I’ve got 5 current events articles here that I think are pretty interesting. I included the link and a few paragraphs of each story to give you a little preview.
First up, I thought this story was good considering we just went through the “branding” exercise at orientation.
American U. Students Question 'Wonk' as Their Brand American University unveiled a new branding campaign this week -- around the word "wonk" -- and not all students are thrilled. A website explains the idea behind the campaign, noting that the letters in "know" can be rearranged to create the word "wonk" and that a wonk is an "intellectually curious person; expert in a field" or a "knowledgeable Washington insider" or "someone focused on an issue and passionate about creating meaningful change," all definitions that suggest a new one, "American University person in the know." A video on the website also features students, alumni and American university officials talking about longstanding frustrations that the university hasn't been sufficiently branded for its strengths and associations with Washington. Students and others quoted in an article in The Eagle, the student newspaper, weren't entirely sold on the concept. While some noted the positive associations with policy experts, many others posted comments about the nerdish associations with the word, or noted that outside of Washington, many would not want to be called a wonk or even know what it means. The first comment: "Wonk sounds like a sexual term. Example: I just got sexiled because my roommate and her boyfriend are in the room wonking. ...exactly."
Second…this list comes out every year and has some good info on the students who are going through undergrad right now (especially the first year students).
What Your Frosh Don't Know August 17, 2010
One ritual of the start of the academic year is the release of Beloit College's annual "mindset list," which aims to help professors understand what their new freshmen experienced (and didn't) growing up. While some items on the list are, of course, related to technology, many reflect the cultural and political world views of today's 18-year-olds. The list was created by Tom McBride, the Keefer Professor of the Humanities at Beloit, and Ron Nief, the former public affairs director. This year's list reflects a world in which students need not wear watches, China has always been an economic threat and Sam Walton, Bert Parks and Tony Perkins have always been dead.
Third article – I thought this tied in well with what we started talking about in Ecology and our reading for that class. It’s about navigating a university website.
No Laughing Matter August 4, 2010
Historically, cartoons are not a significant driver of communications and marketing strategy in higher education. But one cartoon -- by Randall Munroe, whose popular Web comic is known as xkcd -- has resonated so strongly in higher ed circles that it has some marketing officials taking a hard look at what experts still believe to be their strongest marketing asset: the institutional website’s home page. The cartoon shows a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles -- one labeled “Things On The Front Page Of a University Website,” and the other labeled “Things People Go To The Site Looking For.”
Fourth- with so many of our cohort in Financial Aid I thought it would be good to see what you all think of this.
April 26, 2010 Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates
By Ashley Marchand Many students graduate with manageable debt or no education loans, but almost 17 percent of graduates in 2008 borrowed $30,500 or more to get their bachelor's degrees, according to a new analysis. A report released today by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, also said that students who borrow the most are disproportionately black, and are more likely to have attended a private nonprofit or for-profit college than a public four-year college. But debt levels did not necessarily reflect family income.
Fifth article – also has some good ties to ecology and I thought our housing GAs would like this one!
August 26, 2010, 11:00 AM ET Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall
By Lawrence Biemiller Buchanan Hall was only 20 years old in 1976, when I moved in as a Franklin & Marshall College freshman, but already it left a lot to be desired. Like its twin, Marshall Hall, Buchanan was a three-story shoebox of a dorm, with 20 double rooms per floor and cinderblock walls that echoed with the music pounding out of our giant stereo speakers. The showers were communal, but that was about it for social space, except for an underused lounge outside of what had once been a dining hall connecting Buchanan and Marshall. Buchanan's red-brick exterior had one horizontal band of limestone trim and a couple of vertical stripes, but architecturally it was about as exciting as wax paper. A decade or so ago, both Buchanan and Marshall got partial makeovers—new windows, air conditioning, renovated bathrooms—but more recently they've gotten new missions as well: They now make up two-thirds of Brooks College House, one of the four houses to which F&M students are assigned (think Gryffindor, Slytherin, &c.—that's invariably how F&M students explain the house system). Earlier this year Buchanan and Marshall got a major addition in the form of a new, $2.5-million common area for Brooks students: a living room with a fireplace, a seminar room, and a large multipurpose space, all of them in bold. glassly blocks that pop out from the front of the old dining hall area into the college's main residential quadrangle.
This is fantastic... I like how you found 5 different articles for people to review. I think everyone should find something interesting to comment about. Good job providing the links and detail.
I look forward to reading what your classmates have to say!
The first article that really caught my attention was the comic strip about university websites. Having just gone through the application process for graduate school, it really resonated with me. I cannot tell you how many times in the past I have visited a college or university website and have been immediately turned off because of how difficult it was to find the information I was looking for. The exact opposite has, of course, been true as well. With the current economy, I would venture to say that many high school students may be deciding which colleges they would like to apply to based only on the school's website and other internet based resources, as opposed to visiting the campus in person. With that in mind, a school's website could significantly impact the population of students they are drawing to their school which has a whole slew of implications that comes along with it. Therefore, it is extremely important for school's to have websites that cater to prospective students.
I also understand the flip side, which was mentioned in the article. The creators of these websites really don't have funding to do the research to find out what students are looking for. Plus, they are not only trying to please prospective students, but current students, faculty, staff, and various other users as well. It's never an easy task to try and please multiple groups of individuals. I feel this is a topic that an increasing number of individuals will become interested in as schools continue to add more and more to their websites as technology continues to grow and becomes an ever more integral aspect of society.
I love the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know." I was surprised to see this list comes out every year, but I think it is vital for everyone who works with undergraduate students to know their knowledge base. Even though a good chunk of the article is related to technology (which is to be expected) it still gives good insight of everything related to the Millennial generation.
When I worked for TKE Professional Staff, a lot of our focus was on the millennial generation and the different things they bring to the table. For the most part Millennials love to work in teams. They are also considered the trophy generation; if you participate in a sport or competitions win/lose you receive a trophy just because you participated. This generation needs specific instruction of what to do in the workplace (when something needs to be completed etc.). Despite their need for deadlines, they are excellent in terms of taking on numerous projects at once.
I don’t want to stray too far from the original article, but I thought I’d give something to chew on. Keep in mind if you were born after 1977, you are in fact part of the Millennial generation. :)
The first article that really caught my attention was "No Laughing Matter" regarding the comic strip about college websites. Having just gone through the application process for graduate school, this topic really resonated with me. I can't tell you how many times I have visited a college or university website and have been immediately turned off because I find it difficult to navigate my way through all of the information to find what I need. The exact opposite, of course, has been true as well in some cases. I would venture to say that in the current economy there are probably many students whose only information about a school is coming from the college website and other web based resources. Many families cannot afford to drive their son or daughter around the country to visit every school they are interested in. I wonder how many students have made a decision about a college based simply on the school's website. This could have a significant impact on the population of students schools are drawing. As such, it is imperative that a university's website is user friendly and contains easily accessible information for prospective students.
I understand the flip side as well though, which is mentioned in the article. The individuals responsible for these sites do not have the funding to find out what it really is individuals are looking for when they visit these sites. In addition, these sites are obviously not intended for prospective students only. There are current students, faculty, staff, and other individuals to consider. I've never built a university website before, but I would imagine that it takes a great deal of forethought and planning. It's not easy to plan ahead to please so many groups of individuals with varying needs and interests.
I think this topic will become an ever increasing discussion as technology becomes more and more inextricably ingrained in our lives. Thoughts?
Alyssa, These articles are great!While reading "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates" I couldnt help but wonder if the economic stand point at that time was also taken in to account. If I'm not mistaken, didnt the year of 2008 mark the start( or at least the people began to feel the effects at this time) of the reccesion? In that case, there may have been an increase in loan debt all together. Just my thoughts.
Wow, that list of Freshman facts was hilarious.......and a bit sad. Nirvana as an oldie group? Haha. I definitely think the list is a great idea to give faculty and staff an idea of how new students understand things.
While with USF admissions I really enjoyed guiding students and parents through the application process but there were a lot of students who expected more hand holding from staff. Part of working with undergraduate students is helping them ease into a new environment while still allowing them to gain independence. I agree with Justin on millenials requiring specific instruction in order to succeed. When approached with specifics regarding deadlines, ACT/SAT testing dates, grade trends, transcript submission info etc. these students thrived.
Also, I am more than proud to see USF branding everything with Unforgetta-BULL or Unstoppa-BULL! We could be using Wonk-a-Bull :)
I enjoyed the "What Your Frosh Don't Know" article because of its technological details, especially the point about students NOT checking or returning email because it is too slow or "snail mail".
This article served many purposes for me, especially working with nearly all the first year students that come through orientation every year. The email point was rather funny because unless it is a text message, facebook or twitter update, students do not get the memo. I have tried sending out emails to get our orientation team leaders attention to help with projects that needed to be completed. About 4 of the 48 responded. Because of my horrible response numbers, I asked an OTL to text the group with the updates I needed them all to know. Within 2 minutes nearly all of the OTL's responded and had made plans to come see me. The overwhelming rate at which students text, tweet, and facebook is crazy! I will admit, texting is always the easiest and most convenient way to get a hold of me too :) Even though it is such an informal and personal way to communicate with students, it has the highest success rate of getting messages across.
It is just a very interesting point that I see on a daily basis, anyone else feel like you are falling behind with technology already???
Takiyah...thats a great observation about the recession and I think you're right. I do think it's interesting that the debt levels didn't necessarily reflect family income.
