The first article "Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied" is timely after our guest speaker in class this week. The article discusses the importance of acessing the needs of Veterans and also implementing services for Veterans. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/04/nsse
The second article "A Supportive Nudge for Minority Graduate Students on the Path to a Ph.D.". This article made me think about our discussion in class. This is a great example of ways to reach subgroups in college campuses. Although, every minority student may not attend-knowing that this is available is what matters. http://chronicle.com/article/A-Supportive-Nudge-for/125212/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
This third article "Coach's Exit vs. Whistle-Blower's Exit" discusses ethics in athletics. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/03/dear
This blurb is really short but in prior weeks we all read a few articles with topics of Transgenered athletes. Check this out! http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/transgender-man-competes-on-womens-basketball-team-at-george-washingtonu/28044sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
I think it’s interesting that this is the first year the study had included students who served in the armed services. It shows just how much this population of students is growing and how much the profession needs to be aware of their growing presence on campuses, especially at a school like USF (since these students are more likely to enroll at big schools). I also found it interesting that while they report the same level of overall satisfaction as most students they perceive less support from the school then other students. I think our guest speaker this week did a good job of articulating why that is. I also think it shows a need for the kind of veteran support services USF provides at other schools in the country. I also thought the information about specific majors was interesting. I was really surprised by the number of sociology majors doing research with their professors (33% vs 19% in other majors). Dr. Meningall mentioned that she wanted to see USF do a better job of mentoring – this article made me wonder what it is that sociology departments are doing so much differently that their students are getting more of these one on one type experiences. I don't know what it's like at USF, but sociology was a BIG department at Iowa. They had a lot of students which to me would think those students have less opportunity to do extra work outside of class.
The first article about the NSSE responses shows how important it is to stay updated and current about student trends and needs. Clearly, veteran needs are a growing concern and universities need to come up with ways to address their unique needs. I am curious to see if and how the veterans needs will change as more take advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, especially if younger veterans return to school. The article says that most veterans were older and male, but I think that it is possible that these demographics may change in the future.
Alyssa, I'm not sure that sociology is a large department at USF, but psychology is a fairly large one. Furthermore, many serious psychology students engage in research labs. I think that because of the field's characteristics, students who want to pursue a career in psychology need to engage in research outside of the classroom.
The article about SUNY choosing not to renew Prof. Dear's contract next semester shows, in my opinion, more than just the pressure athletics puts on universities, but the tentative position adjunct professors have in universities, and how important tenure is to professors who want to stay at one university with some sort of security. We've heard about the importance of tenure many times by now, and this is another example of how unstable professorships can be without it. A few semesters ago at USF, at least one adjunct was dismissed because of his behavior outside of the classroom. Because they are contracted each semester, any behavior which is not inline with expectations can place adjuncts at risk. Bringing in Campus Ecology, this also makes one question if there is a risk of a campus crisis. She has stated that she intends to get new teaching positions from SUNY, but how will she react if she is unsuccessful?
The SUNY Binghamton article regarding the adjunct professor speaking out against the athletes publicly is concerning. My first reactions was thinking that she was crazy to speak so publicly as an adjunct. Although her experiences with those students seem troubling and should require someone at SUNY to address this issue (which it sounds like they have with the coach's departure), there is a time and place to bring up these concerns. As someone without a contract, why would you put yourself in this kind of public scrutiny? Just as a first year teacher in a K-12 system shouldn't speak against the administration or a new hire in the business world would pick their battles carefully, a non-tenured professor should take the same precautions. I also am curious as to why this professor has been an adjunct for 12 years. Did she choose this path or is she an adjunct because that is all she could apply for every year?
With that said, I am sympathetic to her conerns. That type of student behavior is not acceptable in the classroom. I'm sure it is frustrating and could be difficult to address without the university being aware of the situation.
Student Veteran's who are satisfied with their school but are not as engaged as other students is a little surprising. At first I thought this might have to do with a lot of external factors like age, family responsibilities, etc. Many students at USF are not a typical 18 year old student, but at other institutions that could be a reason for a veteran feeling less connected or engaged. Additionally, does serving in the military give veteran students a skillset that allows them to be satisfied without the constant engagement? In my experiences, people who have served in the military are happy with the status quo, don't question the processes or burreacratic ways as someone who has not served, and adapt easily. Of course we want all students to not only be satisfied with their experiences but also feel engaged and connected. There is a need for schools to reach out to these students and I hope more schools follow USF's lead to create a good environment for student veterans to be engaged.
The “Veterans” article is a great tie-in to the presentation this week. Good job Monica!
It comes to no surprise that veterans are less engaged than other students on campus. Most veterans are there for the in classroom learning and that is it. Very few partake in extracurricular activities, but it doesn’t mean that they are any less important to the college community. I would love to see more independent veterans support service offices across the country, but unfortunately the funding isn’t available for most schools. I, like Emily am interested in seeing the trends change over the coming years as younger veterans are retuning to school. I think Becca also brings up a great point with veterans having a certain skill set that allows them to be satisfied without constant engagement. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it kind of makes sense. I do know that they all strive to do their best and display that in their lives outside of school, but maybe once those younger veterans come in they may become more engaged than the traditional veterans explained in this article.
I was glad to see that student veterans were as satisfied as their non-veteran peers, but I am not sure what that satisfaction level is. I was surprised by the small percentage of veterans represented in the survey, but as the article mentioned there will probably be an increase in the student veteran population due to the changes in the GI bill and returning veterans. I do hope that more schools work on creating events and organizations which veterans can and want to be a part of, similar to what USF is working towards. Reading that students in education had more internships than other majors makes sense, there seems to always be a need for more teachers and having a student teacher could be helpful in a classroom. The NSSE seems practical if institutions can use the findings to make changes to better the student.
It was good to read the article about the programs to support minority Ph.D. students. The conference was very useful for the students and was a great resource for them. The mentor program also seems helpful for the young students and professionals. I think the information from the conference and a good mentoring program would benefit many other students too.
Reading the article about minority graduate students pursuing Ph.D. degrees reminded me of a conversation that I had with my mentor recently. He is in his second year as a Ph.D. student at Indiana University. One challenge that he faces regularly is having little support of other Black Ph.D. students and professionals with the degree because there is a small number of African-Americans with that level of education. He does, however, find support in other ways that encourages him to move along his journey in the doctoral program. Another motivation for him is that he will be 30 when he completes the program. Tying it to the article, everyone can benefit from mentoring in some form during their educational journey or even the pathway of life. As the article explains, minority students tend to succeed much more having support of men and women that look like them and have the education level they are seeking. Once the mentoring continues, it can build into something stronger, like a networking opportunity of some sort.
One thing to keep in mind with veterans is that they are very disciplined. They know what they want and go for it. These individuals may not be the ones jumping in line to join an organization, but they are the ones who do work hard to make the grade. Another thing about veterans is that they have their own sets of needs as the article states. Like any other student population, they have their needs where people that understand their need to help them endure. Being here at USF has helped me to see that veterans around the country pursuing degrees need assistance in this matter, and it is up to the universities to give them that support and for veterans to be open about their needs as well.
The first article about veterans and NSSE statistics was extremely eye opening for me. I enjoyed the first part that talked about veterans specifically and I think the comments from those of you above are right in line with my thoughts and feelings as well on this. Very timely with the class presentation from last week and it's nice to know that USF is blazing the trail for creating veteran's services outside of being tied to financial aid or enrollment as in other institutions. The part of this article that shocked me was when it stated that NSSE does not release individual institutional information unlike the Community College version of the same report. While I am not 100% familiar with the report, I think the fact that an institution can pick and choose what data will be released to the public is misleading as they will only allow the data that reflects them in a positive manner to be published.
The other article on the coach and adjunct faculty being dismissed from SUNY-Binghamton is just another example how one situation has two totally different perspectives based on who is looking at it. The university states it's part of budget cuts when discussing the dismissal of the adjunct faculty, but she states her classes have waiting lists and that they will be taught by other adjunct faculty. One could only assume these replacements would be making very similar pay per class to teach. Proving retaliation on her part could be very costly and extremely difficult to do. What always goes through my mind when I read any article similar to this is how much effort or finances should one put forward in a case like this and when should one just throw in the towel? If no one stands up for situations like this, then universities or corporations will get away with unjust actions. It's a fine line in my opinion. Also, her statement of looking for other classes to teach at the same system was shocking to me as well. If she had just been dismissed due to budget cuts that would be one thing, but to publicly state she feels she is being dismissed due to whistle blowing and want to attempt to work for the same institution just doesn't make sense to me. I would say it's time to move on to bigger and better things in her career.
