A Tale of Two Colleges

Dearest Readers,

 

Divide and conquer. Let's cut the campus in half, with a North-Western and a South-Eastern College. We could have intramural games to gain control of the globe, which sits right on the line of demarcation. We could have favorite college of the month contests, with the loser transfering funds to the winner so they can grow their programs. To realign or restructure campus, departments could simply move across the border to join the other college, so it would not require a name change or sewing new banners for commencement.

 

Your truly,

Lady Whistledown

AI copyright

The scary truth about AI copyright is nobody knows what will happen next theverge.com

NYTimes.com: Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That?

From The New York Times:

" But just as individual students pay a cost in lost wages when they opt out (or drop out) of college, there is a larger cost when millions of students do so — especially as other nations keep charging ahead. Holtz-Eakin and Lee calculated the price to the American economy of the millions of missing college grads they are projecting: $1.2 trillion in lost economic output by the end of the decade. That is one cost we are likely to bear together, winners and losers alike."

Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That?

For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html

Summer's end

Dearest Readers,

 

It was hot and it made us cough. Time to see far-flung relatives, to venture into nature, to plan for great courses, to tend the garden and to harvest. To reflect, to write, to fix up our homes or to abandon them for months. First summmer we did not think about Covid, and then cases propped up left and right. Summer's out, students are back, departments meet 9/8 during common meeting time and governance resumes 9/15 same time.

 

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown

Owl Pellets

Dearest Readers,

 

Announced months ago, convocation is just days away. Department chairs are wearing tanks to show off departmental tats (see above) in different aspect ratios, senior faculty are digging out their tenure medals, Ramon-nostalgics are sporting ties and kilts sewn from WSU tartan, academic affairs fanboys are wearing last year's swag, and the barbership quartet is hooting in six-part harmony.

 

Your truly,

Lady Whistledown

Roomination

Dearest Readers,

 

With one academic building reopened and one closed, where are classes taught? The table gives an overview of how many rooms are used for teaching in each building, and how many sections are scheduled (not corrected for cross-listing). Wilson and Bates win, with Online a close third (curiously, the Online building lacks rooms and is absent from the campus map). If you teach MWF in a dimly lit room with low ceiling and high humidity, consider switching to Parenzo 249 for an upgrade.

 

Your truly,

Lady Whistledown

Dearest Readers,

 

Stemming from a multi-department effort, our uni was awarded an NSF S-STEM grant, allowing substantial stipends for selected STEM students and boosting academic and career support. Congratulations to all of those involved in preparing the application!

 

Your truly,

Lady Whistledown

Open again

Dearest Readers,

 

Parenzo Palace is open again! Upstairs, each ballroom has different bells and whistles, and the hallways are wide and bright. Downstairs, some of the old walls and pipes are still visible, reminding us of times gone by. It still smells like fresh paint, and the workers are busy with the finishing touches to be ready for the debutantes in a couple of days.

 

Your truly,

Lady Whistledown

Book orders

Dearest Readers,

 

The ton are abuzz with preparations for the new semester. Rumor has it that course materials are not always correctly listed on the bookstore site, https://www.bkstr.com/westfieldstore/shop/textbooks-and-course-materials, with information missing or misleading. Spare your students unnecessary expenses and confusion by sending them the correct information directly.

 

Your truly,

Lady Whistledown

 

 

Mod Hall

I just heard that Mod Hall recently was flooded, and everyone had to move out.

 

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown

Adding Football Saved One College. Dumping It Boosted Another. - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/sports/dropping-football-northeastern.html

NYTimes.com: Six Myths About Choosing a College Major

From The New York Times:

Six Myths About Choosing a College Major

Not all philosophy majors wind up as baristas, and not all engineers get rich. Here's what you need to know before making this big decision.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/education/edlife/choosing-a-college-major.html

NYTimes.com: Behind Closed Doors in Washington, Here’s What Colleges Fight For

From The New York Times:

Behind Closed Doors in Washington, Here's What Colleges Fight For

Think of them as College, Inc. Like most industries, higher education prefers less regulation (and accountability).

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/upshot/colleges-resist-regulation.html

Opinion | There Is a Right Way to Teach Reading, and Mississippi Knows It - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/opinion/mississippi-schools-naep.html

Radical Survival Strategies for Struggling Colleges

Mergers, acquisitions, shorter degree programs and major shifts in course offerings are just some of the tactics being employed to lure more students.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/education/learning/colleges-survival-strategies.html

For Some Colleges, the Best Move Is to Merge

Higher education is different from business, and the essence of the school being acquired must be taken into account.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/education/learning/colleges-mergers.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/08/opinion/sunday/college-anti-college-mainstream-universities.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Re: New survey results: What 8+ hours of screen time does to grades

Hello there,

I reached out a few weeks ago regarding a research piece I wrote with on the effects of phone screen time on grades.

I just wanted to check in and see if maybe now is a better time to hear your thoughts on it and if it could be of value to you.

Again, I'm more than happy to have a quick call about it if that works better for you. Here's my calendar link if you'd like.

Best,

--

Daniel Je  Content Editor

www.OneClass.com  |  Facebook

Although I'm just reaching out to see if I can help you help your readers, if you don't want to hear from me anymore, kindly reply to let me know. 

Re: New survey results: What 8+ hours of screen time does to grades

Hey there,

Just a quick follow up in case you've missed my email.

If you're short on time right now — no worries. I won't bug you about it again.

But if you've had a chance to quickly look over my research piece on screen time effects, I'd love to know if it could be of any help to you!

I'm more than happy to have a quick call about it if you have any questions. Here's my calendar link.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

--

Daniel Je  Content Editor

www.OneClass.com  |  Facebook

Although I'm just reaching out to see if I can help you help your readers, if you don't want to hear from me anymore, kindly reply to let me know. 

New survey results: What 8+ hours of screen time does to grades

Hi there,

I apologize if this isn't the right email for this inquiry! If so, please just send me along to the right person:)

I was doing some quick research on the effects of phone screen time and phone addiction and came across your piece.

It's an incredibly insightful piece and so I was hoping to get some feedback from you:)

I recently did my own research with 875 college students and found a lot of interesting insights regarding phone screen time and grades.

For instance, the % of students with 0-1 hours of screen time that have a grade of a C or D was 0% but that number skyrockets to 17% for those with 8+ hours of screen time.

You can read all of the takeaways here: New Study: How does Screen Time Affect Grades?

Since I see that you linked to this article on screen time and technology addiction from the NY times, do you think my research could be interesting to you and your readers as well?

Best,

--

Daniel Je  Content Editor

www.OneClass.com  |  Facebook

Although I'm just reaching out to see if I can help you help your readers, if you don't want to hear from me anymore, kindly reply to let me know.