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Media Watch (Oct. 23 – 30, 2006)
Posted 10/31/2006
"Media Watch" is a round-up of recent stories in the media about the University of Hartford, as well as significant stories about other local and peer institutions and news about trends and issues in higher education.
The lead item in the Hartford Courant’s “Education Briefs” column noted that the University of Hartford’s Center for Professional Development has been awarded a community partnership grant by the National Science Foundation totaling nearly $900,000 over three years. The grant will fund an initiative by the Center to provide high-end technical training and workplace experience to 150 Hartford students in grades 7 to 12 over the three years, noted Colleen Kruger, director of continuing education at the Center and principal investigator and grant manager for the project. The program is being offered in collaboration with the Hartford Public Schools and Computers for Communities, Inc. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 24; WDRC-AM, Oct. 23)
Ned Lamont, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, made a campaign stop at the University of Hartford that was covered by a number of local and regional media organizations. Lamont spoke to a full house in the North Cafeteria of Gengras Student Union about the war in Iraq and the need to change direction in Washington, D.C. (Fox 61, Oct. 24; NBC 30, Oct. 24; WFSB-TV Channel 3, Oct. 24; Hartford Courant, Oct. 25; Forbes.com, Oct. 24; Associated Press, Oct. 24)
Darryl McMiller, assistant professor of political science in Hillyer College, was interviewed by WFSB-TV Channel 3 for a story on the race for Connecticut’s U.S. Senate seat between incumbent Joe Lieberman, who is running as an independent, and Democratic candidate Ned Lamont. McMiller was also quoted in Hartford Courant columnist Stan Simpson’s story about the campaign. (WFSB-TV Channel 3, Oct. 24; Hartford Courant, Oct. 25)
Leslie Lindenauer, assistant professor of history and gender studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, is serving as visiting professor on a Teaching American History Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to the Danbury public schools, in partnership with Western Connecticut State University. Lindenauer was quoted in a Danbury News Times story about the program. (Danbury News Times, Oct. 29)
The Stamford Advocate published a letter to the editor by Mary Jane Williams, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Nursing, ENHP, and chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Connecticut Nurses' Association. Williams wrote about the need for collaborative solutions to address the state's nursing shortage. Read Williams' letter to the editor. (Stamford Advocate, Oct. 27 and 29)
William Sanders, professor of interactive information technology, was featured in a column that offered advice to small business owners who wanted to improve their companies’ websites. The column was distributed by the Scripps-Howard News Service to more than 450 newspapers around the country. (Scripps-Howard News Service, Oct. 24)
The “Accolades” section of theHartford Business Journal included a photograph of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at the Barney School of Business receiving a $2,500 gift from Vector Direct Marketing to support entrepreneurial activities on campus. Included in the photograph were student Jesse Rosenbaum, a management major; Barney Dean James Fairfield-Sonn, and David Desplaces, assistant professor and director of the Institute. (Hartford Business Journal, Oct. 30)
In a story about the release of a report that found annual tuition costs continue to outpace inflation at America’s four-year colleges, the Hartford Courant interviewed the father of a University of Hartford student who also has another child getting ready to enter college. “It certainly is a much more difficult undertaking than we thought it would be,” said Robert Schectman. In addition, Courant columnist Rick Green wrote a follow-up piece that questioned the high cost of tuition among Connecticut’s institutions of higher education and wondered whether improved productivity could reduce those costs. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 25; Hartford Courant, Oct. 27)
The Connecticut Jewish Ledger previewed the inauguration of the new Jewish Music area at the George J. Sherman and Lottie K. Sherman Museum of Jewish Civilization at the University of Hartford. With nearly 3,000 recordings, the Sherman Museum collection will be one of the largest in the region. (Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Oct. 27)
In his “Jazz Notes” column highlighting the opening of the Long Wharf Theatre’s 2006-07 “Jazz on the Wharf” series, Hartford Courant columnist Owen McNally wrote about one of the opening performers, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, a protégé of the late Jackie Mclean. McNally wrote that “McLean, who was known for spotting and nurturing young talent, offered Escoffery a full scholarship to his jazz program at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, from which the young saxophonist later graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in jazz performance.” (Hartford Courant, Oct. 26)
