HBCU to Abandon Open Admissions

Texas Southern University, an HBCU that has struggled with deferred maintenance issues, extremely high student attrition, and a former President who apparently misused funds, has a new President and appears to be heading in a somewhat new direction.  TSU, long an open admissions institution, will now institute standards which will make it a (minimally) selective institution.

According to Diverse, “TSU leaves the ranks of a handful of historically Black colleges and universities that continue to operate under open admissions policies, including Wiley College, Bluefield State College, Southern Arkansas Baptist College, University of the District of Columbia and Edward Waters College.”

 

Double Depositing; How low will you go?

OK, making a final college selection can be tough.  I’ll grant you that.  And, sometimes people will postpone difficult decisions…it’s classical avoidance behavior.

So, what can you do if you are faced with the decision of choosing between two or more colleges you really like?  The simple answer is, be the responsible adult you claim to be and make a decision.

Here’s what you don’t do…you don’t send enrollment deposits to more than one college.  It’s dishonest.  And, it’s not a victimless “crime”.   Here’s why. 

Every student who sends enrollment deposits to more than one college is reserving a place that is then not available to a student who may really want it, a student who may have to attend a college he/she does not like as much as a result.  

And, when a student sends in a deposit, many colleges “lock up” financial aid for him/her, aid which may not be freed up in time to be given to other students who need it. 

Then, there is the issue of housing.  A double deposited student often has a housing reservation, resulting in one fewer place in a residence hall for a student who needs it.

Any student who submits deposits to more than one college or university is hurting others.  There is no justification, and no other reasonable way to look at it.

College Still Admitting Students

If, for any reason, you are still looking for a college or university in which to enroll in the fall, you probably have more options than you think.  Beginning on May 6th,  you can go to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors website and find a list of colleges and universities with fall openings for freshmen and/or transfer students.   You can also find out which colleges and universities have space available in their residence halls, and which are still awarding financial aid.

Of course, not all colleges with openings will be listed on the NACAC site, so don’t assume that colleges not on the list are filled.  In fact, you have nothing to lose by contacting individual colleges to see if they might still consider your application.   Remember  that you can find college and university  telephone numbers  on the  Colleges, Scholarships, and  Online Degrees website.

Oklahoma…Not OK

Not to be outdone by the morons in the Utah and Arizona legislatures, State Representative Jason Murphey has introduced a bill which would make it legal for some folks to carry guns on Oklahoma’s college and university campuses. And, the Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved the bill by a vote of nearly 2 to 1. Some in the Sooner State, it seems, would sooner have weapons in classrooms than not. Who elected these morons? What can be done?

Everyone who works at a college or university in Oklahoma and everyone who attends one should immediately email the Governor and State Senators demanding that the bill be defeated. And, they should work to defeat Murphey and those who helped him pass the bill in the House. In addition, students at Oklahoma colleges, universities and colleges in Utah, and Arizona colleges and universities, should consider having a one day “strike”during which they hold demonstrations at the offices of the politicians who have been responsible for supporting legislation allowing firearms on campuses. And, their friends and family members should join them.

Our bet is that college and university Presidents and faculty will not only support such a “strike”,  but that they will address and/or join the student demonstrators. It would be irresponsible of them not to.

Can For- Profit Colleges be Trusted?

Can for-profit colleges be trusted? Do they care about quality education or is profit their only concern? Are schools and colleges which are publicly held under so much pressure to drive up earnings and stock prices that they are willing to admit any prospective students who apply for admission?

Three past employees of Kaplan College have accused their former employers of offering admissions personnel illegal incentives to enroll students and of pressuring faculty to give students inflated grades in order to retain them. Kaplan has denied the allegations, and labeled the three…two of whom were fired…as disgruntled. Whether these particular allegations are truthful or not…that will be decide by the courts… there have been similar accusations, many upheld, against a number of for- profit schools and colleges.

