UB Buzz

Giving Thanks - Part II

Who says students must go home to enjoy a turkey with all the trimmings? At Delaware Valley College, a pre-Thanksgiving tradition gives them the chance to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday at their home away from home. President Joseph S. Brosnan carves the turkey and faculty and staff serve the meal, according to Director of Communications Sean Dallas.

Many DelVal students actually wind up staying on campus during the holidays. As one of the few private colleges in the nation with a heavy emphasis on agriculture, there are more than 250 farm animals on campus that need care year-round. The college has approximately 2,000 students.

In addition to having the chance to share in that meal, six Food Science students at DelVal got in the Thanksgiving spirit by sharing what they've learned in class on the CBS3 Morning News on Tuesday, November 25. The segment, which also included food science professor Anabelle Morales and food science department chair Bob Pierson, featured examples of how to prepare a delicious, safe, and homemade holiday meal for Thanksgiving. (Need some last-minute tips yourself? The show, and its recipes, can be viewed online by clicking here.)

Giving Thanks - Part I

As most college students are heading home for Thanksgiving break, a group at Wheaton College (Mass.) completed one assignment just before leaving--they organized a fund-raising drive for Norton's neediest.
Students in the Anthropology 210 class, "Feast or Famine: The Ecology and Politics of Food," collected over $700 in one week to cover the costs of Thanksgiving food baskets for the Cupboard of Kindness, a Norton, Mass. food pantry.
During a class visit, Valerie Goddard, director of the pantry, talked to the students about those in the community who receive assistance from the pantry and explained cash and food donations had decreased substantially due to the economic downturn. This year, there were no funds left to supply Thanksgiving dinners to local residents.
So the students took action. With help from departmental staff ranging from the Provost's office to the Office of Service, Spirituality and Social Responsibility, envelopes for cash contributions were placed around campus. Students also sought donations by soliciting at residence halls and campus events. Aramark employees at Wheaton also got involved by collecting more than 100 non-perishable food items at the college's annual faculty/staff Thanksgiving luncheon.
Students enrolled in "Feast or Famine" are required to participate in a number of service-learning projects throughout the semester including volunteering and running food drives for the pantry, (as pictured above left) as part of the course's service learning component, explained Donna O. Kerner, a professor of anthropology.
The recipients of this course requirement are thankful for their efforts, no doubt. The college is a major supporter of the pantry.

Taking Pay Cuts

The presidents of two Washington state institutions have taken a second look at their salaries and decided to forgo part of their pay, as their universities, like many across the country, are facing serious financial crunches due to budget cuts.
This past Thursday, University of Washington President Mark Emmert turned down a pay raise during a monthly meeting with the university's board of regents. In the Puget Sound Business Journal, Emmert was quoted as saying, "Right now, this is not a moment to be worried about my compensation."
Today, Washington State University president Elson Floyd requested a voluntary $100,000 pay cut, also in response to budget problems. His salary will be reduced from $725,000 to $625,000 on Jan. 1.
Top administrators at other higher ed institutions also have taken a similar lead. Presidents at three Florida universities recently turned down extra pay. Washington University (Mo.) Chancellor Mark Wrighton announced Wednesday in an e-mail he will take a 5 percent salary cut.

Making Friends in Oregon

Two college presidents increased their wardrobes while making the academic lives of technically minded students in Portland, Oregon,  a little easier.
Chris Maples (left), president of Oregon Institute of Technology, exchanged school-logo shirts with Preston Pulliams, Portland Community College president, after signing a dual enrollment agreement. (photo courtesy of PCC.)
According to the press release about the event:

"The agreement will make it possible for students to be co-enrolled in both schools, improve success and retention, increase enrollment and the number of graduations, use resources of both institutions more effectively, and expand options and access for students. In addition, PCC already has dual enrollment agreements with Portland State University, Oregon State University, Concordia University, Western Governors University, Marylhurst University and Linfield College."

To read about efforts to improve the transfer process at other higher education institutions, read "Targeting Transfers" the Community College column in the November issue of UB.

Group Urges Paulson to Hold Off on Bailout Funds

AACRAO, NACAC, and other student interest groups are speaking out against a plan by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to use funds from the $700 billion financial bailout package approved by Congress in September to shore up the private student loan sector.
"Most students don’t use these student loans to pay for college, they are more risky and expensive than federal loans, and they already enjoy special treatment in bankruptcy at the expense of borrowers," writes Edie Irons of The Project on Student Debt. "Instead of helping lenders continue making these dangerous loans, we are urging Paulson to use taxpayer dollars in ways that better serve students and consumers."
Signers include the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Consumers Union, The Project on Student Debt, National Association for College Admission Counseling, and United States Students Association and others.
Read the letter here.

