Michael Walsh
The budget crunch at Washington State University has made recent headlines because of the loss of the theatre and sport management programs. Before those departments knew they were endangered, the dietetics program was near extinction.
Students and faculty in the dietetics program at WSU have been unsure about their future during the past seven months.
“I just wish they would come to a resolution,” said Anthony Jorgenson, a junior dietetics major. “I want to be able to get on with my life and know whether or not I will have a degree in dietetics.”
Currently, WSU’s Pullman campus offers a general dietetics program. The GDP, as it is more commonly known, includes a four-year bachelor’s of science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition with the dietetics option. Upon graduation, an internship or one-year Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD) is required before taking the registered dietitian (RD) exam.
The second component, which can be completed anywhere, is based on regulations by the American Dietetics Association (ADA) and the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE). Graduates are required to gain 900 hours of supervised practice experience. WSU students have the option of continuing with the coordinated program and completing their practice hours in Puyallup, Wash. The other option is to find an internship elsewhere in the country.
There has also been the option for students to complete their degrees in the exercise metabolism program at the Spokane campus after going through two years of prerequisites in Pullman or elsewhere.
Late last year, the ADA and CADE announced graduates would be required to perform 1,200 hours of supervised practice beginning in November 2009. That forced WSU administration to review its options and make tough decisions.
The first announcement that change was imminent came in an October 16 e-mail from Kathryn Meier, director, program in nutrition and exercise metabolism, to students. The letter said the Provost decided to consolidate all dietetics programs to the Spokane campus. Among the reasons, “The long-term plan is for WSU to locate ALL educational programs related to human health in Spokane.”
An information session was held the October 21, to try and clear up any misunderstandings. At the meeting, James Kehrer, dean of the College of Pharmacy, Janet Beary, director of WSU coordinated dietetics programs, and Meier, explained the situation. All students not certified in the Pullman general dietetics program would be required to finish their degrees and professional training in the exercise and metabolism program in Spokane. Students already certified would be able to take the classes necessary to earn their degree by 2010 with courses phasing out in a stepwise fashion.
Kehrer spent much of the forum explaining why the exercise and metabolism program, better known as ExMet, is an advantageous opportunity for students.
The meeting adjourned with Kehrer telling the group no timetable had been reached, but soon the administration would determine who could and could not finish their studies in Pullman. The biggest obstacle was the wide-ranging individual cases.
Miriam Ballejos, associate professor of nutrition and exercise metabolism at WSU, estimates 90 of the 128 dietetics students are not certified. One of them is Jorgenson, and he is one of the many students with unique circumstances Kehrer referred to at the October meeting.
Jorgenson would be certified in the Pullman dietetics program after this semester, but has not taken the right courses to qualify for admission to the ExMet program. To compound the issue, the Spokane program only accepts new students annually, meaning he could not start his mandatory two years until fall of 2010, his fifth year of college. Needless to say, students in similar situations to Jorgenson were up in arms about the proposed solution.
Two days after the meeting, Kehrer and Meier sent an e-mail to dietetics students stating a decision had been made. “General Dietetics courses will continue to be offered on the Pullman campus through May 2012. This will allow for the normal four-year graduation time for currently enrolled students following the program of study published in the University Catalog…Admissions will be closed to new students who cannot graduate by May 2012.”
After four months of near silence, students received another e-mail February 23. This letter came from Vicki Burnham, assistant to the dean, and explained the latest decision in the saga. “An administrative decision has been reached concerning the Pullman CPD program, located in Tacoma/Puyallup. This program will not accept any new applications.”
The letter went on to explain that students who had already been accepted to the program would be able to finish, with the site transitioning to serve the needs of the Spokane-based CPD by the fall of 2010.
Severe backlash from students ensued, and on February 26, Kehrer followed up with a more detailed account as to why the decision was made. The new accreditation standards presented an insurmountable obstacle.
“As we began to work through the self-study tasks required for re-accreditation,” Kehrer wrote, “it became apparent that the current program could not easily be adapted to meet new accreditation standards.”
In order to ensure students reach the new minimum practice hours, new personnel would have to be hired in Puyallup and the cost of the already-expensive program would be increased.
“In the current budget crisis WSU cannot justify continuing two separately accredited CPD programs,” Kehrer went on to write.
The dietetics program in Pullman alone cost WSU more than $1 million during the 2008 fiscal year.
“I understand the financial issues and that nobody is safe right now,” Jorgenson said, “but I wish there could have been better communication.”
At the end of his February 26 letter, Kehrer addressed a major misunderstanding. “When students were informed last October of the impending consolidation of dietetics to Spokane, we promised that all currently enrolled students could complete their dietetics ‘degree’ program in Pullman. This promise specifically referred to the General Dietetics Program that leads to a BS degree. The Tacoma/Puyallup CPD has been an option for Pullman students but was never guaranteed.”
The timing of this announcement created more havoc. Kehrer’s letter came two weeks after the previously announced February 13 “priority deadline” for applying to the ExMet program. It was not until a March 10 letter from Meier to students that it was made clear the Spokane program would be accepting applications until April 1 to accommodate for the transition.
That too has since been changed.
“The application window is still open to accommodate any WSU students that might still be interested in the program,” said Teresa Woolverton, academic coordinator in the College of Pharmacy, in an e-mail Monday.
The latest development, however, could make everything obsolete.
Kehrer, Beary and Meier wrote a letter to CADE board members requesting an exemption from the new accreditation standards for one year. The March 24 letter addressed the same issues Kehrer touched on when he explained the situation to students in February. If approved, the Puyallup CPD would remain open until May 2011, allowing all current juniors and seniors the opportunity to complete their practice hours at WSU and without having to go through the ExMet program.
Ballejos said the board met at the end of April and is expected to send letters in mid-May informing the university of its decision.
“I’m just going to do what I can to graduate,” said a frustrated Jorgenson, unaware of the newest possibility. “If they decide I can do the coordinated program, I will, if not, so be it.”
Ballejos said many of the approximately 90 uncertified dietetics students have demonstrated the same sentiments.
“Most of the students have shown interest in the general program and applying to an outside internship,” Ballejos said.
She said most students who are electing not to follow through with the Spokane option either are not interested in the exercise program, or are not interested in moving to Spokane.
One thing is for certain. Soon any student wanting to graduate from WSU with a degree in dietetics, will not have that option. After the graduating class of 2012, all upper-division work in the program will be completed in Spokane.
Sources
Documents retrieved via Public Records Act
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Anthony Jorgenson
509-939-2607
acj3@wsu.edu
Miriam Ballejos
509-335-1395
medlefsen@wsu.edu
Kathryn Meier
509-335-3573
kmeier@wsu.edu
Teresa Woolverton
509-335-7612
twool@wsu.edu
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
More Gloomy News
A Tuesday story out of the Seattle Times explains that the Olympia School District recently approved a plan that includes allowing layoffs to teachers in order to meet impending budget shortfalls.
OLYMPIA — In preparation of an expected budget shortfall in the millions of dollars, the Olympia School Board approved a reduction in force of up to 37.5 full-time-equivalent employees with teaching certificates at its meeting Monday night.
OLYMPIA — In preparation of an expected budget shortfall in the millions of dollars, the Olympia School Board approved a reduction in force of up to 37.5 full-time-equivalent employees with teaching certificates at its meeting Monday night.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Document Story Proposal
I requested all documents regarding the consolidation of the coordianted dietetics program at Washington State University. As I touched on in my profile story, a number of students and faculty members at WSU are affected by this sudden change. What is the underlying reason for this move? Is it due to financial concerns?
WSU has demonstrated a desire to move health-related areas of study to Spokane, but the back-and-forth nature of the decision regarding the CDP oozes of unspoken motives.
I want to be able to look through the e-mails and documents sent between department members when making this decision.
The story will highlight what the move means for current students, as well as the future of the dietetics program at WSU.
View my Records Request
WSU has demonstrated a desire to move health-related areas of study to Spokane, but the back-and-forth nature of the decision regarding the CDP oozes of unspoken motives.
I want to be able to look through the e-mails and documents sent between department members when making this decision.
The story will highlight what the move means for current students, as well as the future of the dietetics program at WSU.
View my Records Request
News from the Weekend
Budget cuts are beginning to take a toll on all levels of education:
Vancouver school superintendent takes pay cut
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Vancouver, Wash., school Superintendent Steven Webb has voluntarily taken a 4.5 percent pay cut, and he's asking teachers to take a 1 percent reduction.
Citing state budget cuts, Webb says he's having his pay cut to $204,370 from $214,000.
Ann Giles, president of the Vancouver Education Association, says teachers already face a loss of two days' pay under legislation pending in Olympia. She adds that they'll also likely pay more out of pocket for medical benefits.
The teachers receive (between) $38,526 and $70,387 a year. They don't expect to see a 4.2 percent raise once promised by the state, but they'll still get increases of $460 to $1,200 for another year of
classroom experience.
Vancouver schools face a $5.6 million to $8 million shortfall out of a $212 million budget.
Fees jumping at University of Idaho:
Redistributing wealth
MARCUS KELLIS, Argonaut
Vancouver school superintendent takes pay cut
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Vancouver, Wash., school Superintendent Steven Webb has voluntarily taken a 4.5 percent pay cut, and he's asking teachers to take a 1 percent reduction.
Citing state budget cuts, Webb says he's having his pay cut to $204,370 from $214,000.
Ann Giles, president of the Vancouver Education Association, says teachers already face a loss of two days' pay under legislation pending in Olympia. She adds that they'll also likely pay more out of pocket for medical benefits.
The teachers receive (between) $38,526 and $70,387 a year. They don't expect to see a 4.2 percent raise once promised by the state, but they'll still get increases of $460 to $1,200 for another year of
classroom experience.
Vancouver schools face a $5.6 million to $8 million shortfall out of a $212 million budget.
Fees jumping at University of Idaho:
Redistributing wealth
MARCUS KELLIS, Argonaut
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Journalism Legends Worry About Future
Michael Walsh
The 35th Edward R. Murrow Symposium at Washington State University offered a sense of irony. Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer were presented with lifetime achievement awards while they spoke about the uncertain future of journalism.
“The technological marvels which have allowed us to deliver news as it happens, has caused a seismic shift,” said Schieffer, the recipient of the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism, as he addressed a crowd of about 500 people Tuesday night at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum.
Schieffer, 72, carries more than 50 years of broadcast journalism experience, 40 of them at CBS News. He has covered all four major beats in the nation’s capital –the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department and Capitol Hill –and has been a floor reporter at every Democratic and Republican National Convention since 1972.
His biggest fear for the future of journalism is that online media will bring a lack of accountability and integrity, the very pillars for which the industry stands.
“The web is the only vehicle we have ever had to deliver news to the world without an editor,” Schieffer said.
Thomas, the recipient of the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism, also voiced her concern about the current state of journalism.
“Unfortunately, everyone with a laptop thinks they are a journalist,” she said.
Often referred to as the “First Lady of the Press,” Thomas has been a White House correspondent since John F. Kennedy was in office. Thomas spent 57 years with United Press International, from 1943 to 2000, eventually becoming the first female United Press bureau chief. She has traveled the world with seven presidents in the past quarter-century and now writes as a syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers.
Having a lifetime of experience covering politics, both honorees are worried about how the American government will be affected by the decline of newspapers.
“American democracy, as we know it, cannot exist without access to independent coverage,” Schieffer said.
Thomas said the future looks grim because in the last decade, reporters have failed the public by going along with the censorship the government is trying to enforce. She is also worried journalism may never return to where it was because great reporters that have been around for years are losing jobs everyday.
“I’m not trying to stop progress,” Thomas said, “but I am going to miss traditional journalism.”
