Diverse Issues in Higher Education articles from August 2008

Diverse Issues in Higher Education archives from August 2008

Keeping with traditions.(Editorial)
August 7, 2008... With the 2008 Olympic Games taking place in Beijing this month, approximately 4 billion viewers worldwide will tune into the two week-long event. What happens during the games is certain to make news--records are broken, new champions are...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
August 7, 2008... In the July 10th "On the Move," it was reported that Dr. Lee Baker was becoming a dean at Trinity College in Connecticut. He is becoming dean at the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University. Diverse regrets the error. In the...

Pell Grant one of few winners in 2009 budget: despite work on education spending bill, Congress unlikely to complete work until after general election.
August 7, 2008... Education spending bills moving through Congress include a small increase for Pell Grants and several college-access programs next year. But the picture for minority-serving institutions is less dear, particularly for historically Black...

Education Department launches effort to simplify aid formula.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... CHICAGO The U.S. Department of Education is hunching an effort to reform and simplify how college students apply for and receive financial aid. The federal student aid form needs to be cut down from 100 to nine questions and the aid...

Getting to know Chia Youyee Vang.
August 7, 2008... When her book Hmong in Minnesota published earlier this year, Dr. Chia Youyee Vang wasn't surprised the ethnic press ran reviews and announcements of it. Instead, what struck her was how much attention it drew from mainstream broadcast and...

AKAs celebrate 100 years of sisterhood and service.(Alpha Kappa Alpha )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... The nation's capital was a sea of pink and green as an estimated 20,000 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha converged upon Washington, D.C., in July to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the country's largest and oldest Black sorority. Founded on the...

On DiverseEducation.com: meet the bloggers.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... A diverse group of professors are blogging on issues affecting people of color in the academy. Here are some excerpts: "I have had more students than I care to mention... threaten to challenge grades, speak to colleagues about my/our...

Raising a flag of resistance.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... On every major holiday, Maria Landry Ross would display a decorative flag to commemorate the occasion. Unable to find one to commemorate the Dr. Martin Luther King federal holiday or Black History Month, she created one for her personal use....

Diverse digits.(spectrum)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, there will be: 302 Total Events 165 Men's Events 127 Women's Events 10 Mixed Events SOURCE: U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

Keeping the tradition alive: the relatively low percentage of Black students in jazz studies programs remains a topic of interest as scholars want to ensure that the musical culture of an earlier generation of African-Americans lives on.
August 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN 25-YEAR-OLD ASHLIN Parker applied to the jazz studies program at the University of New Orleans, he did so not solely because of the school's well-regarded reputation; he also couldn't pass up an opportunity to...

Staying true to its mission: celebrating 40 years, the tribal college movement remains committed to sustaining native culture, language and community, officials say.
August 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In beauty I walk With beauty before me I walk With beauty behind me I walk With beauty above me I walk With beauty around me I walk It has become beauty again It has become beauty again...

When sports and politics collide: along with showcasing the world's best athletes, the Olympics offer a unique glimpse into history and race relations.
August 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When TV news images showed pro-Tibet sympathizers dramatically disrupting the international Olympic torch relay in multiple cities earlier this year, Dr. Yosay Wangdi's faculty colleagues throughout academia flooded...

New survey helps community colleges focus up front: the Survey of Entering Student Engagement is deepening community colleges' understanding of students' earliest collegiate experiences.
August 7, 2008... Each fall, colleges across the country ask a perennial question: How many, new students did we enroll this fall?' Recruiting new students is essential to growing full-time equivalency (FTE) and increasing vital revenue streams. For community...

Summer reading for the teachers: a little variety to stretch the mind--gently.('Do All Indians Live in Tipis? Questions and Answers from the National Museum of the American Indian'', 'Book of Salsa: A Chronicle of Urban Music from the Caribbean to New York City', 'Doing the Public Good: Latina/o Scholars Engage Civic Participation', 'Cooking the Gullah Way, Morning Noon, and Night', and 'African Cherokees in Indian Territory: From Chattel to Citizens')(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... With summer in full swing, it is a good time to try lighter fare than the weighty academic reading that occupies the school year and to diversify our selections, especially across ethnic and racial lines. Here is a selection of books on a wide...

Institute for Higher Education Policy.(Michelle Asha Cooper as president)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper has been named president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, effective Sept. 8. Formerly, she served as deputy director for the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance at the U.S. Department of...

Montgomery College.(Sonya Chile as chief of staff )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SONYA CHILES has been named chief of staff at Montgomery College (Md.). Previously, she served as a criminal justice professor at the college. She earned a bachelor's from the University of Maryland and a law degree...

