Slavery is far from being dead in our world; it's a current worldwide problem that most people are not even aware of. It is estimated that 13 billion dollars are generated by slavery each year and that there are 27 million slaves worldwide. In the United States an estimated 10 to 15 thousand slaves are brought in to the country each year.
Most Americans would think that slavery ended in 1865 with the end of the American Civil War. However, when people think of slavery, it is often associated with "old slavery." Old slavery, before 1863, was an expensive system because of transportation costs and the relatively small number of people who were slaves. It is for those two reasons that slaves during this time were treated somewhat better than the slaves of today.
The slavery of today, modern slavery, is not at all like our image of old slavery. Modern slavery is a less expensive system; there are more people being brought into the system and transportation is cheaper-both of which makes modern slaves expendable.
The Racquette
SUNY Potsdam, Potsdam, NY
Saturday, November 7, 2009
State Council Begins Talking About Tuition Increases
Last April, in recognition of the poor economy and its effect on students and their parents, the council limited in-state tuition increases for the current 2009-10 academic year to between 3 percent and 5 percent. The University of Louisville and University of Kentucky were permitted to raise their in-state student tuition by 5 percent. The state's six regional universities were limited to increases of 4 percent, while tuition couldn't rise more than 3 percent in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which includes Jefferson Community & Technical College.
But while council members agreed at the meeting that tuition increase for next school year were not preferable, they remained cautious about setting limits prior to Gov. Steve Beshear and the state legislature beginning budget talks. At the same time, they recognized that the state’s higher education institutions have sustained significant budgets cuts, while trying to provide services to more students, many of whom are returning to school seeking new training.
“Nobody wants to see tuition go up. But there comes a point when the institutions cannot do the impossible,” said council chair and former Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton. “At all cost, we want to maintain quality. We’re not running diploma mills.”
Courier Journal
But while council members agreed at the meeting that tuition increase for next school year were not preferable, they remained cautious about setting limits prior to Gov. Steve Beshear and the state legislature beginning budget talks. At the same time, they recognized that the state’s higher education institutions have sustained significant budgets cuts, while trying to provide services to more students, many of whom are returning to school seeking new training.
“Nobody wants to see tuition go up. But there comes a point when the institutions cannot do the impossible,” said council chair and former Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton. “At all cost, we want to maintain quality. We’re not running diploma mills.”
Courier Journal
Tuition scheduled to increase next year
Budget Committee Chair and Associate Professor of Economics Bob Williams said that there will be an increase in tuition for next year.
"Yes (fees) will go up," said Williams during a question and answer session at a Community Forum held Nov. 4 in Bryan Auditorium.
"The school is almost maxed out in terms of the number of students," said Williams. "We can't increase enrollment much more so we do have to increase fees to cover higher costs."
Randy Doss, vice president for enrollment services, said that tuition increases are almost inevitable for a school with only a small endowment.
Guilford pays about 80 percent of its yearly expenses with tuition income. The school's small endowment and tuition-driven budget place its fees within national trends for all colleges and universities.
...The College Board reported last month that private non-profit schools increased tuition an average of 4.4 percent this school year. Tuition increases for traditional Guilford students were higher than the national average for 4-year private colleges at 5.5 percent....
The Guilfordian
Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
"Yes (fees) will go up," said Williams during a question and answer session at a Community Forum held Nov. 4 in Bryan Auditorium.
"The school is almost maxed out in terms of the number of students," said Williams. "We can't increase enrollment much more so we do have to increase fees to cover higher costs."
Randy Doss, vice president for enrollment services, said that tuition increases are almost inevitable for a school with only a small endowment.
Guilford pays about 80 percent of its yearly expenses with tuition income. The school's small endowment and tuition-driven budget place its fees within national trends for all colleges and universities.
...The College Board reported last month that private non-profit schools increased tuition an average of 4.4 percent this school year. Tuition increases for traditional Guilford students were higher than the national average for 4-year private colleges at 5.5 percent....