Aaron...I'm pretty sure those parents are considered Helicopter or Lawnmower parents. haha. Have dealt with my fair share of those. Some are a force to be reckoned with and some are just a little over protective. :)
Good chat yall. "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates" is an interesting article but I’m not necessarily shocked by the findings. The discussion is intriguing though. I fall into the category of a Black middle class student. My mother has a MSW and has been laid off for 2 years and my father is Corrections Officer, so I was offered low interest loans. Low interests or not, a loan is a loan. Now I am an independent but I can recall many of my friends being independent during undergrad who come from low income families and they received grants/scholarships. Since the recession their financial aid rewards have been cut drastically, causing them to take out loans. I think there are other things that really need to be considered when disucssing this: financial literacy, family dynamic, and how long students are in school to finish their degrees. The article discusses different institution types which of course influences how much a student will have to borrow. Not to mention whether or not the school is in state or out of state. I went to a small in state Public Liberal Arts school and my sister went to Auburn then transferred to a Historically Black college, which was also out of state. If we all do the math she's going to have double the debt that I will and that's just because she went out of state. I think the debt levels don't reflect family income because when you fill out a FASFA form you can't tell the federal government your life story. For example, you can live in a household with both parents but that doesn't mean both parents provide for you and it surely doesn't mean your parents don't have other financial responsibilities ie. other children from a previous marriage, etc. Something else to consider is has a parent ever filed for bankruptcy? I'm not sure how long that stays on an individual credit reports, but does it increase interest rates on loans?
I found the article concerning University websites to be very interesting. I believe the reason University website are difficult to navigate is because students are not designing the website, it is faculty and staff who decide what is available and what is not. A faculty or staff member making the student website does not have the same eyes as a student looking for a campus map or rec center hours.
Alyssa, I think these articles are great. They were very interesting. The one that caught my attention immediately was "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall". I found this article to be extremely interesting because residence halls are the first place that first years step foot their first day of college. This is where they are going to live for at least a year and where some of their most important relationships will form. Therefore, they need to feel comfortable, safe, and need to feel a sense of community. Some residence halls, especially at older universities, are old and don’t give that "homey" vibe, but when they are renovated a lot of things can change. For example, the residence hall where I was an RA at last year was newly renovated two years ago. Before they renovated the building there wasn't a common lounge where students could all come together. After they added a beautiful lounge downstairs, the residents were always in there playing pool, watching tv, studying, or just hanging out. We also had many programs in there. It created a wonderful sense of community for the entire building.
Also, I agree with Andrea about the article "No Laughing Matter". I think it is difficult for out of state students and international students for that matter, to visit the college of their choice and they base most of their decision through the information they find on the school's website. Scott, I agree with you 100%!
The Beloit article was really funny. I liked the part that says "Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive". I remember when my family bought our first computer, we had to use floppy discs to save documents. I don't think a lot of the first year students have even seen a floppy disc!!
The last few paragraphs of the article, "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates" made me think about how much education students receive on financial responsibility before entering college and how much they get once classes start. During USF undergraduate and transfer orientations, both students and parents have information sessions on financial aid. Freshmen students also have a short financial aid “class” or tutorial through blackboard. What programs do other schools have in place to educate students on the impacts of taking out loans? I’d also like to know how effective the orientation sessions are and what the financial aid class on blackboard entails.
The first article about American University Wonks made me appreciate USF’s branding. The word ‘wonk’ is an awkward, unpleasant sounding word and doesn’t make a good impression if you don’t know the AU definition. It will take a lot of work and student support to make this branding campaign succeed.
All the articles were very interesting, but a couple of them really stood out to me. The first article I enjoyed reading was the “What Your Frosh Don’t Know” article. The “mindset list” was very funny and actually pretty accurate too. The two different comments about the nation never approving of Congress and people always blaming any problem today on the economy are very true. I feel like all I ever hear about anymore are complaints about politicians and how the United States is never going to recover from the economic turmoil we are in now. However, on a lighter note, I thought that the few remarks that the list included about TV were spot on. For example, the statement that says, “having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine” is hilarious because I know we all have sat in front of our TV’s with the guide on and have said to ourselves “man there is nothing on,” when there is clearly hundreds of different shows to watch. The second article that I could really relate to was “Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall.” I related to this article because my first year in college I lived in a Freshmen Residence Hall right next to the gym because I was a student athlete. It was an extremely old building with communal bathrooms and showers. Basically, it was the worst hall on campus and needed to be renovated very badly. The college decided to renovate the hall the year after I moved out. This was a great idea because the college realized that with the renovation there were a lot less freshmen dropping out of school after their first year and much more of them coming back the next year.
Lindsay, you are correct. "Wonk" is an awkward word. I couldn't help thinking that with 2 years of research and thought into a brand for American University, someone didn't think about what "wonk" sounds like before applying the school brand to it. Aaron was saying how proud he is USF is brand-a-BULL. "Bulls" make sense to students, there is an easily defined idea and well liked meaning to the word before you market the brand with the name. Students easily jump onto the BULL-wagon and have that school pride from the first week. It's catchy, easily identifiable, and clearly makes a connection to USF. American University has all the right ideas for their brand and what that brand stands for but I think it could be much more successful with a different word choice. It makes me think of how the sale of Nova cars in spanish markets didn't do well because although Nova sounds like a nice name for a car in english, the spanish translation is "it doesn't go".
"No Laughing Matter" resonates with me this week. For my GA at the Transitional Advising Center, I have been researching the code of conduct for many different colleges and universities to see if a disorderly conduct rule applies only in a classroom setting or if it is broader reaching to all university functions like academic advising. While searching multiple websites I have seen both the ease and difficulty of finding information. Granted, the code of conduct may not be the most popular topic, but it goes to show how first impressions are created before visiting the campus. From my research this week, I have no desire to go visit or work at Bennington College; it was too difficult to find information. I would, however, consider opportunities at North Carolina State University.
One thing that popped into mind reading both these articles is how people do not like change. Even if it is for the better, branding a college or changing a website takes time for people to adjust to the change. If students are not involved in the process, it takes time for them to open up to the idea. How many times has Facebook changed the layout and how many groups have been formed against the changed layout? Millenials certainly would have something to say about a brand or a new website.
I read through all the articles, and the one that really interested me was "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks". I think that this one caught my attention because my freshman year I got stuck in Epsilon on campus. For those who do not know, Epsilon is part of the graveyard of sickly grey old dorms at the end of Holly. Like the article described the dorms at Franklin and Marshall, Epsilon was drab, old, and run down (still is). I always felt like when going away to college you should at least feel comfortable in the place your going to stay for your first year or longer. There should be an area you can go that encourages people to socialize, hang out and relax. The renovations made at Franklin and Marshall make Buchanan and Marshall Hall a place that fulfills that need. I feel as Freshman or any student living on campus this is important. If everything is right there for you to enjoy its extremely convenient. It makes living in an older resident hall less stressful, and believe me every little thing can help!
I also liked the article What Your Frosh Don't Know, it was interesting to see these "facts" that I had no idea get sent out every year! As I was reading the list it was hilarious how many things stood out, and perfectly described this generation of students. What is sad, and stands out like a sore thumb is the lack of knowledge this generation has and those to come. Items on the list such as Beethoven has always been a dog, American Companies have always done business in Vietnam, show a lack of concern to learn about history and their own culture! Which to me is crazy!
I think that I will have to be the dissenting voice here regarding "What Your Frosh Don't Know." While I found the article to be entertaining, some of the items on it seemed too old for a traditional incoming freshman. My brother is starting college this semester and he does not know who Buffy is, and while he knows about Beavis and Butthead, the show's reign of popularity was before he knew about them. I understand that this list is meant for faculty and not students. I also do think that it is important for faculty to realize how their students perceive life. I think that it would be interesting, however, to have incoming freshmen create their own list of pop culture/lifestyle facts from their perspective. A student generated list might provide some insight into the present and be great paired with the school generated list of the past.
Hi All- I feel that the article about campus websites was very good. It is certainly true that many prospective students, and their parents, make assumptions about an institution based on the website. As many segments of our culture direct people with questions to review their website, it is important for the website designers to always consider who will be viewing/navigating the site. I agree with Scott's comment about information not always being easily found. I had to dig within the USF website to find information about our history. I think something important like the history of an institution should be a prominent link, not something buried deep within. All of these articles are great choices, great job, Alyssa. Mark
I of corse loved the article "What your Frosh Don't Know", we actually discussed this article in a team meeting recently. I think what I find most shocking is that they don't know how to write in cursive, in fact I recently read an article in the Tampa Tribune that stated that a lot of schools are no longer teaching children to write in cursive. Also as far as their parents like Justin and Aaron were talking about, it is out of control. I will admit my parents are helicopter parents, but the worst are the apache helicopter parents! These parents I have dealt with personally while in my role at Walt Disney World working in the internship department. These are the parents who call themselves to find out the status of the child's application and then call you again when they child did not get the internship and verbally attack you. They want to know the exact reason their child did not get the internship, which by law you can not tell them. I think not only do the Millennial generation need hand holding, but their parents do too. It is very interesting and makes you wonder what Millennia's will be like when their children go away to college.