After last weeks class, the veterans article sparked my attention. I agree with what most everyone has already said. It is clear that veterans do not participate in as many extracurricular activities as non-veterans. Everyone has already mentioned that factors such as age and the fact that they are there to just attend school to be some reasons for this. However, I think it is great that USF has a veterans affairs office to reach out to these students. I also think it is great that they are building a lounge for them to hang out and talk because social interaction is a big key to college success and maturation in my mind.
The graduate student conference article was also interesting. I think that all PhD students should receive encouragement like this conference offers. I didn't realize that there were conferences that gave advice about dissertations, getting published, and negotiating a first job offer. This is a great outlook for PhD students. This conference specifically dealt with minorities pursuing a PhD, which was nice to know that even during tough economic times there are many still many job prospects and diversity remains a top priority. This article also made me realize that if I want to continue my education that conferences would be a great idea to attend.
The article about minority graduate students working toward their Ph.D. was interesting to me. One particular comment by a student, Jesus Escobar, really caught my attention. He mentioned how the conference was a one-stop shop to give him all the information he needed to know in an hour and a half session. While I think conferences are wonderful opportunities to meet other individuals working toward the same goal and have opportunities one may otherwise not have had, my initial reaction was that the institution this student is attending should be the one to provide him with information regarding publishing a dissertation, the job search process, and negotiating a contract. Conferences then should be a supplement to what he has already learned. And what about those individuals who may not have been able to attend this conference? Are they simply left in the dark? It seems to me that individuals working toward a Ph.D. are in just as much need, if not more so, than undergraduate students of having a knowledgeable mentor to guide them through the challenging process. Universities offering Ph.D. programs should use this conference and mentoring program as a model to bring similar services to their campus.
The article about veterans was also fascinating and timely. Our presenter this past week mentioned he would like to begin to see more discussion and collaboration take place campus wide in an attempt to not only have the veterans feel more included, but to also educate students, faculty, and staff about this unique population of students on campus. As such, the Student Engagement Wiki that was recently implemented at the University of New Brunswick caught my attention. Currently, this tool is being used to share ideas and resources among faculty and staff to encourage discussions and hands-on projects. Our book reading this week talked about forming collaborative partnerships between student and academic affairs. If such a tool were implemented at USF, it could aid in developing these partnerships in regards to veterans. It is often difficult for offices to collaborate due to the nature of such a large campus and different schedules; however, through the use of technology greater collaboration may be made possible.
The article, “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” pointed out some interesting trends. It makes sense that vets would “appear less academically engaged,” in that the educationally understood definition for “academic engagement,” tends to refer to the whole collegiate experience, both in and out of the classroom. I know of people who’ve held careers in the military, who now hold high government positions, but who are enrolled at USF taking undergraduate classes to obtain their bachelors. It is understandable for a 35 year old man, with a family and kids, working 40 hours per week job, not to want to spend his Wednesday nights out lawn watching films, especially if the world view he holds is significantly different from those of most 18 year olds. It would have been interesting for the article to discuss the parallels of vets and non-traditional students in their level of engagement. Perhaps what interests or engages 18-22 year olds has no appeal to 30+ year olds, who have had more “real world” experiences outside of high school. I would’ve also liked to have some information about the institutions’ profiles, while considering the trends.
I found the Coach's Exit vs. Whistle-Blower's Exit interesting but also controversial. How does a school justify firing a coach and an adjunct in different ways? Simply, according to how and why these individuals were hired and for the purpose they served. Professor Miller has told our class repeatedly that a strong athletic team can hurt a school’s academic focus. This story falls right in place with that line of reasoning. I know how instrumental a coach can be in the perception and sentiment towards a school’s athletic department (Georgetown’s basketball team was pretty much booed by its students before JTIII took the reins). Athletics brings in money; it draws local and national attention to a school; it creates a name for a school that academics cannot otherwise create. The adjunct, although she served the school for 12 years and created interest in her field, was not contractually tied to the school in any long term capacity. The two contracts outline and value the two individuals and their jobs very differently. As deemed by the university (and albeit, most universities with an adjunct system), she did not serve a significant role in contributing to the school. Most students, unfortunately, do not attend or hear about a school because of one stellar adjunct professor (who may or may not even be there when they enroll). A big-named coach? Now that’s $1.2 million worth of attention that the school is less comfortable to depart with.
The article entitled “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” serves as a great addition to what our guest speaker, Dr. Larry Braue, presented to us this past week in class about Veteran Affairs. The article served as another reference tool that shows how veteran affairs is an area that needs a lot of attention and development because more and more veterans are attending colleges and universities. I felt as though the article was surprising in the sense that students at universities who served in the armed forces were still satisfied with their collegiate experience despite the fact that they are less engaged with the faculty of the university and receive less campus support than other students. To me it seems as though those two perceptions would be in contradiction with one another. I also feel that because of the growing number of veterans in our colleges and universities, universities really need to buckle down and create more environments and outlets, like USF has done, in order to engage veterans and make their experience more engaging and satisfying than it already is.
In the article “Coach’s Exit vs. Whistle-Blower Exit” I believe there is a major conflict of interest at hand. I don’t understand how you can pay a settlement of $1.2 million dollars to a suspended basketball coach who was in the middle of a controversy and terminate an adjunct professor, of over 10 years, who just so happened to be one of the individuals who spoke out against the basketball controversy. It just doesn’t seem to be ethically moral in my eyes of the things going on in this situation. Now although the university has ways of justifying the current situation by saying that they are just paying out the basketball coach’s contract and that a lot of professors get that same letter of possible termination, it still doesn’t make sense to me because if the basketball coach was in violation of rules shouldn’t he have forfeited his rights to his contract? I could be wrong by saying that because I don’t know the full terms of the basketball coach’s contract with the university. Regardless I still think something is up.
The article about Veterans Less Engaged, but Satisfied is interesting because it begins narrow looking at Veteran Students’ feedback and ends with a broad view of the survey. Alex McCormick summarized the feedback best when stating, “Veterans have some distinctive needs and that colleges need to make an effort to meet them”. This is a statement that reflects the importance and benefits of attracting veteran students to a campus. Their presence can help the campus adapt to the needs of a growing demographic of students and prepare for future students. As the article continued it broadened the scope of the survey to view engagement broken down by majors. This was less interesting, until the final paragraph. The Univ. of Brunswick discovered in a comparable survey that faculty and staff need to discover methods for drawing all students into group work, discussion groups, and hand s on projects. These are very interesting finding s, because they reflect the needs of both veteran students and their peers to engage the cooperative learning opportunities on campus. These findings help to clarify the misconception that veteran students are very different from peers. Veteran students are actually more unique and experienced that different, and their peers have much to gain from reaching out and engaging the veteran students. Veteran students are a growing demographic, and this is a positive trend for higher education. As growing student affairs professionals let’s be pioneers of a trend to see them as students first. Maybe someday the offices that serve their needs will transition to say “the office of students of Veteran service”.
I really like the first article "Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied." I think it is so important for universities to learn more about our veterans and how we can serve them. Like our speaker pointed out they for the most part have much different needs then the typical first year student, and it is important to understand this. I think it is understandable that they might not be as involved as their fellow students, and that they might not have the same relationships with faculty members. They are entering a totally new environment and culture and they might not know how to handle these types of relationships. I think that USF veterans services is amazing, and much needed. I also think that more studies need to be done on the needs of our veterans, it is only right that we serve them to the best of our ability because of all they have given for us.
I also like the second half of this article where it talked about the different majors. I found it very interesting that only 40% of accounting and business majors hold internships. Coming from a HR background, where we recruited college seniors and recent grads, as well as working within the career center now, that number seems so low. I know that many of the areas that we recruited for required students to have past experience, especially our marketing and entertainment internships who would not even look at the resumes without at least 2 prior internships. This was for an eight month long internship with no promise of placement. So, I think it is interesting that only 40% have had internships according to the survey, and is something that needs to be improved. The other statistics were not as shocking as this one, and I definitely agree with the business administration students who may do more group work and presentations, being a management major myself.
Thank you Monica for providing a great class tie in with the "Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied," article! I am not sure I was that surprised by the findings presented here. Given the characteristics of veterans, I would think that the typical "forms of engagement" which contribute to the satisfaction of the usual undergrad population do not apply to this specific group because, as many of us have pointed out, they have different needs. This just goes to show that universities need to work harder at identifying what these needs are so they can be met. Perhaps a good place to start is in universities increasing their campus support through the establishment of Veteran's Services offices like the one found here. It really is exciting to think that USF is a leader and that in the near future, what Dr. Larry Braue and his team are doing could (and hopefully will) be a model for other institutions.
I was really encouraged after reading "A Supportive Nudge for Minority Graduate Students." I love that the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring exists to assist minority students. Not only is this helping the students who are working toward their doctoral degrees, but it is also assisting future students of the institutions at which these candidates will be teaching. Having more underrepresented minorities holding teaching positions at institutions will, I hope, encourage the growth of student diversity and lead to a cycle of learning and achievement.