The Norwich Bulletin highlighted an upcoming concert by Spanish and Latin guitarist Lorena Garay, a Puerto Rico native and a graduate of The Hartt School. She has had her work featured on releases by the Connecticut Classical Guitar Society. Her performances feature original compositions as well as new arrangements of Afro-Caribbean, Spanish and Latin American music. (Norwich Bulletin, Oct. 24)
The Hartford Courant featured two color photographs on the front page of its "Connecticut" section of a group of Clark Elementary School students who came to the University’s television studio to record a rap CD and video about the importance of reading. The project was a joint initiative between Educational Main Street; Clark Elementary School, an Educational Main Street affiliate school in Hartford; and WQTQ radio at Weaver High School. Educational Main Street’s Connie Coles co-wrote the rap song and Television Studio Manager Dan McNamara was featured in one of the photos. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 19)
WTIC-AM’s Scott Gray devoted his Oct. 27 “Sports Commentary” to what he called the growing buzz surrounding the University of Hartford athletics program. He highlighted the nearly $7 million dollars invested in new athletics facilities, the women’s soccer team winning the America East regular season championship, and the expectations for the women’s and men’s basketball teams. (WTIC-AM, Oct. 27)
Former University of Hartford forward Kenny Adeleke was one of the final cuts by the Seattle SuperSonics. He signed as a free agent over the summer and played in two exhibition games, scoring two points. The CBA is an option for Adeleke, who was selected by the expansion Butte, Mont., Daredevils with the second pick in the Sept. 26 draft. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 25)
University of Hartford Director of Athletics Pat Meiser, who is also chair of the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB), was featured in a photograph in the “Accolades” section of the Hartford Business Journal. The GHCVB was recognized by Successful Meetings Magazine with its 2006 Pinnacle Award. (Hartford Business Journal, Oct. 30)
The Hartford Courant outlined the sales prospects for three houses listed by Connecticut celebrities – Martha Stewart, Ivan Lendl, and former Hartford Hawks standout and NBA All-Star Vin Baker. Baker is looking to sell his 16-room house, which sits on 11 acres in Durham, for nearly $6 million. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 29)
Other News
Surrendering to months of widening and unrelenting protests by students, faculty, alumni and advocates, the board of trustees of Gallaudet University, the nation’s premier university for the deaf, abandoned its choice of the institution’s next president. In an announcement Sunday night that followed an all-day emergency meeting of the trustees, the board announced “with much regret and pain” that it would terminate the contract of Jane K. Fernandes, the former provost trustees named in May to succeed the outgoing president of 18 years, I. King Jordan. The board said it was acting “in the best interests of the university.” (New York Times, Oct. 30)
With rising tuition and lagging government aid making private student loans an increasingly competitive business, lenders are courting universities in hopes that they will steer students their way. One lender pays universities bonuses based on how much their students borrow. Students took out nearly $13.8 billion in private loans in 2004-5, more than 10 times the amount borrowed a decade ago, according to the College Board. (The New York Times, Oct. 23)
In today’s economy, getting a bachelor’s degree is no longer a guarantee of raises large enough to keep up with inflation. Although the best-paid college grads are doing well, wages of college grads have fallen on average, after adjusting for inflation, in the past five years. The only group that enjoyed rising wages between 2000 (just before the onset of the last recession) and 2005 (the most-recent data available) were those earning graduate degrees. (The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 24)
Some colleges and universities have understated violent crimes such as robberies and sexual assaults. A recent comparison of Clery Act reports to FBI data shows that colleges may be portraying themselves as safer than they really are. For instance, some schools, including Northeastern University in Boston, acknowledge they exclude many unsolved thefts from burglary numbers submitted to the Education Department, despite federal guidance to the contrary. (The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 25)
The “Freshman 15,” a widely-held theory that many first-year students gain as many as 15 pounds in their freshman year, is actually more like 5 to 7 pounds, but it is followed by the “Sophomore 2 or 3,” say researchers who led two of the largest and longest studies ever done of weight gain among college students. The research also showed that males piled on significantly more pounds than females. Doctors say it is good news that the number of pounds gained is less than the widely believed, but bad news that “Generation XL” students seem to be learning patterns of gradual weight gain that could spell trouble after graduation. (The Buffalo News, Oct. 23)