The Guilfordian
Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
USG copes with budget cuts, possible student fee increase
A University System of Georgia-wide budget cut increase from 6 percent to 8 percent will result in eliminating many positions that are currently frozen according to GCSU President Dorothy Leland. An additional $150 mandatory emergency fee may be added to the existing fee, totaling $250 per student for Spring 2010 semester, according to Leland.
Colonnade
Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA
Colonnade
Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA
Friday, November 6, 2009
Brown Set To Go Green
In a push for more sustainable living, students will now have another, less scandalous reason to turn off their lights. The Green Dorm Initiative, which launched Wednesday, is a way for students to rate their dorm and receive incentives based on their levels of environmental friendliness.
The Green Dorm Initiative committee, part of the Environmental Club, is working in conjunction with EcoReps and the Rice Student Green Building Initiative to encourage students to assess their current behavior and reward them for adopting more environmentally friendly practices, GDI committee leader Nicole Kwan said.
"The concept is to recognize individual green efforts and give an incentive for people to change their lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly," Kwan, a Baker College EcoRep, said.
The pilot program launched Wednesday for students at Brown College lasts until Thanksgiving Break. If successful, the program will expand to other colleges next semester, Environmental Club co-President Becca Sagastegui said. Sagastegui, a Sid Richardson College EcoRep, said Brown was chosen based on diversity of room type, which includes doubles and quads, and general interest from the student body.
The Rice Thresher
Rice University, Houston , TX
The Green Dorm Initiative committee, part of the Environmental Club, is working in conjunction with EcoReps and the Rice Student Green Building Initiative to encourage students to assess their current behavior and reward them for adopting more environmentally friendly practices, GDI committee leader Nicole Kwan said.
"The concept is to recognize individual green efforts and give an incentive for people to change their lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly," Kwan, a Baker College EcoRep, said.
The pilot program launched Wednesday for students at Brown College lasts until Thanksgiving Break. If successful, the program will expand to other colleges next semester, Environmental Club co-President Becca Sagastegui said. Sagastegui, a Sid Richardson College EcoRep, said Brown was chosen based on diversity of room type, which includes doubles and quads, and general interest from the student body.
The Rice Thresher
Rice University, Houston , TX
University of Miami hires controversial expert
The UM medical school hired a psychiatrist who has been criticized for taking millions of dollars from drugmakers.
Charles Nemeroff, an Atlanta psychiatrist who was the subject of a Senate investigation concerning huge sums he received from drug companies, has been named chairman of the psychiatry department at the University of Miami.
Last year Nemeroff, as the top psychiatrist at Emory University, was the focus of an investigation by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who said he was concerned about the millions the psychiatrist received from drug companies while conducting supposedly unbiased research for the National Institutes of Health on drugs made by the companies he was receiving money from.
On Thursday, Pascal Goldschmidt, dean of UM medical school, called Nemeroff ``an exceptional psychiatrist and an exceptional scientist who has one issue in which he recognizes he made a mistake,'' in not telling Emory how much he was getting from drug makers.
Goldschmidt said he had read investigative reports from Emory about Nemeroff's activities and Emory found nothing to indicate that payments the psychiatrist received had in any way influenced his research results.
Miami Herald
Charles Nemeroff, an Atlanta psychiatrist who was the subject of a Senate investigation concerning huge sums he received from drug companies, has been named chairman of the psychiatry department at the University of Miami.
Last year Nemeroff, as the top psychiatrist at Emory University, was the focus of an investigation by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who said he was concerned about the millions the psychiatrist received from drug companies while conducting supposedly unbiased research for the National Institutes of Health on drugs made by the companies he was receiving money from.
On Thursday, Pascal Goldschmidt, dean of UM medical school, called Nemeroff ``an exceptional psychiatrist and an exceptional scientist who has one issue in which he recognizes he made a mistake,'' in not telling Emory how much he was getting from drug makers.
Goldschmidt said he had read investigative reports from Emory about Nemeroff's activities and Emory found nothing to indicate that payments the psychiatrist received had in any way influenced his research results.