Schieffer, while also pessimistic about the future, argues the values and ethics of traditional journalism can still be upheld. He said the advances put an added pressure on schools to instill the values of conventional journalism, but as long as there are writers who understand the ethics, they will be sought.
Elizabeth Boss, a public relations major at WSU, was happy they addressed the shift in journalism and appreciated Schieffer’s message for everyone to continue to support media and read newspapers instead of going on the internet to only find what you want.
Schieffer also said it could become very difficult to support media though.
“Technology is moving so fast that no one can say where this is going,” Schieffer said after admitting he does not know what he will do if the day comes he has to start his morning without a coffee and a newspaper.
Spokane resident, Mary Stanley, came to the symposium with a friend to hear the two honorees speak. She came away impressed their stances on priorities in news coverage.
“They were great,” Stanley said. “I liked what Schieffer said about integrity. It is really important to get the truth.”
The Murrow Symposium is an annual event to recognize the accomplishments of a national figure in print or broadcast journalism. Previous recipients of the lifetime achievement award include Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Don Hewitt. The symposium is named after legendary journalist and WSU graduate, Edward R. Murrow.
Both recipients this year spoke to the legacy of Murrow.
Thomas said Murrow set himself apart because he realized the historical relevance of the daily drama he covered, and was able to relay that emotion to his audience.
Schieffer was flattered to be mentioned with his fellow CBS icon.
“To be given an award with Ed Murrow’s name on it is beyond anything I could have ever imagined,” he said.
The 35th Edward R. Murrow Symposium at Washington State University offered a sense of irony. Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer were presented with lifetime achievement awards while they spoke about the uncertain future of journalism.
“The technological marvels which have allowed us to deliver news as it happens, has caused a seismic shift,” said Schieffer, the recipient of the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism, as he addressed a crowd of about 500 people Tuesday night at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum.
Schieffer, 72, carries more than 50 years of broadcast journalism experience, 40 of them at CBS News. He has covered all four major beats in the nation’s capital –the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department and Capitol Hill –and has been a floor reporter at every Democratic and Republican National Convention since 1972.
His biggest fear for the future of journalism is that online media will bring a lack of accountability and integrity, the very pillars for which the industry stands.
“The web is the only vehicle we have ever had to deliver news to the world without an editor,” Schieffer said.
Thomas, the recipient of the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism, also voiced her concern about the current state of journalism.
“Unfortunately, everyone with a laptop thinks they are a journalist,” she said.
Often referred to as the “First Lady of the Press,” Thomas has been a White House correspondent since John F. Kennedy was in office. Thomas spent 57 years with United Press International, from 1943 to 2000, eventually becoming the first female United Press bureau chief. She has traveled the world with seven presidents in the past quarter-century and now writes as a syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers.
Having a lifetime of experience covering politics, both honorees are worried about how the American government will be affected by the decline of newspapers.
“American democracy, as we know it, cannot exist without access to independent coverage,” Schieffer said.
Thomas said the future looks grim because in the last decade, reporters have failed the public by going along with the censorship the government is trying to enforce. She is also worried journalism may never return to where it was because great reporters that have been around for years are losing jobs everyday.
“I’m not trying to stop progress,” Thomas said, “but I am going to miss traditional journalism.”
Schieffer, while also pessimistic about the future, argues the values and ethics of traditional journalism can still be upheld. He said the advances put an added pressure on schools to instill the values of conventional journalism, but as long as there are writers who understand the ethics, they will be sought.
Elizabeth Boss, a public relations major at WSU, was happy they addressed the shift in journalism and appreciated Schieffer’s message for everyone to continue to support media and read newspapers instead of going on the internet to only find what you want.
Schieffer also said it could become very difficult to support media though.
“Technology is moving so fast that no one can say where this is going,” Schieffer said after admitting he does not know what he will do if the day comes he has to start his morning without a coffee and a newspaper.
Spokane resident, Mary Stanley, came to the symposium with a friend to hear the two honorees speak. She came away impressed their stances on priorities in news coverage.
“They were great,” Stanley said. “I liked what Schieffer said about integrity. It is really important to get the truth.”
The Murrow Symposium is an annual event to recognize the accomplishments of a national figure in print or broadcast journalism. Previous recipients of the lifetime achievement award include Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Don Hewitt. The symposium is named after legendary journalist and WSU graduate, Edward R. Murrow.
Both recipients this year spoke to the legacy of Murrow.
Thomas said Murrow set himself apart because he realized the historical relevance of the daily drama he covered, and was able to relay that emotion to his audience.
Schieffer was flattered to be mentioned with his fellow CBS icon.
“To be given an award with Ed Murrow’s name on it is beyond anything I could have ever imagined,” he said.
Questions
Helen Thomas:
What did you learn by traveling overseas with presidents that you could not have learned any other way?
Who was the most difficult president to cover?
Which scandal, Nixon or Clinton, was more difficult to cover as a reporter and which was more painful as an American?
Bob Schieffer:
Which Washington beat was the most challenging? Rewarding?
What do you enjoy about moderating presidential debates?
What is the most memorable interview of your career?
What did you learn by traveling overseas with presidents that you could not have learned any other way?
Who was the most difficult president to cover?
Which scandal, Nixon or Clinton, was more difficult to cover as a reporter and which was more painful as an American?
Bob Schieffer:
Which Washington beat was the most challenging? Rewarding?
What do you enjoy about moderating presidential debates?
What is the most memorable interview of your career?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Murrow Symposium Background
Often referred to as the “First Lady of the Press,” Helen Thomas has been a White House correspondent since John F. Kennedy was in office. Thomas spent 57 years with United Press International, from 1943 to 2000, eventually becoming the first female United Press bureau chief. She has traveled the world with seven presidents in the past quarter-century and now writes as a syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers.
Bob Schieffer carries more than 50 years of broadcast journalism experience, 40 of them at CBS News. Schieffer has covered all four major beats in the nation’s capital and has been a floor reporter at every Democratic and Republican National Convention since 1972. Career highlights include moderating the final presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.
The Murrow Symposium is an annual event to recognize the accomplishments of a national figure in print or broadcast journalism. Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Don Hewitt. The symposium is named after legendary journalist and WSU graduate, Edward R. Murrow.
Bob Schieffer carries more than 50 years of broadcast journalism experience, 40 of them at CBS News. Schieffer has covered all four major beats in the nation’s capital and has been a floor reporter at every Democratic and Republican National Convention since 1972. Career highlights include moderating the final presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.
The Murrow Symposium is an annual event to recognize the accomplishments of a national figure in print or broadcast journalism. Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Don Hewitt. The symposium is named after legendary journalist and WSU graduate, Edward R. Murrow.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Cut Cut Cut
After a long wait, the Washington State Senate released their budget proposal for the coming biennium. All said, the state's high education will take a $513 million cut.
Read the entire story from The Seattle Times here.
Here is an ensuing editorial from the Times as well.
Read the entire story from The Seattle Times here.
Here is an ensuing editorial from the Times as well.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Dietetics Program Bloated With Uncertainty
MICHAEL WALSH
Anthony Jorgenson’s path to graduation has been far from conventional. On Feb. 23, that path took another detour.
Jorgenson, in his third year at Washington State University, received an e-mail that evening telling him his major –the coordinated dietetics program –would be discontinued immediately at the Pullman campus. Monday night quickly turned to Tuesday morning as Jorgenson scrambled for answers.
The one-time mechanical engineering major now faced the possibility of seeking yet another career.
“I was discouraged in such a way that I considered other majors despite being so close to this one,” Jorgenson said.
Ultimately, the Medical Lake, Wash.-native chose to stay the course because he wants to be a dietician.
Now, in order to achieve that, Jorgenson, 20, has to make another life-changing decision.
The graduation track he started on when he became a dietetics major is known as the coordinated dietetics program; the other option for Pullman students majoring in dietetics is the general dietetics program.
In the coordinated program, students are placed in an internship upon graduation as part of the curriculum. In the general program, graduates are required to find an internship on their own.
With the change announced by the College of Pharmacy, the coordinated program will only be offered at the WSU Spokane campus.
“The university wants to move all health-related degrees to Spokane,” said Miriam Ballejos, associate professor of nutrition and exercise metabolism at WSU.
That leaves Jorgenson with two options. He can stay in Pullman for two more years to finish his degree in the general program; or he can finish the coordinated program in Spokane.
In order to enroll at Spokane he would first have to finish another year of prerequisites in Pullman. Then, the Spokane program requires two full years in addition to the internship.
The decision boils down to time, and thus money. If Jorgenson wants to continue in the coordinated program he will be in college an extra year than if he were to graduate from the general program.
He chose to stay in Pullman.
“It’s an astronomical amount of money,” Jorgenson said of deciding not to stay in school the extra year. “As a student, I didn’t want to be buried in student loans for the rest of my life.”
It is a decision Jorgenson thought he avoided.
This past October, the College of Pharmacy held a presentation to inform students of changes in the dietetics program. At that time, both programs were going to be moved to the Spokane campus.
After the forum, Ballejos said, students got involved and reached a compromise with the administration: every student who had started working towards their degree would be allowed ample time to finish their studies.
Still no announcement was made to the students, but rumors swirled. So, Jorgenson went on thinking the changes would not affect him.
While he was registering for classes and signing a lease to live in Pullman for the next year, a different plan was brewing for the dietetics program.
Ballejos said the need to make a change was largely a human resources issue. She also said the program will have to follow a new set of standards starting in November which will require an extensive report, and the department is stretched too thin to be able to meet the obligations without consolidating.
Even still, the timing of the announcement is perplexing to faculty and students alike. The decision was handed down after the deadline to apply to the coordinated program in Spokane for the 2009-10 academic year.
“I don’t know why it was announced at this point,” Ballejos said. “I wish it had been sooner.”
“It’s frustrating,” Jorgenson said. “There just seems to have been a major lack of communication.”
James Kehrer, dean of the College of Pharmacy, said the administration did everything it could.
“The announcement was made as soon as was possible given the progress of information regarding the new accreditation requirements and the budget reductions,” Kehrer said in an e-mail, Wednesday. “I do not consider the announcement late. It was made literally within a few days after we concluded this was the only option.”
For a number of students it was late enough, but Ballejos said there are options for those students who fell between the cracks.
“If there is anyone who wants to apply to Spokane but missed the deadline, we could work that out,” Ballejos said.
The amnesty offer does not apply to Jorgenson who has to take more classes before he is eligible to apply to Spokane. So for now, he just keeps taking classes and inching towards a degree.
“All I can do is try to stay informed,” Jorgenson said.
Anthony Jorgenson’s path to graduation has been far from conventional. On Feb. 23, that path took another detour.
Jorgenson, in his third year at Washington State University, received an e-mail that evening telling him his major –the coordinated dietetics program –would be discontinued immediately at the Pullman campus. Monday night quickly turned to Tuesday morning as Jorgenson scrambled for answers.
The one-time mechanical engineering major now faced the possibility of seeking yet another career.
“I was discouraged in such a way that I considered other majors despite being so close to this one,” Jorgenson said.
Ultimately, the Medical Lake, Wash.-native chose to stay the course because he wants to be a dietician.
Now, in order to achieve that, Jorgenson, 20, has to make another life-changing decision.
The graduation track he started on when he became a dietetics major is known as the coordinated dietetics program; the other option for Pullman students majoring in dietetics is the general dietetics program.
In the coordinated program, students are placed in an internship upon graduation as part of the curriculum. In the general program, graduates are required to find an internship on their own.
With the change announced by the College of Pharmacy, the coordinated program will only be offered at the WSU Spokane campus.
“The university wants to move all health-related degrees to Spokane,” said Miriam Ballejos, associate professor of nutrition and exercise metabolism at WSU.
