation.com/student-writing-contest
We want to make sure you know about the fifth annual Nation Student Writing Contest. The deadline is June 30. We're trying hard to get the word out and it would be a great help if you can forward the info below to any students or educators you think may find it of interest. Please let me know if you have any questions and many thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Peter Rothberg, The Nation
peter@thenation.com
212-209-5425
The Fifth Annual Nation Student Writing Contest 2010
co-sponsored by The Nation Institute
How has your education been compromised by budget cuts and tuition hikes?
Essays should not exceed 800 words and should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates fresh, clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship.
We'll select five high school and five collegiate finalists and two winners--one from college, one from high school. Each winner will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a Nation subscription. The winning essays will be published in an issue of the magazine in the fall of 2010, and will be featured at TheNation.com. The finalists will be awarded $250 each and subscriptions, and their entries will be published online. Entries (only one per student) will be accepted through June 30, 2010. A winner will be announced by September 15. Please send entries to studentprize@thenation.com.
Please help spread the word!
More info here:
http://www.thenation.com/student-writing-contest
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Scholar Says Research Universities Not Serious About Faculty Diversity
Scholar Says Research Universities Not Serious About
Faculty Diversity
by Arelis Hernandez June 10, 2010
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
http://diverseeducation.com/article/13868/scholar-says-research-universities-not-serious-about-faculty-diversity.html
WASHINGTON - To Dr. M. Cookie Newsom, director for
diversity education and assessment at the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there's no delicate way of
describing the lack of commitment she believes many top
research universities demonstrate as they allegedly
seek to diversify their faculties.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn't really want a
racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty
diversity presentation at the American Association of
University Professors' (AAUP) annual national
conference in Washington, D.C. "It's totally a myth."
Newsom said she based her conclusion on research and
statistics she collected showing that, while peer
research institutions have documented plans to retain
and advance minority faculty, the outcomes detail
nothing more than lip service.
"If you are an African-American, American Indian or
Latina/o with a Ph.D., your odds of ever receiving
tenure at a Research I (school) are between slim and
none," she said. "Of course, there are always
exceptions."
Using an unscientific sample of nine Research I
institutions, Newsom aggregated data about the sample
schools' minority faculty hiring, finding consistent
and, in her opinion, mortifying patterns. In those
surveyed schools, the proportion of faculty of color is
woefully smaller than the proportion of minority
populations in the states where the schools are
located.
"There are an insufficient number of people of color at
the heads of classrooms where students of color are
increasingly the majority," she said.
Between 2001 and 2007, Black professors consistently
represented just 3 percent or less of tenured or
tenure-track faculty year after year at Harvard
University, Ohio State University, University of
Florida, University of California at Los Angeles and
Berkeley, University of Illinois, University of Texas,
Stanford University and the University of North
Carolina, according to National Center for Education
Statistics data cited by Newsom.
Even among Asian American faculty, who have seen their
numbers increase at majority White institutions, most
are hired into science and health disciplines, where
they often see limited advancement opportunities,
Newsom said. Latino faculty prospects for advancement
are even slimmer, she added.
Overall, faculty of color consist of only 16 percent of
all full-time professors in the U.S., according to
Newsom.
After working at a progressive college in Ohio, Newsom
said she moved south to UNC to accept a position in the
school's diversity and multicultural affairs office.
Tasked with conducting an assessment and designing a
diversity plan, Newsom oversaw strategies that required
administrative and academic units to outline diversity
efforts and submit progress reports annually.
But after three years in her position, Newsom's initial
excitement was extinguished by the absence of progress
and the reverberation of excuses from deans and
committees for why so few underrepresented minorities
were hired and retained in the faculty ranks.
The usual defenses Newsom said she's heard from
decision-makers are: 1) There are not enough qualified
candidates of color; 2) There is no need to interview
them because they are in high demand from other
institutions; and 3) They are too expensive.