Awesome job tying this week’s presentation into the current event’s article! In my opinion, these students have already had very different real world experiences, and they are not your traditional college student. Many of them have other dependants that they need to care for, and other outside responsibilities in addition to their school work. They have a great eligibility for being able to come back to school, so why wouldn’t they pursue the chance, to further their career path and advance themselves. I agree with Becca that perhaps veteran students have a skillset that allows them to be satisfied without needed the constant engagement in other activities. I think that these students are less engaged because they are focused, and want to get to their end goal as quickly and efficiently as possibly. They are not in college for the extracurricular outside activities that are offered, but rather have other responsibilities that they need to adhere to outside of the classroom.
The article that begins on veteran services touched on several very interesting points. Just looking at the article at first glance, it sounds like the needs of the veterans are already being handled by existing university services. It reads as if they could be handled within the new student services and disability services. The article does not mention that schools like USF have dedicated professional staff to focus on the needs of this student group or go into much detail on needs that are more specific to veterans. The article also touches on an ongoing change in the survey itself. Now that the survey is given online for 80% of the participating schools (it makes you wonder which 20% have not been able to figure this out yet) they are able to reach out to the population rather than just a sample of students. This will allow a much broader analysis and interpretation of the data. Hard to believe that school like SUNY Binghamton was contracted to any coach for over a million dollars. It also does not speak well to the sincerity and seriousness of the interim president to describe the allegation of retaliation as “balderdash.” It comes across as disingenuous, at best. It is a disturbing pattern of government that budget cuts start at the bottom and don’t target the large expenditures. The treatment of the whistle blower does not speak well for the university overall. If this is the treatment at a relatively minor program, imagine the pressure on an adjunct at a school with a more influential athletic program.
I think it is rather impressive that USF is one of the first universities to implement specific veteran services. With the Post 9/11 GI Bill allowing veterans to return to school, I believe this will have a profound impact upon our country and its institutions.
Something of key interest to note is that these veterans don't participate as much in collegiate activities as do non veterans. I think this is because of several factors. One such factor is that these individuals have families to take care of--something often not the case with non-veteran, "regular" college students. Another aspect of difference is that veterans might not find it easy enough to relate to their fellow classmates and the institution. This is why Veterans Affairs does such outstanding work. Perhaps with future program's reaching out to veterans, and the implementation of certain activities will enable the veteran community to become more active and engaged in the community.
Finally, I think Labs brings up a good point in discussing the fact that veterans have had different life experiences. This is certainly true of those members that have experienced combat. The challenge of survival, watching friends--as well as enemies-- die, and other stressful events take their toll. These occurrences forever alter the psyche and personality of the person involved--further distancing themselves from their friends and family, as well as their institution of choice.
In regards to the article about the contrast between the coach and the whistle blower, I do not really find this all that surprising. Our society justifies the exceptional emphasis it places on athletics by stating that it is because of a rarity of talent. Teachers can get $30,000 a year to teach and that is satisfactory, and often face negative feedback for being associated with an union. However, every major sports operation has a union--I believe--and I find this perplexing.
The coach leaves with $1.2 million dollars; this is no doubt due in part to his connection with an union. Whereas the professor is fired from her $10,000 job for disclosing reprehensible conduct of her schools basketball program. Outrageous.
The “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” article really did come at a perfect time! The first half summarized what we discussed in class less week very well. I was honestly surprised at this outcome, as my thought would be that veterans would be less satisfied across institutions. I wonder what extraneous variables came into play here. Of the institutions surveyed, how many had specific veteran’s affairs departments? Were reasons (such as Chance listed above) for veterans not becoming as involved on campus addressed elsewhere in the survey? As the article stated, there will most likely be an influx of this student population on campuses in the future. Researching their specific and “potentially complicated” needs will be necessary to better serve them.
The article on supporting minority graduate students was also enlightening. The conference they discussed in the article seemed to be very informative for all in attendance. The advice that those students walked away with was perhaps most significant. One of these pieces was Ms. Rockquemore’s encouragement of writing at the beginning of each day, and showing how that is possible in a faculty member’s schedule. I feel that that is good advice in every professional’s work and was advice I was given during my interview of a student affairs professional; taking large projects a little bit at a time proves less stressful as the deadline approaches.
I think the article about the Veterans speaks to the fact that college means different things for different people. As our guest from Veteran Affairs mentioned last week, it would be impossible to blanket so many different people into one category, but generally speaking, our Veterans are coming back to college looking for something different than the recent high school graduate. So while they may not be spending as much time, if any, at the intramural fields or in the Student Government, they ARE there to get a degree and they WILL spend just as much time, if not more, than any other student working towards that goal.
I loved the article about the SUNY men's basketball coach and faculty member. It's the classic "the tail wags the dog" situation that Dr. Miller always references. And while I understand it - athletics brings in a profit and is run more like a business than academics - I don't agree with it. I am getting sick and tired of athletic inequality and injustice... Remember why the NCAA was originally formed? To keep all teams on an equal playing field. Sounds to me like this coach was willing to take a risk with the NCAA and he got caught, but of course, because he has a contract, he'll be entitled to a payout or he'll sue. It just doesn't seem fair to me, but that's just my little rant.
I enjoyed the "Supportive Nudge" article. I think opportunities like this conference are necessary now more than ever, especially for minority students. Those of us who are minorities pursuing graduate degrees know how few-and-far between people who "look like us" really are. Minority faculty members are even rarer! My father was the first black male law professor at Stetson, and I got to see first-hand the difficulties that that entailed. Having the support of others who are on the same path is crucial to staying motivated and pressing toward the mark.
I found the "Whistleblower" article unfortunate but not surprising. I think it's inevitable that Prof. Dean feel like she's being retalitated against, whether or not it's true. She knew when she blew the whistle and even stood up to the athletes in her courses that she probably would not receive support. Athletes are often the gods on campus, professors not so much. Her role as an adjunct (not permanent) faculty member made her stance that much more dangerous. She should have weighed the pros and cons before speaking up. However, that's the reason why people don't speak out against wrong/injustices etc...no one wants to lose their job.
While reading the article on minority students being encouraged to continue to keep focus in their academics and gain their PhD. I thought of our conversations in class about how at USF we need more mentoring programs. Dr. Miller expresses how at a large university this is very difficult. I think it is plain to see how beneficial mentoring is. Developing programs and mentoring and teaching sessions for the different subgroups would be beneficial and a better way to reach out to a large population.
I read the article on ethics in athletics, and to be quite honest I rolled my eyes in frustration by the second paragraph. What frustrates me is how dishonesty in a athletics, dishonesty period affects students in detrimental ways. So many people were affected in this article, Loss of jobs, athletes loose scholarships and/or kicked out of school. Is it really worth loosing all of that?
I found it amusing that the article about diversity was based out of Tampa, Fl. Great choice of articles Monica!
After reading the diversity article the first instinct I have is to question, "why aren't the same services made available to all races and ethnicities?" I know that it might be a touchy subject but when we talk about diversity we talk about equity and equality. Both together mean the same opportunity and the same treatment; however, programs like these give minority students a better treatment than others. I have found programs at USF to be increasingly challenging to understand as well. Perhaps I do not understand the topic of diversity very well but my understanding is the basic principle that every man is created equal until proven unequal and I did not choose the circumstances I was born into anymore more than anyone else.
For the article about SUNY, it is easy to see the argument for both sides in my opinion. The woman stood up for what she believed in but at the same time challenged a school athletic coach. I would be interesting to see the difference between her and a woman who was a full time faculty doing research for the institution and whether the president of the university would proceed in the same fashion.
The article “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” was an interesting article to me because of the limited information I know about Veterans in school. It was really interesting for me to read about how Veterans act and engage with campus life. It was interesting for me to see that they are less engaged in activities, but still satisfied. I would have guessed that they would indeed be less engaged and interactive with other students and faculty, but I was glad to see that they are still enjoying their college experience. I was surprised to see that surveys were not done more often, but I see them making changes to that in the future and I believe that is a positive move.
The “Coach’s Exit vs. Whistle-Blower’s Exit” was a good read because it shows that school’s, whether they like to admit it or not, put sports first without knowing it. It is sad to say, but simply from reading this article I am saddened for Dear and that her teaching career is up in the air. I will say that maybe though she does not have the full details and the money being paid to the coach is separate from the money they are paying her. However, if not then it is sad to see when academics takes a back seat to sports.