As an undergrad who attended a DC school, I was immediately drawn to the article, "AU debuts new branding effort, but will ‘wonk’ work?" Creating a sense of unity through a common logo or brand can do miracles to a student body's sense of self. Our school had a similar phrase, "Hoya Saxa", translating as "What Rocks" in Greek and Latin; a tribute to the large stonewalls that surround and enclose the campus grounds, as well as old nicknames for our baseball and football teams "the Stonewalls". Students chant in unison "HOYA SAXA", as a sign of solidarity and brotherhood. Every Georgetown student is a "Hoya", furthering their ties, not only to the institution, but to every other student that has or will ever attend Georgetown. Granted, our phrase was established about a century ago, and does not nearly seem to evoke the squeamish reaction of its student population today. My first reaction to the article was, Why try so hard? Is there not already a unifying factor that exists, without a forced and unwanted slogan? I do not know the origin of how “Hoya Saxa” became an official slogan for Georgetown, but my guess is that it didn’t involve marketing experts, millions of dollars, or private, isolated research hidden from the vast majority of the student population. This article also demonstrated how salient student involvement can be in any major university effort. If “wonk” is to stick, students need to feel that their input is valued. Perhaps AU’s approach to “unite” the student body through an imposed prodigal marketing strategy, underscores the possible disengagement already existing between students and school decision–makers. Food for thought…
The article that stood out to me the most was the "American U. Students Question 'Wonk' as Their Brand." The reason being is because I always think it is so interesting when people try to brand something and the process they go through.
In the article it reads that AU had a two-year project to find something they could use to set themselves apart and they came up with "wonk." Right off the bat I applaud AU for taking on such a task and wanting to set themselves apart. I can understand and relate to what they were thinking.
Yet, with that being said branding and forcing something, most of the time in my experience, does not work. Sometimes you can do all the research and interviews you want, but it does not mean you will come up with a "catchy" or "inventive" slogan, word, or phrase. It is sometimes said the best way for something like this is through the "eureka effect" and letting it come to you.
I could see how AU students would reject this because they feel as though they might have not come up with it and it is not an AU tradition. Instead it is being forced into AU history. But, it is a good start and maybe it will stick or something else great will come from it.
For starters, when I think of the word "wonk", I think of a big nose...end of story. If you look at cartoonist Nate Beeler's drawing, all of the men in have a huge nose. Is he trying to imply that people with big noses have a wealth of knowledge? Regardless of his reasoning and AU's outlook on launching a marketing campaign to solidify an identity, the university has a long way to go before they find a better-suited term that fits their environment.
Second, the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know" is a reminder of time, trends and everything else in between always changing. I couldn't get down to the bottom of the page without seeing a Miley Cyrus related statement. However, the list shows how professors and administrators have to train themselves every year with relating to their students. Class populations change constantly. From their family structure to the trends that they follow, it is important to have that gauge of the "Who? What? When? Where? How?" throughout their lives.
Finally, the article on Black graduates owing more debt than any racial group is interesting. The fact that middle-income students are more susceptible to accumulating more debt than low-income students was surprising. When thinking about this fact, in my opinion, it comes down to not preparing for the expenses beforehand (i.e. not having a college savings fund when families have the resource to save, etc). Also, wanting to maintain the lifestyle these students grew up with may be another reason to why this fact still remains. I would hope that the article would open a dialogue among universities and also with families to make sure that students are not borrowing above their needs.
My favorite article was the American U with "wonk" as their brand. I liked the article, and the concept behind the new scheme. "Wonk" is "know" spelled backward and the definitions associated with it are largely positive and seem to accomplish associating the university with its "strengths and associations with Washington" that many desire. Very clever indeed. The bottom line is not everyone is going to like whatever was chosen. So long as the response is more positive than not.
I didn't think the article on Black graduates was that interesting. It seemed to leave out pertinent information regarding how they got their numbers and the implications of the information. As some of the comments on the original article noted, what factors are said to account for this disparity? It was telling nevertheless.
I read last year's "Frosh" article. It was funnier, but it is always an interesting commentary on the changing social demographics of new college students.
The article on the dorms was very informative and interesting in the context of campus ecology. I appreciated the tone of the article, it was well-written and engaging. I think it really drives home the importance of campus physical spaces and the difference they can make to someone's overall concept of/experience at an institution.
I'm not seeing my original comment post from Friday, perhaps technical difficulties? So, I will repost my commment, sorry if it is repeated information...
I love the article/list of "What Your Frosh Don't Know". This is especially funny yet helpful to know while working in Orientation. On an average summer, we see over 800 students on average a week. And even though I am somewhat in there age category, it is amazing the differences we have with these new students, and how their perspective is so diverse.
I personally enjoy the point about email being considered "Snail Mail" by students. I find this to be very true! Students are very hard to get a hold of by email, THEY DO NOT READ IT OR RESPOND. For example, I needed all the OTL's to help with a recruitment event this week, so naturally I sent out a mass email. I think out of the 48 recipients, I received 3 responses. Sad numbers. I then asked someone to text the team the information. Within 5 minutes, 40 of the 48 responded with the other 8 responding probably in the following hour.
Students are much more accessable when you utilize cell phones. Even though email comes to their cell phone, they neglect to read it! If it isn't a text message, twitter or facebook update, they are not going to get the memo. As supervisors, we need to reconsider how we are reaching students. Texting to me if always a more personal, and not professional, way of communicating with people. However, it seems to be the quickest, easiest and most effective form of communication with our students. I will admit, that I have always said that the easiest way to get a hold of me, is through a text message. But it's interesting to me the technological gap that is already forming between myself and my students. I need to keep updated with the latest communication technique.
Great articles Alyssa and I have enjoyed the comments as well. I do have to say that I hardly consider myself part of the Millennial Generation even though I was born in 1978. It's almost as if the "generations" need to span a shorter amount of time especially as technology advances and things can become outdated in a year or so.
The "American U. Students Question 'Wonk' as Their Brand" article was interesting. I agree with CJ that it seems they are attempting to "force" a brand onto their alumni and students. I feel a university brand or identity would happen more organically than a 2 year marketing plan could ever offer. I was also surprised that athletics was not referenced in the article or so far in any of our comments. I feel a university's identity is so heavily tied to athletics and school spirit. It would be interesting to speak with students, faculty, and other staff who were at USF prior to there being a football team and talk about the difference in "Bull Pride" before and after the team started, or even when they began to have successful seasons.
The final article "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall" makes me wonder if we are creating campus environments that are unrealistic compared to the "real world" once students graduate. How many of our first apartments or first homes will be as nice as some of the new or renovated residence halls that are popping up on campuses across the country?
Clara's comment on text messaging is so intriguing to me. I was a firm believer of "no text messages" allowed for my staff to contact me to let me know they would be late or needed anything for work. The only form of communication allowed was picking up the phone and calling the store to speak with a manager. I guess at what point do we allow what the students want or do we, as educators, set clear expectations of communication and/or professionalism. Definitely different for each office, department, etc., but how many corporate jobs rely on text messaging as a primary means of communication? I, like Clara, want to keep updated with the latest communication technique to stay in touch with my students but struggle with the professionalism of some of it.
Each of these articles was interesting in their own right, but the two that really stand out are “Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates” and “No Laughing Matter.” Web site design and utilization has become an on-going irritant for me and financial aid has become near and dear to my heart recently. Monica, Federal loan rates are fixed for parents and students. Parents may have the option of a parent PLUS loans and they will run credit to determine eligibility. If the parents are turned down, then the loan is instead offered to the student. The PLUS loans are at 7.9% and student loans are now 4.5% for subsidized undergrad and 6.8% for unsubsidized and all graduate loans. Back to the article….It left a lot of questions lingering after stating its facts. Many of the comments posted on the link were more in depth than the article itself. The article touches on the debt load carried by middle income students without going into any reason why this is the case. One of the comments posted was able to nicely sum up what should be a primary factor in that financial aid for middle income is going to be largely loans as most available grants, with Pell being the most common, are need based. IF you can’t meet the need requirement and you can’t pay out of pocket, loans quickly become the only way. I also know that based on my own experience, the education of students on the ins and outs of financial aid is very limited. “No Laughing Matter” was great. We have all seen university sites that clearly reflect the interest of someone other than the students. Our very own usf.edu might be one of these offenders. I really liked the expression of “home page politics” from the article. You can see just what that means by the amazing amount of fluff that is informational without being informative. It seems that it is never what you are hoping to find. These articles were great kick off points for our discussions. Nice job, Alyssa.
What Your Frosh Don't Know Right off the bat I found the "What Your Frosh Don't Know" article to be very interesting. It further puts into focus just exactly how old I am getting-- or if my generation is getting dumbed down by technology (while at the same time being all the more intelligent because of it).
I understand the whole concept behind the list, yet it seems sort of contrived in a way. Is this a thoroughly analyzed, research list or just what they assume students to be thinking these days. If that's the case then there is some serious issues with our current means of education.
In regards to the article about how black students have the most debt, I found this not so much surprising as sad. In regards to Kim's comment about how they got the data, I would assume that they conducted a survey of some sort, and graphed the information. Minorities--as several instances of research report--face more descrimination in terms of pay raises and amounts.
I absolutely agree with Brent's comments about the generational gaps. I've seen projections about information and technology doubling every four years, as opposed to the hundreds of years it used to take.
I wanted to take a minute to comment on the American University branding article because I'm still not sure how I feel about it. There has been some quality commentary on the subject already but I can't help but wonder why on Earth AU would decide to suddenly brand the University as a "bunch of wonks". The University's mascot is an Eagle.
As a former Admissions Representative, I know how important it is to have a brand that your prospective students can buy into. This, however, is selling t-shirts with the word "wonk" on it... It just intrigues me. I would have loved to be sitting in the room when that decision was made.
With regards to the "Architects Teach Old Dorms..." article, I find the description of the renovations enlightening. As we just read for Ecology, the physical environment can seriously impact the behaviors of students on the campus and it appears that Franklin & Marshall have tapped into that knowledge. I'd be interested to see if the type of student changes over the years, with the renovations.
I also feel the need to comment on the text messaging conversation, as I rely heavily on text messages. I make it clear early on that if there is something happening that I need to know about, my preferred method of communication is text messaging.