That leaves Jorgenson with two options. He can stay in Pullman for two more years to finish his degree in the general program; or he can finish the coordinated program in Spokane.
In order to enroll at Spokane he would first have to finish another year of prerequisites in Pullman. Then, the Spokane program requires two full years in addition to the internship.
The decision boils down to time, and thus money. If Jorgenson wants to continue in the coordinated program he will be in college an extra year than if he were to graduate from the general program.
He chose to stay in Pullman.
“It’s an astronomical amount of money,” Jorgenson said of deciding not to stay in school the extra year. “As a student, I didn’t want to be buried in student loans for the rest of my life.”
It is a decision Jorgenson thought he avoided.
This past October, the College of Pharmacy held a presentation to inform students of changes in the dietetics program. At that time, both programs were going to be moved to the Spokane campus.
After the forum, Ballejos said, students got involved and reached a compromise with the administration: every student who had started working towards their degree would be allowed ample time to finish their studies.
Still no announcement was made to the students, but rumors swirled. So, Jorgenson went on thinking the changes would not affect him.
While he was registering for classes and signing a lease to live in Pullman for the next year, a different plan was brewing for the dietetics program.
Ballejos said the need to make a change was largely a human resources issue. She also said the program will have to follow a new set of standards starting in November which will require an extensive report, and the department is stretched too thin to be able to meet the obligations without consolidating.
Even still, the timing of the announcement is perplexing to faculty and students alike. The decision was handed down after the deadline to apply to the coordinated program in Spokane for the 2009-10 academic year.
“I don’t know why it was announced at this point,” Ballejos said. “I wish it had been sooner.”
“It’s frustrating,” Jorgenson said. “There just seems to have been a major lack of communication.”
James Kehrer, dean of the College of Pharmacy, said the administration did everything it could.
“The announcement was made as soon as was possible given the progress of information regarding the new accreditation requirements and the budget reductions,” Kehrer said in an e-mail, Wednesday. “I do not consider the announcement late. It was made literally within a few days after we concluded this was the only option.”
For a number of students it was late enough, but Ballejos said there are options for those students who fell between the cracks.
“If there is anyone who wants to apply to Spokane but missed the deadline, we could work that out,” Ballejos said.
The amnesty offer does not apply to Jorgenson who has to take more classes before he is eligible to apply to Spokane. So for now, he just keeps taking classes and inching towards a degree.
“All I can do is try to stay informed,” Jorgenson said.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Profile Ideas
Anthony Jorgenson: A dietetics major at Washington State University, Jorgenson has been pulled in a number of directions during the last year. The dietetics program has been overhauled, then restored, and changed again. Now the junior from Medical Lake, Wash., doesn’t know if he will be in Pullman or Spokane next year, or if he will be graduating in two or three years. Jorgenson is far from alone in his predicament.
Ronnie Wideman: Despite his busy schedule as the assistant director of operations for the WSU men’s basketball team, Wideman chose to go back to school and work towards his master’s degree. How important is a master’s degree in today’s job market? A lot of people are in graduate school, but is it an increase from years passed? What is the typical salary difference?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Media and War
All is fair in love and war.
Or so the saying goes.
The age-old excuse for deception and trickery does not apply to journalists. It is the media’s duty to maintain a balanced and unbiased approach to news, even –and perhaps especially –in times of war.
During the current war in Iraq, much has been made of the mainstream media’s preconceived notions and agenda-driven reporting.
Retired Gen. Richard Sanchez spoke to a group of journalists in Oct. 2007, and addressed his concerns regarding media coverage of the war.
“My assessment is that your profession, to some extent, has strayed from (its) ethical standards and allowed external agendas to manipulate what the American public sees on TV, what they read in our newspapers and what they see on the web,” Sanchez said. “For some of you, just like some of our politicians, the truth is of little to no value if it does not fit your own preconceived notions, biases and agendas.”
Sanchez’ point was hammered home the next morning when many media outlets failed to report on that portion of his speech. Rather, they focused on the second half of his lecture –a criticism of the Bush administration’s policy and performance in the Iraq war.
Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside expressed similar apprehensions about journalists embedded with his unit.
“Reporters show up looking for a story,” Whiteside said, “not the one you are offering. If they see it, don’t even stand in their way. Just start damage control.”
Recently, those stories are focusing on unpopular decisions and actions by the military, leading to claims of sensationalism and an anti-war bias. The media takes a lot of blame for hampering the nation’s morale and turning many American’s against the war; ironic, because before the war began, reporters were criticized for being too patriotic.
Journalists are human too. When the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 occurred, every American was affected psychologically, even journalists. However, those personal sentiments sometimes leaked into newspaper stories, radio spots and news broadcasts. The unbalanced stories that hinged on propaganda caught the attention of international media outlets.
Nick Higham wrote for BBC in Nov. 2001: “No conflict since World War II has so engaged the American people, whose horror at the destruction of the Twin Towers and loathing of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden have been assiduously stoked by President Bush's morale-boosting speeches. That makes it difficult for news organisations committed in theory to objective, dispassionate reporting.”
Now, nearly six years after the war began, the media is taking heat for backing off their original position.
Michael Ryan of the Houston Chronicle wrote about the irresponsibility of the media in an Aug. 2005 column: “The news media are failing to acknowledge their own responsibility for the invasion of Iraq, even as they report with glee Cindy Sheehan's antiwar protest outside George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford. Americans are told all about Sheehan's son, Casey, a soldier killed in Iraq, and her call for the president to explain his reasons for invading Iraq and to outline his plan to leave. But the news media ought to explain why they broke their moral covenant with the American people to provide complete, balanced, fair and accurate information about the charge to war.”
Ryan said the media was caught up in the Bush administration’s highly-promoted strategy and propaganda. Some of the nation’s most prominent newspapers, Ryan said, looked back on their coverage and realized where they went wrong.
“The (New York) Times acknowledged that it relied too heavily on self-interested sources who were committed to regime change in Iraq, and that stories about dire claims got prominent display, while follow-up stories did not,” Ryan explained. “Howard Kurtz, who analyzed The Washington Post's coverage, reports that his newspaper seldom published on the front page stories that challenged the Bush administration. The result was coverage that ‘in hindsight looks strikingly one-sided at times'.”
Hindsight, however, did not reach back far enough to stop the unethical practices in Iraq before they started.
The concern of a media bias is not unique to the Iraq war. Donald Kirk, a correspondent in both Vietnam and Korea, said the criticism of the current war pales in comparison to Vietnam, and there is nowhere near the same anti-war passion on the home front.
“Vietnam was a very strange and difficult war to cover,” Kirk said. “The media was never really behind the war. It seemed being critical was almost fashionable.”
Since when is news supposed to be trend-setting?
No part of the pursuit of fair and balanced coverage should make a detour for unfounded and unsubstantiated reporting.
So, why are journalists letting ethical and moral considerations become obsolete?
Sanchez and Whiteside acknowledge the increasing pressure on reporters to produce stories people will read, and produce them quickly. That is still not an excuse for false or misleading news.
“For some, it seems that as long as you get a front page story there is little or no regard for the ‘collateral damage’ you will cause,” Sanchez said. “Personal reputations have no value and you report with total impunity and are rarely held accountable for unethical conduct.”
The reckless abandon with which journalists, according to Sanchez, pursue front-page stories is amplified with the technology of the day.
Sanchez recognizes the ability and near-necessity to publish information immediately via the internet, makes complete reporting more difficult than ever. He also sees the standard for journalists slipping in exchange for quick headlines.
“Given the near instantaneous ability to report actions on the ground,” Sanchez said, “the responsibility to accurately and truthfully report takes on an unprecedented importance. The speculative and often uninformed initial reporting that characterizes our media appears to be rapidly becoming the standard of the industry.”
Whiteside also spoke to the capabilities journalists have today. He said a photographer who traveled with his unit would use a satellite phone to upload his pictures from the most rural corners of Iraq. Photos of the day’s events could run in U.S. newspapers by morning.
Whiteside said it was amazing to see the possibilities technology had to offer, but also frightening. He shuttered at the thought of a dead soldier being pictured in a newspaper or on the internet before his family could be notified.
Sanchez also let the audience think about how their stories affect, and potentially compromise,
the military’s goals. “Your assessments become conventional wisdom and nearly impossible to change,” he said.
Despite all of the poor journalism practices, Whiteside said there is one group the reporters have not affected: the soldiers.
Sources:
Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside, guest speaker
Donald Kirk, guest speaker
Gen. Richard Sanchez, http://www.aina.org/news/20071016110235.htm
http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html
Nick Higham, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1654062.stm
Michael Ryan, http://www.aina.org/news/20050829112757.htm
Or so the saying goes.
The age-old excuse for deception and trickery does not apply to journalists. It is the media’s duty to maintain a balanced and unbiased approach to news, even –and perhaps especially –in times of war.
During the current war in Iraq, much has been made of the mainstream media’s preconceived notions and agenda-driven reporting.
Retired Gen. Richard Sanchez spoke to a group of journalists in Oct. 2007, and addressed his concerns regarding media coverage of the war.
“My assessment is that your profession, to some extent, has strayed from (its) ethical standards and allowed external agendas to manipulate what the American public sees on TV, what they read in our newspapers and what they see on the web,” Sanchez said. “For some of you, just like some of our politicians, the truth is of little to no value if it does not fit your own preconceived notions, biases and agendas.”
Sanchez’ point was hammered home the next morning when many media outlets failed to report on that portion of his speech. Rather, they focused on the second half of his lecture –a criticism of the Bush administration’s policy and performance in the Iraq war.
Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside expressed similar apprehensions about journalists embedded with his unit.
“Reporters show up looking for a story,” Whiteside said, “not the one you are offering. If they see it, don’t even stand in their way. Just start damage control.”
Recently, those stories are focusing on unpopular decisions and actions by the military, leading to claims of sensationalism and an anti-war bias. The media takes a lot of blame for hampering the nation’s morale and turning many American’s against the war; ironic, because before the war began, reporters were criticized for being too patriotic.
Journalists are human too. When the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 occurred, every American was affected psychologically, even journalists. However, those personal sentiments sometimes leaked into newspaper stories, radio spots and news broadcasts. The unbalanced stories that hinged on propaganda caught the attention of international media outlets.
Nick Higham wrote for BBC in Nov. 2001: “No conflict since World War II has so engaged the American people, whose horror at the destruction of the Twin Towers and loathing of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden have been assiduously stoked by President Bush's morale-boosting speeches. That makes it difficult for news organisations committed in theory to objective, dispassionate reporting.”
Now, nearly six years after the war began, the media is taking heat for backing off their original position.
Michael Ryan of the Houston Chronicle wrote about the irresponsibility of the media in an Aug. 2005 column: “The news media are failing to acknowledge their own responsibility for the invasion of Iraq, even as they report with glee Cindy Sheehan's antiwar protest outside George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford. Americans are told all about Sheehan's son, Casey, a soldier killed in Iraq, and her call for the president to explain his reasons for invading Iraq and to outline his plan to leave. But the news media ought to explain why they broke their moral covenant with the American people to provide complete, balanced, fair and accurate information about the charge to war.”
Ryan said the media was caught up in the Bush administration’s highly-promoted strategy and propaganda. Some of the nation’s most prominent newspapers, Ryan said, looked back on their coverage and realized where they went wrong.
“The (New York) Times acknowledged that it relied too heavily on self-interested sources who were committed to regime change in Iraq, and that stories about dire claims got prominent display, while follow-up stories did not,” Ryan explained. “Howard Kurtz, who analyzed The Washington Post's coverage, reports that his newspaper seldom published on the front page stories that challenged the Bush administration. The result was coverage that ‘in hindsight looks strikingly one-sided at times'.”
Hindsight, however, did not reach back far enough to stop the unethical practices in Iraq before they started.
