College News in Brief
Professors lament "anti-political" bias
Many Americans would hold strongly to their impression that the college classroom is a place full of political biases whether they be liberal or conservative.
It has been reported that 58 percent of adults believe that there is a significant problem with liberal bias among college professors, by public opinion polling agency Zogby International.
Three professors at George Mason University are challenging this concept with their new book, Closed Minds? Politics and Ideology in American Universities.
Their suggestion in the text is that there is neither a liberal nor conservative bias in lecture halls, but instead an anti-political one.
According to an interview by The Northeastern News with the authors L.R. Smith, Jeremy Mayer and A. Lee Fritschler, most professors try to avoid talking deeply about political debates or issues.
They assert that most professors are told to keep quiet, to avoid creating a public relations backlash.
With the 2008 presidential election in mind, some students appreciate the independence, believing they don't need to be told what to think.
Although a university's primary purpose is to educate, it seems that universities do not encourage open discussion or dialogue about political issues.
An opening of political debate in the classroom would require mutual encouragement from both students and faculty, but might have positive results.
Sarah Lawrence ranked most expensive college
In the competitive world that is known as American College rankings, a top ranking in any category is usually something to cheer about - but not for Sarah Lawrence College in its ranking as the most expensive school in the nation.
Each year, students at Sarah Lawrence College pay $53,166 per year for tuition, room and board. They are among the students at 100 colleges with tuitions greater than $44,000 per year.
College Board reports that tuition across the country has risen 6.4 percent since last year, and the average yearly tuition at private, four-year schools is $25,143.
At Sarah Lawrence College, there exists a 6:1 faculty to student ratio, and freshman students meet individually with professors every week. Without the huge endowments of Harvard or Yale, Sarah Lawrence relies heavily on tuition to pay for bills.
The school is now concerned about increasing economic pressure as requests for financial aid look like they may increase, considering the current market turmoil.
Students on financial aid as well as those who can afford the tuition of the school report feeling satisfied with the experiences they receive at Sarah Lawrence College, even if it means making a few material sacrifices.
Kentucky students arrested for Obama effigy
Two people have been arrested for their connection to a Barack Obama effigy found hanging from a tree on the University of Kentucky campus last Wednesday.
University of Kentucky student Joe Fischer and Lexington, Ky. resident Hunter Push were charged last Thursday with second-degree burglary, second-degree disorderly conduct and theft by unlawful taking, the Kentucky Colonel reported.
The duo turned themselves in to police at 3:38 p.m. They made the decision after seeing in the news reports a life-size representation of Sarah Palin hanging in front of a West Hollywood house. The two men told police they had regretted their actions.
The police received reports that the effigy of Barack Obama was hanging from a tree at 7:45 a.m. The U. Kentucky physical plant division had to bring a crane in to cut down the effigy an hour later.
The two stole from a fraternity house the supplies needed to make the effigy. Several students came forward with information as news of the incident spread across campus.
The U. Kentucky student is also subject to punitive action from the school, having violated the University's Student Code of Conduct.
Twelve-year-old prodigy enrolls as full-time student at U Conn
At 12 years old, Colin Carlson is the youngest student at the University of Connecticut.
But to his classmates, young Colin is not such a peculiar sight. He became a full-time student at UConn this fall, but has been taking classes since he was eight, beginning with a course in French.
Though he is a local UConn celebrity, the view has also developed among academics that he may be at too young an age for college life.
On his journey for both a Ph.D in environmental science and a law degree, UConn was not his first choice school. At the top of his short list was Connecticut College in New London.
Many brilliant youngsters flounder in the existing academic system, being ignored by colleges who do not take them seriously. Most deans of admissions are wary of taking on the legal responsibilities of allowing an under-age student to matriculate.
Though Connecticut College offered admission to Colin, he was barred from certain classes, as the college feared they did not possess the infrastructure to guarantee his well-being.
So instead, young Colin commutes from home to school at UConn, gladly seizing the educational opportunity to study his passion for the environmental sciences.
Google Mail "Goggles" seek to prevent drunken e-mails
Never again should you have to worry about sending drunken messages to your boss or significant other, with Google's new Mail Goggles.
Mail Goggles, the newest feature to Google's Gmail is intended to stop drunk or tired messaging late at night.
When activated, Mail Goggles requires that you answer five math questions within 60 seconds before your e-mails can be sent.
The difficulty of the questions can be set between levels one to five, to accommodate for all levels of mathematical skill.
Like other Gmail features, Mail Goggles was created because of customer requests and staff personal experience. E-mail lacks many clues that exist during face-to-face conversation, including tone, inflection and gestures.
Without them, a misinterpreted e-mail can lead to social conflict.
Many college students admit they recognize the reasoning behind Gmail's Mail Goggles, but doubt there is any great technological revolution here
Though Mail Goggles can't prevent you from sending all the messages you might regret, it may be able to help. And of course it certainly cannot help prevent your drunken IMs, text messages or Facebook messages.