The veteran article was interesting and seeing veterans in higher education is very common. In my undergrad we had many veterans in our exercise science program and our guest speaker did do a really good job of addressing that veterans do have different needs that need to be met. I know they do not like to feel singled out or like they have special needs and the tricky part is implimenting these programs without making them feel "special". I think campus recreation doesnt do enough for our veterans and we should be a department doing a whole lot more considering recreation is probably a place veterans would make use of. I agree with Emily that we will likely see the demographics changing in the next few years and I am happy to see that USF has taken a proactive step to help make the transition easier. One the article with the teaching speaking out publically against the basketball program I think that she could of handeled it in a better way. The public can rearragne or add their touch onto any story and I think the media is not the right path for any problems in universities. The teacher really put herself in an awful position and so did the coach. It is kind of going back to ethics and I think if she was to handle it correctly her decision would be considered ethical. I would advise someone who would want to speak out publically to make sure they have tenure in order to have some sort of security when it comes to their job.
I think the veteran article was very interesting. It seems to me, that vetrans, even though they feel less engaged than most students, are attending college for different reasons than their non-vet peers. For the average 18 year old, college is their first "real-life" opportunity. It is a chance to start ones independence and to try new things. A veterans needs for college, is more based on gaining an academic degree, not a social expereince. They have already had learning experiences outside of the classroom, so they may not reach out to the on-campus opportunities as much. With that life experience, as well as the need for them to serve not only their country but their family as well, it forces veterans to be less engaged, they have more responsibility than the average student. It was enlightening to read that they are still satisfied with their educational experience. It is necessary to look at the needs and reasons for attending college from students different perspective.
As for the whistle blowing article, I agree with Chance. It is unsettling the emphasis or glory that is placed on athletes. I agree that they should be commended for their achievements, however I feel that often times, misbehaviors are overlooked because of their ability. Unfortunately, people are more concerned about winning the next championship, sometimes sacrificing the cost of education. Athletes, or anyone in the spotlight, are not above the standards that everyone else must follow. Sacrificing a professor because she presented "bad press" about an athletic program, must be evaluated. What is the message we are sending to young student athletes?
The SUNY Binghamton article about the adjunct professor really caught my attention. I thought it was interesting and I was actually quite surprised that an adjunct would really speak out to the public about her opinions like that. I do have to agree with Becca when you stated that “there is a time and place for this kind of public scrutiny” but I must also say that I am happy she would say something. Okay so she does not have a contract and is possibly jeopardizing her career but this type of behavior needs to be addressed and if nobody speaks out about it then who will? Maybe she should have taken a different approach, but I do believe she did the right thing and I am glad that Binghamton is letting go of the coach.
To be honest, before coming to USF I never really gave a lot of thought to veteran students. That upsets me because I never looked at them as having different needs or a hard time adjusting. I think this article was a very great addition to our discussion in class last week Monica. This article also really ties in to Chance’s question in class last week as well. I think it is wonderful that first year studies are including veteran. It really opens our eyes because, personally, I didn’t realize the growing population of college campuses until I started learning about it. We need to be aware of their presence on campus and it is important to make them feel included on campus and have them feel like they are truly part of our campus community.
I agree with a lot of the comments on here regarding Veterans Services. I thought Mr. Braue from Veterans services really painted a realistic picture of what a veteran student may be going through in the transition from military service to civilian life. Personally I felt it was one of the more powerful presentations because of it's complexity and the deep feelings regarding our men and women in uniform. Veteran students should be given some additional services in order for them to be successful and engage in the campus atmoshphere. I think he was dead on when he said most important is educating the public about what veterans go through, that way their is mutual understanding.
I am with those of you who used Dr. Miller's tail wagging the dog analogy for the athletics issue. It is a sad truth but athletics is a huge draw and can be a major source of branding on college campuses. While ethically it is not the right thing to do, administrations have empowered coaches and athletic staffs. Look at our own situation with Coach Leavitt, he had become the highgest paid person on campus and a very influential person at USF. Although there is still speculation to what exactly transpired in his firing it is pretty safe to say that the balance of power seemed to be drifting away from the administration and towards athletics.
Regarding Veteran Students, the article opens up what I think is an eye opening fact that non-traditional students such as veterans spend just as much time in academics as their traditional counterparts, but not nearly as much time involving themselves on campus. From my own experience, I learned way more outside of the classroom by getting involved on campus in organization. What that statistic of veterans not getting involved on campus tells me is that they are missing out on the most developmental and life altering parts of college. To me, it was what made all the difference in my life. I believe this raises a huge concern for veterans and other non-traditional students alike. Reading the article about minority graduate students pursuing PH.D.s makes me think about the support I have needed throughout college that I am fortunate to have. Sometimes, having someone say one motivating sentence can take you the rest of the way.
I wanted to address Anthony's comments for the benefit of the group. "Why aren't the same services made available to all races and ethnicities?" I think the short answer is, they are. On college campuses and professional conferences there is no dearth of the majority (white men and women) represented. As a result, members of the majority have potential mentors readily available/accessible. It's not hard for Anthony to find someone who looks like him on a college campus; however, it's very rare for me to find someone of my race/ethnicity with whom I can connect. It goes beyond simple skin color as well. The majority of minorities are still first-generation. This presents unique issues/challenges.
In the study “Outcomes of mentoring at-risk college students: Gender and Ethnic Matching Effects” published in May 2007 in “Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning,” Toni A. and David E. Campbell note several tangible benefits of mentoring. In the study, Campbell and Campbell explore the long-term academic effects of mentoring in higher education with “particular emphasis on students in ethnic categories with a low first-year retention rate.” When it came to matching students with mentors, “There was no apparent advantage associated with matching students with mentors based on gender, but students matched with mentors of the same ethnicity showed a higher cumulative GPA and graduation rate and entered graduate study at a higher rate.”
This makes common sense to me. Someone who understands my unique struggle (unique meaning shared by those who come from where I'm from and, generally look like me)can coach me, encourage me on how to be successful.
Also I think it's EXTREMELY important that we understand EQUALITY DOES NOT EQUAL SAMENESS. This is the bottom line of diversity. It's not about being treated the same rather ensuring a most level playing field for all involved. Due to a long, enduring history of inequality, this involves taking affirmative steps to ensure certain groups do not retain advantages over other groups.
I started a non-profit organization last year, Ntoso Nexus Inc., that puts undergraduate men and women of color in touch with mentors in their fields of interest to address the very issue of: Where can I find someone who knows what I'm going through (as a minority, the first in my family to go to college, at a PWI etc...). The research I referenced is straight from our business plan and there's a lot like it. The reason these programs/conferences/associations are so necessary is because minority students don't get treated "better," quite the opposite actually, as we are most likely to fall through the cracks, least likely to graduate, and least likely to go onto graduate education.
I'm glad Anthony brought his points up. I think the first step in having honest conversations and making appropriate, and much needed, headway on mentoring and diversity is to be able to assess where, individually, we are least knowledgeable and more ignorant (I know absolutely NOTHING about athletics/athlete culture aside from my personal biases for example). That way, for our own sakes and the sake of our students, we have identified our limitations, and from that point can self-educate and become better professionals and truly more educated people.
I thought that the first article was both very revealing and interesting as it is something that I expect all of us will have exposure to as we enter the professional field. As the wars wind down in Afghanistan and Iraq, we're going to continue to see an expansion in the number of veteran students we see enrolling in order to take advantage of the GI bill. As entry-level professionals, we will be on the front line when it comes to engaging this population of students and understanding them and their needs is the first step. I also thought this article was interesting because it talked about engagement based upon major. I know one of the big initiatives that we work on in the grant I work with is to bring more civic engagement in to "non-traditional" courses like accounting and biology classes.
For the second article about minority graduate students, I was more interested in the part of the article that talked about the challenges in the academic job market, regardless of gender. It was interesting that the session that focused on using those skills learned, outside the academic realm. I think it's important that minority graduate students get this sort of training (and the rest of the mentor-ship and advice offered at this gathering) as it is so important that universities employ a diverse staff that is reflective of the student body they are teaching.
P.S. Very well written response Kehsi! With the trend of more females and minorities getting their doctoral degrees then white men are currently, I wonder what the landscape will look like in 20 years.
In regards to the "wHISTLE" article I think that it is crazy that this teacher was fired because she brought to light a growing problem within universities today. I think yes it is true, there are some sports teams, that bring in kids that are underprepared for college, and allow them to feel entitled, and almost encourage them not to try academically, that everything will "be taken care of" for them. These are the athletes that give bad names to others that are willing to try and may come underprepared but work hard to catch up. I think there is definitely a lack of respect especially within this generation of athletes, and they have lost the focus on what a "student athlete" is. For someone to lose their job over what is the truth.... I guess the saying is right, the truth hurts.
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ReplyDeleteHi everyone I look forward to your comments.