Pace University.(Robina Schepp as vice president )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ROBINA SCHEPP has been named vice president of enrollment management at Pace University (N.Y.). Previously, she served as assistant vice president of marketing and communications. Schepp earned a bachelor's from...

Nova Southeastern University's Law School.(Athornia Steele as dean)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ATHORNIA STEELE has been named dean of Nova Southeastern University's Law School (Fla.). Formerly, he served as a law professor at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Steele earned a bachelor's and law degree from...

California State University, Monterey Bay, has received a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help students in need of academic support.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, MONTEREY BAY, has received a $2.8 MILLION grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help students in need of academic support. The funds will be used to establish a Center for Student Success.

California State University, San Bernardino, has received a $50,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to provide services to low-income, minority, disabled women and/or women-owned businesses through its Inland Empire Women's Business Center program.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO, has received a $50,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to provide services to low-income, minority, disabled women and/or women-owned businesses through its Inland Empire Women's Business...

Florida State University has received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to buy a state-of-the-art robotic electron microscope to advance cutting-edge studies.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY has received a $2 MILLION grant from the National Institutes of Health to buy a state-of-the-art robotic electron microscope to advance cutting-edge studies of HIV/AIDS, heart disease, hypertension and cancer.

Fresno State University has received an $80,000 gift from alumnus Tom Dynjan and his wife, Helen, to establish the Tom F. and Helen Dynjan Endowment Fund to support Fresno State's Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute (CVELI).(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY has received an $80,000 gift from alumnus Tom Dynjan and his wife, Helen, to establish the Tom F. and Helen Dynjan Endowment Fund to support Fresno State's Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute (CVELI). The...

Howard University's Division of Nursing has received a $750,000 gift from the Helene Fuld Health Trust for student scholarships.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... HOWARD UNIVERSITY'S Division of Nursing has received a $750,000 gift from the Helene Fuld Health Trust for student scholarships. Both new and currently enrolled students will receive financial support with this gift, which was intended to help...

Teachers College at Columbia University has received a $5 million gift from the GE Foundation to partner with 10 public schools in Harlem.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... TEACHERS COLLEGE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY has received a $5 MILLION gift from the GE Foundation to partner with 10 public schools in Harlem. The partnership will help develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics instruction at the...

The University of Maryland's David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... The UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND'S David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora has received a $100,000 Ford Foundation grant to help advance the field of Black art.

The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa has received a $12 million grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation for its endowment to fund faculty salaries.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA-TULSA has received a $12 MILLION grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation for its endowment to fund faculty salaries. The state will provide matching funds.

Webster University (Mo.) has received a $1 million gift.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... WEBSTER UNIVERSITY (Mo.) has received a $1 MILLION gift from the university board's former chairman Doug Hill to benefit the university's School of Business and Technology.

Winston-Salem State University (N.C.) has received a $50,000 grant.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY (N.C.) has received a $50,000 grant from the DataMax Foundation to provide free entrepreneurship and credit counseling for area residents.

Diverse calendar.(Calendar)
August 7, 2008... September [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sept. 7-10 National HBCU Week Hyatt Regency Washington, D.C. Web: www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whhbcu/edlite-index.html Sept. 17-20 National Black MBA Association 30th Annual...

More than gatekeepers: high school guidance counselors have extraordinary influence in steering Black males to college or to the streets.
August 7, 2008... Black males have chronically been in the lower percentiles of students qualifying for entry to four-year institutions as compared to other ethnic and gender groups. There are a myriad of axiomatic factors such as a lack of opportunities to...

Countdown to 25.(editor's note)
August 21, 2008... Countdown to 25--years, that is, of publishing a magazine dedicated to the issues of historically underrepresented groups in higher education. First as Black Issues in Higher Education, now as Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the...

Approved HEA bill offers more aid for low-income students: reauthorized Higher Education Act includes new funding for graduate programs at minority-serving institutions.
August 21, 2008... After years of debate, Congress overwhelmingly approved a bill to renew the Higher Education Act and made changes in a variety of programs, from Pell Grants and student loans to those reserved for minority-serving institutions. The...

Report urges U.S. colleges to adopt Europe's higher education accountability reforms.
August 21, 2008... It's far from certain whether the U.S. higher education accountability movement will see colleges and universities nationally instituting learning standards and other accountability measures. However, one Washington-based higher education...

Financially struggling college students turn to food banks.
August 21, 2008... SEATTLE For years, the small University District pantry, just blocks from the University of Washington, has offered help to the working poor and single parents in this neighborhood of campus rentals. Now rising food prices are bringing...

10 diversity champions.(List)
August 21, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Diversity--probably one of the most elastic and debated terms around today. Yet, with its wide and growing usage, much confusion still exists as to what it means in a practical and meaningful way. Instead of debating...

