U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan answered questions during a webchat for Organizing for America.
Some of the topics he his include loan interest rates, Pell grants, and tuition.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What is an investiture or inauguration?
This week, Centenary's David Rowe will be installed ceremonially as president.
It's been awhile since the area has had an investiture or inauguration ceremony at a college. BPCC Chancellor Jim Henderson didn't have one when he started.
So to prepare, here's a video from another ceremony.
It's been awhile since the area has had an investiture or inauguration ceremony at a college. BPCC Chancellor Jim Henderson didn't have one when he started.
So to prepare, here's a video from another ceremony.
Outsourcing grading?
A article in the Chronicle of Higher Education surprised me this morning. A business law and ethic studies professor at the University of Houston is outsourcing the grading of her papers.
The professor has seven teaching assistants which grades 1,000 juniors' and seniors' papers. Her justification was that the graders are not experts in providing feedback.
The UH professor followed a trend in businesses today to outsource services to save money. Even our business has seen certain services outsourced to other areas to help with budgetary needs.
But grading papers? Afterall, students can't outsource their homework.
So today, I asked a couple of professors at Centenary, since I was out there doing a story, what they thought about outsourcing their grading.
Robert Prickett, assistant professor of education, said he would never outsource his grading.
"My job is to facilitate learning and one way to do it is seeing how many missed a question or how they answered."
He called outsourcing "problematic".
Down the hall I found Amy Hammond, assistant professor of psychology who agreed with Prickett. She said that grading is the least fun part about being a professor but it's absolutely necessary. She understood the motivation to outsource the work and often sets aside whole blocks of time to grade papers.
"Would love help grading but I would not do it," she said about outsourcing her grading. "I would like to know the training and experience of the person grading."
Tell us what you think by taking the poll in the column to the right.
The professor has seven teaching assistants which grades 1,000 juniors' and seniors' papers. Her justification was that the graders are not experts in providing feedback.
The UH professor followed a trend in businesses today to outsource services to save money. Even our business has seen certain services outsourced to other areas to help with budgetary needs.
But grading papers? Afterall, students can't outsource their homework.
So today, I asked a couple of professors at Centenary, since I was out there doing a story, what they thought about outsourcing their grading.
Robert Prickett, assistant professor of education, said he would never outsource his grading.
"My job is to facilitate learning and one way to do it is seeing how many missed a question or how they answered."
He called outsourcing "problematic".
Down the hall I found Amy Hammond, assistant professor of psychology who agreed with Prickett. She said that grading is the least fun part about being a professor but it's absolutely necessary. She understood the motivation to outsource the work and often sets aside whole blocks of time to grade papers.
"Would love help grading but I would not do it," she said about outsourcing her grading. "I would like to know the training and experience of the person grading."
Tell us what you think by taking the poll in the column to the right.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Caddo fills director of communications position
Caddo Parish School Board finally filled its director of communications and marketing research position, after poring through more than 90 applications.
Tricia Grayson, who began working March 8, replaced former director Bernadine Anderson. Click here for the job description. Click here for her resume.
Anderson retired from the position last school year and received $106,202 a year. Grayson is earning $81,091.
Her experience includes:
- director of external communications at Healthways in Nashville, Tenn.
- recruiter of medial relations for Lifeshare Blood Centers
- newsroom and assignments manager for KTAL in Shreveport
The salary cap for this position is $101,311.
The assistant director of communications position, which is in charge of marketing has not been filled. But a recommendation could come as early as next week, said Mary Nash Robinson, assistant superintendent of human resources.
Grayson will be a part of the selection committee.
Grayson will be a part of the selection committee.
The School Board received more than 115 applications for the assistant position, and the salary ranges from $62,934 to $82,211, said Cleveland White, director of classified personnel. Schools Superintendent Gerald Dawkins has the final say.
Filpino teachers get their day
Our capital bureau reporter Mike Hasten, is at a Louisiana Workforce Commission hearing today listening to testimony from the American Federation of Teachers and Universal Placement International, the company that brought Filipino teachers to Louisiana.
UPI, owned by Lulu Navarro, brought more than 300 teachers to Louisiana, 43 ended up in Caddo.
This hearing is the result of a complaint filed by the state teacher's union. The union alleges that the teachers were charged exorbitant amount of money for visas and paperwork to obtain jobs in Louisiana.
Here is a timeline that explains the entire story.
UPI, owned by Lulu Navarro, brought more than 300 teachers to Louisiana, 43 ended up in Caddo.
This hearing is the result of a complaint filed by the state teacher's union. The union alleges that the teachers were charged exorbitant amount of money for visas and paperwork to obtain jobs in Louisiana.
Here is a timeline that explains the entire story.
LSUS Budget cuts
LSUS will be undergoing some cuts before the end of the fiscal year, which ends June 30. This is the second cut for the year. There are more expected next year.
The campus will have to cut $841,312 by the end of year. Their total cuts for the year is $1.9 million.
Campus officials have a four part plan to implement said cuts.
1. Freezing operation budgets.
All general fund budgets are frozen for the rest of year. The money from said budgets went to pay student and graduate student salaries, travel, operating services, supplies and acquisitions.
2. Freezing student and graduate assistant positions
Those positions will not be filled for the period between spring and summer semesters.
3. Furlough classified, unclassified and administrative faculty.
This is the big one. Staff who make under $30,000 will be exempt from taking furloughs. For everyone else, the furloughs will last two days, one day in May and another in June. However, the unclassified professional staff, those that makes more than $100,000, have to take three days--one in May and another in June.
4. Declaration of Financial Exigency and Faculty Furlough
For everyone else, the campus will ask the broad of regents to declare financial exigency will allow faculty to take one furlough day in May.
Here's the break down of how the cuts would raise:
Budget freeze: $696,027
Student/Graduate student freeze: $35,000
Furlough classified staff -- 2 days: $13,020
Furlough unclassified staff -- 2 days: $27,104
Furlough administrative faculty -- 2 days: $7,226
Furlough unclassified staff and administrative faculty -- 3 days: $13,212
Furlough faculty-- 1 day: $49,723
The campus will have to cut $841,312 by the end of year. Their total cuts for the year is $1.9 million.
Campus officials have a four part plan to implement said cuts.
1. Freezing operation budgets.
All general fund budgets are frozen for the rest of year. The money from said budgets went to pay student and graduate student salaries, travel, operating services, supplies and acquisitions.
2. Freezing student and graduate assistant positions
Those positions will not be filled for the period between spring and summer semesters.
3. Furlough classified, unclassified and administrative faculty.
This is the big one. Staff who make under $30,000 will be exempt from taking furloughs. For everyone else, the furloughs will last two days, one day in May and another in June. However, the unclassified professional staff, those that makes more than $100,000, have to take three days--one in May and another in June.
4. Declaration of Financial Exigency and Faculty Furlough
For everyone else, the campus will ask the broad of regents to declare financial exigency will allow faculty to take one furlough day in May.
Here's the break down of how the cuts would raise:
Budget freeze: $696,027
Student/Graduate student freeze: $35,000
Furlough classified staff -- 2 days: $13,020
Furlough unclassified staff -- 2 days: $27,104
Furlough administrative faculty -- 2 days: $7,226
Furlough unclassified staff and administrative faculty -- 3 days: $13,212
Furlough faculty-- 1 day: $49,723
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