ReplyDeleteThe first article "Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied" is timely after our guest speaker in class this week. The article discusses the importance of acessing the needs of Veterans and also implementing services for Veterans. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/04/nsse
The second article "A Supportive Nudge for Minority Graduate Students on the Path to a Ph.D.". This article made me think about our discussion in class. This is a great example of ways to reach subgroups in college campuses. Although, every minority student may not attend-knowing that this is available is what matters.
http://chronicle.com/article/A-Supportive-Nudge-for/125212/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
This third article "Coach's Exit vs. Whistle-Blower's Exit" discusses ethics in athletics. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/03/dear
This blurb is really short but in prior weeks we all read a few articles with topics of Transgenered athletes. Check this out!
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/transgender-man-competes-on-womens-basketball-team-at-george-washingtonu/28044sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
I think it’s interesting that this is the first year the study had included students who served in the armed services. It shows just how much this population of students is growing and how much the profession needs to be aware of their growing presence on campuses, especially at a school like USF (since these students are more likely to enroll at big schools). I also found it interesting that while they report the same level of overall satisfaction as most students they perceive less support from the school then other students. I think our guest speaker this week did a good job of articulating why that is. I also think it shows a need for the kind of veteran support services USF provides at other schools in the country.
ReplyDeleteI also thought the information about specific majors was interesting. I was really surprised by the number of sociology majors doing research with their professors (33% vs 19% in other majors). Dr. Meningall mentioned that she wanted to see USF do a better job of mentoring – this article made me wonder what it is that sociology departments are doing so much differently that their students are getting more of these one on one type experiences. I don't know what it's like at USF, but sociology was a BIG department at Iowa. They had a lot of students which to me would think those students have less opportunity to do extra work outside of class.
The first article about the NSSE responses shows how important it is to stay updated and current about student trends and needs. Clearly, veteran needs are a growing concern and universities need to come up with ways to address their unique needs. I am curious to see if and how the veterans needs will change as more take advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, especially if younger veterans return to school. The article says that most veterans were older and male, but I think that it is possible that these demographics may change in the future.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I'm not sure that sociology is a large department at USF, but psychology is a fairly large one. Furthermore, many serious psychology students engage in research labs. I think that because of the field's characteristics, students who want to pursue a career in psychology need to engage in research outside of the classroom.
The article about SUNY choosing not to renew Prof. Dear's contract next semester shows, in my opinion, more than just the pressure athletics puts on universities, but the tentative position adjunct professors have in universities, and how important tenure is to professors who want to stay at one university with some sort of security. We've heard about the importance of tenure many times by now, and this is another example of how unstable professorships can be without it. A few semesters ago at USF, at least one adjunct was dismissed because of his behavior outside of the classroom. Because they are contracted each semester, any behavior which is not inline with expectations can place adjuncts at risk. Bringing in Campus Ecology, this also makes one question if there is a risk of a campus crisis. She has stated that she intends to get new teaching positions from SUNY, but how will she react if she is unsuccessful?
The SUNY Binghamton article regarding the adjunct professor speaking out against the athletes publicly is concerning. My first reactions was thinking that she was crazy to speak so publicly as an adjunct. Although her experiences with those students seem troubling and should require someone at SUNY to address this issue (which it sounds like they have with the coach's departure), there is a time and place to bring up these concerns. As someone without a contract, why would you put yourself in this kind of public scrutiny? Just as a first year teacher in a K-12 system shouldn't speak against the administration or a new hire in the business world would pick their battles carefully, a non-tenured professor should take the same precautions. I also am curious as to why this professor has been an adjunct for 12 years. Did she choose this path or is she an adjunct because that is all she could apply for every year?
ReplyDeleteWith that said, I am sympathetic to her conerns. That type of student behavior is not acceptable in the classroom. I'm sure it is frustrating and could be difficult to address without the university being aware of the situation.
Student Veteran's who are satisfied with their school but are not as engaged as other students is a little surprising. At first I thought this might have to do with a lot of external factors like age, family responsibilities, etc. Many students at USF are not a typical 18 year old student, but at other institutions that could be a reason for a veteran feeling less connected or engaged. Additionally, does serving in the military give veteran students a skillset that allows them to be satisfied without the constant engagement? In my experiences, people who have served in the military are happy with the status quo, don't question the processes or burreacratic ways as someone who has not served, and adapt easily. Of course we want all students to not only be satisfied with their experiences but also feel engaged and connected. There is a need for schools to reach out to these students and I hope more schools follow USF's lead to create a good environment for student veterans to be engaged.
The “Veterans” article is a great tie-in to the presentation this week. Good job Monica!
ReplyDeleteIt comes to no surprise that veterans are less engaged than other students on campus. Most veterans are there for the in classroom learning and that is it. Very few partake in extracurricular activities, but it doesn’t mean that they are any less important to the college community. I would love to see more independent veterans support service offices across the country, but unfortunately the funding isn’t available for most schools. I, like Emily am interested in seeing the trends change over the coming years as younger veterans are retuning to school. I think Becca also brings up a great point with veterans having a certain skill set that allows them to be satisfied without constant engagement. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it kind of makes sense. I do know that they all strive to do their best and display that in their lives outside of school, but maybe once those younger veterans come in they may become more engaged than the traditional veterans explained in this article.
I was glad to see that student veterans were as satisfied as their non-veteran peers, but I am not sure what that satisfaction level is. I was surprised by the small percentage of veterans represented in the survey, but as the article mentioned there will probably be an increase in the student veteran population due to the changes in the GI bill and returning veterans. I do hope that more schools work on creating events and organizations which veterans can and want to be a part of, similar to what USF is working towards.
ReplyDeleteReading that students in education had more internships than other majors makes sense, there seems to always be a need for more teachers and having a student teacher could be helpful in a classroom. The NSSE seems practical if institutions can use the findings to make changes to better the student.
It was good to read the article about the programs to support minority Ph.D. students. The conference was very useful for the students and was a great resource for them. The mentor program also seems helpful for the young students and professionals. I think the information from the conference and a good mentoring program would benefit many other students too.
Reading the article about minority graduate students pursuing Ph.D. degrees reminded me of a conversation that I had with my mentor recently. He is in his second year as a Ph.D. student at Indiana University. One challenge that he faces regularly is having little support of other Black Ph.D. students and professionals with the degree because there is a small number of African-Americans with that level of education. He does, however, find support in other ways that encourages him to move along his journey in the doctoral program. Another motivation for him is that he will be 30 when he completes the program. Tying it to the article, everyone can benefit from mentoring in some form during their educational journey or even the pathway of life. As the article explains, minority students tend to succeed much more having support of men and women that look like them and have the education level they are seeking. Once the mentoring continues, it can build into something stronger, like a networking opportunity of some sort.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to keep in mind with veterans is that they are very disciplined. They know what they want and go for it. These individuals may not be the ones jumping in line to join an organization, but they are the ones who do work hard to make the grade. Another thing about veterans is that they have their own sets of needs as the article states. Like any other student population, they have their needs where people that understand their need to help them endure. Being here at USF has helped me to see that veterans around the country pursuing degrees need assistance in this matter, and it is up to the universities to give them that support and for veterans to be open about their needs as well.
The first article about veterans and NSSE statistics was extremely eye opening for me. I enjoyed the first part that talked about veterans specifically and I think the comments from those of you above are right in line with my thoughts and feelings as well on this. Very timely with the class presentation from last week and it's nice to know that USF is blazing the trail for creating veteran's services outside of being tied to financial aid or enrollment as in other institutions. The part of this article that shocked me was when it stated that NSSE does not release individual institutional information unlike the Community College version of the same report. While I am not 100% familiar with the report, I think the fact that an institution can pick and choose what data will be released to the public is misleading as they will only allow the data that reflects them in a positive manner to be published.
ReplyDeleteThe other article on the coach and adjunct faculty being dismissed from SUNY-Binghamton is just another example how one situation has two totally different perspectives based on who is looking at it. The university states it's part of budget cuts when discussing the dismissal of the adjunct faculty, but she states her classes have waiting lists and that they will be taught by other adjunct faculty. One could only assume these replacements would be making very similar pay per class to teach. Proving retaliation on her part could be very costly and extremely difficult to do. What always goes through my mind when I read any article similar to this is how much effort or finances should one put forward in a case like this and when should one just throw in the towel? If no one stands up for situations like this, then universities or corporations will get away with unjust actions. It's a fine line in my opinion. Also, her statement of looking for other classes to teach at the same system was shocking to me as well. If she had just been dismissed due to budget cuts that would be one thing, but to publicly state she feels she is being dismissed due to whistle blowing and want to attempt to work for the same institution just doesn't make sense to me. I would say it's time to move on to bigger and better things in her career.