Public roles private lives: universities have become cognizant of the independent lives of presidential spouses, but it's still a role these "accidental ambassadors" must grow into.
August 21, 2008... When Phyllis Wong's husband, Leslie, was named president of Northern Michigan University, she found herself uncertain about how to approach her new role of first lady. The spouse of a college president is often an ambassador for the school and...

Caught between two cultures: efforts to reach Asian students with culturally appropriate mental health services are paying off.
August 21, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In manyways, Asian students at Cornell University seen seem like a successful group. At the competitive IvyLeague school, they make up about 17 percent of the student body--by far the schools largest minority. ...

Taking full advantage of funding opportunities: many Black colleges have secured dollars for a variety of important initiatives, but one of the hurdles is just knowing which funding streams to tap.
August 21, 2008... Like many institutions of higher education, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) face the financial challenge of addressing faculty, student and infrastructure needs while maintaining affordable tuition. The good news is that...

Taking faculty development online: the online medium nurtures dialogue among faculty coming from different disciplines and levels of experience.
August 21, 2008... Two years ago, I was asked to assess the needs of new faculty hires at my college, Kapi'olani Community College, in Honolulu, and to design a program that would support new faculty through their first year. I discovered a funny contradiction....

Roosevelt University.(Miroslava Mejia Krug as senior vice president )(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... Miroslava Mejia Krug has been appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer at Roosevelt University (Ill.). Previously she served as chief financial officer for the Chicago Housing Authority. Krug received a bachelor's from the...

Winston-Salem State University.(on the move)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... MICHELLE COOK has been named vice chancellor for university advancement at Winston-Salem State University. She also serves as the executive director of the WSSU Foundation. Cook earned a bachelor's from Glassboro State College. ...

Thomas Jefferson School of Law.(on the move)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... LUZ HERRERA has been named assistant professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law (Calif.). Formerly she served as a visiting professor at Chapman Law School. Herrera earned a bachelor's and master's from Stanford University and a law degree...

San Diego Community College District.(on the move)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... OTTO LEE has been named vice chancellor of instructional services for the San Diego Community College District. He earned a bachelor's from Polytechnic University, a master's from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from...

City College of New York.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... The CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK has received $9.6 MILLION from the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to develop an honors program in legal studies to provide students from diverse backgrounds the training and education necessary for...

Columbia University.(grants & gifts)(Lumina Foundation )(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY's Teachers College has received a $500,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation for its Community College Research Center to study state performance funding systems for higher education.

Delaware County Community College.(grants & gifts)(Sunoco Foundation )(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... DELAWARE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Pa.) has received a $500,000 grant from the Sunoco Foundation to help fired the construction of its new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Complex on its main campus.

Florida International University.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY's College of Medicine has received a $10 MILLION gift from Benjamin Leon Jr., founder of Leon Medical Centers, for the College of Medicine to establish the Benjamin Leon J. Family Center for Geriatric Research...

Knox College.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... KNOX COLLEGE (Ill.) has received a $150,000 grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to add to the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides aid to students of color majoring in educational studies.

North Carolina State University.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY's College of Veterinary Medicine has received a $625,000 grant from Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc. to support the university's Clinical Trials Program.

Prince George's County Community College.(grants & gifts)(Wal-Mart Foundation )(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Md.) has received a $50,000 gift from the Wal-Mart Foundation to implement Scholarship America's[R] Dreamkeepers Emergency Financial Assistance Program. The program keeps community college students who...

Student African American Brotherhood.(grants & gifts)(Lumina Foundation)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... The STUDENT AFRICAN AMERICAN BROTHERHOOD has received a $725,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation to conduct, with the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning, a comprehensive evaluation of the SAAB program, which aims to increase the number of...

University of Arizona.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... The UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA has received a $2 MILLION National Science Foundation grant to develop its Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars, or CATS program.

University of Chicago.(grants & gifts)(Brief article)
August 21, 2008... The UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO has received a $20 MILLION donation from Chicago futures trader and alumnus William Eckhardt to benefit the Physical Sciences Division at the university.

Diverse calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 21, 2008... SEPTEMBER [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sept. 22-24 National College Access Network Annual Conference Hilton Americas Hotel Houston Web: www.collegeaccess.org/NCAN/ Sept. 24-27 Appalachian State University's National Center for...

Survey says ... Black Colleges need to complete national surveys: when it comes to understanding historically Black colleges and universities, we don't have good data.(last word)
August 21, 2008... An essay about surveys may sound like boring fare. However, when it comes to understanding Black colleges--their strengths and challenges--we don't have good data. There are myriad questions that go unanswered by researchers, policymakers, and...