Miami Herald
The Survey of Higher Education Faculty: Level of Faculty Satisfaction with the Academic Library
The report details the level of faculty satisfaction with library creature comforts, information literacy efforts, hours of access, research support for faculty, collection adequacy and other areas. Data is presented in the aggregate and for 12 criteria including academic field, size of college, type of college, academic title and other factors.
Just a few findings of the report are:
- 28.44% of faculty said that they were highly satisfied with their academic library's level of physical comfort.
- Satisfaction was high on the issue of the library staff's capacity to deliver help when needed. More than 47% said that they were highly satisfied and 38.53% said that they were satisfied with their library's capacity to deliver help when needed.
- Only 14.33% of the faculty in the sample said that they were highly satisfied with the adequacy of their college library's materials collection for their own personal scholarly pursuits.
- More than 44% of US-based faculty but only 30.77% of Canadian faculty were highly satisfied with their academic library's inter-library loan services.
- 27.44% of faculty in the sample felt that their library should increase spending on traditional print books.
Research and Markets
Just a few findings of the report are:
- 28.44% of faculty said that they were highly satisfied with their academic library's level of physical comfort.
- Satisfaction was high on the issue of the library staff's capacity to deliver help when needed. More than 47% said that they were highly satisfied and 38.53% said that they were satisfied with their library's capacity to deliver help when needed.
- Only 14.33% of the faculty in the sample said that they were highly satisfied with the adequacy of their college library's materials collection for their own personal scholarly pursuits.
- More than 44% of US-based faculty but only 30.77% of Canadian faculty were highly satisfied with their academic library's inter-library loan services.
- 27.44% of faculty in the sample felt that their library should increase spending on traditional print books.
Research and Markets
More Report Cards Go Online
When report cards went out for students in the Clarksville-Montgomery County school district in October, most of the 29,000-plus students did not have a printed version for their parents to sign.
That's because the district went largely paperless with its report cards for the first time, making grades available to parents with secure accounts online, says communications manager Michelle Newell.
A growing number of districts nationwide are making the change says Ann Flynn, director of education technology with the National School Boards Association.
Districts in Louisiana, Colorado, South Carolina and Texas are among those that have gone paperless since 2008. Although Flynn could not say how many other districts are doing it, she says those making the change "are no longer the exception. They are becoming the rule."
USA Today
That's because the district went largely paperless with its report cards for the first time, making grades available to parents with secure accounts online, says communications manager Michelle Newell.
A growing number of districts nationwide are making the change says Ann Flynn, director of education technology with the National School Boards Association.
Districts in Louisiana, Colorado, South Carolina and Texas are among those that have gone paperless since 2008. Although Flynn could not say how many other districts are doing it, she says those making the change "are no longer the exception. They are becoming the rule."
USA Today
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Online Programs: Profits Are There, Technological Innovation Is Not
Online programs are generally profitable. But despite the buzz about Web 2.0, the education they provide is still dominated by rudimentary, text-based technology.
Those are two key findings in a recent report, “Benchmarking Online Operations: Snapshots of an Emerging Industry,” produced by the consulting firm Eduventures.
Online education has grown in popularity, yet it remains dependent on learning-management systems, with content-delivery built around text, says Richard Garrett, an Eduventures managing director.
“The underlying delivery model or pedagogical model hasn’t really changed much in the last five, 10 years,” Mr. Garrett says.
Chronicle of Higher Education
Those are two key findings in a recent report, “Benchmarking Online Operations: Snapshots of an Emerging Industry,” produced by the consulting firm Eduventures.
Online education has grown in popularity, yet it remains dependent on learning-management systems, with content-delivery built around text, says Richard Garrett, an Eduventures managing director.
“The underlying delivery model or pedagogical model hasn’t really changed much in the last five, 10 years,” Mr. Garrett says.
Chronicle of Higher Education
Online Education, Growing Fast, Eyes the Truly 'Big Time'
Online education is a runaway best seller. Its growth rate -- 12.9 percent -- dwarfs the overall pace of academe’s student expansion. More than 25 percent of all students may have taken at least one online class this year, according to a speculative estimate suggested at a distance-education conference that wraps up here today.