The truth is, the for- profit education industry has been extremely profitable. The Kaplan schools and colleges, in addition to the tuition students pay out of pocket, receive approximately $500 million a year in federal financial aid dollars. The University of Phoenix, American International University, Keller Graduate School, and others also take in significant federal funds. There is nothing wrong with that, per se. Many students have attended these institutions, and others like them, and have been very satisfied.

However, it is extremely important that the appropriate government agencies carefully monitor all institutions which receive federal financial aid dollars to be certain that:

1. they offer sound educational programs.

2. they admit only students prepared to benefit from the programs they offer.

3. they hold faculty and students to appropriate academic standards.

To do otherwise is unfair to both students and taxpayers.

Is the Answer to Campus Violence More Guns?

I don’t claim to have the answer to campus violence, but I do know one thing.  It is an important enough issue to merit the attention of our best minds.

Instead, folks like Arizona Senator Karen Johnson are stepping forward with their proposed solutions.   Johnson is not one of our best minds.  Don’t expect to find her shooting rockets into space during her spare time.  But, you might find her shooting, because she carries a gun.  That’s her right, I guess, but it makes me think we need to administer IQ tests to folks who wish to walk among us with weapons.  If we did, Johnson might not have her gun.

And, if Arizona legislators had to achieve minimal IQ scores, perhaps Johnson’s recent guns-on-campus bill would never have gotten out of committee.  But, it did.  Four Republicans voted “yes”, three Democrats voted “no”.  If the bill becomes law, everyone with a permit could carry a gun on any college campus in Arizona.

That, Johnson and others believe, will make our campuses safer.  Could anyone make this up?

As you might expect, the police chiefs on the three Arizona public university campuses oppose Johnson’s bill.

By the way, Johnson’s original bill would have allowed weapons in public schools as well.  According to The Arizona Republic, Johnson is not fully satisfied with her now modified bill because she thinks, “our kindergarteners are still sitting there as sitting ducks”.

The Vice President of the Arizona Defense League, another person not destined for a career at NASA, is quoted by The Arizona Republic as saying, “By limiting the bill to colleges and universities, it says that school-age children aren’t as valuable as college students”.

I hope everyone reading this who has a friend or family member on a college campus anywhere will email the Arizona governor and urge her to veto Senate Bill 1214 if it survives the legislative process.

Then, you might contact the governor of Utah, a state that already has the kind of law being proposed in Arizona.

The only ones who will benefit from more guns on campus are the online colleges and the weapons manufacturers.

Maybe, as some believe, educational communities are a microcosm of society, and everything that occurs off campus will inevitably occur on-campus.  Maybe the problem of campus violence is more complicated.

New Page Lists & Links to Historically Black Colleges

The Colleges, Scholarships, and Online Degrees website has just added a page which lists and links to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  Anybody want to guess which state has the most HBCU’s?

It’s North Carolina, with 11.  Want to know which 3 states are tied for 2nd place with 8 HBCU’s?  Visit the new page and see for yourself.

The Fisk Univiersity Court Case; More Important than You Might Think

Fisk University, like many other Historically Black Colleges and Universities, has had significant financial problems for nearly a half century. There are many factors (and at least a few individuals) to blame. If you are interested in learning more about Fisk and its economic history, a simple search will yield a wealth of well-researched articles. There is no need to repeat their conclusions here.

Instead, we will spend a few moments considering Fisk’s plan to sell donated art, an upcoming court case related to that plan, and the possible repercussions.

Fisk’s current financial crisis is real…there is no argument about that. Now millions of dollars in debt, the University is having to struggle to try to provide a high quality education to its students. And, because of those struggles, Fisk is in imminent danger of being stripped of its accreditation. Without accreditation, Fisk is almost certainly finished. In fact, barring a quick change of economic fortune, Fisk’s future is at great risk even if it manages to retain its accreditation.