After last weeks class, the veterans article sparked my attention. I agree with what most everyone has already said. It is clear that veterans do not participate in as many extracurricular activities as non-veterans. Everyone has already mentioned that factors such as age and the fact that they are there to just attend school to be some reasons for this. However, I think it is great that USF has a veterans affairs office to reach out to these students. I also think it is great that they are building a lounge for them to hang out and talk because social interaction is a big key to college success and maturation in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe graduate student conference article was also interesting. I think that all PhD students should receive encouragement like this conference offers. I didn't realize that there were conferences that gave advice about dissertations, getting published, and negotiating a first job offer. This is a great outlook for PhD students. This conference specifically dealt with minorities pursuing a PhD, which was nice to know that even during tough economic times there are many still many job prospects and diversity remains a top priority. This article also made me realize that if I want to continue my education that conferences would be a great idea to attend.
The article about minority graduate students working toward their Ph.D. was interesting to me. One particular comment by a student, Jesus Escobar, really caught my attention. He mentioned how the conference was a one-stop shop to give him all the information he needed to know in an hour and a half session. While I think conferences are wonderful opportunities to meet other individuals working toward the same goal and have opportunities one may otherwise not have had, my initial reaction was that the institution this student is attending should be the one to provide him with information regarding publishing a dissertation, the job search process, and negotiating a contract. Conferences then should be a supplement to what he has already learned. And what about those individuals who may not have been able to attend this conference? Are they simply left in the dark? It seems to me that individuals working toward a Ph.D. are in just as much need, if not more so, than undergraduate students of having a knowledgeable mentor to guide them through the challenging process. Universities offering Ph.D. programs should use this conference and mentoring program as a model to bring similar services to their campus.
ReplyDeleteThe article about veterans was also fascinating and timely. Our presenter this past week mentioned he would like to begin to see more discussion and collaboration take place campus wide in an attempt to not only have the veterans feel more included, but to also educate students, faculty, and staff about this unique population of students on campus. As such, the Student Engagement Wiki that was recently implemented at the University of New Brunswick caught my attention. Currently, this tool is being used to share ideas and resources among faculty and staff to encourage discussions and hands-on projects. Our book reading this week talked about forming collaborative partnerships between student and academic affairs. If such a tool were implemented at USF, it could aid in developing these partnerships in regards to veterans. It is often difficult for offices to collaborate due to the nature of such a large campus and different schedules; however, through the use of technology greater collaboration may be made possible.
The article, “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” pointed out some interesting trends. It makes sense that vets would “appear less academically engaged,” in that the educationally understood definition for “academic engagement,” tends to refer to the whole collegiate experience, both in and out of the classroom. I know of people who’ve held careers in the military, who now hold high government positions, but who are enrolled at USF taking undergraduate classes to obtain their bachelors. It is understandable for a 35 year old man, with a family and kids, working 40 hours per week job, not to want to spend his Wednesday nights out lawn watching films, especially if the world view he holds is significantly different from those of most 18 year olds. It would have been interesting for the article to discuss the parallels of vets and non-traditional students in their level of engagement. Perhaps what interests or engages 18-22 year olds has no appeal to 30+ year olds, who have had more “real world” experiences outside of high school. I would’ve also liked to have some information about the institutions’ profiles, while considering the trends.
ReplyDeleteI found the Coach's Exit vs. Whistle-Blower's Exit interesting but also controversial. How does a school justify firing a coach and an adjunct in different ways? Simply, according to how and why these individuals were hired and for the purpose they served. Professor Miller has told our class repeatedly that a strong athletic team can hurt a school’s academic focus. This story falls right in place with that line of reasoning. I know how instrumental a coach can be in the perception and sentiment towards a school’s athletic department (Georgetown’s basketball team was pretty much booed by its students before JTIII took the reins). Athletics brings in money; it draws local and national attention to a school; it creates a name for a school that academics cannot otherwise create. The adjunct, although she served the school for 12 years and created interest in her field, was not contractually tied to the school in any long term capacity. The two contracts outline and value the two individuals and their jobs very differently. As deemed by the university (and albeit, most universities with an adjunct system), she did not serve a significant role in contributing to the school. Most students, unfortunately, do not attend or hear about a school because of one stellar adjunct professor (who may or may not even be there when they enroll). A big-named coach? Now that’s $1.2 million worth of attention that the school is less comfortable to depart with.
The article entitled “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” serves as a great addition to what our guest speaker, Dr. Larry Braue, presented to us this past week in class about Veteran Affairs. The article served as another reference tool that shows how veteran affairs is an area that needs a lot of attention and development because more and more veterans are attending colleges and universities. I felt as though the article was surprising in the sense that students at universities who served in the armed forces were still satisfied with their collegiate experience despite the fact that they are less engaged with the faculty of the university and receive less campus support than other students. To me it seems as though those two perceptions would be in contradiction with one another. I also feel that because of the growing number of veterans in our colleges and universities, universities really need to buckle down and create more environments and outlets, like USF has done, in order to engage veterans and make their experience more engaging and satisfying than it already is.
ReplyDeleteIn the article “Coach’s Exit vs. Whistle-Blower Exit” I believe there is a major conflict of interest at hand. I don’t understand how you can pay a settlement of $1.2 million dollars to a suspended basketball coach who was in the middle of a controversy and terminate an adjunct professor, of over 10 years, who just so happened to be one of the individuals who spoke out against the basketball controversy. It just doesn’t seem to be ethically moral in my eyes of the things going on in this situation. Now although the university has ways of justifying the current situation by saying that they are just paying out the basketball coach’s contract and that a lot of professors get that same letter of possible termination, it still doesn’t make sense to me because if the basketball coach was in violation of rules shouldn’t he have forfeited his rights to his contract? I could be wrong by saying that because I don’t know the full terms of the basketball coach’s contract with the university. Regardless I still think something is up.
The article about Veterans Less Engaged, but Satisfied is interesting because it begins narrow looking at Veteran Students’ feedback and ends with a broad view of the survey. Alex McCormick summarized the feedback best when stating, “Veterans have some distinctive needs and that colleges need to make an effort to meet them”. This is a statement that reflects the importance and benefits of attracting veteran students to a campus. Their presence can help the campus adapt to the needs of a growing demographic of students and prepare for future students. As the article continued it broadened the scope of the survey to view engagement broken down by majors. This was less interesting, until the final paragraph. The Univ. of Brunswick discovered in a comparable survey that faculty and staff need to discover methods for drawing all students into group work, discussion groups, and hand s on projects. These are very interesting finding s, because they reflect the needs of both veteran students and their peers to engage the cooperative learning opportunities on campus. These findings help to clarify the misconception that veteran students are very different from peers. Veteran students are actually more unique and experienced that different, and their peers have much to gain from reaching out and engaging the veteran students. Veteran students are a growing demographic, and this is a positive trend for higher education. As growing student affairs professionals let’s be pioneers of a trend to see them as students first. Maybe someday the offices that serve their needs will transition to say “the office of students of Veteran service”.
ReplyDeleteI really like the first article "Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied." I think it is so important for universities to learn more about our veterans and how we can serve them. Like our speaker pointed out they for the most part have much different needs then the typical first year student, and it is important to understand this. I think it is understandable that they might not be as involved as their fellow students, and that they might not have the same relationships with faculty members. They are entering a totally new environment and culture and they might not know how to handle these types of relationships. I think that USF veterans services is amazing, and much needed. I also think that more studies need to be done on the needs of our veterans, it is only right that we serve them to the best of our ability because of all they have given for us.
ReplyDeleteI also like the second half of this article where it talked about the different majors. I found it very interesting that only 40% of accounting and business majors hold internships. Coming from a HR background, where we recruited college seniors and recent grads, as well as working within the career center now, that number seems so low. I know that many of the areas that we recruited for required students to have past experience, especially our marketing and entertainment internships who would not even look at the resumes without at least 2 prior internships. This was for an eight month long internship with no promise of placement. So, I think it is interesting that only 40% have had internships according to the survey, and is something that needs to be improved. The other statistics were not as shocking as this one, and I definitely agree with the business administration students who may do more group work and presentations, being a management major myself.
Thank you Monica for providing a great class tie in with the "Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied," article! I am not sure I was that surprised by the findings presented here. Given the characteristics of veterans, I would think that the typical "forms of engagement" which contribute to the satisfaction of the usual undergrad population do not apply to this specific group because, as many of us have pointed out, they have different needs. This just goes to show that universities need to work harder at identifying what these needs are so they can be met. Perhaps a good place to start is in universities increasing their campus support through the establishment of Veteran's Services offices like the one found here. It really is exciting to think that USF is a leader and that in the near future, what Dr. Larry Braue and his team are doing could (and hopefully will) be a model for other institutions.
ReplyDeleteI was really encouraged after reading "A Supportive Nudge for Minority Graduate Students." I love that the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring exists to assist minority students. Not only is this helping the students who are working toward their doctoral degrees, but it is also assisting future students of the institutions at which these candidates will be teaching. Having more underrepresented minorities holding teaching positions at institutions will, I hope, encourage the growth of student diversity and lead to a cycle of learning and achievement.