Why? If I get an email, I might not see it until the next time I get to a computer. Sure, they go to my blackberry but I don't buy into setting alerts for emails (I'd be sifting through my phone all day). Texting is quick and can get a message to me even if I'm in a meeting. If I'm in a meeting and my phone rings, I usually won't even bother to pick it up. But, if I know it's just a text, I'll respond right away.
Having had two professional experiences that challenged me in the way of personal versus work life, I can speak to the fact that allowing people to text you can get dangerous. But it can all be avoided by setting the expectations early and clearly stating that it's work-related text messaging only.
Finally, the "No Laughing Matter" article really hit home for me, as I've noticed USF continues to update the website. AS an out-of-state student, I perused the website on a daily basis, hoping to find nuggets of information that would make moving across the country feel a little less stressful. Instead, what I found was a database of outdated information, links that sent me back to the link I had just clicked, and contact information for employees who no longer worked at the University.
In today's "Generation Now" society, a website can serve as a prospective student's only contact with the University. It is so important to have the quality of the brand consistent through every possible outlet. It takes a large team of dedicated employees and I applaud USF for realizing that a change needed to be made and I hope that it continues to improve, as it is already much better than it was last August.
I absolutely agree with Brent's comments about the generational gaps. I've seen projections about information and technology doubling every four years, as opposed to the hundreds of years it used to take.
I wanted to take a minute to comment on the American University branding article because I'm still not sure how I feel about it. There has been some quality commentary on the subject already but I can't help but wonder why on Earth AU would decide to suddenly brand the University as a "bunch of wonks". The University's mascot is an Eagle.
As a former Admissions Representative, I know how important it is to have a brand that your prospective students can buy into. This, however, is selling t-shirts with the word "wonk" on it... It just intrigues me. I would have loved to be sitting in the room when that decision was made.
With regards to the "Architects Teach Old Dorms..." article, I find the description of the renovations enlightening. As we just read for Ecology, the physical environment can seriously impact the behaviors of students on the campus and it appears that Franklin & Marshall have tapped into that knowledge. I'd be interested to see if the type of student changes over the years, with the renovations.
I also feel the need to comment on the text messaging conversation, as I rely heavily on text messages. I make it clear early on that if there is something happening that I need to know about, my preferred method of communication is text messaging.
Why? If I get an email, I might not see it until the next time I get to a computer. Sure, they go to my blackberry but I don't buy into setting alerts for emails (I'd be sifting through my phone all day). Texting is quick and can get a message to me even if I'm in a meeting. If I'm in a meeting and my phone rings, I usually won't even bother to pick it up. But, if I know it's just a text, I'll respond right away.
Having had two professional experiences that challenged me in the way of personal versus work life, I can speak to the fact that allowing people to text you can get dangerous. But it can all be avoided by setting the expectations early and clearly stating that it's work-related text messaging only.
Finally, the "No Laughing Matter" article really hit home for me, as I've noticed USF continues to update the website. AS an out-of-state student, I perused the website on a daily basis, hoping to find nuggets of information that would make moving across the country feel a little less stressful. Instead, what I found was a database of outdated information, links that sent me back to the link I had just clicked, and contact information for employees who no longer worked at the University.
In today's "Generation Now" society, a website can serve as a prospective student's only contact with the University. It is so important to have the quality of the brand consistent through every possible outlet. It takes a large team of dedicated employees and I applaud USF for realizing that a change needed to be made and I hope that it continues to improve, as it is already much better than it was last August.
As far as the branding for American U. I feel as though they were trying to quirky and out of the box hoping that this term "wonk" would catch on and become the "it" thing. However, as many organizations have found out trying to push something to be quirky and out of the ordinary but yet still be cool just doesn't work. Quirky things like that have to grow on their own and having huge branding and marketing of the slogan only tends to make it less of an "in" thing. The University of Louisville found this out first hand just last year, we changed our motto and slogan to "It's Happening Here" at first their was tons of marketing and differn't definitions for what "It" was and the students all rejected. However, once the major marketing ploys for it died down and it became sort of background noise and yesterday's news the students began to own it and turn it into their thing. Student groups began using it in their marketing for their groups, it became an every slogan used amongst the students. For example if it was raining really hard and their puddles forming it would be very common to here someone say "Flooding, it's happening here". So while the students may be pushing back on the new brand now it still has the potential to really take root with the students in the future and become a lasting a brand.
So many interesting topics! What struck me the most was in “What Your Frosh Don’t Know.” Amidst the intriguing (and hysterical) facts that this incoming class knows or doesn’t know, I found number 36: “Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones” (McBride & Nief, 2010). This statement leads me to believe that “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh is completely outdated. When I first read this article as a first-year, I learned what White privilege was and from then on associated it with the example in the article that bandages only came in one flesh color. It is comforting to know that these first year students may have never encountered this issue before. It is also insightful to learn that these students may not have the same reaction to McIntosh’s article, and I would be curious to see what examples in the article they can still see today. While these facts are good to know from a faculty/staff position, I agree with Emily that it would be additionally useful to know the students’ perspective.
Its enjoyed the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know." It is interesting that every year someone will put together a collection of freshman culture to keep the professors in the loop.
I also find the "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates." interesting. The article states that students coming from a private nonprofit or for-profit college than a public four-year college typically borrowed $30,500 or more to get their bachelor's degrees. However the cost of a private nonprofit or for-profit college can cost this much per year, in comparison to a public university that may not even cost this amount over 4 years. When you look at that amount of debt over the course of 4 years it does not seem as bad. I am also curious to know if loans for bachelors degrees - can everyone take out the same amount? Or does it depend on tuition rates?
There are two articles that really caught my eye when I saw your post.
The article "What Your Frosh Don't Know" I found particularly interesting because I recently had the opportunity to share that list with a group of students in a University Experience course. When I first read the article I thought "these students must know all of these facts" but I found it interesting to find that they did not. The one that really had them going the most is that toothpaste tubes have always stood on their cap. It was really fun and if you have the opportunity to have a discussion about the list it is really interesting.
The other article that grabbed my attention is "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall." Since my admission to USF roughly six years ago I have noticed a dramatic change in campus structures. The most memorable is the move to the new Marshall Student Center. It really marked a change in the attitude of campus and a real turning point for myself as an undergraduate student. It is really exciting to see the impact that renovations, re-modelings, or reconstructions can have on the outlook and involvement of campus life. I think it is also important to note the effect that architects have on campus structures and the amount of involvement that they have in creating campus spaces. It would be interesting to get a perspective from someone with both an architecture background and a student affairs degree.
As I read the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know" I had an array of mixed emotions. While a majority of the list brought back funny memories of my distant childhood, I came to the conclusion that I am getting old lol!
On a more political note, a few of the items that stood out to me on the list provided was #1 "Few in class know how to write in cursive" and #31 "The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum."
I thought that this was very disheartening for the fact that it proves that our society has progressed to a technological-based in which the old traditions and nuances we grew up on are not even relevant today to a certain degree. Our younger generation does not believe in writing cursive or reading books, for they are more interested in texting on phones and playing the wii.
Now I am not saying that progression and change are bad, for they are not. I simply wanted to bring to light how the younger generation and future leaders of our society are being taught traditions and values in complete opposition to the values and traditions we were taught.
Great job providing all these articles for us to think about! I really liked "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall." I find residence halls one of the most important places for students because if they like where they're living, most of the other things go a lot easier for them. Making sure that residence halls are comfortable places conducive to interaction and learning should be a relatively high priority to administrators. If this isn't the case, students will adapt the residence hall as best they can to what they need it to be. Relating back to Ecology today, this should be a cue that something about the building needs to change and updates should stem from observations of student usage. That being said, I'm excited to see that attention is being paid to these important buildings! Most might be good now, but could serve the students even better with some thoughtful analysis and planning. Socially catalytic spaces are extremely important in residence halls too, in making the college experience a fulfilling one.
Ok, so like Clara mentioned, I also am not seeing my original post so I'll do my best to rewrite what I had. I apologize if some is repeated, as these were my thoughts from earlier in the week...
First, I absolutely agree with Brent's comments about the generational gaps needing to be reconsidered. With information doubling every few years now, I consider myself more of the "Generation Now" (born in 86) than someone who was born in 1980 might.
The article on American University's branding "experiment" intrigues me. First of all, the mascot is an eagle, so why a wonk? As a former Admissions Representative, I understand the importance of having a brand that speaks to your prospective students. But selling shirts with the word "wonk" on them? I would love to have been a fly on the wall when that decision was made.
On the other hand, if they're trying to get people to talk about them, it worked. Look at us as an example. Very interesting...
The article about "Architects Teach Old Dorms..." I found especially interesting and obviously relevant, as we begin our readings from Ecology. We've seen how important a physical environment can be to a campus atmosphere and student congruence but now I wonder if the renovations will attract a new type of student. I'm curious to see what happens in the future.
Finally, I have to comment on the text messaging conversation. I will readily admit that there is no better way to get a hold of me than via text message. I have asked those who I've supervised to text me if they need something and will continue to do so. I've never had a problem between personal and professional use and I think it's because we have set the expectations very early that it is to be that way.
Hi all!
ReplyDeleteI’ve got 5 current events articles here that I think are pretty interesting. I included the link and a few paragraphs of each story to give you a little preview.
First up, I thought this story was good considering we just went through the “branding” exercise at orientation.
American U. Students Question 'Wonk' as Their Brand
American University unveiled a new branding campaign this week -- around the word "wonk" -- and not all students are thrilled. A website explains the idea behind the campaign, noting that the letters in "know" can be rearranged to create the word "wonk" and that a wonk is an "intellectually curious person; expert in a field" or a "knowledgeable Washington insider" or "someone focused on an issue and passionate about creating meaningful change," all definitions that suggest a new one, "American University person in the know." A video on the website also features students, alumni and American university officials talking about longstanding frustrations that the university hasn't been sufficiently branded for its strengths and associations with Washington.
