Good job going outside the regular sources to find some different articles!
I was reading the “Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore” article and found it very interesting that even though Yale would be responsible for a good portion of the university yet the degrees would not have Yale written anywhere on it. Instead it will be issued by the National University of Singapore. I think it is great that this is a potential step in the direction of creating a new model for higher education in Europe, but in the same regard if we are putting so much into it why will it not carry the Yale name? The question in my mind is, if anyone that acquires a degree from this university and would like to interview for jobs in the United States, will it carry the same weight as a degree from our own Yale University or even come close to it?
"Italian-Americans Want More Affirmative Action at CUNY" was a very interesting article. I was surprised to hear that this was an under represented group on college campuses in general and to hear that there were instances of descrimintation towards Italian-Americans at CUNY. After our reading on diversity and multicilturalism last week this seems like an appropriate current event for our class to tackle. The idea that the secondary classification shoud be accounted for half in a tally of a population group is interesting. This will most likely be more common as the American population becomes more blended and people associate themselves as pertaining to multiple populations. I hope there will be a standard way to count these multiple populations because it seems CUNY took a long time to debate this in order to better understand how much of the population of Italian-Americans there were in the labor pool holding up the process of correcting and implementing affirmative action plans.
I think the article about Yale University and its partnership with the National University of Singapore shows what could possibly be a huge cultural shift and learning experiment for the global educational community. We hear in our classes about how the American college experience is so unique to us and other countries do not have their higher education systems set up in any way similar to ours at all. It's almost as if Yale is going in as a consultant to lay the groundwork for the institution, but will allow it to develop into its own identity as the students and faculty react to the American model in an entirely different setting. I personally think it's brilliant that it won't carry the Yale name on the degree. The new university should carry its own weight and create its own identity. If the model is successful it could lead a revolution of new higher education models across the globe. Which, I believe, is what the original Yale played a role in when it was founded. ;)
I also read the "Italian-Americans Want More Affirmative Action at CUNY" article. I have many different reactions to this article. Many Italians that I know identify as Caucasian so how accurate are these statistics? How would the CUNY school system know how many Italian-American’s apply to work there? Is Italian-American an option when filling out the affirmative action paperwork? Is that paperwork optional? If so, then how would an employer know if the potential hire is Italian? By stereotyping? I hope not. On the other hand, let's be honest, although we'd all like to think otherwise, America continues to struggle with human rights particularly issues pertaining to race and ethnicity. There also continues to be patterns of difficulties with addressing racial and ethnic diversity in Higher Education.
As I read the article “Italian-Americans Want More Affirmative Action at CUNY,” I too, like Rebecca, was a bit startled at first that Italian-Americans are the primary minority group at this university and are the subject of discrimination. I have always been accustomed to African-Americans, Hispanics, and Mexicans being the minorities within a population and the subjects of discrimination. My whole perspective about minorities in America was thrown off for a second. As I read this article, I was intrigued that the Italian-Americans were declared the official affirmative action category in employment and that the university faculty and staff members were making a case against the university. I was intrigued because this declaration only occurred at CUNY out of all the universities and colleges within America. Realizing CUNY’s action brought me to the understanding that being a minority in America can happen to any race or gender depending on the city, place, and other variables.
The article about Columbia University's endowment showed a positive spin on the financial crisis within universities around the nation. In 2005, from what I remember, the economy was noticeably declining, and it looks like Columbia recognized the drop as well. So, the university, according to the article, decided that they needed to raise funds for their institution. Now, Columbia does have a strong alumni base, a nice amount of them being wealthy. Odds are that it wasn't an issue for people to donate money to the university. Either way, Columbia had a sound plan that was developed to keep funding in their institution, and it worked.
I love the article about Yale creating a college in Singapore, mostly because I'm interested to see how student affairs impacts the campus culture. It sounds like the actual layout and design of the curriculum and lifestyle will closely resemble the Yale we all know here in the states. If this is the case, one can assume that a highly Americanized way of doing things (student affairs work) will also be a new concept introduced with the college.
The other article that I found particularly interesting was the Italian-American discrimination at CUNY. What stands out most is that it sounds pretty clear that CUNY has made it a point over the years to make Italian-Americans feel as welcome as anybody in the majority. Which begs the question, did CUNY just do the paperwork to make it appear as if this equality among all races was important while truly neglecting the nature of diversity? I certainly don't know the answer, and I'm not inferring anything, but I am curious because something didn't seem to add up. I did like Greg's comments, though, when he said that being the minority can happen to anyone, anywhere - it really does depend on the situation.
Yale making a university in Singapore sounds pretty much in line with what the world is becoming. We already have McDonalds everywhere, so it’s not surprising that our education systems will start popping up in other countries. It’s a little egocentric, but it will probably be very good. The only reservation I have about it is that Yale is going to do the hiring of the professors. Which probably means most of them will be Americans. I’m not fully against Americanization, but the culture in that area is going to be severely impacted by the new Yale branch. We are going to rock the world over there. But like so many of us are saying. It will lay the foundation for new research and exploration. We are bringing a source of development like none of them have ever experienced to their door step.