The concern of a media bias is not unique to the Iraq war. Donald Kirk, a correspondent in both Vietnam and Korea, said the criticism of the current war pales in comparison to Vietnam, and there is nowhere near the same anti-war passion on the home front.
“Vietnam was a very strange and difficult war to cover,” Kirk said. “The media was never really behind the war. It seemed being critical was almost fashionable.”
Since when is news supposed to be trend-setting?
No part of the pursuit of fair and balanced coverage should make a detour for unfounded and unsubstantiated reporting.
So, why are journalists letting ethical and moral considerations become obsolete?
Sanchez and Whiteside acknowledge the increasing pressure on reporters to produce stories people will read, and produce them quickly. That is still not an excuse for false or misleading news.
“For some, it seems that as long as you get a front page story there is little or no regard for the ‘collateral damage’ you will cause,” Sanchez said. “Personal reputations have no value and you report with total impunity and are rarely held accountable for unethical conduct.”
The reckless abandon with which journalists, according to Sanchez, pursue front-page stories is amplified with the technology of the day.
Sanchez recognizes the ability and near-necessity to publish information immediately via the internet, makes complete reporting more difficult than ever. He also sees the standard for journalists slipping in exchange for quick headlines.
“Given the near instantaneous ability to report actions on the ground,” Sanchez said, “the responsibility to accurately and truthfully report takes on an unprecedented importance. The speculative and often uninformed initial reporting that characterizes our media appears to be rapidly becoming the standard of the industry.”
Whiteside also spoke to the capabilities journalists have today. He said a photographer who traveled with his unit would use a satellite phone to upload his pictures from the most rural corners of Iraq. Photos of the day’s events could run in U.S. newspapers by morning.
Whiteside said it was amazing to see the possibilities technology had to offer, but also frightening. He shuttered at the thought of a dead soldier being pictured in a newspaper or on the internet before his family could be notified.
Sanchez also let the audience think about how their stories affect, and potentially compromise,
the military’s goals. “Your assessments become conventional wisdom and nearly impossible to change,” he said.
Despite all of the poor journalism practices, Whiteside said there is one group the reporters have not affected: the soldiers.
Sources:
Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside, guest speaker
Donald Kirk, guest speaker
Gen. Richard Sanchez, http://www.aina.org/news/20071016110235.htm
http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html
Nick Higham, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1654062.stm
Michael Ryan, http://www.aina.org/news/20050829112757.htm
Time for Change
Kelly Munn and Frank Ordway from The Bellingham Herald have an opinion about the what has happened to the state's education system. They say something, better yet everything needs to change.
Time is now for education reform
KELLY MUNN and FRANK ORDWAY
The Bellingham Herald
Textbooks? Computers? Teachers? Librarians? School counselors? Safety officers? Today's schools should not have to choose between basic needs, yet that is exactly what is happening as school administrators make plans to cut their budgets.
Educators, parents and students across Washington state all have their own personal stories about the challenges facing our public schools. They tell us we need to fix how we pay for education. The education finance system is outdated. It was designed before the invention of the personal computer and by anyone's standards, it's broken. The state with "the paramount duty to make ample provision for the education of all children" does not pay for the full cost of anything, whether it is a teacher, a principal or a utility bill. That's why all the school districts in this region have to run large levies to meet the basic education requirements that the state is not funding.
This year could be a turning point for the future of our state's public schools. Parents who've been involved for years in helping their local schools realize fixing our education system is not just about adequate funding. Besides more money, they want reforms so when our national and state economies recover, we will have a system that works better to increase academic achievement for all of our students.
For the past six weeks, the education community was caught up in a vigorous, and often contentious, debate about two pairs of education reform bills before state lawmakers. Last week, our education leaders in Olympia decided it was best to hit the "reset button" and start over. They have introduced Senate Bill 6048 and House Bill 2261, which declare the Legislature's intent to revise the definition of basic education and develop the plan to fully fund it.
These bills wipe the chalkboard clean. They were intentionally written without specific details because they want our help in developing legislation we can all agree on.
As parents, educators and students, our focus for the next two months should be pressuring the State Legislature to remain committed to fixing our education system. And remember, kids should be our priority. Often, we talk about adult issues in education. The only way we will get improvements in the system is if we talk about how changes will affect kids.
Join us in supporting these changes to get our kids ready life:
Every child should graduate high school ready for college or university, career or technical education, apprenticeship or work. To achieve this for kids, we should redefine basic education to include the Washington State Board of Education's CORE 24 high school graduation requirements. This will ensure kids take more math, science and art classes so they will be ready to pursue their dreams after high school. By including stronger graduation requirements in basic education, the state would be required to pay for a longer school day and other needed investments.
Every child should be able to read by third grade. To achieve this for kids, we should capitalize on studies that show investing in early learning can change the trajectory of a child's life by providing early learning opportunities to better prepare them for kindergarten.
Every child should have an excellent teacher in the classroom. To encourage more people, especially diverse candidates, to consider the teaching profession, we need to invest in more support and mentoring for beginning teachers. We also need a new compensation system for the next generation of teachers based on responsibilities and demonstrated skills in the classroom.
Our educators and school leaders are doing their best with the resources they have been given. As a result, Washington's students are making steady progress: reading and writing WASL scores have improved; and we're outperforming the national average on the SAT, NAEP and AP exams. Just think how many more lives could be turned around if we paired new education money with the kinds of reforms that common sense and research tells us will make the most difference for kids.
We are determined, more than ever, to move education reform forward. But change is difficult and some days it feels like we are pushing a boulder uphill.
We need your help to reach the top of the mountain - join the movement at http://www.educationvoters.org/.
With your help, we'll be able to change the outcome of children's lives across our state by providing the education they deserve to succeed in life.
Time is now for education reform
KELLY MUNN and FRANK ORDWAY
The Bellingham Herald
Textbooks? Computers? Teachers? Librarians? School counselors? Safety officers? Today's schools should not have to choose between basic needs, yet that is exactly what is happening as school administrators make plans to cut their budgets.
Educators, parents and students across Washington state all have their own personal stories about the challenges facing our public schools. They tell us we need to fix how we pay for education. The education finance system is outdated. It was designed before the invention of the personal computer and by anyone's standards, it's broken. The state with "the paramount duty to make ample provision for the education of all children" does not pay for the full cost of anything, whether it is a teacher, a principal or a utility bill. That's why all the school districts in this region have to run large levies to meet the basic education requirements that the state is not funding.
This year could be a turning point for the future of our state's public schools. Parents who've been involved for years in helping their local schools realize fixing our education system is not just about adequate funding. Besides more money, they want reforms so when our national and state economies recover, we will have a system that works better to increase academic achievement for all of our students.
For the past six weeks, the education community was caught up in a vigorous, and often contentious, debate about two pairs of education reform bills before state lawmakers. Last week, our education leaders in Olympia decided it was best to hit the "reset button" and start over. They have introduced Senate Bill 6048 and House Bill 2261, which declare the Legislature's intent to revise the definition of basic education and develop the plan to fully fund it.
These bills wipe the chalkboard clean. They were intentionally written without specific details because they want our help in developing legislation we can all agree on.
As parents, educators and students, our focus for the next two months should be pressuring the State Legislature to remain committed to fixing our education system. And remember, kids should be our priority. Often, we talk about adult issues in education. The only way we will get improvements in the system is if we talk about how changes will affect kids.
Join us in supporting these changes to get our kids ready life:
Every child should graduate high school ready for college or university, career or technical education, apprenticeship or work. To achieve this for kids, we should redefine basic education to include the Washington State Board of Education's CORE 24 high school graduation requirements. This will ensure kids take more math, science and art classes so they will be ready to pursue their dreams after high school. By including stronger graduation requirements in basic education, the state would be required to pay for a longer school day and other needed investments.
Every child should be able to read by third grade. To achieve this for kids, we should capitalize on studies that show investing in early learning can change the trajectory of a child's life by providing early learning opportunities to better prepare them for kindergarten.
Every child should have an excellent teacher in the classroom. To encourage more people, especially diverse candidates, to consider the teaching profession, we need to invest in more support and mentoring for beginning teachers. We also need a new compensation system for the next generation of teachers based on responsibilities and demonstrated skills in the classroom.
Our educators and school leaders are doing their best with the resources they have been given. As a result, Washington's students are making steady progress: reading and writing WASL scores have improved; and we're outperforming the national average on the SAT, NAEP and AP exams. Just think how many more lives could be turned around if we paired new education money with the kinds of reforms that common sense and research tells us will make the most difference for kids.
We are determined, more than ever, to move education reform forward. But change is difficult and some days it feels like we are pushing a boulder uphill.
We need your help to reach the top of the mountain - join the movement at http://www.educationvoters.org/.
With your help, we'll be able to change the outcome of children's lives across our state by providing the education they deserve to succeed in life.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Five Questions for Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside
1. How well do embedded journalists fit in with the units they are following? And what do the one's who mesh well, do differently?
2. Does having embedded journalists make the media's representation of a war more credible?
3. What do you think the role of the media is in a time of war? Strictly factual? Supprotive? Morale-raising?
4. Is there an unwillingness for military members to share information with reporters?
5. What are the biggest flaws of embedded journalists?
2. Does having embedded journalists make the media's representation of a war more credible?
3. What do you think the role of the media is in a time of war? Strictly factual? Supprotive? Morale-raising?
4. Is there an unwillingness for military members to share information with reporters?
5. What are the biggest flaws of embedded journalists?
Program 'Worth Saving' may not be Saving Enough
Just when it looked impossible, paying for college may get harder in the state of Washington.
This Associated Press story from Examiner.com, outlines what is going on with Washington's Guaranteed Education Tuition program.
Washington college tuition plan underfunded
Examiner.com
Olympia, Wash.- Washington's Guaranteed Education Tuition program may become a problem for the state because the stock market plunge has dropped the value of the fund's assets to 89 percent of future liabilities.
GET director Betty Lochner told The Seattle Times the program has enough money to pay all obligations for 15 years, but the state may have to rethink the deal it offers to new participants.
The program, which has been around 11 years and has nearly 100,000 participants, offers parents a chance to buy the cost of college in the future at today's prices.
If tuition rises at the 7 percent annual rate allowed by law, the GET program represents a savings plan with a 7 percent rate of return. Washington universities are seeking authority to increase tuition without legislative approval and are considering much larger increases to offset state budget cuts.
Parents participate in the GET program by buying education units at a rate set annually. They need to buy 100 units to pay for one year of resident undergraduate tuition and state-mandated fees at the most expensive Washington public university, either the University of Washington or Washington State University. It takes fewer units to prepay for less expensive schools and the units may also be used at out-of-state and private universities.
GET units currently cost $76, but they go up every year in May when the GET board resets the price. Lochner said the new price would be at least $7 more a unit, or a total of $700 more per year of college. The extra money is needed to shore up GET's finances and offset tuition increases.
When University of Washington President Mark Emmert was asked by a legislative committee last week about the effect of tuition increases on GET, he said it was a program "worth saving."
"The challenge, of course, is that you can't set a policy that will keep the GET program solvent by making the universities and colleges insolvent," Emmert said.
He said similar programs in other states have needed to change investments, reset base assumptions or change the payout for new entrants.
"Any number of those kinds of scenarios, I think, are going to have to be looked at under almost any model" in GET's future, Emmert said.
The number of participants also has been rising fast and soon will top 100,000. New participants will need to open an account by March 31 to take advantage of current prices, and another price increase could come as soon as September.
This Associated Press story from Examiner.com, outlines what is going on with Washington's Guaranteed Education Tuition program.
Washington college tuition plan underfunded
Examiner.com
Olympia, Wash.- Washington's Guaranteed Education Tuition program may become a problem for the state because the stock market plunge has dropped the value of the fund's assets to 89 percent of future liabilities.