Students and others quoted in an article in The Eagle, the student newspaper, weren't entirely sold on the concept. While some noted the positive associations with policy experts, many others posted comments about the nerdish associations with the word, or noted that outside of Washington, many would not want to be called a wonk or even know what it means. The first comment: "Wonk sounds like a sexual term. Example: I just got sexiled because my roommate and her boyfriend are in the room wonking. ...exactly."
http://w.american.edu/wonk/wonk.html
http://www.theeagleonline.com/news/story/au-debuts-new-branding-effort-but-will-wonk-work/
Second…this list comes out every year and has some good info on the students who are going through undergrad right now (especially the first year students).
ReplyDeleteWhat Your Frosh Don't Know
August 17, 2010
One ritual of the start of the academic year is the release of Beloit College's annual "mindset list," which aims to help professors understand what their new freshmen experienced (and didn't) growing up. While some items on the list are, of course, related to technology, many reflect the cultural and political world views of today's 18-year-olds. The list was created by Tom McBride, the Keefer Professor of the Humanities at Beloit, and Ron Nief, the former public affairs director. This year's list reflects a world in which students need not wear watches, China has always been an economic threat and Sam Walton, Bert Parks and Tony Perkins have always been dead.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/08/17/beloit
Third article – I thought this tied in well with what we started talking about in Ecology and our reading for that class. It’s about navigating a university website.
ReplyDeleteNo Laughing Matter
August 4, 2010
Historically, cartoons are not a significant driver of communications and marketing strategy in higher education.
But one cartoon -- by Randall Munroe, whose popular Web comic is known as xkcd -- has resonated so strongly in higher ed circles that it has some marketing officials taking a hard look at what experts still believe to be their strongest marketing asset: the institutional website’s home page.
The cartoon shows a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles -- one labeled “Things On The Front Page Of a University Website,” and the other labeled “Things People Go To The Site Looking For.”
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/08/04/websites
Fourth- with so many of our cohort in Financial Aid I thought it would be good to see what you all think of this.
ReplyDeleteApril 26, 2010
Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates
By Ashley Marchand
Many students graduate with manageable debt or no education loans, but almost 17 percent of graduates in 2008 borrowed $30,500 or more to get their bachelor's degrees, according to a new analysis.
A report released today by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, also said that students who borrow the most are disproportionately black, and are more likely to have attended a private nonprofit or for-profit college than a public four-year college. But debt levels did not necessarily reflect family income.
http://chronicle.com/article/Black-Graduates-Owe-More-Debt/65253/
Fifth article – also has some good ties to ecology and I thought our housing GAs would like this one!
ReplyDeleteAugust 26, 2010, 11:00 AM ET
Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall
By Lawrence Biemiller
Buchanan Hall was only 20 years old in 1976, when I moved in as a Franklin & Marshall College freshman, but already it left a lot to be desired. Like its twin, Marshall Hall, Buchanan was a three-story shoebox of a dorm, with 20 double rooms per floor and cinderblock walls that echoed with the music pounding out of our giant stereo speakers. The showers were communal, but that was about it for social space, except for an underused lounge outside of what had once been a dining hall connecting Buchanan and Marshall. Buchanan's red-brick exterior had one horizontal band of limestone trim and a couple of vertical stripes, but architecturally it was about as exciting as wax paper.
A decade or so ago, both Buchanan and Marshall got partial makeovers—new windows, air conditioning, renovated bathrooms—but more recently they've gotten new missions as well: They now make up two-thirds of Brooks College House, one of the four houses to which F&M students are assigned (think Gryffindor, Slytherin, &c.—that's invariably how F&M students explain the house system). Earlier this year Buchanan and Marshall got a major addition in the form of a new, $2.5-million common area for Brooks students: a living room with a fireplace, a seminar room, and a large multipurpose space, all of them in bold. glassly blocks that pop out from the front of the old dining hall area into the college's main residential quadrangle.
http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Architects-Teach-Old-Dorms-New/26471/
So, which ones did you find interesting? See anything you can apply to work or class?
Hi Alyssa:
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic... I like how you found 5 different articles for people to review. I think everyone should find something interesting to comment about. Good job providing the links and detail.
I look forward to reading what your classmates have to say!
Jeff
The first article that really caught my attention was the comic strip about university websites. Having just gone through the application process for graduate school, it really resonated with me. I cannot tell you how many times in the past I have visited a college or university website and have been immediately turned off because of how difficult it was to find the information I was looking for. The exact opposite has, of course, been true as well. With the current economy, I would venture to say that many high school students may be deciding which colleges they would like to apply to based only on the school's website and other internet based resources, as opposed to visiting the campus in person. With that in mind, a school's website could significantly impact the population of students they are drawing to their school which has a whole slew of implications that comes along with it. Therefore, it is extremely important for school's to have websites that cater to prospective students.
ReplyDeleteI also understand the flip side, which was mentioned in the article. The creators of these websites really don't have funding to do the research to find out what students are looking for. Plus, they are not only trying to please prospective students, but current students, faculty, staff, and various other users as well. It's never an easy task to try and please multiple groups of individuals. I feel this is a topic that an increasing number of individuals will become interested in as schools continue to add more and more to their websites as technology continues to grow and becomes an ever more integral aspect of society.
I love the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know." I was surprised to see this list comes out every year, but I think it is vital for everyone who works with undergraduate students to know their knowledge base. Even though a good chunk of the article is related to technology (which is to be expected) it still gives good insight of everything related to the Millennial generation.
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked for TKE Professional Staff, a lot of our focus was on the millennial generation and the different things they bring to the table. For the most part Millennials love to work in teams. They are also considered the trophy generation; if you participate in a sport or competitions win/lose you receive a trophy just because you participated. This generation needs specific instruction of what to do in the workplace (when something needs to be completed etc.). Despite their need for deadlines, they are excellent in terms of taking on numerous projects at once.
I don’t want to stray too far from the original article, but I thought I’d give something to chew on. Keep in mind if you were born after 1977, you are in fact part of the Millennial generation. :)
The first article that really caught my attention was "No Laughing Matter" regarding the comic strip about college websites. Having just gone through the application process for graduate school, this topic really resonated with me. I can't tell you how many times I have visited a college or university website and have been immediately turned off because I find it difficult to navigate my way through all of the information to find what I need. The exact opposite, of course, has been true as well in some cases. I would venture to say that in the current economy there are probably many students whose only information about a school is coming from the college website and other web based resources. Many families cannot afford to drive their son or daughter around the country to visit every school they are interested in. I wonder how many students have made a decision about a college based simply on the school's website. This could have a significant impact on the population of students schools are drawing. As such, it is imperative that a university's website is user friendly and contains easily accessible information for prospective students.
ReplyDeleteI understand the flip side as well though, which is mentioned in the article. The individuals responsible for these sites do not have the funding to find out what it really is individuals are looking for when they visit these sites. In addition, these sites are obviously not intended for prospective students only. There are current students, faculty, staff, and other individuals to consider. I've never built a university website before, but I would imagine that it takes a great deal of forethought and planning. It's not easy to plan ahead to please so many groups of individuals with varying needs and interests.
I think this topic will become an ever increasing discussion as technology becomes more and more inextricably ingrained in our lives. Thoughts?
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteThese articles are great!While reading "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates" I couldnt help but wonder if the economic stand point at that time was also taken in to account. If I'm not mistaken, didnt the year of 2008 mark the start( or at least the people began to feel the effects at this time) of the reccesion? In that case, there may have been an increase in loan debt all together. Just my thoughts.
Wow, that list of Freshman facts was hilarious.......and a bit sad. Nirvana as an oldie group? Haha. I definitely think the list is a great idea to give faculty and staff an idea of how new students understand things.
ReplyDeleteWhile with USF admissions I really enjoyed guiding students and parents through the application process but there were a lot of students who expected more hand holding from staff. Part of working with undergraduate students is helping them ease into a new environment while still allowing them to gain independence. I agree with Justin on millenials requiring specific instruction in order to succeed. When approached with specifics regarding deadlines, ACT/SAT testing dates, grade trends, transcript submission info etc. these students thrived.
Also, I am more than proud to see USF branding everything with Unforgetta-BULL or Unstoppa-BULL! We could be using Wonk-a-Bull :)
I enjoyed the "What Your Frosh Don't Know" article because of its technological details, especially the point about students NOT checking or returning email because it is too slow or "snail mail".
ReplyDeleteThis article served many purposes for me, especially working with nearly all the first year students that come through orientation every year. The email point was rather funny because unless it is a text message, facebook or twitter update, students do not get the memo. I have tried sending out emails to get our orientation team leaders attention to help with projects that needed to be completed. About 4 of the 48 responded. Because of my horrible response numbers, I asked an OTL to text the group with the updates I needed them all to know. Within 2 minutes nearly all of the OTL's responded and had made plans to come see me. The overwhelming rate at which students text, tweet, and facebook is crazy! I will admit, texting is always the easiest and most convenient way to get a hold of me too :) Even though it is such an informal and personal way to communicate with students, it has the highest success rate of getting messages across.
It is just a very interesting point that I see on a daily basis, anyone else feel like you are falling behind with technology already???
Takiyah...thats a great observation about the recession and I think you're right. I do think it's interesting that the debt levels didn't necessarily reflect family income.
ReplyDeleteAaron...I'm pretty sure those parents are considered Helicopter or Lawnmower parents. haha. Have dealt with my fair share of those. Some are a force to be reckoned with and some are just a little over protective. :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood chat yall.