I found the article "Columbia's Endowment Posts 17% Return" really interesting. I wasn't familiar with all of the schools named in the article; however, I noticed those I was familiar with are all private schools. I'm wondering what decisions they're making in terms of allocating funds (other than being able to charge whatever they want for tuition) that is allowing them to stay afloat in the poor economy. Do they have a better stratification system where those in control are in excellent communication with one another and they are spending wisely? Do they do a better job of instilling school pride in their students and thus are receiving more alumni donations? Is it possible for public schools to use these colleges and universities as models or are they too different? I look forward to seeing financial reports from more schools in the coming months and how they compare to Columbia and the other schools mentioned in the article.
I enjoyed the article “Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore” since the University of South Florida College of Business offers a bachelor’s degree program in Singapore. The USF program started in fall 2008 and is taught by USF professors. The program also serves as study abroad opportunity for USF students in Florida. Although the National University of Singapore has partnerships with other U.S. schools, the one with Yale looks like it will be largest endeavor. It will be interesting to see the influence this school has on the students and vice versa. How will the students, their families and the culture influence this new institution?
I feel that the article about Yale in Singapore is great. The information in the article seems to reflect a win-win opportunity for both Yale and N.U.S. I agree with Justin that it is odd that the diplomas earned by students will not have the honor of the Yale name. This might seem cosmetic; however it may also reflect an imbalance in the early developmental agreements between Yale officials and N.U.S. Maybe the faculty members at the flagship campus have some legitimate concerns. Regardless of the particular issues leading to the Yale and N.U.S partnership, it is good for American Institutions of Higher Education to expand beyond the borders of the U.S. The benefits to both US institutions and international campuses are endless. Maybe one way for America to reestablish some credibility, confidence and cooperation with global partners is to export the longstanding excellence of American Higher Education. Let’s just hope that some overly creative individual does not try to export the Final Four or Rose Bowl to foreign soil. Some traditions must always remain in the good ‘ole USA.
The Columbia article was really interesting given the negative attention the economy has become synonymous with. They credit it to smart investing & more donations. It would be interesting for the school to release information about how the increased returns impact the students. Is the money able to generate more scholarship money, build something on campus, etc? How do the students feel this money?
I found the article “Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University” very interesting. My dad’s side of the family is full blown Italian and all from New York. Even the article said that “Italian-Americans are the largest ethnic group in the state of New York.” It seems that CUNY has diversity in other ethnicities such as Black, Latino, and Asian. However, it is very surprising that the Italian-Americans are saying they are being discriminated against. I also found it funny that Italian-Americans are still stereotyped as “mobsters or muscle-bound buffoons.” I think that it will be an easy to fix this problem because there is great amount of Italians in the area, but the stereotypes will not change anytime soon because of shows on television like Jersey Shore.
The article about Italian Americans at CUNY really struck me. It is truly hard for me to believe that a university in this day in age would be discriminating against any cultural groups’ especially a university in one of our most progressively diverse cities. As I read the article I tried to understand how they were being discriminated against but when the article spoke of such things as the Italian Americans were getting passed up for jobs or promotions I wondered what other factors came in to play when they were making these decisions. I of course am not saying this is untruthful by any means, I strongly believe that no one should feel discriminated against and everyone should have equal opportunities and privileges I am just curious as to what all of the factors were when these decisions were made. Obviously I am not the most educated in the subject of diversity and look forward to learning more about it especially come next semester.
I read the article, "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore" with a different eye. Georgetown recently opened an overseas campus, but more similar to how USF has a satellite campus in St. Pete than how Yale plans to support a different university in Singapore. Georgetown's only other campus is in Qatar in the Middle East, awarding its students Georgetown degrees. The campus is unique, in that it is another branch of our School of Foreign Service in DC, with a Middle Eastern spin on it. The school is only 5 years old, so my undergraduate experience was greatly influenced by the opening of a sister campus overseas. It was an amazing experience to have students constantly going back and forth between the two campuses, more of an exchange, rather than study-abroad. In any given semester, I had kids from Qatar (some of whom were American, but enrolled in the Mideast program), in my classes, rooming with classmates, and planning events across the globe. They also "exchanged" professors, deans, and religious leaders back and forth (the academic advisor that influenced me to get into student affairs, actually just took a year-post as the academic advisor over there-- very cool :)).
I think the fact that our campus is an extension of our School of Foreign Service, also greatly influences the nature of our interactions. Both campuses are promoting the ever-growing interconnectedness of our globalized world. It was pretty neat to be in the predominately Catholic school in DC, while classmates in Qatar had the same Jesuit ideals leading their college experience, but within a Muslim context. The “Yale” campus in Singapore will be a liberal arts college, thus having more of an Asian interpretation of liberal arts, rather than an import of American defined experience. It will definitely be interesting to see how this school kicks off and makes a name for itself, just as the other schools Yale sparked into creation.
I like the article "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore." I think it is interesting because as Lindsay stated USF also has a program in Singapore also more and more schools and companies are expanding to Asia. Yale carries such high weight with it's name, so by expanding to this evolving market I feel it will be able to help many students, and in-turn businesses. I did think it was interesting like Justin stated, that Yale's name will not be on the diploma. I think it will be interesting to see how this residential style school will be received in this different culture.
Also, I was not sure if anyone saw on the news that Clearwater High School is giving its student's Kindles. They said that while not all classes will be going to an ebook formate it will be going to this in the future. I found this interesting because we just had an article about this a few weeks ago.