Underlying the excuses is an insidious presumption of
inferiority, Newsom said, recalling an instance at UNC
where a Black female faculty candidate was disqualified
because she didn't "fit well" and because she "spoke
too loudly." Much of the diversity research literature,
she said, has not focused on examining the inner
workings of the tenure process in committees where most
of the biases emerge.
"It's racial discrimination," she said
unapologetically. "We know what's wrong, there is
inherent bias in committees and negative perceptions
based on race."
Apart from institutional racism, Newsom reiterated what
scholars have found are barriers for junior faculty,
including overburdening service work, undervalued
qualifications, and the lack of mentorship and support
from senior faculty.
In a subsequent session on faculty diversity, George
Mason University's Dr. L. Earle Reybold, who has
published on ethics in higher education, said she has
interviewed several faculty of color on their
experiences. She concluded that, to break the impulse
to re-create themselves, White professors need to
participate and engage faculty of color and avoid
passive indifference.
"If you're White, you have to ask yourself if you've
ever been to a conference on minority issues, attended
the presentation of a colleague of color, or supported
the work of faculty of color," she said. "That's what
we need to be doing."
The AAUP is one of the largest faculty organizations in
the U.S., and its annual conference provides a
significant forum for scholars, such as Newsom and
Reybold, reporting on faculty trends and developments.
In his opening remarks at the conference, AAUP
president Cary Nelson said the current budget crisis
offers the ideal opportunity for faculty to forge
community against the onslaught of forthcoming
challenges.
"We have to try to stand together. We have to try to
protect our most vulnerable colleagues," Nelson said
about non-tenured faculty. "Otherwise we're just going
to go down."
Faculty Diversity
by Arelis Hernandez June 10, 2010
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
http://diverseeducation.com/article/13868/scholar-says-research-universities-not-serious-about-faculty-diversity.html
WASHINGTON - To Dr. M. Cookie Newsom, director for
diversity education and assessment at the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there's no delicate way of
describing the lack of commitment she believes many top
research universities demonstrate as they allegedly
seek to diversify their faculties.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn't really want a
racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty
diversity presentation at the American Association of
University Professors' (AAUP) annual national
conference in Washington, D.C. "It's totally a myth."
Newsom said she based her conclusion on research and
statistics she collected showing that, while peer
research institutions have documented plans to retain
and advance minority faculty, the outcomes detail
nothing more than lip service.
"If you are an African-American, American Indian or
Latina/o with a Ph.D., your odds of ever receiving
tenure at a Research I (school) are between slim and
none," she said. "Of course, there are always
exceptions."
Using an unscientific sample of nine Research I
institutions, Newsom aggregated data about the sample
schools' minority faculty hiring, finding consistent
and, in her opinion, mortifying patterns. In those
surveyed schools, the proportion of faculty of color is
woefully smaller than the proportion of minority
populations in the states where the schools are
located.
"There are an insufficient number of people of color at
the heads of classrooms where students of color are
increasingly the majority," she said.
Between 2001 and 2007, Black professors consistently
represented just 3 percent or less of tenured or
tenure-track faculty year after year at Harvard
University, Ohio State University, University of
Florida, University of California at Los Angeles and
Berkeley, University of Illinois, University of Texas,
Stanford University and the University of North
Carolina, according to National Center for Education
Statistics data cited by Newsom.
Even among Asian American faculty, who have seen their
numbers increase at majority White institutions, most
are hired into science and health disciplines, where
they often see limited advancement opportunities,
Newsom said. Latino faculty prospects for advancement
are even slimmer, she added.
Overall, faculty of color consist of only 16 percent of
all full-time professors in the U.S., according to
Newsom.
After working at a progressive college in Ohio, Newsom
said she moved south to UNC to accept a position in the
school's diversity and multicultural affairs office.
Tasked with conducting an assessment and designing a
diversity plan, Newsom oversaw strategies that required
administrative and academic units to outline diversity
efforts and submit progress reports annually.