Donation Turns a Page for 2 Universities

Development directors often work to build strong relations with potential donors and try to motivate alumni of various generations to give back financially to their alma mater. However, there are occasions when a major gift can result from an unexpected source.
News broke today about such a donation. The estate of the late Jane Iris Crutchfield, a retired librarian and school teacher who passed away two years ago, will give more than $2 million to be split between two universities she attended. The amount of $1.1 million will go to both the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.

Wire stories report Crutchfield had tucked away much of her money throughout her life.
Crutchfield received her master's degree at U.Va. in 1952 and the equivalent of a master's degree at UNC in 1955. Her gift to UNC will go to a scholarship fund that benefits students admitted to one of the school's master's degree programs. In Virginia, the bulk of the donation will be used to complete Bavaro Hall, a new multipurpose center, and for student financial aid and faculty support.
The September edition of University Business featured "Development Directors Speak Out," a Q & A with four development directors (with one of them employed at UNC) giving their thoughts on topics such as landing a major gift and hiring and retaining the right employees. Read it here.

California Wildfires 2008 Aftermath, Part II

Administrators at Coastline Community College in Orange County, Calif., know that just because your campus isn't affected directly by a natural disaster doesn't mean your constituents don't need help. That's why the institution's bookstore is offering free replacement copies of textbooks that were damaged in the recent wildfires for Coastline students currently enrolled in the fall semester.

The gesture won't likely be too expensive for the The Coastline Foundation Executive Board, which is covering the costs. So far one student, whose apartment was destroyed, asked for assistance with her books, and Director of Public Relations Michelle Ma says that a few more calls are expected once word gets out.

But the cost isn't so much the point, as is the fact that Coastline officials decided to do what they could to help ensure affected students can avoid disrupting their studies -- offering a blessing in a time of chaos.

Students will be asked to show proof of residency at a fire-affected site such as a driver’s license with current address, a rental agreement, or a utility statement that will be compared to a list of damaged or lost properties for verification.

There have been no reports of staff or faculty whose homes sustained damage from the fires, adds Ma, but some did have to evacuate their homes.

California Wildfires 2008 Aftermath, Part I

Westmont College a private, Christian college in Santa Barbara, was in the path of the Tea Fire. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Brooks Institute and UC Santa Barbara are also in the area, but no information about the wildfires is posted on their websites.
According to the Westmont website, campus leaders were able to quickly activate their existing crisis response plan, safely evacuating the community to the on campus gym on November 13. Since local roads could be closed because of the fire, it is safer to keep the students on campus where they can be protected.
Although the people were protected, the college lost eight buildings on campus (three of which were scheduled for demolition) and 14 faculty homes. The institution is developing plans to assist faculty and staff with insurance claims and finding temporary housing.
Looking on the bright side, the website points out:

“About 140 prospective students arrived on campus Thursday for Preview Days to visit Westmont, attend classes and stay overnight in the residence halls. These guests joined the Westmont students in evacuating to the gym and witnessed first-hand how Westmont handles a crisis.”

Talk about a “teachable moment.”
These wildfires, as well as the floods in Iowa over the summer, are also a good opportunity to remind students to secure renters insurance for their dorm room possessions.

White Lights, Green Lights

 In an effort to comply with state mandates to save energy, the folks at University of North Carolina at Wilmington replaced a number of high-pressure sodium light fixtures with lower-energy-consuming LED models. The mandates require a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption by 2010 and a 30 percent reduction by 2015 based on 2003-04 figures. The new lights are expected to save between 50 to 80 percent over the old fixtures.
Beacon Products supplied the institution with fixtures in keeping with the building architecture on campus. Although the fixtures also comply with International Dark Sky Association guideline for preservation of the nighttime environment, the LED light is whiter than the old sodium bulbs, which enhances campus safety.
Don't be concerned that all these "green" efforts will be undermined by a bunch of perfectly good bulbs going to the landfill.
"The bulbs will be used in other fixtures on campus," facilities manager Steve Pickard explained via e-mail. "We still have quite a few 100-Watt high-pressure sodium fixtures [on campus]."

Yes, I'll Hold

If you call the Sports Information department at the University of Florida, don't dismay if you are put on hold. Instead of being subjected to elevator music, you'll get to hear sports announcers calling scoring plays. In fact, the stress comes from worrying whether the receptionist will come back on the line before the touchdown actually happens.
It's a unique way to keep the caller engaged and highlight the success of the sports teams.
How does your institution use these moments of "down time" to get the message out?