I examined the article about Yale expanding and partnering in the creation of a small liberal arts college in Singapore. My interests for this article stems from, similar to Ryan's, the interest in how student affairs is branching out and being utilized overseas. The small 1000 student college with propose an intimate setting for students to live, work and empower critical thinking. With students living on campus, I would hope that this new college backed by Yale, will develop its students outside the classroom as well. This will hopefully lead to a new cultural student affairs position or different point of view from another environment.
It is still interesting to me, as most others who read this article, that the diplomas will not contain the Yale name. I understand that it is an international partnership with the N.U.S. however, since the college was created in Yale's image, with a similar curriculum, it would seems important to me to honor that name when one completes the program. Just my thoughts, but just because it is international, does not mean it should not contain part of the Yale name.
Thumbs up to Mark's statement-Let's keep football games and the Final Four in the USA :)
I am very excited for what is to come for Yale and the expanding of higher education to Singapore. I think that this will be a great learning experience for all that are involved. When I read this article I couldnt help but think of the cultural collaboration that could happen. But as I have said before, for everything that is meant for good, someone will use it for negative. Although excited at first I couldn't help but think of what the REAL reason is for establishing a university overseas that basically ran by Americans. What kind of impact will Americans make on the culture? Will the culture that is current be preserved? Will a new culture develop? How well will this institution be received by the surrounding people? These are just a few questions that came to mind while reading this article.
I found the Yale article to be fascinating. i agree that it would establish a new model for higher education in Asia which is wonderful, but I must agree with Justin. Why not have degrees that say "Yale" if they are putting all this work into it? I found that odd but it's still a very interesting article. I also agree with Clara. Student Affairs is truly expanding and I an excited to see what is to come out of this.
I was also extremely surprised by the article "Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University". I agree that nobody should ever feel discriminated against, but like Karen said, what other factors come into play? Italian-Americans are very proud and although most consider them to be Caucasian, I know plenty that put themselves into their own category. i just found this article to be odd.
I agree with Ryan and Karen regarding the “Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University” article. There were many significant points brought up, but the article did not give enough detail as to what specific actions are being classified as discrimination. It is a very charged statement that needs more investigation, but it is interesting perspective to see this ethnic group as a minority. Another smaller detail that struck me was that CUNY had a dean for recruitment and diversity. Not knowing what this position entailed, I did a little more research and found offices like these at a variety of other campuses. In an attempt to promote a diverse student population, it is not uncommon to recruit students from other universities. I was skeptical, thinking these offices may be in existence to merely gain funding, but I also saw that they sponsored programs to assist students at the university achieve a multicultural experience.
Like many of my classmates, I found the Yale article fascinating. I think it is great that such a prestigious school is branching out and offering another "Higher Ed perspective" in Singapore. Agreeing with Clara and Rochelly I think it's amazing how much student affairs is branching out. This could open up a number of new positions with a different outlook. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out. With Yale's reputation and stature the college in Singapore should be very successful. It should be interesting as well to see what American's can learn as well.
Like many of my classmates, I found the Yale article fascinating. I think it is great that such a prestigious school is branching out and offering another "Higher Ed perspective" in Singapore. Agreeing with Clara and Rochelly I think it's amazing how much student affairs is branching out. This could open up a number of new positions with a different outlook. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out. With Yale's reputation and stature the college in Singapore should be very successful. It should be interesting as well to see what American's can learn as well.
The article that caught my attention the most was the “Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University” because of the title’s truth. When I read that the group fighting the battle was Italian Americans I was caught in awe. For CUNY to go and make Italian Americans an official affirmative action category in employment I believe is a big deal. Not for some of the reasons people might think. I believe it is a big deal because it shows society that you do not have to be African American or Hispanic to be a minority. I think it is so common in today’s society when we think of a minority in our head that person we think of has a dark complexion. I would say it is extremely rare for someone to think of a Caucasian or Italian as a minority.
Hopefully, this can show people that discrimination does not apply to one race. Anyone can be discriminated against.
I also found the "Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University" really interesting. I never thought that a group such at the Italian-Americans would be considered a minority group, but with the groups that were formerly considered minorities making great progress, it makes sense that there was bound to be another group that would become the new minority. I also agree with CJs comment and this just shows that we need to adjust our perceptions and remember what diversity and minority means.
I also really enjoyed reading about Columbia's endowment. After hearing about how so many schools are struggling to raise funds, it was refreshing to hear that some investments were earning excellent returns. I would pose the same questions that Emily did though, about how these returns are going to affect the students. Since so many students are struggling to afford college, an excellent, and very beneficial use for some of these funds would be for student scholarships.
It has been said that language is the most unifying element of a culture. Naturally, this makes sense since bonds are strenghtened by communication. I would say that the second most common unifying element of a culture would be education. Other aspects play into this unification, but education is a very big commonality that allows for a cohesive bond of thought and ideas.
I think it is an excellent idea for Yale to be opening this institution in Singapore. While there are some concerns to be had about freedom of thought and speech in this country, the University has been told that its freedom of intellectual thought will be upheld--something that could have wonderful repercussions down the road.
The United States has long led the world in technological and economic prowess. However, some of its most profound contributions to the world have been its ideas. One key way of transporting ideas is through education. The world has envied the United States' university system for years. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to further reach out to the Muslim world--Singapore is the world's largest Muslim nation--and hopefully at the same time foster an envronment of intellectual freedom.