GET director Betty Lochner told The Seattle Times the program has enough money to pay all obligations for 15 years, but the state may have to rethink the deal it offers to new participants.
The program, which has been around 11 years and has nearly 100,000 participants, offers parents a chance to buy the cost of college in the future at today's prices.
If tuition rises at the 7 percent annual rate allowed by law, the GET program represents a savings plan with a 7 percent rate of return. Washington universities are seeking authority to increase tuition without legislative approval and are considering much larger increases to offset state budget cuts.
Parents participate in the GET program by buying education units at a rate set annually. They need to buy 100 units to pay for one year of resident undergraduate tuition and state-mandated fees at the most expensive Washington public university, either the University of Washington or Washington State University. It takes fewer units to prepay for less expensive schools and the units may also be used at out-of-state and private universities.
GET units currently cost $76, but they go up every year in May when the GET board resets the price. Lochner said the new price would be at least $7 more a unit, or a total of $700 more per year of college. The extra money is needed to shore up GET's finances and offset tuition increases.
When University of Washington President Mark Emmert was asked by a legislative committee last week about the effect of tuition increases on GET, he said it was a program "worth saving."
"The challenge, of course, is that you can't set a policy that will keep the GET program solvent by making the universities and colleges insolvent," Emmert said.
He said similar programs in other states have needed to change investments, reset base assumptions or change the payout for new entrants.
"Any number of those kinds of scenarios, I think, are going to have to be looked at under almost any model" in GET's future, Emmert said.
The number of participants also has been rising fast and soon will top 100,000. New participants will need to open an account by March 31 to take advantage of current prices, and another price increase could come as soon as September.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Incentive for on-time graduation more one-sided
Staring into the face of what has been dubbed the worst recession since the Great Depression, Sen. Paull Shin has a plan to ease some of the pains for students and schools.
Shin, a member of the Washington State Senate since 1999, proposed Senate Bill 5174, intended to provide an incentive to students and educators for on-time graduation.
If passed, the bill will give prospective students the option to enter into an agreement with state colleges and universities that would allow the student to pay the same tuition for the duration of their schooling as long as they complete their degree in the timetable agreed upon.
If the student does not complete their degree within the predetermined time, they will have to pay back the difference in tuition increases with interest. There is one exception. The student is off the hook if the school did not fulfill its obligations as an institution of higher learning.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Shin said. “Schools and students could save money.”
He argued schools will be able to save money through efficiency if students are coming and going at a normal pace.
Co-sponsor of the bill, Sen. Jerome Delvin, said the bill would help colleges and universities aside from the financial aspect as well.
“This bill would provide a way to measure the schools’ performances as institutions of higher learning,” Delvin said. “While holding the universities accountable for not performing.”
Not everyone agrees the plan would help the schools.
“I don’t see a lot of benefit for the institutions,” said Jane Sherman, Washington State University vice provost for academic policy and evaluation. “Washington State University has an average graduation time of four and a half years, with the most amount of students graduating in four years as it is.”
Sherman said near-certain budget cuts in the next biennium will make assuring a high performance by colleges and universities close to impossible.
“We expect to be losing some significant numbers of instructors,” Sherman said. “That will make for larger class sizes, fewer sections and some classes just won’t get taught. Students will be slowed to receive degrees because they cannot get into the required classes.”
If bill 5174 passes, many people –including Shin, Delvin and Sherman –think the institution would be held responsible for such shortcomings.
Sherman said the university is already in a bind and 5174 would not help the school to better serve the students. Instead, she said, it would put an increasing amount of pressure on a decreasing number of faculty members.
“Bill 5174 could also be administratively difficult,” Sherman said. “Because students who fail to receive their degrees in the allotted time are forced to pay back the difference plus interest, and I’m not sure the universities have the means to track that money down.”
Earlier this year, Gov. Christine Gregoire suggested a seven percent increase to tuition rates in order to make up some of the expected shortfall in the state’s next budget plan. Shin’s bill would potentially negate the revenue from increased tuition and, without a fiscal note on the bill, there is seemingly no plan to makeup for the shortfall.
Delvin said something would have to be done financially if the state was going to offer students this option.
The option to potentially pay the same tuition for the duration of a college education would be beneficial to students on a number of fronts.
For Shin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in three years, the driving force behind the bill is to give students an incentive to finish school and enter the job market earlier. Based off his own experience, Shin said it is important for young people to emerge themselves in the workplace as soon as possible to give them the best chance for advancing their careers.
Also, colleges will try to maintain a steady enrollment when the economic problems hit hardest, Sherman said. So, if more students are focused on getting in and out of college, there will be openings more frequently. Another way the bill could help potential students.
The financial motivation is another reason the bill would benefit students.
“It is certainly an advantage to students if they can maintain a flat tuition,” Sherman said. “In this economic time it may provide an even greater incentive.”
There are even skeptics who think the bill may not be as great of a relief to students as Shin foresees. Pullman High School’s college counselor, Annie Byers, contends it is not much help to students either.
While Byers said financing education is the most common hurdle for students who cannot go to college, she also said it is not because tuition rises, but simply because they cannot afford it in the first place.
Byers also said most students may not realize that tuition rises while they are in school.
“I don’t think high school students can look far enough ahead to think that this bill would be a good thing,” Byers said.
Sherman applauded Shin’s efforts to provide students with an incentive to take their education seriously, but she also said there may be a more efficient model to achieve the same goals. She suggested a tuition rebate upon graduation, instead of making the university responsible for collecting money from students who did not receive their degrees on time, and finding funding in the meantime.
Follow the bill HERE.
Contacts:
Paull Shin
360-786-7640
Jerome Delvin
360-786-7614
Annie Byers
509-332-1551 Ext. 236
Jane Sherman
360-534-2322
Larry James- Did not quote, but referred me to Sherman
WSU Associate Executive Vice President
509-335-5581
Shin, a member of the Washington State Senate since 1999, proposed Senate Bill 5174, intended to provide an incentive to students and educators for on-time graduation.
If passed, the bill will give prospective students the option to enter into an agreement with state colleges and universities that would allow the student to pay the same tuition for the duration of their schooling as long as they complete their degree in the timetable agreed upon.
If the student does not complete their degree within the predetermined time, they will have to pay back the difference in tuition increases with interest. There is one exception. The student is off the hook if the school did not fulfill its obligations as an institution of higher learning.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Shin said. “Schools and students could save money.”
He argued schools will be able to save money through efficiency if students are coming and going at a normal pace.
Co-sponsor of the bill, Sen. Jerome Delvin, said the bill would help colleges and universities aside from the financial aspect as well.
“This bill would provide a way to measure the schools’ performances as institutions of higher learning,” Delvin said. “While holding the universities accountable for not performing.”
Not everyone agrees the plan would help the schools.
“I don’t see a lot of benefit for the institutions,” said Jane Sherman, Washington State University vice provost for academic policy and evaluation. “Washington State University has an average graduation time of four and a half years, with the most amount of students graduating in four years as it is.”
Sherman said near-certain budget cuts in the next biennium will make assuring a high performance by colleges and universities close to impossible.
“We expect to be losing some significant numbers of instructors,” Sherman said. “That will make for larger class sizes, fewer sections and some classes just won’t get taught. Students will be slowed to receive degrees because they cannot get into the required classes.”
If bill 5174 passes, many people –including Shin, Delvin and Sherman –think the institution would be held responsible for such shortcomings.
Sherman said the university is already in a bind and 5174 would not help the school to better serve the students. Instead, she said, it would put an increasing amount of pressure on a decreasing number of faculty members.
“Bill 5174 could also be administratively difficult,” Sherman said. “Because students who fail to receive their degrees in the allotted time are forced to pay back the difference plus interest, and I’m not sure the universities have the means to track that money down.”
Earlier this year, Gov. Christine Gregoire suggested a seven percent increase to tuition rates in order to make up some of the expected shortfall in the state’s next budget plan. Shin’s bill would potentially negate the revenue from increased tuition and, without a fiscal note on the bill, there is seemingly no plan to makeup for the shortfall.
Delvin said something would have to be done financially if the state was going to offer students this option.
The option to potentially pay the same tuition for the duration of a college education would be beneficial to students on a number of fronts.
For Shin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in three years, the driving force behind the bill is to give students an incentive to finish school and enter the job market earlier. Based off his own experience, Shin said it is important for young people to emerge themselves in the workplace as soon as possible to give them the best chance for advancing their careers.
Also, colleges will try to maintain a steady enrollment when the economic problems hit hardest, Sherman said. So, if more students are focused on getting in and out of college, there will be openings more frequently. Another way the bill could help potential students.
The financial motivation is another reason the bill would benefit students.
“It is certainly an advantage to students if they can maintain a flat tuition,” Sherman said. “In this economic time it may provide an even greater incentive.”
There are even skeptics who think the bill may not be as great of a relief to students as Shin foresees. Pullman High School’s college counselor, Annie Byers, contends it is not much help to students either.
While Byers said financing education is the most common hurdle for students who cannot go to college, she also said it is not because tuition rises, but simply because they cannot afford it in the first place.
Byers also said most students may not realize that tuition rises while they are in school.
“I don’t think high school students can look far enough ahead to think that this bill would be a good thing,” Byers said.
Sherman applauded Shin’s efforts to provide students with an incentive to take their education seriously, but she also said there may be a more efficient model to achieve the same goals. She suggested a tuition rebate upon graduation, instead of making the university responsible for collecting money from students who did not receive their degrees on time, and finding funding in the meantime.
Follow the bill HERE.
Contacts:
Paull Shin
360-786-7640
Jerome Delvin
360-786-7614
Annie Byers
509-332-1551 Ext. 236
Jane Sherman
360-534-2322
Larry James- Did not quote, but referred me to Sherman
WSU Associate Executive Vice President
509-335-5581
Something Refreshing
I know it's not really local, but Boise isn't too far away, and I thought I would mix it up a little bit with a positive news story regarding education.
According to an article published in Monday's The Arbiter (Boise State University's student newspaper), spring enrollment is up at BSU.
Spring enrollment up... again
COLBY STREAM
The Arbiter
Boise State University posted another spring enrollment increase with a head count of 18,963 students, a .5 percent increase more than last spring. Students are also registered for 6,764 more credits than last spring, a 3.4 percent increase.
"Boise State is pleased with this continued growth, which points to the ongoing demand for higher education opportunities in the Treasure Valley," Vice President of Student Affairs Michael Laliberte said in a press release. "It's clear that the current economic climate is driving more students to campuses across the nation, and Boise State is no exception."
Boise State added 124 graduate students this spring, bringing the total to 2,203. However, the university experienced a drop in applied technology enrollment as Boise State prepares for the transfer of the Selland College to the College of Western Idaho this summer. Boise State expects more than 1,000 applied technology students to transfer to CWI this fall.
First-time degree-seeking freshmen and transfer students increased 6.5 percent.
Other points of interest regarding Boise State's spring enrollment include:
• A 9.2 percent increase in the number of international students. Boise State now hosts 358 international students.
• Enrollment in online courses is up by 758 students.
• The number of students at Boise State grew by almost 500 students.
This report comes following the 10th day of classes, on which the state's institutions of higher education are required to report enrollment numbers to the State Board of Education.
Information courtesy the Boise State Communications & Marketing Department.
According to an article published in Monday's The Arbiter (Boise State University's student newspaper), spring enrollment is up at BSU.
Spring enrollment up... again
COLBY STREAM
The Arbiter
Boise State University posted another spring enrollment increase with a head count of 18,963 students, a .5 percent increase more than last spring. Students are also registered for 6,764 more credits than last spring, a 3.4 percent increase.