But after three years in her position, Newsom's initial
excitement was extinguished by the absence of progress
and the reverberation of excuses from deans and
committees for why so few underrepresented minorities
were hired and retained in the faculty ranks.
The usual defenses Newsom said she's heard from
decision-makers are: 1) There are not enough qualified
candidates of color; 2) There is no need to interview
them because they are in high demand from other
institutions; and 3) They are too expensive.
Underlying the excuses is an insidious presumption of
inferiority, Newsom said, recalling an instance at UNC
where a Black female faculty candidate was disqualified
because she didn't "fit well" and because she "spoke
too loudly." Much of the diversity research literature,
she said, has not focused on examining the inner
workings of the tenure process in committees where most
of the biases emerge.
"It's racial discrimination," she said
unapologetically. "We know what's wrong, there is
inherent bias in committees and negative perceptions
based on race."
Apart from institutional racism, Newsom reiterated what
scholars have found are barriers for junior faculty,
including overburdening service work, undervalued
qualifications, and the lack of mentorship and support
from senior faculty.
In a subsequent session on faculty diversity, George
Mason University's Dr. L. Earle Reybold, who has
published on ethics in higher education, said she has
interviewed several faculty of color on their
experiences. She concluded that, to break the impulse
to re-create themselves, White professors need to
participate and engage faculty of color and avoid
passive indifference.
"If you're White, you have to ask yourself if you've
ever been to a conference on minority issues, attended
the presentation of a colleague of color, or supported
the work of faculty of color," she said. "That's what
we need to be doing."
The AAUP is one of the largest faculty organizations in
the U.S., and its annual conference provides a
significant forum for scholars, such as Newsom and
Reybold, reporting on faculty trends and developments.
In his opening remarks at the conference, AAUP
president Cary Nelson said the current budget crisis
offers the ideal opportunity for faculty to forge
community against the onslaught of forthcoming
challenges.
"We have to try to stand together. We have to try to
protect our most vulnerable colleagues," Nelson said
about non-tenured faculty. "Otherwise we're just going
to go down."
President of Kaplan College Campus Is Fired Over 'English Only' Dispute
By Katherine Mangan, May 31, 2010
The president of Kaplan College's campus in Chula Vista, Calif., was fired this month over his handling of an incident in which students were told they could face academic sanctions if they spoke Spanish in class, according to sources involved with the case.
Dennis Manzo had been president since the campus, located just seven miles from the Mexican border, opened in December.
All calls to the campus were referred to Ron Iori, spokesman for the college's for-profit corporate parent, Kaplan Higher Education, in Chicago. He would not confirm that the president had been fired, or provide information on how to reach him, but he said Mr. Manzo is no longer working for Kaplan. "We all agreed that it was best if we parted ways," he said.
Angel Roman, now president of Kaplan's Beaumont, Tex., campus, will take over as president of the Chula Vista campus this week.
Full Story: http://chronicle.com/article/President-of-Kaplan-College/65731/
Posted by ILACHE at 7:46 AM
By Katherine Mangan, May 31, 2010
The president of Kaplan College's campus in Chula Vista, Calif., was fired this month over his handling of an incident in which students were told they could face academic sanctions if they spoke Spanish in class, according to sources involved with the case.
Dennis Manzo had been president since the campus, located just seven miles from the Mexican border, opened in December.
All calls to the campus were referred to Ron Iori, spokesman for the college's for-profit corporate parent, Kaplan Higher Education, in Chicago. He would not confirm that the president had been fired, or provide information on how to reach him, but he said Mr. Manzo is no longer working for Kaplan. "We all agreed that it was best if we parted ways," he said.
Angel Roman, now president of Kaplan's Beaumont, Tex., campus, will take over as president of the Chula Vista campus this week.