I think that placing a Yale sister school(I am not sure if that is the correct terminology) in Singapore will be a new trend for many schools in the U.S. I also like the idea that Yale is not necessarily branding the university to be everything that the Yale in the U.S stands for. I think this gives the university the ability to shape itself. Chance, I like your post! I would of never guessed that Singapore is the world's largest Muslim nation.
I find it very encouraging that Yale is opening an institution in Singapore. The U.S. sets the standard for the world in higher education so its neat that we are spreading our touch to other places. I will second Justins questions about name use though. It seems bitter sweet to attend classes and earn a degree from a institution with Yales name on it and not have it on the degree :(
Angela- It is very interesting about the position you found. I didn't even think to look into the actual position. I am glad you did it encouraged me to look more into the position as well. I found that a lot of schools are starting new initiatives that involve adding this office to their programs. It is an interesting idea that would never have occurred to me.
The article about Yale having a university in Singapore is intriguing, but raised some questions for me. I don’t know a lot about college education in Singapore, but I studied abroad in Europe and almost everything about college is very different there. In the US the general view on Yale is that it is worth the money to attend, because the quality of education is so good. At least in Europe College education is free to almost everyone. My Irish roommates thought I was crazy for paying anything for college, the Irish government provides free tuition and a housing/living grant for most students there. I don’t know how the system works in Singapore, but I wonder if there will be many in Singapore who view paying for an education (especially if it isn’t actually a Yale degree) as a good idea. Yale is also known here for being highly competitive during the admissions process, the Irish schools weren’t that way at all. Irish students took the “leaving cert” and from that test were assigned to a college. It makes me wonder how Yale plans to admit and recruit students to their new campus. The article also talked about how they want to create a liberal arts institution in Singapore. The Irish college I went to did have some liberal arts courses, but the majority of their coursework was vocation based. Is there actually a great demand for liberal arts education abroad?
I was shocked to read in "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore" that the students would basically be earning a degree from this institution but not have the name anywhere on the diploma. While on the contrary, NYU's college in Abu Dhabi gives out NYU diploma's. Are these students being held to the same ivy league admission standards as the students attending the regular campus in New Haven, CT? It is concerning that the same faculty and staff will be teaching them, or new Yale staff will be hired, but they will not get the same recognition. This is especially true if they are held to the same, if not higher standards. It does not seem very fair to attend the college and not receive the proper recognition for your work.
I agree with many of you after reading the article "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore." I do not see the benefit of opening a campus 9,500 miles away (or any distance for that matter) that is not going to represent the original university. Would receiving a degree from the National University of Singapore be any different than receiving a degree from a college not associated with Yale? In my opinion and current emotion I feel as if a school is created by a Harvard, Yale, M.I.T., etc... it must contain the core reason that students want to attend the primary schools in the first place, the quality and prestige.
I also find this concerning that Yale plans to open a college overseas at the same time that we are having such difficulty financially in the United States. Just this last week UCLA had suggested the idea of changing to a private institution from a public. With this sort of change happening in American Higher Education some part of me feels like we should be focusing on the primary institutions right now and worrying about expanding overseas after. Perhaps this is an idea fueled by profit for Yale?
Here is a link to the UCLA article if anyone is interested: http://www.topmba.com/articles/north-america/UCLA-Anderson-private-funding
I think Yale opening a school in Singapore is a bad idea. The culture in Singapore is totally different. I don't think it's realistic to expect our uniquely American ideals regarding student affairs, free speech, experiential learning, diversity, and all the other cornerstones of American higher education to take root. No doubt what the students will get out of their education there will be totally different than what they're getting here. The school will not be created in a vacuum. "Yale" doesn't mean the same thing in Singapore as it does here. Another HUGE issue is that they're going to be hiring their own faculty?? It sounds like an expensive experiment to me.
It's interesting that Italian Americans are considered a separate/minority group at CUNY. Like Monica noted, many Italian Americans identify themselves as Caucasian. Is there a separate "Italian American" designation somewhere? Or are they determining who's Italian American based on stereotypes etc...? American higher education no doubt has a long way to go when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
Oh my! I almost forgot to do the blog for this week!
The article that I found the most interesting the week was the article about Yale opening shop in Singapore. For some reason it seems that a lot of universities have started opening shop oversees. This is not a new idea by any means. I remember hearing on NPR a few months ago about a university (Michigan State University) that had opened shop in the United Arab Emirates and then after a few months had closed its doors because it was not profitable (http://dubai.msu.edu/). Personally, I never understood this desire to export universities overseas. While I do understand the desire to spread our American higher education system abroad, it doesn’t make sense to me to brand it with an American university name (especially with a state university name like MSU or NYU like the university points out). It would seem better to me to set up partnerships similar to the Confucius Institute here at USF. I think by using these types of partnerships will be more effective then the “if you build it they will come” approach taken so far. My understanding from the MSU closure is that students simply didn’t want to go to the MSU campus if they were staying in the UAE and if they wanted an American education, they wanted to come to the US, not stay where they were.
As predicted...
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the week 5 blog!!!
The first article is about Yale’s expansion into Singapore. It is a new example of exporting the U.S. university model.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/education/14yale.html?_r=1&ref=education
The second one shows that not every school is facing a bad year for revenue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/business/16columbia.html?ref=education
The last one covers a controversy brewing for the City University of New York. This is another struggle in the quest for diversity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/nyregion/15italians.html?ref=education
I assumed most of us are already following the Chronicle, so I wanted to utilize a different source this week.