Awesome job tying this week’s presentation into the current event’s article!
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, these students have already had very different real world experiences, and they are not your traditional college student. Many of them have other dependants that they need to care for, and other outside responsibilities in addition to their school work. They have a great eligibility for being able to come back to school, so why wouldn’t they pursue the chance, to further their career path and advance themselves. I agree with Becca that perhaps veteran students have a skillset that allows them to be satisfied without needed the constant engagement in other activities. I think that these students are less engaged because they are focused, and want to get to their end goal as quickly and efficiently as possibly. They are not in college for the extracurricular outside activities that are offered, but rather have other responsibilities that they need to adhere to outside of the classroom.
The article that begins on veteran services touched on several very interesting points. Just looking at the article at first glance, it sounds like the needs of the veterans are already being handled by existing university services. It reads as if they could be handled within the new student services and disability services. The article does not mention that schools like USF have dedicated professional staff to focus on the needs of this student group or go into much detail on needs that are more specific to veterans. The article also touches on an ongoing change in the survey itself. Now that the survey is given online for 80% of the participating schools (it makes you wonder which 20% have not been able to figure this out yet) they are able to reach out to the population rather than just a sample of students. This will allow a much broader analysis and interpretation of the data.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe that school like SUNY Binghamton was contracted to any coach for over a million dollars. It also does not speak well to the sincerity and seriousness of the interim president to describe the allegation of retaliation as “balderdash.” It comes across as disingenuous, at best. It is a disturbing pattern of government that budget cuts start at the bottom and don’t target the large expenditures. The treatment of the whistle blower does not speak well for the university overall. If this is the treatment at a relatively minor program, imagine the pressure on an adjunct at a school with a more influential athletic program.
I think it is rather impressive that USF is one of the first universities to implement specific veteran services. With the Post 9/11 GI Bill allowing veterans to return to school, I believe this will have a profound impact upon our country and its institutions.
ReplyDeleteSomething of key interest to note is that these veterans don't participate as much in collegiate activities as do non veterans. I think this is because of several factors. One such factor is that these individuals have families to take care of--something often not the case with non-veteran, "regular" college students. Another aspect of difference is that veterans might not find it easy enough to relate to their fellow classmates and the institution. This is why Veterans Affairs does such outstanding work. Perhaps with future program's reaching out to veterans, and the implementation of certain activities will enable the veteran community to become more active and engaged in the community.
Finally, I think Labs brings up a good point in discussing the fact that veterans have had different life experiences. This is certainly true of those members that have experienced combat. The challenge of survival, watching friends--as well as enemies-- die, and other stressful events take their toll. These occurrences forever alter the psyche and personality of the person involved--further distancing themselves from their friends and family, as well as their institution of choice.
In regards to the article about the contrast between the coach and the whistle blower, I do not really find this all that surprising. Our society justifies the exceptional emphasis it places on athletics by stating that it is because of a rarity of talent. Teachers can get $30,000 a year to teach and that is satisfactory, and often face negative feedback for being associated with an union. However, every major sports operation has a union--I believe--and I find this perplexing.
ReplyDeleteThe coach leaves with $1.2 million dollars; this is no doubt due in part to his connection with an union. Whereas the professor is fired from her $10,000 job for disclosing reprehensible conduct of her schools basketball program. Outrageous.
The “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” article really did come at a perfect time! The first half summarized what we discussed in class less week very well. I was honestly surprised at this outcome, as my thought would be that veterans would be less satisfied across institutions. I wonder what extraneous variables came into play here. Of the institutions surveyed, how many had specific veteran’s affairs departments? Were reasons (such as Chance listed above) for veterans not becoming as involved on campus addressed elsewhere in the survey? As the article stated, there will most likely be an influx of this student population on campuses in the future. Researching their specific and “potentially complicated” needs will be necessary to better serve them.
ReplyDeleteThe article on supporting minority graduate students was also enlightening. The conference they discussed in the article seemed to be very informative for all in attendance. The advice that those students walked away with was perhaps most significant. One of these pieces was Ms. Rockquemore’s encouragement of writing at the beginning of each day, and showing how that is possible in a faculty member’s schedule. I feel that that is good advice in every professional’s work and was advice I was given during my interview of a student affairs professional; taking large projects a little bit at a time proves less stressful as the deadline approaches.
I think the article about the Veterans speaks to the fact that college means different things for different people. As our guest from Veteran Affairs mentioned last week, it would be impossible to blanket so many different people into one category, but generally speaking, our Veterans are coming back to college looking for something different than the recent high school graduate. So while they may not be spending as much time, if any, at the intramural fields or in the Student Government, they ARE there to get a degree and they WILL spend just as much time, if not more, than any other student working towards that goal.
ReplyDeleteI loved the article about the SUNY men's basketball coach and faculty member. It's the classic "the tail wags the dog" situation that Dr. Miller always references. And while I understand it - athletics brings in a profit and is run more like a business than academics - I don't agree with it. I am getting sick and tired of athletic inequality and injustice... Remember why the NCAA was originally formed? To keep all teams on an equal playing field. Sounds to me like this coach was willing to take a risk with the NCAA and he got caught, but of course, because he has a contract, he'll be entitled to a payout or he'll sue. It just doesn't seem fair to me, but that's just my little rant.
I enjoyed the "Supportive Nudge" article. I think opportunities like this conference are necessary now more than ever, especially for minority students. Those of us who are minorities pursuing graduate degrees know how few-and-far between people who "look like us" really are. Minority faculty members are even rarer! My father was the first black male law professor at Stetson, and I got to see first-hand the difficulties that that entailed. Having the support of others who are on the same path is crucial to staying motivated and pressing toward the mark.
ReplyDeleteI found the "Whistleblower" article unfortunate but not surprising. I think it's inevitable that Prof. Dean feel like she's being retalitated against, whether or not it's true. She knew when she blew the whistle and even stood up to the athletes in her courses that she probably would not receive support. Athletes are often the gods on campus, professors not so much. Her role as an adjunct (not permanent) faculty member made her stance that much more dangerous. She should have weighed the pros and cons before speaking up. However, that's the reason why people don't speak out against wrong/injustices etc...no one wants to lose their job.
While reading the article on minority students being encouraged to continue to keep focus in their academics and gain their PhD. I thought of our conversations in class about how at USF we need more mentoring programs. Dr. Miller expresses how at a large university this is very difficult. I think it is plain to see how beneficial mentoring is. Developing programs and mentoring and teaching sessions for the different subgroups would be beneficial and a better way to reach out to a large population.
ReplyDeleteI read the article on ethics in athletics, and to be quite honest I rolled my eyes in frustration by the second paragraph. What frustrates me is how dishonesty in a athletics, dishonesty period affects students in detrimental ways. So many people were affected in this article, Loss of jobs, athletes loose scholarships and/or kicked out of school. Is it really worth loosing all of that?
I found it amusing that the article about diversity was based out of Tampa, Fl. Great choice of articles Monica!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the diversity article the first instinct I have is to question, "why aren't the same services made available to all races and ethnicities?" I know that it might be a touchy subject but when we talk about diversity we talk about equity and equality. Both together mean the same opportunity and the same treatment; however, programs like these give minority students a better treatment than others. I have found programs at USF to be increasingly challenging to understand as well. Perhaps I do not understand the topic of diversity very well but my understanding is the basic principle that every man is created equal until proven unequal and I did not choose the circumstances I was born into anymore more than anyone else.
For the article about SUNY, it is easy to see the argument for both sides in my opinion. The woman stood up for what she believed in but at the same time challenged a school athletic coach. I would be interesting to see the difference between her and a woman who was a full time faculty doing research for the institution and whether the president of the university would proceed in the same fashion.
The article “Veterans, Less Engaged but Satisfied” was an interesting article to me because of the limited information I know about Veterans in school. It was really interesting for me to read about how Veterans act and engage with campus life. It was interesting for me to see that they are less engaged in activities, but still satisfied. I would have guessed that they would indeed be less engaged and interactive with other students and faculty, but I was glad to see that they are still enjoying their college experience. I was surprised to see that surveys were not done more often, but I see them making changes to that in the future and I believe that is a positive move.
ReplyDeleteThe “Coach’s Exit vs. Whistle-Blower’s Exit” was a good read because it shows that school’s, whether they like to admit it or not, put sports first without knowing it. It is sad to say, but simply from reading this article I am saddened for Dear and that her teaching career is up in the air. I will say that maybe though she does not have the full details and the money being paid to the coach is separate from the money they are paying her. However, if not then it is sad to see when academics takes a back seat to sports.