"Boise State is pleased with this continued growth, which points to the ongoing demand for higher education opportunities in the Treasure Valley," Vice President of Student Affairs Michael Laliberte said in a press release. "It's clear that the current economic climate is driving more students to campuses across the nation, and Boise State is no exception."
Boise State added 124 graduate students this spring, bringing the total to 2,203. However, the university experienced a drop in applied technology enrollment as Boise State prepares for the transfer of the Selland College to the College of Western Idaho this summer. Boise State expects more than 1,000 applied technology students to transfer to CWI this fall.
First-time degree-seeking freshmen and transfer students increased 6.5 percent.
Other points of interest regarding Boise State's spring enrollment include:
• A 9.2 percent increase in the number of international students. Boise State now hosts 358 international students.
• Enrollment in online courses is up by 758 students.
• The number of students at Boise State grew by almost 500 students.
This report comes following the 10th day of classes, on which the state's institutions of higher education are required to report enrollment numbers to the State Board of Education.
Information courtesy the Boise State Communications & Marketing Department.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Now that Hitchens is off his soap box...
I'll be honest, when I heard the name of Christopher Hitchens' book, God is not Great, the Catholic school boy in me came out and I knew I would have some issues with the speech tonight. Then when most of the crowd laughed at the mention of the Axis of Evil -and quite frankly anything to do with George W. Bush -I knew I was in for a long night.
Hitchens began his lecture explaining why President Obama shows great promise for the future. Because he might be a nonbeliever. He used examples from Obama's inaugural speech and the prayer breakfast. In each case, the newly-elected president addressed nonbelievers in a realm that few others before him have. Hitchens argues that Obama's inclusion of these groups offers proof he does not identify with a particular religion. Conversely, I would say the president was merely trying to include as many of his fellow Americans as possible. I do not profess to know the president's values or religious stances, but I do know he is arguably the greatest leader this nation has had in its highest-ranking position since JFK and with that comes the ability to reach all groups of people. What Hitchens looks forward to most with a 'nonbeliever' in office is that "men of God will no longer be called upon in times of crisis." To a believer, though, everyone is a man of God.
The basis of Hitchens' lecture was the importance of a separation between church and state. He had high praise for the United States and its ability to keep the two apart, especially compared to his home country of England. But he kept mentioning all of the people who want to instill religion in schools, making it sound as anyone who didn't advocate that couldn't actually be religious. As happy as I am that I attended a private catholic high school that stressed educating its students about many of the world's religions (as well as atheism and agnosticism), I do not believe it is the responsibility of public schools or other government institutions to do the same. Our reasons for that stance are very different, though. I expected to have differing opinions with Hitchens, but I did not expect him to so blatantly disrespect the religious members of the audience.
I accept that billions of people have different views on religion than me, including fellow Catholics. That is one reason I don't make a fuss about it, I don't promote my religion and my views unless prompted. Hitchens on the other hand came right out and said the teaching of religion is the teaching of superstition and nonsense. He reiterated and condemned the 'cult-like' nature of religion. Ironic, because I felt like I was in the center of his own cultish following.
He made several criticisms about religion that were unsubstantiated because he is not a religious person. The only example I will delve into was when Hitchens mocked the idea of an eternal father. He said if he was told, "You've got to carry on like this forever," he would not be happy. Ask that question to a religious person, more often that not they would want to live forever, but if not it would be because they wish to be in heaven with their loved ones.
Even still, one of his followers approached the microphone during the question-and-answer session and praised him for his optimism. Mercifully, Hitchens set the woman straight and said he was far from an optimist, but his tone suggested he took great pride in his negative attitude toward the world and what it has to offer him. An odd approach from my point of view, but just another example of why I do not think he is fit to be criticising religion.
Finally, my biggest beef with Hitchens was his stance on why people believe, and it is a sentiment I have heard before from doubters. He said believing there is a God who is all-knowing and all-seeing is the easy way out. He said it is easier to just say there is an all-mighty being that created everything than it is to seek out the scientific proof that concludes otherwise. I argue that it is easier to say science explains everything than it is to explain your belief in an unseen being. It takes a person of strong faith to stand by their beliefs when there can be no proof other than the Bible and other literature that so many people, including Hitchens, have written off as, "man-made," and "fabricated."
Hitchens began his lecture explaining why President Obama shows great promise for the future. Because he might be a nonbeliever. He used examples from Obama's inaugural speech and the prayer breakfast. In each case, the newly-elected president addressed nonbelievers in a realm that few others before him have. Hitchens argues that Obama's inclusion of these groups offers proof he does not identify with a particular religion. Conversely, I would say the president was merely trying to include as many of his fellow Americans as possible. I do not profess to know the president's values or religious stances, but I do know he is arguably the greatest leader this nation has had in its highest-ranking position since JFK and with that comes the ability to reach all groups of people. What Hitchens looks forward to most with a 'nonbeliever' in office is that "men of God will no longer be called upon in times of crisis." To a believer, though, everyone is a man of God.
The basis of Hitchens' lecture was the importance of a separation between church and state. He had high praise for the United States and its ability to keep the two apart, especially compared to his home country of England. But he kept mentioning all of the people who want to instill religion in schools, making it sound as anyone who didn't advocate that couldn't actually be religious. As happy as I am that I attended a private catholic high school that stressed educating its students about many of the world's religions (as well as atheism and agnosticism), I do not believe it is the responsibility of public schools or other government institutions to do the same. Our reasons for that stance are very different, though. I expected to have differing opinions with Hitchens, but I did not expect him to so blatantly disrespect the religious members of the audience.
I accept that billions of people have different views on religion than me, including fellow Catholics. That is one reason I don't make a fuss about it, I don't promote my religion and my views unless prompted. Hitchens on the other hand came right out and said the teaching of religion is the teaching of superstition and nonsense. He reiterated and condemned the 'cult-like' nature of religion. Ironic, because I felt like I was in the center of his own cultish following.
He made several criticisms about religion that were unsubstantiated because he is not a religious person. The only example I will delve into was when Hitchens mocked the idea of an eternal father. He said if he was told, "You've got to carry on like this forever," he would not be happy. Ask that question to a religious person, more often that not they would want to live forever, but if not it would be because they wish to be in heaven with their loved ones.
Even still, one of his followers approached the microphone during the question-and-answer session and praised him for his optimism. Mercifully, Hitchens set the woman straight and said he was far from an optimist, but his tone suggested he took great pride in his negative attitude toward the world and what it has to offer him. An odd approach from my point of view, but just another example of why I do not think he is fit to be criticising religion.
Finally, my biggest beef with Hitchens was his stance on why people believe, and it is a sentiment I have heard before from doubters. He said believing there is a God who is all-knowing and all-seeing is the easy way out. He said it is easier to just say there is an all-mighty being that created everything than it is to seek out the scientific proof that concludes otherwise. I argue that it is easier to say science explains everything than it is to explain your belief in an unseen being. It takes a person of strong faith to stand by their beliefs when there can be no proof other than the Bible and other literature that so many people, including Hitchens, have written off as, "man-made," and "fabricated."
Double Whammie
As the saying goes, the poor get poorer.
While nobody is necesarrily getting richer in this economic crunch, today's article from The Daily Evergreen about the education program at Washington State Univerisity is the latest example of an already-struggling sector getting hit even harder.
Budget cuts have forced a lot of downsizing in schools at present, and now appear to be affecting the future of education as well.
College of Education curtails enrollment
DANIELLE HULL
The Daily Evergreen
The elementary education program is feeling the economic toll. Last month, the program cut its enrollment openings in half.
Junior elementary education major Molly Ward was directly affected by the changes when she was denied admission into the program in early January. Ward said her spring semester schedule relied on getting into the program.
“Cuts in this program have not only pushed me behind in school but have caused me to take classes this semester that do not go toward my major,” Ward said. “So now I have to stay longer and pay more money for a fifth year of school. It is already hard to pay for four years, and now it will be even more.”
The elementary education program cut its spring enrollment in half in January, said Christine Sodorff, College of Education director of student services.
“The elementary education undergraduate capacity was 120 students a year, which means 60 students were admitted in the fall and 60 were admitted in the spring,” Sordoff said. “In order to reduce our program because of budget cuts, we cut the spring group to 30 students. The students this January are the first group to be affected by this.”
In recent semesters, the program had fewer than 60 applicants, which allowed all who qualified little or no competition, Sodorff said. However, this semester, 56 students applied for 30 spots, causing more competition.
Problems again arose when 14 students who were admitted in the fall did not start their first session of classes until January. Therefore, 14 of the 30 spots available for new applicants were taken, Sodorff said.
The students were admitted upon a priority-based system, Sodorff said. The applicants were ranked based upon GPA, a timed write and an interview. If applicants had more than three general education requirements to fulfill, they were placed at a lower ranking.
“It is not fair when all these students are qualified and even overqualified for the program,” Ward said. “It shouldn’t be a competitive program when we are in need of teachers. We need people who will be passionate about their jobs, about the kids. It shouldn’t be about the numbers.”
Sodorff said cutting enrollment of the spring semester program would have the smallest effect on the students, as opposed to cutting classes. In recent semesters, the enrollment has not been full.
“We pride ourselves in smaller class sizes, and that was one thing we knew we could not change. To do that, we had to cut down the program,” Sodorff said.
Sophomore elementary education major Eva DiDonato was also denied admission to the program but said she understands that it may be because she has general education requirements to fulfill.
“I wouldn’t have taken the time to apply last semester if I had known they were cutting those out who still had general requirements left to take,” DiDonato said. “I guess I wish they would have told me to expect for the worst, but I didn’t even do that.”
Sodorff said she encouraged those who were not accepted to apply again in February for the fall semester. Students also can work on taking classes for their endorsement or for a minor.
“I am going to reapply for the fall enrollment, but for now I guess I will just get a minor in human development,” Ward said. “I still have a passion for becoming a teacher, and I’m not going to let just this get in my way.”
While nobody is necesarrily getting richer in this economic crunch, today's article from The Daily Evergreen about the education program at Washington State Univerisity is the latest example of an already-struggling sector getting hit even harder.
Budget cuts have forced a lot of downsizing in schools at present, and now appear to be affecting the future of education as well.
College of Education curtails enrollment
DANIELLE HULL
The Daily Evergreen
The elementary education program is feeling the economic toll. Last month, the program cut its enrollment openings in half.
Junior elementary education major Molly Ward was directly affected by the changes when she was denied admission into the program in early January. Ward said her spring semester schedule relied on getting into the program.
“Cuts in this program have not only pushed me behind in school but have caused me to take classes this semester that do not go toward my major,” Ward said. “So now I have to stay longer and pay more money for a fifth year of school. It is already hard to pay for four years, and now it will be even more.”
The elementary education program cut its spring enrollment in half in January, said Christine Sodorff, College of Education director of student services.
“The elementary education undergraduate capacity was 120 students a year, which means 60 students were admitted in the fall and 60 were admitted in the spring,” Sordoff said. “In order to reduce our program because of budget cuts, we cut the spring group to 30 students. The students this January are the first group to be affected by this.”
In recent semesters, the program had fewer than 60 applicants, which allowed all who qualified little or no competition, Sodorff said. However, this semester, 56 students applied for 30 spots, causing more competition.
Problems again arose when 14 students who were admitted in the fall did not start their first session of classes until January. Therefore, 14 of the 30 spots available for new applicants were taken, Sodorff said.
The students were admitted upon a priority-based system, Sodorff said. The applicants were ranked based upon GPA, a timed write and an interview. If applicants had more than three general education requirements to fulfill, they were placed at a lower ranking.
“It is not fair when all these students are qualified and even overqualified for the program,” Ward said. “It shouldn’t be a competitive program when we are in need of teachers. We need people who will be passionate about their jobs, about the kids. It shouldn’t be about the numbers.”