Good job going outside the regular sources to find some different articles!
ReplyDeleteI was reading the “Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore” article and found it very interesting that even though Yale would be responsible for a good portion of the university yet the degrees would not have Yale written anywhere on it. Instead it will be issued by the National University of Singapore. I think it is great that this is a potential step in the direction of creating a new model for higher education in Europe, but in the same regard if we are putting so much into it why will it not carry the Yale name? The question in my mind is, if anyone that acquires a degree from this university and would like to interview for jobs in the United States, will it carry the same weight as a degree from our own Yale University or even come close to it?
"Italian-Americans Want More Affirmative Action at CUNY" was a very interesting article. I was surprised to hear that this was an under represented group on college campuses in general and to hear that there were instances of descrimintation towards Italian-Americans at CUNY. After our reading on diversity and multicilturalism last week this seems like an appropriate current event for our class to tackle. The idea that the secondary classification shoud be accounted for half in a tally of a population group is interesting. This will most likely be more common as the American population becomes more blended and people associate themselves as pertaining to multiple populations. I hope there will be a standard way to count these multiple populations because it seems CUNY took a long time to debate this in order to better understand how much of the population of Italian-Americans there were in the labor pool holding up the process of correcting and implementing affirmative action plans.
ReplyDeleteI think the article about Yale University and its partnership with the National University of Singapore shows what could possibly be a huge cultural shift and learning experiment for the global educational community. We hear in our classes about how the American college experience is so unique to us and other countries do not have their higher education systems set up in any way similar to ours at all. It's almost as if Yale is going in as a consultant to lay the groundwork for the institution, but will allow it to develop into its own identity as the students and faculty react to the American model in an entirely different setting. I personally think it's brilliant that it won't carry the Yale name on the degree. The new university should carry its own weight and create its own identity. If the model is successful it could lead a revolution of new higher education models across the globe. Which, I believe, is what the original Yale played a role in when it was founded. ;)
ReplyDeleteI also read the "Italian-Americans Want More Affirmative Action at CUNY" article. I have many different reactions to this article. Many Italians that I know identify as Caucasian so how accurate are these statistics? How would the CUNY school system know how many Italian-American’s apply to work there? Is Italian-American an option when filling out the affirmative action paperwork? Is that paperwork optional? If so, then how would an employer know if the potential hire is Italian? By stereotyping? I hope not. On the other hand, let's be honest, although we'd all like to think otherwise, America continues to struggle with human rights particularly issues pertaining to race and ethnicity. There also continues to be patterns of difficulties with addressing racial and ethnic diversity in Higher Education.
ReplyDeleteAs I read the article “Italian-Americans Want More Affirmative Action at CUNY,” I too, like Rebecca, was a bit startled at first that Italian-Americans are the primary minority group at this university and are the subject of discrimination. I have always been accustomed to African-Americans, Hispanics, and Mexicans being the minorities within a population and the subjects of discrimination. My whole perspective about minorities in America was thrown off for a second.
ReplyDeleteAs I read this article, I was intrigued that the Italian-Americans were declared the official affirmative action category in employment and that the university faculty and staff members were making a case against the university. I was intrigued because this declaration only occurred at CUNY out of all the universities and colleges within America. Realizing CUNY’s action brought me to the understanding that being a minority in America can happen to any race or gender depending on the city, place, and other variables.
The article about Columbia University's endowment showed a positive spin on the financial crisis within universities around the nation. In 2005, from what I remember, the economy was noticeably declining, and it looks like Columbia recognized the drop as well. So, the university, according to the article, decided that they needed to raise funds for their institution. Now, Columbia does have a strong alumni base, a nice amount of them being wealthy. Odds are that it wasn't an issue for people to donate money to the university. Either way, Columbia had a sound plan that was developed to keep funding in their institution, and it worked.
ReplyDeleteI love the article about Yale creating a college in Singapore, mostly because I'm interested to see how student affairs impacts the campus culture. It sounds like the actual layout and design of the curriculum and lifestyle will closely resemble the Yale we all know here in the states. If this is the case, one can assume that a highly Americanized way of doing things (student affairs work) will also be a new concept introduced with the college.
ReplyDeleteThe other article that I found particularly interesting was the Italian-American discrimination at CUNY. What stands out most is that it sounds pretty clear that CUNY has made it a point over the years to make Italian-Americans feel as welcome as anybody in the majority. Which begs the question, did CUNY just do the paperwork to make it appear as if this equality among all races was important while truly neglecting the nature of diversity? I certainly don't know the answer, and I'm not inferring anything, but I am curious because something didn't seem to add up. I did like Greg's comments, though, when he said that being the minority can happen to anyone, anywhere - it really does depend on the situation.
Yale making a university in Singapore sounds pretty much in line with what the world is becoming. We already have McDonalds everywhere, so it’s not surprising that our education systems will start popping up in other countries. It’s a little egocentric, but it will probably be very good. The only reservation I have about it is that Yale is going to do the hiring of the professors. Which probably means most of them will be Americans. I’m not fully against Americanization, but the culture in that area is going to be severely impacted by the new Yale branch. We are going to rock the world over there. But like so many of us are saying. It will lay the foundation for new research and exploration. We are bringing a source of development like none of them have ever experienced to their door step.