Full Story: http://chronicle.com/article/President-of-Kaplan-College/65731/
Posted by ILACHE at 7:46 AM
Higher-Education Programs Are Among Targets of Planned Federal Budget Freeze
June 8, 2010 By Kelly Field
Washington
Following up on a pledge to freeze spending unrelated to national security over the next three years, the White House is asking federal agencies to offer plans to shave 5 percent from their budgets by eliminating their worst-performing programs, and among them are some connected to higher education.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Peter R. Orszag, President Obama's budget director, singled out mathematics and science education, youth mentoring, and job training for cuts, noting that the federal government offers more than 110 programs focused on science, technology, engineering, and math education, 100 mentoring programs, and 40 employment programs.
Source: http://chronicle.com/article/Higher-Education-Programs-Are/65810/
Posted by ILACHE at 9:42 AM
Labels: Higher-Education Programs Are Among Targets of Planned Federal Budget Freeze
June 8, 2010 By Kelly Field
Washington
Following up on a pledge to freeze spending unrelated to national security over the next three years, the White House is asking federal agencies to offer plans to shave 5 percent from their budgets by eliminating their worst-performing programs, and among them are some connected to higher education.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Peter R. Orszag, President Obama's budget director, singled out mathematics and science education, youth mentoring, and job training for cuts, noting that the federal government offers more than 110 programs focused on science, technology, engineering, and math education, 100 mentoring programs, and 40 employment programs.
Source: http://chronicle.com/article/Higher-Education-Programs-Are/65810/
Posted by ILACHE at 9:42 AM
Labels: Higher-Education Programs Are Among Targets of Planned Federal Budget Freeze
Scholar Says Research Universities Not Serious About Faculty Diversity
Scholar Says Research Universities Not Serious About Faculty Diversity
by Arelis Hernandez June 10, 2010
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
http://diverseeducation.com/article/13868/scholar-says-research-universities-not-serious-about-faculty-diversity.html
WASHINGTON - To Dr. M. Cookie Newsom, director for
diversity education and assessment at the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there's no delicate way of
describing the lack of commitment she believes many top
research universities demonstrate as they allegedly
seek to diversify their faculties.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn't really want a
racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty
diversity presentation at the American Association of
University Professors' (AAUP) annual national
conference in Washington, D.C. "It's totally a myth."
Newsom said she based her conclusion on research and
statistics she collected showing that, while peer
research institutions have documented plans to retain
and advance minority faculty, the outcomes detail
nothing more than lip service.
"If you are an African-American, American Indian or
Latina/o with a Ph.D., your odds of ever receiving
tenure at a Research I (school) are between slim and
none," she said. "Of course, there are always
exceptions."
Using an unscientific sample of nine Research I
institutions, Newsom aggregated data about the sample
schools' minority faculty hiring, finding consistent
and, in her opinion, mortifying patterns. In those
surveyed schools, the proportion of faculty of color is
woefully smaller than the proportion of minority
populations in the states where the schools are
located.
"There are an insufficient number of people of color at
the heads of classrooms where students of color are
increasingly the majority," she said.
Between 2001 and 2007, Black professors consistently
represented just 3 percent or less of tenured or
tenure-track faculty year after year at Harvard
University, Ohio State University, University of
Florida, University of California at Los Angeles and
Berkeley, University of Illinois, University of Texas,
Stanford University and the University of North
Carolina, according to National Center for Education
Statistics data cited by Newsom.
Even among Asian American faculty, who have seen their
numbers increase at majority White institutions, most
are hired into science and health disciplines, where
they often see limited advancement opportunities,
Newsom said. Latino faculty prospects for advancement
are even slimmer, she added.
Overall, faculty of color consist of only 16 percent of
all full-time professors in the U.S., according to
Newsom.
After working at a progressive college in Ohio, Newsom
said she moved south to UNC to accept a position in the
school's diversity and multicultural affairs office.
Tasked with conducting an assessment and designing a
diversity plan, Newsom oversaw strategies that required
administrative and academic units to outline diversity
efforts and submit progress reports annually.
But after three years in her position, Newsom's initial
excitement was extinguished by the absence of progress
and the reverberation of excuses from deans and
committees for why so few underrepresented minorities
were hired and retained in the faculty ranks.