Sodorff said cutting enrollment of the spring semester program would have the smallest effect on the students, as opposed to cutting classes. In recent semesters, the enrollment has not been full.
“We pride ourselves in smaller class sizes, and that was one thing we knew we could not change. To do that, we had to cut down the program,” Sodorff said.
Sophomore elementary education major Eva DiDonato was also denied admission to the program but said she understands that it may be because she has general education requirements to fulfill.
“I wouldn’t have taken the time to apply last semester if I had known they were cutting those out who still had general requirements left to take,” DiDonato said. “I guess I wish they would have told me to expect for the worst, but I didn’t even do that.”
Sodorff said she encouraged those who were not accepted to apply again in February for the fall semester. Students also can work on taking classes for their endorsement or for a minor.
“I am going to reapply for the fall enrollment, but for now I guess I will just get a minor in human development,” Ward said. “I still have a passion for becoming a teacher, and I’m not going to let just this get in my way.”
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Away With WASL
A lot has been made in recent years of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and whether or not it is effective.
Newly elected Washington State schools Superintendent Randy Dorn promised reform to the standardized test during his campaign. Last month he vowed to phase out the test by 2010, however he and Gov. Chris Gregoire agree that a standardized test needs to be required for graduation from high school. Read an article from The Columbian about the new tests he envisions.
Dorn's sentiment for a change to the standardized testing system has been echoed by other politicians. The most recent proponent is chairwoman of the state Senate education committee, Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe. Read what she had to say about the need for the state to support students in this Wednesday Seattle P.I. article.
Newly elected Washington State schools Superintendent Randy Dorn promised reform to the standardized test during his campaign. Last month he vowed to phase out the test by 2010, however he and Gov. Chris Gregoire agree that a standardized test needs to be required for graduation from high school. Read an article from The Columbian about the new tests he envisions.
Dorn's sentiment for a change to the standardized testing system has been echoed by other politicians. The most recent proponent is chairwoman of the state Senate education committee, Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe. Read what she had to say about the need for the state to support students in this Wednesday Seattle P.I. article.
'College is simultaneously being perceived as more essential than ever, but also less available than ever'
A survey done last year regarding the perceptions of higher education in the United States was released recently. All told, there is widespread concern about the divide that may be created due to the economic nightmare that will make a college degree more about wealth and less about intelligence and hard work.
A Newsday article by Karla Schuster explains the results.
Survey: College seen as essential but costs prohibitive
KARLA SCHUSTER
Newsday
More than half of Americans believe that it's impossible to succeed without a college education, but an even larger number say that rising college costs are shutting out many students, a national survey has found.
As the nation's economic crisis deepened last year, frustration over tuition costs went up, with 67 percent of adults saying that many qualified students don't have the chance to attend college, according to the survey called "Squeeze Play 2009" that gauges public perceptions about higher education.
By comparison, 62 percent of adults felt that way in 2007, and just 57 percent did in 2003, according to the survey by the nonpartisan, nonprofit groups Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
"College is simultaneously being perceived as more essential than ever, but also less available than ever," said John Immerwahr, a researcher at Public Agenda, which conducted a telephone survey of 1,009 adults nationwide over five days in December.
Read the rest of Schuster's story HERE.
A Newsday article by Karla Schuster explains the results.
Survey: College seen as essential but costs prohibitive
KARLA SCHUSTER
Newsday
More than half of Americans believe that it's impossible to succeed without a college education, but an even larger number say that rising college costs are shutting out many students, a national survey has found.
As the nation's economic crisis deepened last year, frustration over tuition costs went up, with 67 percent of adults saying that many qualified students don't have the chance to attend college, according to the survey called "Squeeze Play 2009" that gauges public perceptions about higher education.
By comparison, 62 percent of adults felt that way in 2007, and just 57 percent did in 2003, according to the survey by the nonpartisan, nonprofit groups Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
"College is simultaneously being perceived as more essential than ever, but also less available than ever," said John Immerwahr, a researcher at Public Agenda, which conducted a telephone survey of 1,009 adults nationwide over five days in December.
Read the rest of Schuster's story HERE.
Legislative Story
Washington State University officials have kicked around a lot of potential solutions for the anticipated monumental budget cuts. One idea, though not popular with administration or students, is a hike in tuition.
A proposed bill in the state legislation would essentially let new college students opt out of the tuition increases.
Senate Bill 5174 has an underlying goal of, "Providing an incentive to improve on-time graduation rates at institutions of higher education."
If passed, the bill will give prospective students the option to enter an agreement with a public college that would allow the student to pay the same tuition for the duration of their schooling as long as they complete their degree in the timetable agreed upon.
Here is the bill summary: "Students who enter into student progression understandings pay the same operating fees as they did for their initial term. If a student does not obtain the certificate or degree in the time established in the understanding, the student must pay the difference in
operating fee increases, with interest. If the failure to obtain the certificate or degree is due
to the institution's failure to perform under the understanding, the student does not have to
pay the difference."
I would look to contact one or more of the 10 senators on the bill, an admissions officer at WSU and a college counselor at Pullman High as well as some students.
A proposed bill in the state legislation would essentially let new college students opt out of the tuition increases.
Senate Bill 5174 has an underlying goal of, "Providing an incentive to improve on-time graduation rates at institutions of higher education."
If passed, the bill will give prospective students the option to enter an agreement with a public college that would allow the student to pay the same tuition for the duration of their schooling as long as they complete their degree in the timetable agreed upon.
Here is the bill summary: "Students who enter into student progression understandings pay the same operating fees as they did for their initial term. If a student does not obtain the certificate or degree in the time established in the understanding, the student must pay the difference in
operating fee increases, with interest. If the failure to obtain the certificate or degree is due
to the institution's failure to perform under the understanding, the student does not have to
pay the difference."
I would look to contact one or more of the 10 senators on the bill, an admissions officer at WSU and a college counselor at Pullman High as well as some students.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Every Week is a Three-Day Weekend
That is what five Yakima Valley lawmakers have proposed to Washington state legislators.
As a way to cut costs, some rural districts are kicking around the idea of having four-day school weeks. While students may be drooling over the idea, not everybody thinks it's a good solution.
It would not be the first time a state took such seemingly drastic measures. In fact, New Mexico was way ahead of the curve as it experimented with shorter school weeks during the energy crisis of the 1970s
Read the full story from the Seattle P-I.
Four-day school week proposed
P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
OLYMPIA -- Schools could go to a four-day week, under bills proposed by five Yakima Valley lawmakers.
The legislation would allow districts to apply to the State Board of Education to waive the 180-day school-year requirement, as long as the district's students still received the required 1,000 hours of annual instruction.
The bills' sponsors, Sens. Jim Honeyford and Curtis King and Reps. Dan Newhouse, Bruce Chandler and Geoff Simpson, say the goal is to help districts save money on utilities, transportation, maintenance and food.
Switching to four-day weeks would be voluntary under Senate Bill 5112 and House Bill 1292, and districts could choose which day of the week they closed.
The idea "is an interesting proposal," said Seattle Public Schools spokesman David Tucker Tuesday. "We'll evaluate it."
The shorter school weeks would have benefits like fewer long commutes for students in rural districts, or longer class periods for science labs or complex lessons. School days would be longer, to compensate for a shorter school year.
A shorter school week also might have some unintended effects though, according to a House bill analysis.
For example, a longer school day could be difficult for younger students or problematic when scheduling extracurricular activities. Parents would have to arrange an extra day of child care during the work week.
About 100 mostly small, rural school districts in 17 states have adopted a shortened school week, according to a House bill analysis. New Mexico was the first to try four-day school weeks, as a way to save time and money during the 1970s energy crisis, the analysis notes.
Tucker said district officials hope the Legislature will implement the recommendations of the Basic Education Task Force, which called for extra instructional time for students, particularly those who are struggling.
As a way to cut costs, some rural districts are kicking around the idea of having four-day school weeks. While students may be drooling over the idea, not everybody thinks it's a good solution.
It would not be the first time a state took such seemingly drastic measures. In fact, New Mexico was way ahead of the curve as it experimented with shorter school weeks during the energy crisis of the 1970s
Read the full story from the Seattle P-I.
Four-day school week proposed
P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
OLYMPIA -- Schools could go to a four-day week, under bills proposed by five Yakima Valley lawmakers.
The legislation would allow districts to apply to the State Board of Education to waive the 180-day school-year requirement, as long as the district's students still received the required 1,000 hours of annual instruction.
The bills' sponsors, Sens. Jim Honeyford and Curtis King and Reps. Dan Newhouse, Bruce Chandler and Geoff Simpson, say the goal is to help districts save money on utilities, transportation, maintenance and food.
Switching to four-day weeks would be voluntary under Senate Bill 5112 and House Bill 1292, and districts could choose which day of the week they closed.
The idea "is an interesting proposal," said Seattle Public Schools spokesman David Tucker Tuesday. "We'll evaluate it."
The shorter school weeks would have benefits like fewer long commutes for students in rural districts, or longer class periods for science labs or complex lessons. School days would be longer, to compensate for a shorter school year.
A shorter school week also might have some unintended effects though, according to a House bill analysis.
For example, a longer school day could be difficult for younger students or problematic when scheduling extracurricular activities. Parents would have to arrange an extra day of child care during the work week.
About 100 mostly small, rural school districts in 17 states have adopted a shortened school week, according to a House bill analysis. New Mexico was the first to try four-day school weeks, as a way to save time and money during the 1970s energy crisis, the analysis notes.
Tucker said district officials hope the Legislature will implement the recommendations of the Basic Education Task Force, which called for extra instructional time for students, particularly those who are struggling.
Five Questions for Andrew Schneider
1. Is the situation at the Seattle P-I a sign of things to come in major metropolitan areas? Or an extreme example?
2. How long did you spend researching and interviewing before writing and publishing the Libby series?
3. Looking back on your works, even though they are held in high regard and some even considered the best in their class, do you wish you would have done anything differently? If so what? (Any specific holes, places you may have overstepped moral/ethical boundaries, etc.)
4. What positives are you able to pull from a situation like the one in Libby? You reported on some very inhumane and unjust circumstances, but what was the good in the story for you that made you want to keep pursuing it?
5. What are the most important steps an aspiring journalist can take to be successful once they get into the workplace?
2. How long did you spend researching and interviewing before writing and publishing the Libby series?
3. Looking back on your works, even though they are held in high regard and some even considered the best in their class, do you wish you would have done anything differently? If so what? (Any specific holes, places you may have overstepped moral/ethical boundaries, etc.)
4. What positives are you able to pull from a situation like the one in Libby? You reported on some very inhumane and unjust circumstances, but what was the good in the story for you that made you want to keep pursuing it?
5. What are the most important steps an aspiring journalist can take to be successful once they get into the workplace?
Federal Government to Step up Education Funding
According to an article in The New York Times, Congress was scheduled to vote on a proposed economic stimulus plan Wednesday that would more than double the Department of Education's budget.
The plan would funnel $150 billion into school districts and universities across the country. It would also be the largest increase in federal spending on education since soon after World War II.
The money would be dispersed to states and districts based on greatest need. No matter where it goes, though, it is going to help alleviate some of the largest budget deficits in U.S. history.
“This is going to avert literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday.
With some of the money tagged for school renovations and construction, it would be the first time federal government entered those realms that have been left to state and local governments. Not everybody is happy with the potential long-term changes this stimulus package would incur.
Representative Howard P. McKeon, Republican of California and the ranking minority member of the House education committee, said, “By putting the federal government in the business of building schools, Democrats may be irrevocably changing the federal government’s role in education in this country.”
There are also some who believe the proposal does not do enough for the future or to solve the root of the problem.
