An interesting article was tweeted out this morning. Inside Higher Ed is reporting that some private colleges have given its presidents raises during a time of economic struggle for their campus.
According to the article, 26 percent of presidents of independent college received at least a 4 percent raise. Only 14 percent cut their salaries. The results are part of a national survey by Yaffe and Company.
In this area we only have one private college, Centenary College. They also recently underwent some cuts including slashing some degree programs. As far as receiving a raise, President B. David Rowe has not received one but then again, he just started this school year.
But he does get an awesome inaugural ceremony just for him but it's being underwritten by local businesses.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Higher education and the Census
We all know that the Census effects funding for nearly every aspect of life -- roads, schools, redistricting.
But do you know that it has effects on higher education as well and not in the simplistic terms you would think.
Dave Moore, with the Census hotline, said that the numbers gathered during the Census count can be used during formulas to determine the amount of funding an area gets.
For example, Question 9 is the question about race and ethnicity. Title 20 is the law that helps provide for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The information from this question is part of that formula.
I'm working on a story about this that will help clear up the higher education and Census relationship.
Lee to CPSB: It's gonna get worse
It wasn't a social call.
True, Lee had worked for the district 29 years before becoming superintendent to the neighboring parish so it's not like he couldn't by a social call but there was stuff to talk about.
Besides the news of the death of a DeSoto 12-year-old, Lee discusses some changes he anticipated coming up in future BESE meetings.
Among them the radical shift from a moderate board to a more conservative board, one he says that is perfectly aligned to State Superintendent Paul Pastorek's ideology.
"I am convinced that Louisiana will go through a major transition and we will have one school system for the entire state," he said.
Lee referred to bills that will term limit school board members as well as the thought some politicians in Baton Rouge have to streamline the state's education system. One item, allowing charter schools to be approved at the state level rather than by a local board, concerned him.
He mentioned that because BESE is aligned with Pastorek's ideology, that it will be easier to pass such items.
"I personally don't see anyway to stop it," he said. "At this point BESE has lost its independence."
SREB data on dual enrollment students
I just received in the mail, a fact book bulletin from Southern Regional Education Board, known affectionately by education gurus as SREB. That organization keeps track of education, K-12 and higher ed, in southern states.The bulletin was about the increase in dual credit or enrollment students. In Louisiana, it's called Early Start. It's all the same name for the same thing, high school students taking college credit.
According to the information, students are taking college credit in two year universities and technical colleges. In states such as Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, the percentage of high school students taking undergraduate credit and contact hours taken in public two year colleges is 5 percent.
In the Shreveport-Bossier City area, dual enrollment is big business, especially out at LSUS. Although the school is on Spring Break this week, the last figures I saw for them was that nearly 500 students were signed up for their dual enrollment offerings.
BPCC and SUSLA also offer dual enrollment.
The state pays for dual enrollment, so that they don't have to pay tuition. However, these students are counted as part of the over all enrollment of the school.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Centenary goes green
Centenary students received recycle bins at their campus residences today. The next step in their 2010 Energy Challenge.
The challenge seeks to reduce the college's carbon foot print. Since January, the students have spearheaded this cause urging the campus to turn off lights and to try trayless dining.
They recycle bins will be placed behind James and Rotary Halls.
“The campus recycling project is a continuum of the campus ‘Go Green’ energy challenge,” said Andra Armstrong, James Hall Council Vice President and RHA housing committee. “Centenary is very caring of its community and this proposal will benefit the Shreveport/Bossier community as well as help to keep Centenary's campus and surrounding environment clean.”
With the recycle bins in place, the campus hopes to be able to recycle mixed paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, magazines, telephone books, catalogs, steel food cans, mail, etc.
In elementary school, what's an appropriate art?
Art is suppose to enlighten but do elementary children need to do a stage production of Scarface?
How do schools determine what's appropriate for students? This will be an interesting question to ask arts educators in the near future.
How do schools determine what's appropriate for students? This will be an interesting question to ask arts educators in the near future.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Food for thought
The UK newspaper The Guardian is reporting that students who eat healthier meals, in particular those from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, did better on their exams.
Oliver is known in this country, in non-cooking circles, as the host of Jamie's Food Revolution on ABC. The show chronicles Oliver's quest to get folks in Huntington, WV to eat better. The town is known as one of the unhealthiest towns in country.
But food for better grades? Why, yes.
As part of test preparation, schools around the country ask their students to have a good breakfast before coming to school.
Even in Caddo and Bossier, food is provided for students whose family can't afford them. The free and reduced meal program is funded through federal dollars.
Let's look at stats. Caddo serves 11,300 breakfast meals daily, and 26,900 lunches. In some schools in Caddo, the percentage of students on free or reduced meals are in the upper 90s.
Still don't understand the relationship between food and grades? Have you ever been so hungry in the middle of the work day that you couldn't concentrate?
Now imagine a healthy meal or snack and how much better you feel? It's like that.
Oliver is known in this country, in non-cooking circles, as the host of Jamie's Food Revolution on ABC. The show chronicles Oliver's quest to get folks in Huntington, WV to eat better. The town is known as one of the unhealthiest towns in country.
But food for better grades? Why, yes.
As part of test preparation, schools around the country ask their students to have a good breakfast before coming to school.
Even in Caddo and Bossier, food is provided for students whose family can't afford them. The free and reduced meal program is funded through federal dollars.
Let's look at stats. Caddo serves 11,300 breakfast meals daily, and 26,900 lunches. In some schools in Caddo, the percentage of students on free or reduced meals are in the upper 90s.
Still don't understand the relationship between food and grades? Have you ever been so hungry in the middle of the work day that you couldn't concentrate?
Now imagine a healthy meal or snack and how much better you feel? It's like that.
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