ReplyDeleteI found the article "Columbia's Endowment Posts 17% Return" really interesting. I wasn't familiar with all of the schools named in the article; however, I noticed those I was familiar with are all private schools. I'm wondering what decisions they're making in terms of allocating funds (other than being able to charge whatever they want for tuition) that is allowing them to stay afloat in the poor economy. Do they have a better stratification system where those in control are in excellent communication with one another and they are spending wisely? Do they do a better job of instilling school pride in their students and thus are receiving more alumni donations? Is it possible for public schools to use these colleges and universities as models or are they too different? I look forward to seeing financial reports from more schools in the coming months and how they compare to Columbia and the other schools mentioned in the article.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the article “Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore” since the University of South Florida College of Business offers a bachelor’s degree program in Singapore. The USF program started in fall 2008 and is taught by USF professors. The program also serves as study abroad opportunity for USF students in Florida. Although the National University of Singapore has partnerships with other U.S. schools, the one with Yale looks like it will be largest endeavor. It will be interesting to see the influence this school has on the students and vice versa. How will the students, their families and the culture influence this new institution?
ReplyDeleteI feel that the article about Yale in Singapore is great. The information in the article seems to reflect a win-win opportunity for both Yale and N.U.S. I agree with Justin that it is odd that the diplomas earned by students will not have the honor of the Yale name. This might seem cosmetic; however it may also reflect an imbalance in the early developmental agreements between Yale officials and N.U.S. Maybe the faculty members at the flagship campus have some legitimate concerns. Regardless of the particular issues leading to the Yale and N.U.S partnership, it is good for American Institutions of Higher Education to expand beyond the borders of the U.S. The benefits to both US institutions and international campuses are endless. Maybe one way for America to reestablish some credibility, confidence and cooperation with global partners is to export the longstanding excellence of American Higher Education. Let’s just hope that some overly creative individual does not try to export the Final Four or Rose Bowl to foreign soil. Some traditions must always remain in the good ‘ole USA.
ReplyDeleteThe Columbia article was really interesting given the negative attention the economy has become synonymous with. They credit it to smart investing & more donations. It would be interesting for the school to release information about how the increased returns impact the students. Is the money able to generate more scholarship money, build something on campus, etc? How do the students feel this money?
ReplyDeleteI found the article “Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University” very interesting. My dad’s side of the family is full blown Italian and all from New York. Even the article said that “Italian-Americans are the largest ethnic group in the state of New York.” It seems that CUNY has diversity in other ethnicities such as Black, Latino, and Asian. However, it is very surprising that the Italian-Americans are saying they are being discriminated against. I also found it funny that Italian-Americans are still stereotyped as “mobsters or muscle-bound buffoons.” I think that it will be an easy to fix this problem because there is great amount of Italians in the area, but the stereotypes will not change anytime soon because of shows on television like Jersey Shore.
ReplyDeleteThe article about Italian Americans at CUNY really struck me. It is truly hard for me to believe that a university in this day in age would be discriminating against any cultural groups’ especially a university in one of our most progressively diverse cities. As I read the article I tried to understand how they were being discriminated against but when the article spoke of such things as the Italian Americans were getting passed up for jobs or promotions I wondered what other factors came in to play when they were making these decisions. I of course am not saying this is untruthful by any means, I strongly believe that no one should feel discriminated against and everyone should have equal opportunities and privileges I am just curious as to what all of the factors were when these decisions were made. Obviously I am not the most educated in the subject of diversity and look forward to learning more about it especially come next semester.
ReplyDeleteI read the article, "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore" with a different eye. Georgetown recently opened an overseas campus, but more similar to how USF has a satellite campus in St. Pete than how Yale plans to support a different university in Singapore. Georgetown's only other campus is in Qatar in the Middle East, awarding its students Georgetown degrees. The campus is unique, in that it is another branch of our School of Foreign Service in DC, with a Middle Eastern spin on it. The school is only 5 years old, so my undergraduate experience was greatly influenced by the opening of a sister campus overseas. It was an amazing experience to have students constantly going back and forth between the two campuses, more of an exchange, rather than study-abroad. In any given semester, I had kids from Qatar (some of whom were American, but enrolled in the Mideast program), in my classes, rooming with classmates, and planning events across the globe. They also "exchanged" professors, deans, and religious leaders back and forth (the academic advisor that influenced me to get into student affairs, actually just took a year-post as the academic advisor over there-- very cool :)).
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that our campus is an extension of our School of Foreign Service, also greatly influences the nature of our interactions. Both campuses are promoting the ever-growing interconnectedness of our globalized world. It was pretty neat to be in the predominately Catholic school in DC, while classmates in Qatar had the same Jesuit ideals leading their college experience, but within a Muslim context. The “Yale” campus in Singapore will be a liberal arts college, thus having more of an Asian interpretation of liberal arts, rather than an import of American defined experience. It will definitely be interesting to see how this school kicks off and makes a name for itself, just as the other schools Yale sparked into creation.
I like the article "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore." I think it is interesting because as Lindsay stated USF also has a program in Singapore also more and more schools and companies are expanding to Asia. Yale carries such high weight with it's name, so by expanding to this evolving market I feel it will be able to help many students, and in-turn businesses. I did think it was interesting like Justin stated, that Yale's name will not be on the diploma. I think it will be interesting to see how this residential style school will be received in this different culture.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was not sure if anyone saw on the news that Clearwater High School is giving its student's Kindles. They said that while not all classes will be going to an ebook formate it will be going to this in the future. I found this interesting because we just had an article about this a few weeks ago.