The usual defenses Newsom said she's heard from
decision-makers are: 1) There are not enough qualified
candidates of color; 2) There is no need to interview
them because they are in high demand from other
institutions; and 3) They are too expensive.
Underlying the excuses is an insidious presumption of
inferiority, Newsom said, recalling an instance at UNC
where a Black female faculty candidate was disqualified
because she didn't "fit well" and because she "spoke
too loudly." Much of the diversity research literature,
she said, has not focused on examining the inner
workings of the tenure process in committees where most
of the biases emerge.
"It's racial discrimination," she said
unapologetically. "We know what's wrong, there is
inherent bias in committees and negative perceptions
based on race."
Apart from institutional racism, Newsom reiterated what
scholars have found are barriers for junior faculty,
including overburdening service work, undervalued
qualifications, and the lack of mentorship and support
from senior faculty.
In a subsequent session on faculty diversity, George
Mason University's Dr. L. Earle Reybold, who has
published on ethics in higher education, said she has
interviewed several faculty of color on their
experiences. She concluded that, to break the impulse
to re-create themselves, White professors need to
participate and engage faculty of color and avoid
passive indifference.
"If you're White, you have to ask yourself if you've
ever been to a conference on minority issues, attended
the presentation of a colleague of color, or supported
the work of faculty of color," she said. "That's what
we need to be doing."
The AAUP is one of the largest faculty organizations in
the U.S., and its annual conference provides a
significant forum for scholars, such as Newsom and
Reybold, reporting on faculty trends and developments.
In his opening remarks at the conference, AAUP
president Cary Nelson said the current budget crisis
offers the ideal opportunity for faculty to forge
community against the onslaught of forthcoming
challenges.
"We have to try to stand together. We have to try to
protect our most vulnerable colleagues," Nelson said
about non-tenured faculty. "Otherwise we're just going
to go down."
by Arelis Hernandez June 10, 2010
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
http://diverseeducation.com/article/13868/scholar-says-research-universities-not-serious-about-faculty-diversity.html
WASHINGTON - To Dr. M. Cookie Newsom, director for
diversity education and assessment at the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there's no delicate way of
describing the lack of commitment she believes many top
research universities demonstrate as they allegedly
seek to diversify their faculties.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn't really want a
racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty
diversity presentation at the American Association of
University Professors' (AAUP) annual national
conference in Washington, D.C. "It's totally a myth."
Newsom said she based her conclusion on research and
statistics she collected showing that, while peer
research institutions have documented plans to retain
and advance minority faculty, the outcomes detail
nothing more than lip service.
"If you are an African-American, American Indian or
Latina/o with a Ph.D., your odds of ever receiving
tenure at a Research I (school) are between slim and
none," she said. "Of course, there are always
exceptions."
Using an unscientific sample of nine Research I
institutions, Newsom aggregated data about the sample
schools' minority faculty hiring, finding consistent
and, in her opinion, mortifying patterns. In those
surveyed schools, the proportion of faculty of color is
woefully smaller than the proportion of minority
populations in the states where the schools are
located.
"There are an insufficient number of people of color at
the heads of classrooms where students of color are
increasingly the majority," she said.
Between 2001 and 2007, Black professors consistently
represented just 3 percent or less of tenured or
tenure-track faculty year after year at Harvard
University, Ohio State University, University of
Florida, University of California at Los Angeles and
Berkeley, University of Illinois, University of Texas,
Stanford University and the University of North
Carolina, according to National Center for Education
Statistics data cited by Newsom.
Even among Asian American faculty, who have seen their
numbers increase at majority White institutions, most
are hired into science and health disciplines, where
they often see limited advancement opportunities,
Newsom said. Latino faculty prospects for advancement
are even slimmer, she added.
Overall, faculty of color consist of only 16 percent of
all full-time professors in the U.S., according to
Newsom.
After working at a progressive college in Ohio, Newsom
said she moved south to UNC to accept a position in the
school's diversity and multicultural affairs office.