ReplyDelete"Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates" is an interesting article but I’m not necessarily shocked by the findings. The discussion is intriguing though. I fall into the category of a Black middle class student. My mother has a MSW and has been laid off for 2 years and my father is Corrections Officer, so I was offered low interest loans. Low interests or not, a loan is a loan. Now I am an independent but I can recall many of my friends being independent during undergrad who come from low income families and they received grants/scholarships. Since the recession their financial aid rewards have been cut drastically, causing them to take out loans.
I think there are other things that really need to be considered when disucssing this: financial literacy, family dynamic, and how long students are in school to finish their degrees. The article discusses different institution types which of course influences how much a student will have to borrow. Not to mention whether or not the school is in state or out of state. I went to a small in state Public Liberal Arts school and my sister went to Auburn then transferred to a Historically Black college, which was also out of state. If we all do the math she's going to have double the debt that I will and that's just because she went out of state.
I think the debt levels don't reflect family income because when you fill out a FASFA form you can't tell the federal government your life story. For example, you can live in a household with both parents but that doesn't mean both parents provide for you and it surely doesn't mean your parents don't have other financial responsibilities ie. other children from a previous marriage, etc.
Something else to consider is has a parent ever filed for bankruptcy? I'm not sure how long that stays on an individual credit reports, but does it increase interest rates on loans?
-Monica
I found the article concerning University websites to be very interesting. I believe the reason University website are difficult to navigate is because students are not designing the website, it is faculty and staff who decide what is available and what is not. A faculty or staff member making the student website does not have the same eyes as a student looking for a campus map or rec center hours.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I think these articles are great. They were very interesting. The one that caught my attention immediately was "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall". I found this article to be extremely interesting because residence halls are the first place that first years step foot their first day of college. This is where they are going to live for at least a year and where some of their most important relationships will form. Therefore, they need to feel comfortable, safe, and need to feel a sense of community. Some residence halls, especially at older universities, are old and don’t give that "homey" vibe, but when they are renovated a lot of things can change. For example, the residence hall where I was an RA at last year was newly renovated two years ago. Before they renovated the building there wasn't a common lounge where students could all come together. After they added a beautiful lounge downstairs, the residents were always in there playing pool, watching tv, studying, or just hanging out. We also had many programs in there. It created a wonderful sense of community for the entire building.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Andrea about the article "No Laughing Matter". I think it is difficult for out of state students and international students for that matter, to visit the college of their choice and they base most of their decision through the information they find on the school's website. Scott, I agree with you 100%!
The Beloit article was really funny. I liked the part that says "Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive". I remember when my family bought our first computer, we had to use floppy discs to save documents. I don't think a lot of the first year students have even seen a floppy disc!!
The last few paragraphs of the article, "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates" made me think about how much education students receive on financial responsibility before entering college and how much they get once classes start. During USF undergraduate and transfer orientations, both students and parents have information sessions on financial aid. Freshmen students also have a short financial aid “class” or tutorial through blackboard. What programs do other schools have in place to educate students on the impacts of taking out loans? I’d also like to know how effective the orientation sessions are and what the financial aid class on blackboard entails.
ReplyDeleteThe first article about American University Wonks made me appreciate USF’s branding. The word ‘wonk’ is an awkward, unpleasant sounding word and doesn’t make a good impression if you don’t know the AU definition. It will take a lot of work and student support to make this branding campaign succeed.
All the articles were very interesting, but a couple of them really stood out to me. The first article I enjoyed reading was the “What Your Frosh Don’t Know” article. The “mindset list” was very funny and actually pretty accurate too. The two different comments about the nation never approving of Congress and people always blaming any problem today on the economy are very true. I feel like all I ever hear about anymore are complaints about politicians and how the United States is never going to recover from the economic turmoil we are in now. However, on a lighter note, I thought that the few remarks that the list included about TV were spot on. For example, the statement that says, “having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine” is hilarious because I know we all have sat in front of our TV’s with the guide on and have said to ourselves “man there is nothing on,” when there is clearly hundreds of different shows to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe second article that I could really relate to was “Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall.” I related to this article because my first year in college I lived in a Freshmen Residence Hall right next to the gym because I was a student athlete. It was an extremely old building with communal bathrooms and showers. Basically, it was the worst hall on campus and needed to be renovated very badly. The college decided to renovate the hall the year after I moved out. This was a great idea because the college realized that with the renovation there were a lot less freshmen dropping out of school after their first year and much more of them coming back the next year.
-Megan
Lindsay, you are correct. "Wonk" is an awkward word. I couldn't help thinking that with 2 years of research and thought into a brand for American University, someone didn't think about what "wonk" sounds like before applying the school brand to it. Aaron was saying how proud he is USF is brand-a-BULL. "Bulls" make sense to students, there is an easily defined idea and well liked meaning to the word before you market the brand with the name. Students easily jump onto the BULL-wagon and have that school pride from the first week. It's catchy, easily identifiable, and clearly makes a connection to USF. American University has all the right ideas for their brand and what that brand stands for but I think it could be much more successful with a different word choice. It makes me think of how the sale of Nova cars in spanish markets didn't do well because although Nova sounds like a nice name for a car in english, the spanish translation is "it doesn't go".
ReplyDelete"No Laughing Matter" resonates with me this week. For my GA at the Transitional Advising Center, I have been researching the code of conduct for many different colleges and universities to see if a disorderly conduct rule applies only in a classroom setting or if it is broader reaching to all university functions like academic advising. While searching multiple websites I have seen both the ease and difficulty of finding information. Granted, the code of conduct may not be the most popular topic, but it goes to show how first impressions are created before visiting the campus. From my research this week, I have no desire to go visit or work at Bennington College; it was too difficult to find information. I would, however, consider opportunities at North Carolina State University.
One thing that popped into mind reading both these articles is how people do not like change. Even if it is for the better, branding a college or changing a website takes time for people to adjust to the change. If students are not involved in the process, it takes time for them to open up to the idea. How many times has Facebook changed the layout and how many groups have been formed against the changed layout? Millenials certainly would have something to say about a brand or a new website.
I read through all the articles, and the one that really interested me was "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks". I think that this one caught my attention because my freshman year I got stuck in Epsilon on campus. For those who do not know, Epsilon is part of the graveyard of sickly grey old dorms at the end of Holly. Like the article described the dorms at Franklin and Marshall, Epsilon was drab, old, and run down (still is). I always felt like when going away to college you should at least feel comfortable in the place your going to stay for your first year or longer. There should be an area you can go that encourages people to socialize, hang out and relax. The renovations made at Franklin and Marshall make Buchanan and Marshall Hall a place that fulfills that need. I feel as Freshman or any student living on campus this is important. If everything is right there for you to enjoy its extremely convenient. It makes living in an older resident hall less stressful, and believe me every little thing can help!
ReplyDeleteI also liked the article What Your Frosh Don't Know, it was interesting to see these "facts" that I had no idea get sent out every year! As I was reading the list it was hilarious how many things stood out, and perfectly described this generation of students. What is sad, and stands out like a sore thumb is the lack of knowledge this generation has and those to come. Items on the list such as Beethoven has always been a dog, American Companies have always done business in Vietnam, show a lack of concern to learn about history and their own culture! Which to me is crazy!
I think that I will have to be the dissenting voice here regarding "What Your Frosh Don't Know." While I found the article to be entertaining, some of the items on it seemed too old for a traditional incoming freshman. My brother is starting college this semester and he does not know who Buffy is, and while he knows about Beavis and Butthead, the show's reign of popularity was before he knew about them. I understand that this list is meant for faculty and not students. I also do think that it is important for faculty to realize how their students perceive life. I think that it would be interesting, however, to have incoming freshmen create their own list of pop culture/lifestyle facts from their perspective. A student generated list might provide some insight into the present and be great paired with the school generated list of the past.
ReplyDeleteHi All- I feel that the article about campus websites was very good. It is certainly true that many prospective students, and their parents, make assumptions about an institution based on the website. As many segments of our culture direct people with questions to review their website, it is important for the website designers to always consider who will be viewing/navigating the site. I agree with Scott's comment about information not always being easily found. I had to dig within the USF website to find information about our history. I think something important like the history of an institution should be a prominent link, not something buried deep within. All of these articles are great choices, great job, Alyssa.
ReplyDeleteMark
Alyssa, Thanks for all these great articles!
ReplyDeleteI of corse loved the article "What your Frosh Don't Know", we actually discussed this article in a team meeting recently. I think what I find most shocking is that they don't know how to write in cursive, in fact I recently read an article in the Tampa Tribune that stated that a lot of schools are no longer teaching children to write in cursive.
Also as far as their parents like Justin and Aaron were talking about, it is out of control. I will admit my parents are helicopter parents, but the worst are the apache helicopter parents! These parents I have dealt with personally while in my role at Walt Disney World working in the internship department. These are the parents who call themselves to find out the status of the child's application and then call you again when they child did not get the internship and verbally attack you. They want to know the exact reason their child did not get the internship, which by law you can not tell them. I think not only do the Millennial generation need hand holding, but their parents do too. It is very interesting and makes you wonder what Millennia's will be like when their children go away to college.