“It’s like an alcoholic at the end of the night when the bars close, and the solution is to open the bar for another hour,” said Frederick Hess, an education policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
Please read more in the New York Times article by Sam Dillon.
The plan would funnel $150 billion into school districts and universities across the country. It would also be the largest increase in federal spending on education since soon after World War II.
The money would be dispersed to states and districts based on greatest need. No matter where it goes, though, it is going to help alleviate some of the largest budget deficits in U.S. history.
“This is going to avert literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday.
With some of the money tagged for school renovations and construction, it would be the first time federal government entered those realms that have been left to state and local governments. Not everybody is happy with the potential long-term changes this stimulus package would incur.
Representative Howard P. McKeon, Republican of California and the ranking minority member of the House education committee, said, “By putting the federal government in the business of building schools, Democrats may be irrevocably changing the federal government’s role in education in this country.”
There are also some who believe the proposal does not do enough for the future or to solve the root of the problem.
“It’s like an alcoholic at the end of the night when the bars close, and the solution is to open the bar for another hour,” said Frederick Hess, an education policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
Please read more in the New York Times article by Sam Dillon.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Budget Committee Meeting
Floyd Promises not to Squeeze Students
MICHAEL WALSH
The chairs of Washington State University’s Budget Committee, President Elson S. Floyd and Provost Warwick M. Bayly, hosted a public question-and-answer forum Tuesday evening, regarding the University’s budget at the CUB Auditorium. About 100 people attended the second of two meetings, the first being earlier in the afternoon.
The committee was formed in response to Gov. Christine Gregoire’s request for the university to give back more than $10 million from the last biennial budget and her proposed budget for the coming biennium which includes a $31 million reduction for WSU.
“I am determined that we will come out of this fiscal crisis stronger than we went into it,” Floyd said. “We will come out of it much more focused about our direction, much more focused about our goals and much more focused about our priorities.”
While the president exuded confidence about the state of the university, most of the audience was more concerned about what is going to be done in the meantime and how the institution will make it to the future, much less a stronger future.
First and foremost, Floyd made clear that the $10 million shortfall in the current budget has already been made up for. Then the attention turned to questions and suggestions about how the university can further trim spending to meet the expected new budget cuts. The president said nothing is off the table, but noted one potential solution that would not be exploited if at all possible.
“We cannot and we will not balance our budget on the backs of our students through the payment of excessive tuition and fees to our institution,” Floyd said. “It is unfair to do that.”
The president has guided the university through a number of changes to reduce spending in many different areas. He said 41 percent of the reductions to date have come from the administrative level and more cuts could still await that area.
Floyd spoke of one ongoing process that will help determine where spending can be reduced. He asked all academic and administrative units to compile budget scenarios totaling 12 percent less than their current budgets. The committee will gather these proposals by the middle part of February and try to determine which budgets can be cut and where money can be saved while sacrificing the least from the university’s three main missions; to enhance research enterprise, increase graduate education and maintain quality undergraduate instruction.
The committee is focused on resolving the financial crisis, while not directly harming the students, Bayly said.
Audience members seemed disgruntled at the notion that the education would not be compromised. The prevailing thought was, even if the students are not directly affected –as in personally carrying the burden of a struggling economy with higher tuition and fees –there would be a major indirect impact on them due to a decreased quality of education.
Elizabeth A. Siler, an instructor in the English department, commended the president for his devotion to not hiking up rates to students, but said there is a potential downstream effect that is being ignored. Siler said one of the money-saving ideas within her department is to cut back on the use of paper and move to a more web-based learning environment. Ultimately, though, those ideas will cost students money because they will become responsible for printing and a personal computer would practically become a requirement.
That is why, Floyd responded, each department will submit a proposal. When the committee reviews them, they will take into account each suggestion and discount those which could lead the university down an unwanted path, Floyd said. Even if that means some budgets go untouched.
“I am not a fan of across-the-board reductions,” Floyd said. “The only thing that does is to promote mediocrity in our university.”
Part of achieving the long-term savings plan may, Floyd and Bayly said, may include spending money now to save it in the future, especially if the university moves to strictly electronic modes of communication. Floyd said if WSU stops using paper for internal communication, there would be a need for kiosks or computers around campus. Another example was to install timers in classrooms that shut the lights off after a certain amount of time.
No matter how much money can be saved by cutting salaries, saving energy or using fewer resources, there will still be changes to the educational structure at WSU.
“You will see, ultimately, fewer majors,” Floyd said. “We are already seeing fewer course offerings, and we will see larger sections than before. Those are three manifestations of what will undoubtedly occur.”
The biennial budget is currently before the Washington State Legislature which went into session Jan. 12, and is expected to be finalized by March or April. To stay updated on the happenings with the WSU Budget Committee, visit its website at http://budget-committee.wsu.edu/index.html.
MICHAEL WALSH
The chairs of Washington State University’s Budget Committee, President Elson S. Floyd and Provost Warwick M. Bayly, hosted a public question-and-answer forum Tuesday evening, regarding the University’s budget at the CUB Auditorium. About 100 people attended the second of two meetings, the first being earlier in the afternoon.
The committee was formed in response to Gov. Christine Gregoire’s request for the university to give back more than $10 million from the last biennial budget and her proposed budget for the coming biennium which includes a $31 million reduction for WSU.
“I am determined that we will come out of this fiscal crisis stronger than we went into it,” Floyd said. “We will come out of it much more focused about our direction, much more focused about our goals and much more focused about our priorities.”
While the president exuded confidence about the state of the university, most of the audience was more concerned about what is going to be done in the meantime and how the institution will make it to the future, much less a stronger future.
First and foremost, Floyd made clear that the $10 million shortfall in the current budget has already been made up for. Then the attention turned to questions and suggestions about how the university can further trim spending to meet the expected new budget cuts. The president said nothing is off the table, but noted one potential solution that would not be exploited if at all possible.
“We cannot and we will not balance our budget on the backs of our students through the payment of excessive tuition and fees to our institution,” Floyd said. “It is unfair to do that.”
The president has guided the university through a number of changes to reduce spending in many different areas. He said 41 percent of the reductions to date have come from the administrative level and more cuts could still await that area.
Floyd spoke of one ongoing process that will help determine where spending can be reduced. He asked all academic and administrative units to compile budget scenarios totaling 12 percent less than their current budgets. The committee will gather these proposals by the middle part of February and try to determine which budgets can be cut and where money can be saved while sacrificing the least from the university’s three main missions; to enhance research enterprise, increase graduate education and maintain quality undergraduate instruction.
The committee is focused on resolving the financial crisis, while not directly harming the students, Bayly said.
Audience members seemed disgruntled at the notion that the education would not be compromised. The prevailing thought was, even if the students are not directly affected –as in personally carrying the burden of a struggling economy with higher tuition and fees –there would be a major indirect impact on them due to a decreased quality of education.
Elizabeth A. Siler, an instructor in the English department, commended the president for his devotion to not hiking up rates to students, but said there is a potential downstream effect that is being ignored. Siler said one of the money-saving ideas within her department is to cut back on the use of paper and move to a more web-based learning environment. Ultimately, though, those ideas will cost students money because they will become responsible for printing and a personal computer would practically become a requirement.
That is why, Floyd responded, each department will submit a proposal. When the committee reviews them, they will take into account each suggestion and discount those which could lead the university down an unwanted path, Floyd said. Even if that means some budgets go untouched.
“I am not a fan of across-the-board reductions,” Floyd said. “The only thing that does is to promote mediocrity in our university.”
Part of achieving the long-term savings plan may, Floyd and Bayly said, may include spending money now to save it in the future, especially if the university moves to strictly electronic modes of communication. Floyd said if WSU stops using paper for internal communication, there would be a need for kiosks or computers around campus. Another example was to install timers in classrooms that shut the lights off after a certain amount of time.
No matter how much money can be saved by cutting salaries, saving energy or using fewer resources, there will still be changes to the educational structure at WSU.
“You will see, ultimately, fewer majors,” Floyd said. “We are already seeing fewer course offerings, and we will see larger sections than before. Those are three manifestations of what will undoubtedly occur.”
The biennial budget is currently before the Washington State Legislature which went into session Jan. 12, and is expected to be finalized by March or April. To stay updated on the happenings with the WSU Budget Committee, visit its website at http://budget-committee.wsu.edu/index.html.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Robbing the Future
An area that is just beginning to see the ill-effects of budget cuts is scholarship funding. A recent Wall Street Journal article examines the inevitable decline –and potential evaporation –of merit-based scholarships in a number of states. The state of Washington does not have a blanket merit-aid scholarship system, but Washington State University offers a scholarship similar to the ones discussed in the article, called the University Achievement Award. I received this award, which takes into account high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores, upon enrolling at WSU for the fall of 2006. Despite tuition rising, the scholarship, which used to be worth up to $5,000, has declined in value.
This trend is the exact opposite of what the country needs, according to an article in the San Jose Mercury News by Ted Mitchell and Jonathan Schorr. Mitchell is the president of the California Board of Education and the two are partners at NewSchools Venture Fund in San Francisco. The article compares our current recession to the Great Depression and urges our new leaders to review how investing in education allowed us to climb back to prominence. "With resources drained by economic crisis and war, one might imagine we don't have the luxury of making education a high priority right now. In fact, now is exactly the time," Mitchell and Schorr argued.
This trend is the exact opposite of what the country needs, according to an article in the San Jose Mercury News by Ted Mitchell and Jonathan Schorr. Mitchell is the president of the California Board of Education and the two are partners at NewSchools Venture Fund in San Francisco. The article compares our current recession to the Great Depression and urges our new leaders to review how investing in education allowed us to climb back to prominence. "With resources drained by economic crisis and war, one might imagine we don't have the luxury of making education a high priority right now. In fact, now is exactly the time," Mitchell and Schorr argued.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
University of Washington Halts Spring Start
Jan. 16, 2009
No new students at UW in Seattle this spring
NICK PERRY
Seattle Times
The University of Washington has taken the drastic step of closing its doors to new students who want to start classes this spring.
The move, which applies only at the main Seattle campus, comes in response to budget cuts and overenrollment — both driven by an ailing economy. One group of students who won't be affected: athletes.
UW Admissions Director Philip Ballinger said he plans to send out about 325 letters next week to students who would have been accepted for the spring quarter under normal circumstances. Those letters will explain that they won't be admitted at this time.
The students essentially will be given three options: to keep their applications on ice for consideration in the fall; to attend the Bothell or Tacoma branch campuses, which are still accepting spring students; or to apply for a refund of their $55 application fee.
Continued
No new students at UW in Seattle this spring
NICK PERRY
Seattle Times
The University of Washington has taken the drastic step of closing its doors to new students who want to start classes this spring.
The move, which applies only at the main Seattle campus, comes in response to budget cuts and overenrollment — both driven by an ailing economy. One group of students who won't be affected: athletes.
UW Admissions Director Philip Ballinger said he plans to send out about 325 letters next week to students who would have been accepted for the spring quarter under normal circumstances. Those letters will explain that they won't be admitted at this time.
The students essentially will be given three options: to keep their applications on ice for consideration in the fall; to attend the Bothell or Tacoma branch campuses, which are still accepting spring students; or to apply for a refund of their $55 application fee.
Continued
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Colleges Continue to Lose
Private universities across the country are not only losing income (tuition), but are recently losing money that was already in their pockets. As TIME Magazine's Kathleen Kingsbury and Laura Fitzpatrick explain, the failing stock market taking a toll on more than just private investors. Some colleges are getting hit harder than others, but everyone is trying to figure out the best way to manage the mess, including some creative ideas.
Read Colleges Learn to Navigate the Credit Crunch.
Read Colleges Learn to Navigate the Credit Crunch.
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