Tasked with conducting an assessment and designing a
diversity plan, Newsom oversaw strategies that required
administrative and academic units to outline diversity
efforts and submit progress reports annually.
But after three years in her position, Newsom's initial
excitement was extinguished by the absence of progress
and the reverberation of excuses from deans and
committees for why so few underrepresented minorities
were hired and retained in the faculty ranks.
The usual defenses Newsom said she's heard from
decision-makers are: 1) There are not enough qualified
candidates of color; 2) There is no need to interview
them because they are in high demand from other
institutions; and 3) They are too expensive.
Underlying the excuses is an insidious presumption of
inferiority, Newsom said, recalling an instance at UNC
where a Black female faculty candidate was disqualified
because she didn't "fit well" and because she "spoke
too loudly." Much of the diversity research literature,
she said, has not focused on examining the inner
workings of the tenure process in committees where most
of the biases emerge.
"It's racial discrimination," she said
unapologetically. "We know what's wrong, there is
inherent bias in committees and negative perceptions
based on race."
Apart from institutional racism, Newsom reiterated what
scholars have found are barriers for junior faculty,
including overburdening service work, undervalued
qualifications, and the lack of mentorship and support
from senior faculty.
In a subsequent session on faculty diversity, George
Mason University's Dr. L. Earle Reybold, who has
published on ethics in higher education, said she has
interviewed several faculty of color on their
experiences. She concluded that, to break the impulse
to re-create themselves, White professors need to
participate and engage faculty of color and avoid
passive indifference.
"If you're White, you have to ask yourself if you've
ever been to a conference on minority issues, attended
the presentation of a colleague of color, or supported
the work of faculty of color," she said. "That's what
we need to be doing."
The AAUP is one of the largest faculty organizations in
the U.S., and its annual conference provides a
significant forum for scholars, such as Newsom and
Reybold, reporting on faculty trends and developments.
In his opening remarks at the conference, AAUP
president Cary Nelson said the current budget crisis
offers the ideal opportunity for faculty to forge
community against the onslaught of forthcoming
challenges.
"We have to try to stand together. We have to try to
protect our most vulnerable colleagues," Nelson said
about non-tenured faculty. "Otherwise we're just going
to go down."
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Harvard Student Says He Faces Deportation From U.S.
Harvard Student Says He Faces Deportation From U.S.
by Russell Contreras, Associated Press, June 15, 2010
BOSTON – An undocumented Harvard University student is facing deportation to Mexico after being detained by immigration authorities at a Texas airport, the student said Friday. Eric Balderas, 19, who just completed his first year at Harvard, said he was detained Monday by immigration authorities when he tried to board a plane from his hometown of San Antonio to Boston using a consulate card from Mexico and his student ID.
“I'd made it through before so I thought this time wouldn't be any different,” Balderas said Friday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “But once ICE picked me up I really didn't know what to think and I was starting to break down.”
Balderas, who previously had used a Mexican passport to board planes but recently lost it, said he became despondent and thought he was being deported to Mexico immediately, only to be released the next day. He said he has a scheduled July 6 immigration hearing. “All I can think about was my family,'' said Balderas, who doesn't remember living in Mexico.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, Mark Medvesky, confirmed that Balderas was released and said his hearing will likely be in Boston.
Harvard officials immediately threw support behind Balderas.
“Eric Balderas has already demonstrated the discipline and work ethic required for rigorous university work, and has, like so many of our undergraduates, expressed an interest in making a difference in the world,” said Christine Heenan, Harvard's vice president of public affairs and communications.
The case also sparked a buzz on social media sites and among student immigrant activists who see the Balderas situation as the ideal test case to push the proposed DREAM Act – a federal bill that would allow illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship via college enrollment or military service. Mario Rodas, who was an undocumented student in Chelsea, a small city near Boston, until Sen. John Kerry and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy came to his aid, launched a Facebook page Friday highlighting the Balderas case. “He's an excellent student and an example of someone this country needs,” said Rodas.