As an undergrad who attended a DC school, I was immediately drawn to the article, "AU debuts new branding effort, but will ‘wonk’ work?" Creating a sense of unity through a common logo or brand can do miracles to a student body's sense of self. Our school had a similar phrase, "Hoya Saxa", translating as "What Rocks" in Greek and Latin; a tribute to the large stonewalls that surround and enclose the campus grounds, as well as old nicknames for our baseball and football teams "the Stonewalls". Students chant in unison "HOYA SAXA", as a sign of solidarity and brotherhood. Every Georgetown student is a "Hoya", furthering their ties, not only to the institution, but to every other student that has or will ever attend Georgetown. Granted, our phrase was established about a century ago, and does not nearly seem to evoke the squeamish reaction of its student population today. My first reaction to the article was, Why try so hard? Is there not already a unifying factor that exists, without a forced and unwanted slogan? I do not know the origin of how “Hoya Saxa” became an official slogan for Georgetown, but my guess is that it didn’t involve marketing experts, millions of dollars, or private, isolated research hidden from the vast majority of the student population. This article also demonstrated how salient student involvement can be in any major university effort. If “wonk” is to stick, students need to feel that their input is valued. Perhaps AU’s approach to “unite” the student body through an imposed prodigal marketing strategy, underscores the possible disengagement already existing between students and school decision–makers. Food for thought…
ReplyDeleteThe article that stood out to me the most was the "American U. Students Question 'Wonk' as Their Brand." The reason being is because I always think it is so interesting when people try to brand something and the process they go through.
ReplyDeleteIn the article it reads that AU had a two-year project to find something they could use to set themselves apart and they came up with "wonk." Right off the bat I applaud AU for taking on such a task and wanting to set themselves apart. I can understand and relate to what they were thinking.
Yet, with that being said branding and forcing something, most of the time in my experience, does not work. Sometimes you can do all the research and interviews you want, but it does not mean you will come up with a "catchy" or "inventive" slogan, word, or phrase. It is sometimes said the best way for something like this is through the "eureka effect" and letting it come to you.
I could see how AU students would reject this because they feel as though they might have not come up with it and it is not an AU tradition. Instead it is being forced into AU history. But, it is a good start and maybe it will stick or something else great will come from it.
For starters, when I think of the word "wonk", I think of a big nose...end of story. If you look at cartoonist Nate Beeler's drawing, all of the men in have a huge nose. Is he trying to imply that people with big noses have a wealth of knowledge? Regardless of his reasoning and AU's outlook on launching a marketing campaign to solidify an identity, the university has a long way to go before they find a better-suited term that fits their environment.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know" is a reminder of time, trends and everything else in between always changing. I couldn't get down to the bottom of the page without seeing a Miley Cyrus related statement. However, the list shows how professors and administrators have to train themselves every year with relating to their students. Class populations change constantly. From their family structure to the trends that they follow, it is important to have that gauge of the "Who? What? When? Where? How?" throughout their lives.
Finally, the article on Black graduates owing more debt than any racial group is interesting. The fact that middle-income students are more susceptible to accumulating more debt than low-income students was surprising. When thinking about this fact, in my opinion, it comes down to not preparing for the expenses beforehand (i.e. not having a college savings fund when families have the resource to save, etc). Also, wanting to maintain the lifestyle these students grew up with may be another reason to why this fact still remains. I would hope that the article would open a dialogue among universities and also with families to make sure that students are not borrowing above their needs.
Otherwise, these articles were tasteful.
My favorite article was the American U with "wonk" as their brand. I liked the article, and the concept behind the new scheme. "Wonk" is "know" spelled backward and the definitions associated with it are largely positive and seem to accomplish associating the university with its "strengths and associations with Washington" that many desire. Very clever indeed. The bottom line is not everyone is going to like whatever was chosen. So long as the response is more positive than not.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think the article on Black graduates was that interesting. It seemed to leave out pertinent information regarding how they got their numbers and the implications of the information. As some of the comments on the original article noted, what factors are said to account for this disparity? It was telling nevertheless.
I read last year's "Frosh" article. It was funnier, but it is always an interesting commentary on the changing social demographics of new college students.
The article on the dorms was very informative and interesting in the context of campus ecology. I appreciated the tone of the article, it was well-written and engaging. I think it really drives home the importance of campus physical spaces and the difference they can make to someone's overall concept of/experience at an institution.
I'm not seeing my original comment post from Friday, perhaps technical difficulties? So, I will repost my commment, sorry if it is repeated information...
ReplyDeleteI love the article/list of "What Your Frosh Don't Know". This is especially funny yet helpful to know while working in Orientation. On an average summer, we see over 800 students on average a week. And even though I am somewhat in there age category, it is amazing the differences we have with these new students, and how their perspective is so diverse.
I personally enjoy the point about email being considered "Snail Mail" by students. I find this to be very true! Students are very hard to get a hold of by email, THEY DO NOT READ IT OR RESPOND. For example, I needed all the OTL's to help with a recruitment event this week, so naturally I sent out a mass email. I think out of the 48 recipients, I received 3 responses. Sad numbers. I then asked someone to text the team the information. Within 5 minutes, 40 of the 48 responded with the other 8 responding probably in the following hour.
Students are much more accessable when you utilize cell phones. Even though email comes to their cell phone, they neglect to read it! If it isn't a text message, twitter or facebook update, they are not going to get the memo. As supervisors, we need to reconsider how we are reaching students. Texting to me if always a more personal, and not professional, way of communicating with people. However, it seems to be the quickest, easiest and most effective form of communication with our students. I will admit, that I have always said that the easiest way to get a hold of me, is through a text message. But it's interesting to me the technological gap that is already forming between myself and my students. I need to keep updated with the latest communication technique.
Great articles Alyssa and I have enjoyed the comments as well. I do have to say that I hardly consider myself part of the Millennial Generation even though I was born in 1978. It's almost as if the "generations" need to span a shorter amount of time especially as technology advances and things can become outdated in a year or so.
ReplyDeleteThe "American U. Students Question 'Wonk' as Their Brand" article was interesting. I agree with CJ that it seems they are attempting to "force" a brand onto their alumni and students. I feel a university brand or identity would happen more organically than a 2 year marketing plan could ever offer. I was also surprised that athletics was not referenced in the article or so far in any of our comments. I feel a university's identity is so heavily tied to athletics and school spirit. It would be interesting to speak with students, faculty, and other staff who were at USF prior to there being a football team and talk about the difference in "Bull Pride" before and after the team started, or even when they began to have successful seasons.
The final article "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall" makes me wonder if we are creating campus environments that are unrealistic compared to the "real world" once students graduate. How many of our first apartments or first homes will be as nice as some of the new or renovated residence halls that are popping up on campuses across the country?
Clara's comment on text messaging is so intriguing to me. I was a firm believer of "no text messages" allowed for my staff to contact me to let me know they would be late or needed anything for work. The only form of communication allowed was picking up the phone and calling the store to speak with a manager. I guess at what point do we allow what the students want or do we, as educators, set clear expectations of communication and/or professionalism. Definitely different for each office, department, etc., but how many corporate jobs rely on text messaging as a primary means of communication? I, like Clara, want to keep updated with the latest communication technique to stay in touch with my students but struggle with the professionalism of some of it.
Each of these articles was interesting in their own right, but the two that really stand out are “Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates” and “No Laughing Matter.” Web site design and utilization has become an on-going irritant for me and financial aid has become near and dear to my heart recently.
ReplyDeleteMonica, Federal loan rates are fixed for parents and students. Parents may have the option of a parent PLUS loans and they will run credit to determine eligibility. If the parents are turned down, then the loan is instead offered to the student. The PLUS loans are at 7.9% and student loans are now 4.5% for subsidized undergrad and 6.8% for unsubsidized and all graduate loans.
Back to the article….It left a lot of questions lingering after stating its facts. Many of the comments posted on the link were more in depth than the article itself. The article touches on the debt load carried by middle income students without going into any reason why this is the case. One of the comments posted was able to nicely sum up what should be a primary factor in that financial aid for middle income is going to be largely loans as most available grants, with Pell being the most common, are need based. IF you can’t meet the need requirement and you can’t pay out of pocket, loans quickly become the only way. I also know that based on my own experience, the education of students on the ins and outs of financial aid is very limited.
“No Laughing Matter” was great. We have all seen university sites that clearly reflect the interest of someone other than the students. Our very own usf.edu might be one of these offenders. I really liked the expression of “home page politics” from the article. You can see just what that means by the amazing amount of fluff that is informational without being informative. It seems that it is never what you are hoping to find. These articles were great kick off points for our discussions. Nice job, Alyssa.
James Chance Wilson
ReplyDeleteWhat Your Frosh Don't Know
Right off the bat I found the "What Your Frosh Don't Know" article to be very interesting. It further puts into focus just exactly how old I am getting-- or if my generation is getting dumbed down by technology (while at the same time being all the more intelligent because of it).
I understand the whole concept behind the list, yet it seems sort of contrived in a way. Is this a thoroughly analyzed, research list or just what they assume students to be thinking these days. If that's the case then there is some serious issues with our current means of education.
In regards to the article about how black students have the most debt, I found this not so much surprising as sad.
In regards to Kim's comment about how they got the data, I would assume that they conducted a survey of some sort, and graphed the information. Minorities--as several instances of research report--face more descrimination in terms of pay raises and amounts.
I absolutely agree with Brent's comments about the generational gaps. I've seen projections about information and technology doubling every four years, as opposed to the hundreds of years it used to take.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take a minute to comment on the American University branding article because I'm still not sure how I feel about it. There has been some quality commentary on the subject already but I can't help but wonder why on Earth AU would decide to suddenly brand the University as a "bunch of wonks". The University's mascot is an Eagle.
As a former Admissions Representative, I know how important it is to have a brand that your prospective students can buy into. This, however, is selling t-shirts with the word "wonk" on it... It just intrigues me. I would have loved to be sitting in the room when that decision was made.
With regards to the "Architects Teach Old Dorms..." article, I find the description of the renovations enlightening. As we just read for Ecology, the physical environment can seriously impact the behaviors of students on the campus and it appears that Franklin & Marshall have tapped into that knowledge. I'd be interested to see if the type of student changes over the years, with the renovations.