But the success isn’t smashing enough. Not even close.
That’s the case made by A. Frank Mayadas, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation program director who called on online educators gathered here to meet what he sees as a major need -- fast. And Mr. Mayadas, considered the Father of Online Learning, suggested in an interview following his speech that the government should step in with some $500-million to support traditional online courses -- not just the experimental “free” courses that have emerged as a darling of the Obama administration.
Chronicle of Higher Education
But the success isn’t smashing enough. Not even close.
That’s the case made by A. Frank Mayadas, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation program director who called on online educators gathered here to meet what he sees as a major need -- fast. And Mr. Mayadas, considered the Father of Online Learning, suggested in an interview following his speech that the government should step in with some $500-million to support traditional online courses -- not just the experimental “free” courses that have emerged as a darling of the Obama administration.
Chronicle of Higher Education
Facebook spammer ordered to pay $711 million
The social networking site wins damages against noted spammer Sanford Wallace for bombarding its users with junk mail.
A California judge awarded Facebook $711 million in damages against spammer Sanford Wallace for bombarding the Web site with junk messages.
"We won another battle in the fight against spam," said Facebook, which announced the Oct. 29 ruling on its Web site on Friday.
Wallace, who has also been called the "Spam King," accessed Facebook members' accounts without their permission and sent out "phony" Wall posts and messages, the company said.
In addition to the damages, Judge Jeremy Fogel of U.S. District Court in Northern California's San Jose division banned Wallace, and anyone affiliated with him, from accessing Facebook.
CNN Money
A California judge awarded Facebook $711 million in damages against spammer Sanford Wallace for bombarding the Web site with junk messages.
"We won another battle in the fight against spam," said Facebook, which announced the Oct. 29 ruling on its Web site on Friday.
Wallace, who has also been called the "Spam King," accessed Facebook members' accounts without their permission and sent out "phony" Wall posts and messages, the company said.
In addition to the damages, Judge Jeremy Fogel of U.S. District Court in Northern California's San Jose division banned Wallace, and anyone affiliated with him, from accessing Facebook.
CNN Money
Knovel Bridges Knowledge Gap for Engineers
Knovel, an online resource that helps engineers find reliable technical information faster, today announced it has launched Engineering Cases, a regular content feature that aims to bridge the knowledge gap for engineers by sharing examples of best practices, rules of thumb, new uses of applications or technologies. The articles, written by engineers and reviewed by experienced editors, highlight specific examples of how engineers have applied innovative and fresh approaches to both common and uncommon challenges.
Written in a case study format and released on a rolling basis, the articles will focus on four engineering practice areas: Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Product Lifecycle Management and Sustainable Development.
Forbes
Written in a case study format and released on a rolling basis, the articles will focus on four engineering practice areas: Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Product Lifecycle Management and Sustainable Development.
Forbes
Monday, November 2, 2009
Google Wave: an Organic Collaboration Platform
Google Wave can be described as a communication/collaboration tool in which products like e-mail, IM, discussion board and Wiki are rolled into one. Though it can be considered a mix of these products, the final outcome is much more than sum of its components — they are all combined in a synergetic fashion.
Once logged on to the Wave infrastructure (https://wave.google.com/wave/), you will find the Wave creation interface. (You now need an invite to participate on Google Wave). Once a Wave is created, you can simply add participants using the ‘+’ button. Now, the fun begins! All the participants who are now on-line and on the Wave window can actively interact in real-time. Yes, for Google Wave the significance lies in real-time participation — real-time e-mail, real-time chat, real-time editing and so on.
When a participant types something, each of the characters entered becomes visible to all the participants. So, in the middle of his/her sentence itself you may understand the intention of your buddy and can answer his/her query before it arrives in full.
Being a hosted service, the Wave thus created (with all its historic details) will be available to all the participants as and when they need it. Another advantage of the Wave is that a new participant can join the discussion at any point of time. Unlike in the traditional e-mail, this late entrant will not miss out on information history.