The veteran article was interesting and seeing veterans in higher education is very common. In my undergrad we had many veterans in our exercise science program and our guest speaker did do a really good job of addressing that veterans do have different needs that need to be met. I know they do not like to feel singled out or like they have special needs and the tricky part is implimenting these programs without making them feel "special". I think campus recreation doesnt do enough for our veterans and we should be a department doing a whole lot more considering recreation is probably a place veterans would make use of. I agree with Emily that we will likely see the demographics changing in the next few years and I am happy to see that USF has taken a proactive step to help make the transition easier.
ReplyDeleteOne the article with the teaching speaking out publically against the basketball program I think that she could of handeled it in a better way. The public can rearragne or add their touch onto any story and I think the media is not the right path for any problems in universities. The teacher really put herself in an awful position and so did the coach. It is kind of going back to ethics and I think if she was to handle it correctly her decision would be considered ethical. I would advise someone who would want to speak out publically to make sure they have tenure in order to have some sort of security when it comes to their job.
I think the veteran article was very interesting. It seems to me, that vetrans, even though they feel less engaged than most students, are attending college for different reasons than their non-vet peers. For the average 18 year old, college is their first "real-life" opportunity. It is a chance to start ones independence and to try new things. A veterans needs for college, is more based on gaining an academic degree, not a social expereince. They have already had learning experiences outside of the classroom, so they may not reach out to the on-campus opportunities as much. With that life experience, as well as the need for them to serve not only their country but their family as well, it forces veterans to be less engaged, they have more responsibility than the average student. It was enlightening to read that they are still satisfied with their educational experience. It is necessary to look at the needs and reasons for attending college from students different perspective.
ReplyDeleteAs for the whistle blowing article, I agree with Chance. It is unsettling the emphasis or glory that is placed on athletes. I agree that they should be commended for their achievements, however I feel that often times, misbehaviors are overlooked because of their ability. Unfortunately, people are more concerned about winning the next championship, sometimes sacrificing the cost of education. Athletes, or anyone in the spotlight, are not above the standards that everyone else must follow. Sacrificing a professor because she presented "bad press" about an athletic program, must be evaluated. What is the message we are sending to young student athletes?
The SUNY Binghamton article about the adjunct professor really caught my attention. I thought it was interesting and I was actually quite surprised that an adjunct would really speak out to the public about her opinions like that. I do have to agree with Becca when you stated that “there is a time and place for this kind of public scrutiny” but I must also say that I am happy she would say something. Okay so she does not have a contract and is possibly jeopardizing her career but this type of behavior needs to be addressed and if nobody speaks out about it then who will? Maybe she should have taken a different approach, but I do believe she did the right thing and I am glad that Binghamton is letting go of the coach.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, before coming to USF I never really gave a lot of thought to veteran students. That upsets me because I never looked at them as having different needs or a hard time adjusting. I think this article was a very great addition to our discussion in class last week Monica. This article also really ties in to Chance’s question in class last week as well. I think it is wonderful that first year studies are including veteran. It really opens our eyes because, personally, I didn’t realize the growing population of college campuses until I started learning about it. We need to be aware of their presence on campus and it is important to make them feel included on campus and have them feel like they are truly part of our campus community.
I agree with a lot of the comments on here regarding Veterans Services. I thought Mr. Braue from Veterans services really painted a realistic picture of what a veteran student may be going through in the transition from military service to civilian life. Personally I felt it was one of the more powerful presentations because of it's complexity and the deep feelings regarding our men and women in uniform. Veteran students should be given some additional services in order for them to be successful and engage in the campus atmoshphere. I think he was dead on when he said most important is educating the public about what veterans go through, that way their is mutual understanding.
ReplyDeleteI am with those of you who used Dr. Miller's tail wagging the dog analogy for the athletics issue. It is a sad truth but athletics is a huge draw and can be a major source of branding on college campuses. While ethically it is not the right thing to do, administrations have empowered coaches and athletic staffs. Look at our own situation with Coach Leavitt, he had become the highgest paid person on campus and a very influential person at USF. Although there is still speculation to what exactly transpired in his firing it is pretty safe to say that the balance of power seemed to be drifting away from the administration and towards athletics.
Regarding Veteran Students, the article opens up what I think is an eye opening fact that non-traditional students such as veterans spend just as much time in academics as their traditional counterparts, but not nearly as much time involving themselves on campus. From my own experience, I learned way more outside of the classroom by getting involved on campus in organization. What that statistic of veterans not getting involved on campus tells me is that they are missing out on the most developmental and life altering parts of college. To me, it was what made all the difference in my life. I believe this raises a huge concern for veterans and other non-traditional students alike.
ReplyDeleteReading the article about minority graduate students pursuing PH.D.s makes me think about the support I have needed throughout college that I am fortunate to have. Sometimes, having someone say one motivating sentence can take you the rest of the way.
I wanted to address Anthony's comments for the benefit of the group. "Why aren't the same services made available to all races and ethnicities?" I think the short answer is, they are. On college campuses and professional conferences there is no dearth of the majority (white men and women) represented. As a result, members of the majority have potential mentors readily available/accessible. It's not hard for Anthony to find someone who looks like him on a college campus; however, it's very rare for me to find someone of my race/ethnicity with whom I can connect. It goes beyond simple skin color as well. The majority of minorities are still first-generation. This presents unique issues/challenges.
ReplyDeleteIn the study “Outcomes of mentoring at-risk college students: Gender and Ethnic Matching Effects” published in May 2007 in “Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning,” Toni A. and David E. Campbell note several tangible benefits of mentoring. In the study, Campbell and Campbell explore the long-term academic effects of mentoring in higher education with “particular emphasis on students in ethnic categories with a low first-year retention rate.” When it came to matching students with mentors, “There was no apparent advantage associated with matching students with mentors based on gender, but students matched with mentors of the same ethnicity showed a higher cumulative GPA and graduation rate and entered graduate study at a higher rate.”
This makes common sense to me. Someone who understands my unique struggle (unique meaning shared by those who come from where I'm from and, generally look like me)can coach me, encourage me on how to be successful.
Also I think it's EXTREMELY important that we understand EQUALITY DOES NOT EQUAL SAMENESS. This is the bottom line of diversity. It's not about being treated the same rather ensuring a most level playing field for all involved. Due to a long, enduring history of inequality, this involves taking affirmative steps to ensure certain groups do not retain advantages over other groups.
I started a non-profit organization last year, Ntoso Nexus Inc., that puts undergraduate men and women of color in touch with mentors in their fields of interest to address the very issue of: Where can I find someone who knows what I'm going through (as a minority, the first in my family to go to college, at a PWI etc...). The research I referenced is straight from our business plan and there's a lot like it. The reason these programs/conferences/associations are so necessary is because minority students don't get treated "better," quite the opposite actually, as we are most likely to fall through the cracks, least likely to graduate, and least likely to go onto graduate education.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Anthony brought his points up. I think the first step in having honest conversations and making appropriate, and much needed, headway on mentoring and diversity is to be able to assess where, individually, we are least knowledgeable and more ignorant (I know absolutely NOTHING about athletics/athlete culture aside from my personal biases for example). That way, for our own sakes and the sake of our students, we have identified our limitations, and from that point can self-educate and become better professionals and truly more educated people.
:-)
ReplyDeleteI thought that the first article was both very revealing and interesting as it is something that I expect all of us will have exposure to as we enter the professional field. As the wars wind down in Afghanistan and Iraq, we're going to continue to see an expansion in the number of veteran students we see enrolling in order to take advantage of the GI bill. As entry-level professionals, we will be on the front line when it comes to engaging this population of students and understanding them and their needs is the first step. I also thought this article was interesting because it talked about engagement based upon major. I know one of the big initiatives that we work on in the grant I work with is to bring more civic engagement in to "non-traditional" courses like accounting and biology classes.
ReplyDeleteFor the second article about minority graduate students, I was more interested in the part of the article that talked about the challenges in the academic job market, regardless of gender. It was interesting that the session that focused on using those skills learned, outside the academic realm. I think it's important that minority graduate students get this sort of training (and the rest of the mentor-ship and advice offered at this gathering) as it is so important that universities employ a diverse staff that is reflective of the student body they are teaching.
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ReplyDeleteP.S. Very well written response Kehsi! With the trend of more females and minorities getting their doctoral degrees then white men are currently, I wonder what the landscape will look like in 20 years.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the "wHISTLE" article I think that it is crazy that this teacher was fired because she brought to light a growing problem within universities today. I think yes it is true, there are some sports teams, that bring in kids that are underprepared for college, and allow them to feel entitled, and almost encourage them not to try academically, that everything will "be taken care of" for them. These are the athletes that give bad names to others that are willing to try and may come underprepared but work hard to catch up. I think there is definitely a lack of respect especially within this generation of athletes, and they have lost the focus on what a "student athlete" is. For someone to lose their job over what is the truth.... I guess the saying is right, the truth hurts.
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