As you would expect, Fisk’s administrators and trustees are determined to save it. I hope they can. Everyone will be better off if Fisk and institutions like it continue to educate our citizens.

However, if the courts allow Fisk to finance its survival by selling art donated to it for exhibition, it will set a precedent that may greatly limit the ability of colleges, universities and other institutions to generate gifts and gift income. Donors give colleges all kinds of gifts; money, securities, land, yachts, computer equipment, laboratory equipment, solar powered cars, and art, to name a few. The ideal gift, from the viewpoint of a college or university, is a so-called unrestrictive gift…a gift the institution can use as it wishes.

But, many gifts are restricted. Money may be donated to help construct or restore a particular building, create a specific program of study, endow a scholarship for students majoring in chemistry, or enhance a university’s athletic program. The art that Fisk now wishes to sell was donated so that Fisk could exhibit it…so it could be enjoyed by students, faculty, and visitors. So it could enhance Fisk’s prestige.

It was not donated to be sold to pay down Fisk’s debt or finance its operating expenses.

Thus, if the courts allow Fisk to sell the art in question despite its now deceased donor’s intention, it would suggest that donor agreements can be breached if the receiving institution decides its perceived needs mean more than its promise to a donor.  And that could trigger a major decline in giving to colleges, universities, museums, and other institutions that, just like Fisk, deserve and require donor support.

Indiana University, You’re Embarassing Us

First Indiana University had Bob Knight. He verbally abused and intimidated players, threw chairs, and bullied students and staff members. But, while he was winning, his actions were tolerated, even encouraged. Not much was said about what kind of role model the aforementioned behaviors made him. Winning was enough. Win basketball games at IU and you can pretty much do as you choose…that seemed to be the message. Still, Knight finally did wear out his welcome, perhaps because his increasingly hard to ignore abuses coincided with the diminished success of his teams. So, he was banished to Texas, where he quit in the midst of the season to pass the baton to his son, Pat. Against whom did Pat Knight compete for the job? Nobody, actually, but we’re not talking about why Texas Tech should be embarassed today. Maybe we’ll get back to that on another day.

After Knight’s departure from the Hoosiers, Mike Davis, a Knight assistant who apparently did not have King Bob’s blessing, was handed the reins at Indiana. Davis recruited pretty well…maybe very well. But, there was debate about his overall ability as a coach, he won fewer games than the fans thought he should, and he left, under fire, for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an institution with far lower basketball expectations.

Along came Kelvin Sampson, fresh from Oklahoma, where he won more than his share of games against tough opponents. Nobody expressed doubt about his coaching ability. There was, however, one problem. Sampson had committed numerous NCAA rules violations while at Oklahoma.

Whatever Knight’s sins…whatever Davis’ coaching shortcomings…most knowledgeable observers believe they ran clean programs. And, preserving the “cleanliness” of the program, we are told, is a high priority at Indiana. Many defenders of IU point to the fact that part of Sampson’s compensation was contingent upon keeping his nose clean. That, they say, is proof that the integrity of the basketball program is priority #1. But, is that proof of the University’s commitment to integrity or evidence that the responsible administrators knew they were taking a chance hiring Sampson? That they were willing to gamble to get a high profile coach…a proven winner?

Surely the University President and Athletic Director knew that Ohio State University had to pay their basketball coach a huge sum despite proof that he violated NCAA rules by providing an illegal benefit…money…to a player. Why did the coach in question win a suit requiring Ohio University to fully pay him for the full term of his contract after discharging him for what was…well…blatant cheating? Because, the presiding judge ruled, the coach’s contract protected him, even in light of his undeniably offense.

Why then, didn’t Indiana University structure Sampson’s contract so that he could be immediately dismissed, without further compensation, for violating serious NCAA regulations? The only logical answer is that they wanted Sampson so badly that they did not insist on such a clause. Integrity…that would be nice…but winning is what’s really important, right? So, what happened?