I examined the article about Yale expanding and partnering in the creation of a small liberal arts college in Singapore. My interests for this article stems from, similar to Ryan's, the interest in how student affairs is branching out and being utilized overseas. The small 1000 student college with propose an intimate setting for students to live, work and empower critical thinking. With students living on campus, I would hope that this new college backed by Yale, will develop its students outside the classroom as well. This will hopefully lead to a new cultural student affairs position or different point of view from another environment.
ReplyDeleteIt is still interesting to me, as most others who read this article, that the diplomas will not contain the Yale name. I understand that it is an international partnership with the N.U.S. however, since the college was created in Yale's image, with a similar curriculum, it would seems important to me to honor that name when one completes the program. Just my thoughts, but just because it is international, does not mean it should not contain part of the Yale name.
Thumbs up to Mark's statement-Let's keep football games and the Final Four in the USA :)
I am very excited for what is to come for Yale and the expanding of higher education to Singapore. I think that this will be a great learning experience for all that are involved. When I read this article I couldnt help but think of the cultural collaboration that could happen. But as I have said before, for everything that is meant for good, someone will use it for negative. Although excited at first I couldn't help but think of what the REAL reason is for establishing a university overseas that basically ran by Americans. What kind of impact will Americans make on the culture? Will the culture that is current be preserved? Will a new culture develop? How well will this institution be received by the surrounding people? These are just a few questions that came to mind while reading this article.
ReplyDeleteI found the Yale article to be fascinating. i agree that it would establish a new model for higher education in Asia which is wonderful, but I must agree with Justin. Why not have degrees that say "Yale" if they are putting all this work into it? I found that odd but it's still a very interesting article. I also agree with Clara. Student Affairs is truly expanding and I an excited to see what is to come out of this.
ReplyDeleteI was also extremely surprised by the article "Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University". I agree that nobody should ever feel discriminated against, but like Karen said, what other factors come into play? Italian-Americans are very proud and although most consider them to be Caucasian, I know plenty that put themselves into their own category. i just found this article to be odd.
I agree with Ryan and Karen regarding the “Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University” article. There were many significant points brought up, but the article did not give enough detail as to what specific actions are being classified as discrimination. It is a very charged statement that needs more investigation, but it is interesting perspective to see this ethnic group as a minority.
ReplyDeleteAnother smaller detail that struck me was that CUNY had a dean for recruitment and diversity. Not knowing what this position entailed, I did a little more research and found offices like these at a variety of other campuses. In an attempt to promote a diverse student population, it is not uncommon to recruit students from other universities. I was skeptical, thinking these offices may be in existence to merely gain funding, but I also saw that they sponsored programs to assist students at the university achieve a multicultural experience.
Like many of my classmates, I found the Yale article fascinating. I think it is great that such a prestigious school is branching out and offering another "Higher Ed perspective" in Singapore. Agreeing with Clara and Rochelly I think it's amazing how much student affairs is branching out. This could open up a number of new positions with a different outlook. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out. With Yale's reputation and stature the college in Singapore should be very successful. It should be interesting as well to see what American's can learn as well.
ReplyDeleteLike many of my classmates, I found the Yale article fascinating. I think it is great that such a prestigious school is branching out and offering another "Higher Ed perspective" in Singapore. Agreeing with Clara and Rochelly I think it's amazing how much student affairs is branching out. This could open up a number of new positions with a different outlook. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out. With Yale's reputation and stature the college in Singapore should be very successful. It should be interesting as well to see what American's can learn as well.
ReplyDeleteThe article that caught my attention the most was the “Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University” because of the title’s truth. When I read that the group fighting the battle was Italian Americans I was caught in awe. For CUNY to go and make Italian Americans an official affirmative action category in employment I believe is a big deal. Not for some of the reasons people might think. I believe it is a big deal because it shows society that you do not have to be African American or Hispanic to be a minority. I think it is so common in today’s society when we think of a minority in our head that person we think of has a dark complexion. I would say it is extremely rare for someone to think of a Caucasian or Italian as a minority.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, this can show people that discrimination does not apply to one race. Anyone can be discriminated against.
I also found the "Unlikely Group Charges Bias at University" really interesting. I never thought that a group such at the Italian-Americans would be considered a minority group, but with the groups that were formerly considered minorities making great progress, it makes sense that there was bound to be another group that would become the new minority. I also agree with CJs comment and this just shows that we need to adjust our perceptions and remember what diversity and minority means.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed reading about Columbia's endowment. After hearing about how so many schools are struggling to raise funds, it was refreshing to hear that some investments were earning excellent returns. I would pose the same questions that Emily did though, about how these returns are going to affect the students. Since so many students are struggling to afford college, an excellent, and very beneficial use for some of these funds would be for student scholarships.
It has been said that language is the most unifying element of a culture. Naturally, this makes sense since bonds are strenghtened by communication. I would say that the second most common unifying element of a culture would be education. Other aspects play into this unification, but education is a very big commonality that allows for a cohesive bond of thought and ideas.
ReplyDeleteI think it is an excellent idea for Yale to be opening this institution in Singapore. While there are some concerns to be had about freedom of thought and speech in this country, the University has been told that its freedom of intellectual thought will be upheld--something that could have wonderful repercussions down the road.
