johnobrien.org
under constructionCollege Costs
Two interesting articles on the cost of a college education take a different approach from what we are reading most these days.
The first article in the New York Times, “There is No College Cost Crisis” by Stanley Fish, is pretty self explanatory, and “College Costs, the Sequel” drills down into the argument further. Note the chart comparing higher education and dental inflation over the years.
Guest Column: NHCC Faculty at White House Summit
October’s monthly column for the SUN newspapers on faculty member Dr. Eugenia Paulus’s participation in the White House Summit on Community Colleges: Final SUN Column 102810
NHCC Faculty to Attend White House Summit
Brooklyn Park, MN – North Hennepin Community College Chemistry Faculty, Dr. Eugenia Paulus has been invited by Dr. Jill Biden to the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges on October 5 in Washington, DC. Dr. Paulus is one of only 100 community college faculty, administrators and students from across the country asked to attend. Full press release here
Guest Column: Focusing on Finishing
September’s monthly column for the SUN newspapers on the national drive and local efforts to improve student completion: Final SUN Column 090910
University of Minnesota Completion Efforts
Minnesota Public Radio – September 15, 2010, Tim Post. Minnesota’s colleges are trying new strategies to convince students to earn their bachelor’s degrees in four years — a schedule that could save them, and their parents, thousands of dollars in tuition and expenses. Fewer than half of Minnesota’s college students earn their degrees in that time and many take five of six years — if they don’t drop out. The University of Minnesota is considering a plan that could mean higher tuition for students who have the credits to graduate, but don’t seem ready leave campus. For freshmen at the university’s Twin Cities campus, the expectation to graduate in four years is less than subtle. Full audio article at http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/09/15/university-four-year-graduation/
Student Loan Debt Exceeds Credit Card Debt in USA
Facebook, Friends, and College Retention
Very small study and sample size, I must say, but something to explore further. Excerpt: ”A recently published study in the JOURNAL OF COLLEGE STUDENT RETENTION finds that frequent Facebookers are actually more likely to return to their initial college after their freshman year. It’s the latest in a series of studies exploring possible links between Facebook and academics…those who were more active on the social network were likelier to return for their sophomore year. On average, returning sophomores had 27 more friends and 59 more wall posts than did students who didn’t return.” Full article at http://chronicle.com/blogPost/The-Latest-Stay-in-School-Tool/26705/.
Art Faculty Exhibition at NHCC
An exhibition of art by the Art Faculty at North Hennepin Community College will be on view in the Joseph Gazzuolo Fine Arts Gallery at NHCC from September 13th through October 8th. An open house/ reception will take place at the gallery from 10am to 2pm simultaneous with Student Success Day on September 14th. This year’s exhibition features the elegant figurative work of Michelle Ranta, the newest addition to the NHCC Art Faculty who begins her second year of teaching. The exhibition will also include the artwork of: Will Agar, Daniel Bagaus, Jane Bassuk, Sara Commers, Greg Dickerson, Glenn Grafelman, Lance Kiland, Dan Mason, Jerry Mathiason, and Chris Zerendow. The NHCC Joseph Gazzuolo Fine Arts Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm, or by appointment by calling 763-424-0779. North Hennepin Community College is located at 7411 85th Avenue N. in Brooklyn Park, MN. Originally posted at http://www.examiner.com/arts-education-in-minneapolis/area-colleges-prepare-for-fall-art-exhibitions.
MN Community Colleges Recognized Among Top 50 in US
A national publication has ranked six two-year colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system among the top 50 community colleges in the country. These rankings are based on the results of Community College Survey of Student Engagement and graduation rate information. Though any rankings of this kind are going to present an incomplete picture of any individual college, what a great picture of higher education in Minnesota! Dane Smith, commenting on this fine showing put it well: “with less than 2 percent of the nation’s population, Minnesota has 14 percent of its very best two-year colleges.” More information at http://www.mnscu.edu/media/newsreleases/current/article.php5?id=170.
NHCC Featured on Channel 12
Channel 12′s “New School Year, New President” feature on August 25. Video at http://nwtv12.img.entriq.net/htm/nwtv12flashplayer.htm?articleID=7641.