Many Americans would hold strongly to their impression that the college classroom is a place full of political biases whether they be liberal or conservative.
It has been reported that 58 percent of adults believe that there is a significant problem with liberal bias among college professors, by public opinion polling agency Zogby International.
Three professors at George Mason University are challenging this concept with their new book, Closed Minds? Politics and Ideology in American Universities.
Their suggestion in the text is that there is neither a liberal nor conservative bias in lecture halls, but instead an anti-political one.
According to an interview by The Northeastern News with the authors L.R. Smith, Jeremy Mayer and A. Lee Fritschler, most professors try to avoid talking deeply about political debates or issues.
They assert that most professors are told to keep quiet, to avoid creating a public relations backlash.
With the 2008 presidential election in mind, some students appreciate the independence, believing they don't need to be told what to think.
Although a university's primary purpose is to educate, it seems that universities do not encourage open discussion or dialogue about political issues.
An opening of political debate in the classroom would require mutual encouragement from both students and faculty, but might have positive results.
Sarah Lawrence ranked most expensive college
In the competitive world that is known as American College rankings, a top ranking in any category is usually something to cheer about - but not for Sarah Lawrence College in its ranking as the most expensive school in the nation.
Each year, students at Sarah Lawrence College pay $53,166 per year for tuition, room and board. They are among the students at 100 colleges with tuitions greater than $44,000 per year.
College Board reports that tuition across the country has risen 6.4 percent since last year, and the average yearly tuition at private, four-year schools is $25,143.
At Sarah Lawrence College, there exists a 6:1 faculty to student ratio, and freshman students meet individually with professors every week. Without the huge endowments of Harvard or Yale, Sarah Lawrence relies heavily on tuition to pay for bills.
The school is now concerned about increasing economic pressure as requests for financial aid look like they may increase, considering the current market turmoil.
Students on financial aid as well as those who can afford the tuition of the school report feeling satisfied with the experiences they receive at Sarah Lawrence College, even if it means making a few material sacrifices.
Kentucky students arrested for Obama effigy
Two people have been arrested for their connection to a Barack Obama effigy found hanging from a tree on the University of Kentucky campus last Wednesday.
University of Kentucky student Joe Fischer and Lexington, Ky. resident Hunter Push were charged last Thursday with second-degree burglary, second-degree disorderly conduct and theft by unlawful taking, the Kentucky Colonel reported.
The duo turned themselves in to police at 3:38 p.m. They made the decision after seeing in the news reports a life-size representation of Sarah Palin hanging in front of a West Hollywood house. The two men told police they had regretted their actions.
The police received reports that the effigy of Barack Obama was hanging from a tree at 7:45 a.m. The U. Kentucky physical plant division had to bring a crane in to cut down the effigy an hour later.
The two stole from a fraternity house the supplies needed to make the effigy. Several students came forward with information as news of the incident spread across campus.
The U. Kentucky student is also subject to punitive action from the school, having violated the University's Student Code of Conduct.
Twelve-year-old prodigy enrolls as full-time student at U Conn
At 12 years old, Colin Carlson is the youngest student at the University of Connecticut.
But to his classmates, young Colin is not such a peculiar sight. He became a full-time student at UConn this fall, but has been taking classes since he was eight, beginning with a course in French.
Though he is a local UConn celebrity, the view has also developed among academics that he may be at too young an age for college life.
On his journey for both a Ph.D in environmental science and a law degree, UConn was not his first choice school. At the top of his short list was Connecticut College in New London.
Many brilliant youngsters flounder in the existing academic system, being ignored by colleges who do not take them seriously. Most deans of admissions are wary of taking on the legal responsibilities of allowing an under-age student to matriculate.
Though Connecticut College offered admission to Colin, he was barred from certain classes, as the college feared they did not possess the infrastructure to guarantee his well-being.
So instead, young Colin commutes from home to school at UConn, gladly seizing the educational opportunity to study his passion for the environmental sciences.
Google Mail "Goggles" seek to prevent drunken e-mails
Never again should you have to worry about sending drunken messages to your boss or significant other, with Google's new Mail Goggles.
Mail Goggles, the newest feature to Google's Gmail is intended to stop drunk or tired messaging late at night.
When activated, Mail Goggles requires that you answer five math questions within 60 seconds before your e-mails can be sent.
The difficulty of the questions can be set between levels one to five, to accommodate for all levels of mathematical skill.
Like other Gmail features, Mail Goggles was created because of customer requests and staff personal experience. E-mail lacks many clues that exist during face-to-face conversation, including tone, inflection and gestures.
Without them, a misinterpreted e-mail can lead to social conflict.
Many college students admit they recognize the reasoning behind Gmail's Mail Goggles, but doubt there is any great technological revolution here
Though Mail Goggles can't prevent you from sending all the messages you might regret, it may be able to help. And of course it certainly cannot help prevent your drunken IMs, text messages or Facebook messages.
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