The facility that lets a participant edit anywhere on the Wave anytime is another valuable feature. A Wave can contain numerous messages from its participants. The interesting feature is that one can reply to any of these messages and create a threaded conversation based on that message.
A Wave is an extremely dynamic entity that always gets enriched through the collaboration process. You can easily attach images and other documents. As you drop files on a Wave, they become immediately accessible to all the participants.
The Hindu
Once logged on to the Wave infrastructure (https://wave.google.com/wave/), you will find the Wave creation interface. (You now need an invite to participate on Google Wave). Once a Wave is created, you can simply add participants using the ‘+’ button. Now, the fun begins! All the participants who are now on-line and on the Wave window can actively interact in real-time. Yes, for Google Wave the significance lies in real-time participation — real-time e-mail, real-time chat, real-time editing and so on.
When a participant types something, each of the characters entered becomes visible to all the participants. So, in the middle of his/her sentence itself you may understand the intention of your buddy and can answer his/her query before it arrives in full.
Being a hosted service, the Wave thus created (with all its historic details) will be available to all the participants as and when they need it. Another advantage of the Wave is that a new participant can join the discussion at any point of time. Unlike in the traditional e-mail, this late entrant will not miss out on information history.
The facility that lets a participant edit anywhere on the Wave anytime is another valuable feature. A Wave can contain numerous messages from its participants. The interesting feature is that one can reply to any of these messages and create a threaded conversation based on that message.
A Wave is an extremely dynamic entity that always gets enriched through the collaboration process. You can easily attach images and other documents. As you drop files on a Wave, they become immediately accessible to all the participants.
The Hindu
More districts use income, not race, as basis for busing
More than 60 school systems now use socioeconomic status as a factor in school assignments, says Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, which studies income inequality. Students in Champaign, Ill.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Louisville have returned this year to income-based assignments.
"To the extent we can eliminate the highest concentrations of poverty or spread more thinly those concentrations of poverty, I think we make the environment a little less challenging for students and staff to be successful," says Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Michael Rice.
USA Today
"To the extent we can eliminate the highest concentrations of poverty or spread more thinly those concentrations of poverty, I think we make the environment a little less challenging for students and staff to be successful," says Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Michael Rice.
USA Today
Bob Barker donates $1 million Creates endowed professorship of Animal Rights
Drury's most famous alumnus, Dr. Bob Barker, made a return visit to campus Tuesday to give $1 million for the establishment of the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Professorship of Animal Rights, named in honor of Barker's late wife.
"What we're doing here today is something they will be talking about all over the country," Barker said.
Dr. Barker has helped put Drury University on the map in terms of the unique course offering on the topic of animal ethics. The Animal Ethics course, established by Barker's first $1 million endowment, established Drury as the first undergraduate institution to offer a multi-disciplinary course on animal ethics.
The course analyzes animal ethics through the lenses of philosophy, criminology, psychology, religion and biology and is taught by experts in each of these fields to give the students a well-rounded, well-informed perspective on the issue.
The Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Professorship of Animal Rights will allow this program to grow. It is the hope of Dr. Patricia McEachern, director of forum on animal rights, to use this endowment to eventually establish an entire program devoted to the study of animal ethics.
The Drury Mirror, Drury University, MO
"What we're doing here today is something they will be talking about all over the country," Barker said.
Dr. Barker has helped put Drury University on the map in terms of the unique course offering on the topic of animal ethics. The Animal Ethics course, established by Barker's first $1 million endowment, established Drury as the first undergraduate institution to offer a multi-disciplinary course on animal ethics.
The course analyzes animal ethics through the lenses of philosophy, criminology, psychology, religion and biology and is taught by experts in each of these fields to give the students a well-rounded, well-informed perspective on the issue.
The Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Professorship of Animal Rights will allow this program to grow. It is the hope of Dr. Patricia McEachern, director of forum on animal rights, to use this endowment to eventually establish an entire program devoted to the study of animal ethics.
The Drury Mirror, Drury University, MO
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