The United States has long led the world in technological and economic prowess. However, some of its most profound contributions to the world have been its ideas. One key way of transporting ideas is through education. The world has envied the United States' university system for years. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to further reach out to the Muslim world--Singapore is the world's largest Muslim nation--and hopefully at the same time foster an envronment of intellectual freedom.
I think that placing a Yale sister school(I am not sure if that is the correct terminology) in Singapore will be a new trend for many schools in the U.S. I also like the idea that Yale is not necessarily branding the university to be everything that the Yale in the U.S stands for. I think this gives the university the ability to shape itself.
ReplyDeleteChance, I like your post! I would of never guessed that Singapore is the world's largest Muslim nation.
I find it very encouraging that Yale is opening an institution in Singapore. The U.S. sets the standard for the world in higher education so its neat that we are spreading our touch to other places. I will second Justins questions about name use though. It seems bitter sweet to attend classes and earn a degree from a institution with Yales name on it and not have it on the degree :(
ReplyDeleteAngela- It is very interesting about the position you found. I didn't even think to look into the actual position. I am glad you did it encouraged me to look more into the position as well. I found that a lot of schools are starting new initiatives that involve adding this office to their programs. It is an interesting idea that would never have occurred to me.
ReplyDeleteThe article about Yale having a university in Singapore is intriguing, but raised some questions for me. I don’t know a lot about college education in Singapore, but I studied abroad in Europe and almost everything about college is very different there. In the US the general view on Yale is that it is worth the money to attend, because the quality of education is so good. At least in Europe College education is free to almost everyone. My Irish roommates thought I was crazy for paying anything for college, the Irish government provides free tuition and a housing/living grant for most students there. I don’t know how the system works in Singapore, but I wonder if there will be many in Singapore who view paying for an education (especially if it isn’t actually a Yale degree) as a good idea. Yale is also known here for being highly competitive during the admissions process, the Irish schools weren’t that way at all. Irish students took the “leaving cert” and from that test were assigned to a college. It makes me wonder how Yale plans to admit and recruit students to their new campus. The article also talked about how they want to create a liberal arts institution in Singapore. The Irish college I went to did have some liberal arts courses, but the majority of their coursework was vocation based. Is there actually a great demand for liberal arts education abroad?
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to read in "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore" that the students would basically be earning a degree from this institution but not have the name anywhere on the diploma. While on the contrary, NYU's college in Abu Dhabi gives out NYU diploma's. Are these students being held to the same ivy league admission standards as the students attending the regular campus in New Haven, CT? It is concerning that the same faculty and staff will be teaching them, or new Yale staff will be hired, but they will not get the same recognition. This is especially true if they are held to the same, if not higher standards. It does not seem very fair to attend the college and not receive the proper recognition for your work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of you after reading the article "Yale Plans to Create a College in Singapore." I do not see the benefit of opening a campus 9,500 miles away (or any distance for that matter) that is not going to represent the original university. Would receiving a degree from the National University of Singapore be any different than receiving a degree from a college not associated with Yale? In my opinion and current emotion I feel as if a school is created by a Harvard, Yale, M.I.T., etc... it must contain the core reason that students want to attend the primary schools in the first place, the quality and prestige.
ReplyDeleteI also find this concerning that Yale plans to open a college overseas at the same time that we are having such difficulty financially in the United States. Just this last week UCLA had suggested the idea of changing to a private institution from a public. With this sort of change happening in American Higher Education some part of me feels like we should be focusing on the primary institutions right now and worrying about expanding overseas after. Perhaps this is an idea fueled by profit for Yale?
Here is a link to the UCLA article if anyone is interested:
http://www.topmba.com/articles/north-america/UCLA-Anderson-private-funding
I think Yale opening a school in Singapore is a bad idea. The culture in Singapore is totally different. I don't think it's realistic to expect our uniquely American ideals regarding student affairs, free speech, experiential learning, diversity, and all the other cornerstones of American higher education to take root. No doubt what the students will get out of their education there will be totally different than what they're getting here. The school will not be created in a vacuum. "Yale" doesn't mean the same thing in Singapore as it does here. Another HUGE issue is that they're going to be hiring their own faculty?? It sounds like an expensive experiment to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Italian Americans are considered a separate/minority group at CUNY. Like Monica noted, many Italian Americans identify themselves as Caucasian. Is there a separate "Italian American" designation somewhere? Or are they determining who's Italian American based on stereotypes etc...? American higher education no doubt has a long way to go when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
Oh my! I almost forgot to do the blog for this week!
ReplyDeleteThe article that I found the most interesting the week was the article about Yale opening shop in Singapore. For some reason it seems that a lot of universities have started opening shop oversees. This is not a new idea by any means. I remember hearing on NPR a few months ago about a university (Michigan State University) that had opened shop in the United Arab Emirates and then after a few months had closed its doors because it was not profitable (http://dubai.msu.edu/). Personally, I never understood this desire to export universities overseas. While I do understand the desire to spread our American higher education system abroad, it doesn’t make sense to me to brand it with an American university name (especially with a state university name like MSU or NYU like the university points out). It would seem better to me to set up partnerships similar to the Confucius Institute here at USF. I think by using these types of partnerships will be more effective then the “if you build it they will come” approach taken so far. My understanding from the MSU closure is that students simply didn’t want to go to the MSU campus if they were staying in the UAE and if they wanted an American education, they wanted to come to the US, not stay where they were.