The page said that Balderas was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by his family at age 4 escape a domestic violence situation. A feature in the San Antonio Express-News last year said the graduate of Highlands High School in San Antonio was accepted into several small liberal arts colleges but chose to attend Harvard, where he has a full scholarship. Balderas said he is studying molecular and cellular biology at Harvard and hopes to become a cancer researcher. He said he qualified for Harvard's privately-funded scholarship package. “I'm a private person so this is a change for me,” he said. In March, Balderas was one of hundreds of undocumented students to publicly announce his immigration status during a nationally organized “coming out” day for illegal immigrants.
Balderas also has been an active member of student immigrant groups around Boston that have staged protests and sit-ins in an effort to get Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts, to support the DREAM Act. Brown has not said whether he supports the proposal, also called the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The bill is sponsored by Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, of Illinois. In April, Lugar and Durbin sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, asking her to halt deportations of immigrant students who could earn legal status under the act. A number of college presidents have supported the legislation, including Harvard President Drew Faust, who sent a letter to Kerry and Kennedy urging them to pass it. Kyle de Beausset, a Boston-based student activist and a friend of Balderas, said student activists are ready to rally behind him.
by Russell Contreras, Associated Press, June 15, 2010
BOSTON – An undocumented Harvard University student is facing deportation to Mexico after being detained by immigration authorities at a Texas airport, the student said Friday. Eric Balderas, 19, who just completed his first year at Harvard, said he was detained Monday by immigration authorities when he tried to board a plane from his hometown of San Antonio to Boston using a consulate card from Mexico and his student ID.
“I'd made it through before so I thought this time wouldn't be any different,” Balderas said Friday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “But once ICE picked me up I really didn't know what to think and I was starting to break down.”
Balderas, who previously had used a Mexican passport to board planes but recently lost it, said he became despondent and thought he was being deported to Mexico immediately, only to be released the next day. He said he has a scheduled July 6 immigration hearing. “All I can think about was my family,'' said Balderas, who doesn't remember living in Mexico.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, Mark Medvesky, confirmed that Balderas was released and said his hearing will likely be in Boston.
Harvard officials immediately threw support behind Balderas.
“Eric Balderas has already demonstrated the discipline and work ethic required for rigorous university work, and has, like so many of our undergraduates, expressed an interest in making a difference in the world,” said Christine Heenan, Harvard's vice president of public affairs and communications.
The case also sparked a buzz on social media sites and among student immigrant activists who see the Balderas situation as the ideal test case to push the proposed DREAM Act – a federal bill that would allow illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship via college enrollment or military service. Mario Rodas, who was an undocumented student in Chelsea, a small city near Boston, until Sen. John Kerry and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy came to his aid, launched a Facebook page Friday highlighting the Balderas case. “He's an excellent student and an example of someone this country needs,” said Rodas.
The page said that Balderas was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by his family at age 4 escape a domestic violence situation. A feature in the San Antonio Express-News last year said the graduate of Highlands High School in San Antonio was accepted into several small liberal arts colleges but chose to attend Harvard, where he has a full scholarship. Balderas said he is studying molecular and cellular biology at Harvard and hopes to become a cancer researcher. He said he qualified for Harvard's privately-funded scholarship package. “I'm a private person so this is a change for me,” he said. In March, Balderas was one of hundreds of undocumented students to publicly announce his immigration status during a nationally organized “coming out” day for illegal immigrants.
Balderas also has been an active member of student immigrant groups around Boston that have staged protests and sit-ins in an effort to get Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts, to support the DREAM Act. Brown has not said whether he supports the proposal, also called the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The bill is sponsored by Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, of Illinois. In April, Lugar and Durbin sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, asking her to halt deportations of immigrant students who could earn legal status under the act. A number of college presidents have supported the legislation, including Harvard President Drew Faust, who sent a letter to Kerry and Kennedy urging them to pass it. Kyle de Beausset, a Boston-based student activist and a friend of Balderas, said student activists are ready to rally behind him.
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