I also feel the need to comment on the text messaging conversation, as I rely heavily on text messages. I make it clear early on that if there is something happening that I need to know about, my preferred method of communication is text messaging.
Why? If I get an email, I might not see it until the next time I get to a computer. Sure, they go to my blackberry but I don't buy into setting alerts for emails (I'd be sifting through my phone all day). Texting is quick and can get a message to me even if I'm in a meeting. If I'm in a meeting and my phone rings, I usually won't even bother to pick it up. But, if I know it's just a text, I'll respond right away.
Having had two professional experiences that challenged me in the way of personal versus work life, I can speak to the fact that allowing people to text you can get dangerous. But it can all be avoided by setting the expectations early and clearly stating that it's work-related text messaging only.
Finally, the "No Laughing Matter" article really hit home for me, as I've noticed USF continues to update the website. AS an out-of-state student, I perused the website on a daily basis, hoping to find nuggets of information that would make moving across the country feel a little less stressful. Instead, what I found was a database of outdated information, links that sent me back to the link I had just clicked, and contact information for employees who no longer worked at the University.
In today's "Generation Now" society, a website can serve as a prospective student's only contact with the University. It is so important to have the quality of the brand consistent through every possible outlet. It takes a large team of dedicated employees and I applaud USF for realizing that a change needed to be made and I hope that it continues to improve, as it is already much better than it was last August.
I absolutely agree with Brent's comments about the generational gaps. I've seen projections about information and technology doubling every four years, as opposed to the hundreds of years it used to take.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take a minute to comment on the American University branding article because I'm still not sure how I feel about it. There has been some quality commentary on the subject already but I can't help but wonder why on Earth AU would decide to suddenly brand the University as a "bunch of wonks". The University's mascot is an Eagle.
As a former Admissions Representative, I know how important it is to have a brand that your prospective students can buy into. This, however, is selling t-shirts with the word "wonk" on it... It just intrigues me. I would have loved to be sitting in the room when that decision was made.
With regards to the "Architects Teach Old Dorms..." article, I find the description of the renovations enlightening. As we just read for Ecology, the physical environment can seriously impact the behaviors of students on the campus and it appears that Franklin & Marshall have tapped into that knowledge. I'd be interested to see if the type of student changes over the years, with the renovations.
I also feel the need to comment on the text messaging conversation, as I rely heavily on text messages. I make it clear early on that if there is something happening that I need to know about, my preferred method of communication is text messaging.
Why? If I get an email, I might not see it until the next time I get to a computer. Sure, they go to my blackberry but I don't buy into setting alerts for emails (I'd be sifting through my phone all day). Texting is quick and can get a message to me even if I'm in a meeting. If I'm in a meeting and my phone rings, I usually won't even bother to pick it up. But, if I know it's just a text, I'll respond right away.
Having had two professional experiences that challenged me in the way of personal versus work life, I can speak to the fact that allowing people to text you can get dangerous. But it can all be avoided by setting the expectations early and clearly stating that it's work-related text messaging only.
Finally, the "No Laughing Matter" article really hit home for me, as I've noticed USF continues to update the website. AS an out-of-state student, I perused the website on a daily basis, hoping to find nuggets of information that would make moving across the country feel a little less stressful. Instead, what I found was a database of outdated information, links that sent me back to the link I had just clicked, and contact information for employees who no longer worked at the University.
In today's "Generation Now" society, a website can serve as a prospective student's only contact with the University. It is so important to have the quality of the brand consistent through every possible outlet. It takes a large team of dedicated employees and I applaud USF for realizing that a change needed to be made and I hope that it continues to improve, as it is already much better than it was last August.
As far as the branding for American U. I feel as though they were trying to quirky and out of the box hoping that this term "wonk" would catch on and become the "it" thing. However, as many organizations have found out trying to push something to be quirky and out of the ordinary but yet still be cool just doesn't work. Quirky things like that have to grow on their own and having huge branding and marketing of the slogan only tends to make it less of an "in" thing. The University of Louisville found this out first hand just last year, we changed our motto and slogan to "It's Happening Here" at first their was tons of marketing and differn't definitions for what "It" was and the students all rejected. However, once the major marketing ploys for it died down and it became sort of background noise and yesterday's news the students began to own it and turn it into their thing. Student groups began using it in their marketing for their groups, it became an every slogan used amongst the students. For example if it was raining really hard and their puddles forming it would be very common to here someone say "Flooding, it's happening here". So while the students may be pushing back on the new brand now it still has the potential to really take root with the students in the future and become a lasting a brand.
ReplyDeleteSo many interesting topics! What struck me the most was in “What Your Frosh Don’t Know.” Amidst the intriguing (and hysterical) facts that this incoming class knows or doesn’t know, I found number 36: “Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones” (McBride & Nief, 2010). This statement leads me to believe that “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh is completely outdated. When I first read this article as a first-year, I learned what White privilege was and from then on associated it with the example in the article that bandages only came in one flesh color. It is comforting to know that these first year students may have never encountered this issue before. It is also insightful to learn that these students may not have the same reaction to McIntosh’s article, and I would be curious to see what examples in the article they can still see today.
ReplyDeleteWhile these facts are good to know from a faculty/staff position, I agree with Emily that it would be additionally useful to know the students’ perspective.
Its enjoyed the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know." It is interesting that every year someone will put together a collection of freshman culture to keep the professors in the loop.
ReplyDeleteI also find the "Black Graduates Owe More Debt Than White, Asian, or Hispanic Graduates." interesting. The article states that students coming from a private nonprofit or for-profit college than a public four-year college typically borrowed $30,500 or more to get their bachelor's degrees. However the cost of a private nonprofit or for-profit college can cost this much per year, in comparison to a public university that may not even cost this amount over 4 years. When you look at that amount of debt over the course of 4 years it does not seem as bad. I am also curious to know if loans for bachelors degrees - can everyone take out the same amount? Or does it depend on tuition rates?
There are two articles that really caught my eye when I saw your post.
ReplyDeleteThe article "What Your Frosh Don't Know" I found particularly interesting because I recently had the opportunity to share that list with a group of students in a University Experience course. When I first read the article I thought "these students must know all of these facts" but I found it interesting to find that they did not. The one that really had them going the most is that toothpaste tubes have always stood on their cap. It was really fun and if you have the opportunity to have a discussion about the list it is really interesting.
The other article that grabbed my attention is "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall." Since my admission to USF roughly six years ago I have noticed a dramatic change in campus structures. The most memorable is the move to the new Marshall Student Center. It really marked a change in the attitude of campus and a real turning point for myself as an undergraduate student. It is really exciting to see the impact that renovations, re-modelings, or reconstructions can have on the outlook and involvement of campus life. I think it is also important to note the effect that architects have on campus structures and the amount of involvement that they have in creating campus spaces. It would be interesting to get a perspective from someone with both an architecture background and a student affairs degree.
As I read the article "What Your Frosh Don't Know" I had an array of mixed emotions. While a majority of the list brought back funny memories of my distant childhood, I came to the conclusion that I am getting old lol!
ReplyDeleteOn a more political note, a few of the items that stood out to me on the list provided was #1 "Few in class know how to write in cursive" and #31 "The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum."
I thought that this was very disheartening for the fact that it proves that our society has progressed to a technological-based in which the old traditions and nuances we grew up on are not even relevant today to a certain degree. Our younger generation does not believe in writing cursive or reading books, for they are more interested in texting on phones and playing the wii.
Now I am not saying that progression and change are bad, for they are not. I simply wanted to bring to light how the younger generation and future leaders of our society are being taught traditions and values in complete opposition to the values and traditions we were taught.
Great job providing all these articles for us to think about! I really liked "Architects Teach Old Dorms New Tricks at Franklin & Marshall." I find residence halls one of the most important places for students because if they like where they're living, most of the other things go a lot easier for them. Making sure that residence halls are comfortable places conducive to interaction and learning should be a relatively high priority to administrators. If this isn't the case, students will adapt the residence hall as best they can to what they need it to be. Relating back to Ecology today, this should be a cue that something about the building needs to change and updates should stem from observations of student usage. That being said, I'm excited to see that attention is being paid to these important buildings! Most might be good now, but could serve the students even better with some thoughtful analysis and planning. Socially catalytic spaces are extremely important in residence halls too, in making the college experience a fulfilling one.
ReplyDeleteOk, so like Clara mentioned, I also am not seeing my original post so I'll do my best to rewrite what I had. I apologize if some is repeated, as these were my thoughts from earlier in the week...
ReplyDeleteFirst, I absolutely agree with Brent's comments about the generational gaps needing to be reconsidered. With information doubling every few years now, I consider myself more of the "Generation Now" (born in 86) than someone who was born in 1980 might.
The article on American University's branding "experiment" intrigues me. First of all, the mascot is an eagle, so why a wonk? As a former Admissions Representative, I understand the importance of having a brand that speaks to your prospective students. But selling shirts with the word "wonk" on them? I would love to have been a fly on the wall when that decision was made.
On the other hand, if they're trying to get people to talk about them, it worked. Look at us as an example. Very interesting...
The article about "Architects Teach Old Dorms..." I found especially interesting and obviously relevant, as we begin our readings from Ecology. We've seen how important a physical environment can be to a campus atmosphere and student congruence but now I wonder if the renovations will attract a new type of student. I'm curious to see what happens in the future.
Finally, I have to comment on the text messaging conversation. I will readily admit that there is no better way to get a hold of me than via text message. I have asked those who I've supervised to text me if they need something and will continue to do so. I've never had a problem between personal and professional use and I think it's because we have set the expectations very early that it is to be that way.
-Ryan