Sampson violated the same rules he ignored while at Oklahoma. He then, according to the NCAA, misled them and the University. Despite his repeated rules violations and dishonesty, Indiana University is paying him $750,000 in exchange for his promise not to sue them for wrongful termination. It’s a good bet that’s clearly stated in a legally binding document. Anybody know how many professors you can hire, how many computers you can buy or how many volumes you can add to the IU library for $750, 000? The fact that $500,000 of the $750,000 was donated is not relevant…it could have been better spent. Hell, I challenge you to find a worse way to spend it. HDTV’s in student housing would have been better use of the money.

The Indiana University Athletic Director should be fired immediately. Even if they have to buy him out too.

It is not Monday morning quarterbacking to hold somebody accountable for a predictable series of events from which he did not protect the University. Perhaps the University President should contribute some portion of his salary to Sampson’s buy out for allowing the hire without an ironclad “you cheat, you’re gone” provision.

It has been reported that some members of the basketball team threatened to discontinue playing after Sampson’s forced departure. Can anyone remember such threats from athletes whose coaches were fired for losing? Did John Brady’s players make such threats when LSU fired him recently (not even allowing him to finish the season) because he wasn’t winning? Only Bruce Pearl, the University of Tennessee coach, raised his voice in defense of Brady. Good values, folks, mean more than Nikes or Reeboks on sale.

There are lots of dedicated educators out there, including coaches, who work hard, play by the rules, have real values, and try to pass those values on to students. There are schools, colleges and universities in which education and integrity mean more than post season tournament appearances. Indiana University, you’re embarassing us.

Shakeup in For-Profit Education?

The most recent Sunday edition of The New York Times carried an interesting article written by Gretchen Morgenson entitled “The Insiders Are Selling, But Why”, about the fact that 13 Apollo Group insiders have recently sold 1.6 million shares of stock. In addition, the Apollo Group, which owns the University of Phoenix, did no share repurchasing during the most recent quarter, in contrast with extensive repurchasing in the past. Apollo stock, Morgenson tells us, is down 14% from it’s peak, while Career Education Corporation and the Corinthian Colleges…two other major players in for-profit education, have seen their stock prices fall by 31% and 50% respectively.

It has since been announced that the Career Education Corporation will close several of its schools and colleges after allowing currently enrolled students to complete the programs in which they are now enrolled. McIntosh College in Dover, New Hapshire, founded in 1896, is among the institutions scheduled to close. Lehigh Valley College, and Gibbs schools and colleges in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are also scheduled to cease operating.

For many reasons, including significant enrollment growth, Apollo seems to be in better shape than most of its competitors. But, with recent changes and heightened government and consumer interest in the student lending industry, the nation’s current economic woes, the financial pressures being felt by lenders, and the number of high risk loans awarded to students at proprietary institutions, life in the for-profit education world may become more difficult for the schools, for investors, and for students.

Typically, for-profit schools offer limited scholarships. And, such schools attract a fair number of low income students who require financial aid to continue their education. Thus, if loans become more difficult or costly to obtain, it may well be proprietary schools and the students they serve who will be impacted most dramatically.

Nobody is predicting the demise of for-profit education. In fact, recent events may make some stocks in the sector a good value. But, when the insiders of the most successful corporation in the sector sell off massive holdings for relatively small profit and a major player closes long established schools after failing to find buyers for them, many questions arise.

Among those questions; is a major shakeup coming in the for-profit education sector? Will we see more closings (and perhaps displaced students)? Will there be mergers or will the larger chains acquire smaller chains and/or independents? Will the small independent hair dressing schools, massage schools, and business training schools be able to survive? Will more students turn to community colleges? If so, will 25% go on to four-year colleges as they do now?

Will students, who now find online degree programs increasingly attractive, turn to online colleges in even greater numbers?

It will be very interesting and very telling to watch the trends in the fairly immediate future (perhaps 12 months) and in the next few years.