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation said it is committing $50 million to fund digital learning initiatives over five years to understand how young people are affected by digital media, such as games and virtual worlds, and how they can be educated by them. The MacArthur Foundation is most often associated with the so-called "genius grants" it has handed out to talented individuals, especially in the arts. (The Red Herring, Oct. 20)
Women earn more graduate degrees than men yet constitute only a third of full-time faculty at U.S. research colleges, raising concerns of a persistent gender bias, according to the American Association of University Professors. In the first of what it expects to be an annual study, the association said the problem is partly the result of women’s own choices and also the result of policies and attitudes on college campuses that limit women’s chances at advancement (Bloomberg News, Oct. 26)
As the cost of college continues to rise and the federal government is limiting how much it will loan students, young adults are taking out private loans to finance their education. The amount loaned to students nearly tripled between 2001 and 2006, from $6.1 billion to $17.3 billion, according to an annual student aid survey by the College Board. The trend is especially dangerous because such loans almost always carry a variable interest rate and lack the protections offered by federal loans. In addition, recent changes in federal bankruptcy laws mean that delinquent borrowers face the possibility of a ruined credit rating or being forced into an unaffordable payment plan. (San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 25)
At some colleges, Parents Weekend has expanded into a far more elaborate ritual than the traditional template of football games and faculty lectures. Several universities now offer an eclectic menu of entertainment — from wine tastings, to etiquette workshops for younger siblings, to offers of discount tickets for Broadway shows. For colleges, elaborate parent weekends are a marketing tool, as parents are potential donors and siblings are potential students, say officials. (The New York Times, Oct. 25)
The lead item in the Hartford Courant’s “Education Briefs” column noted that the University of Hartford’s Center for Professional Development has been awarded a community partnership grant by the National Science Foundation totaling nearly $900,000 over three years. The grant will fund an initiative by the Center to provide high-end technical training and workplace experience to 150 Hartford students in grades 7 to 12 over the three years, noted Colleen Kruger, director of continuing education at the Center and principal investigator and grant manager for the project. The program is being offered in collaboration with the Hartford Public Schools and Computers for Communities, Inc. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 24; WDRC-AM, Oct. 23)
Ned Lamont, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, made a campaign stop at the University of Hartford that was covered by a number of local and regional media organizations. Lamont spoke to a full house in the North Cafeteria of Gengras Student Union about the war in Iraq and the need to change direction in Washington, D.C. (Fox 61, Oct. 24; NBC 30, Oct. 24; WFSB-TV Channel 3, Oct. 24; Hartford Courant, Oct. 25; Forbes.com, Oct. 24; Associated Press, Oct. 24)
Darryl McMiller, assistant professor of political science in Hillyer College, was interviewed by WFSB-TV Channel 3 for a story on the race for Connecticut’s U.S. Senate seat between incumbent Joe Lieberman, who is running as an independent, and Democratic candidate Ned Lamont. McMiller was also quoted in Hartford Courant columnist Stan Simpson’s story about the campaign. (WFSB-TV Channel 3, Oct. 24; Hartford Courant, Oct. 25)
Leslie Lindenauer, assistant professor of history and gender studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, is serving as visiting professor on a Teaching American History Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to the Danbury public schools, in partnership with Western Connecticut State University. Lindenauer was quoted in a Danbury News Times story about the program. (Danbury News Times, Oct. 29)
The Stamford Advocate published a letter to the editor by Mary Jane Williams, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Nursing, ENHP, and chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Connecticut Nurses' Association. Williams wrote about the need for collaborative solutions to address the state's nursing shortage. Read Williams' letter to the editor. (Stamford Advocate, Oct. 27 and 29)
William Sanders, professor of interactive information technology, was featured in a column that offered advice to small business owners who wanted to improve their companies’ websites. The column was distributed by the Scripps-Howard News Service to more than 450 newspapers around the country. (Scripps-Howard News Service, Oct. 24)
The “Accolades” section of theHartford Business Journal included a photograph of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at the Barney School of Business receiving a $2,500 gift from Vector Direct Marketing to support entrepreneurial activities on campus. Included in the photograph were student Jesse Rosenbaum, a management major; Barney Dean James Fairfield-Sonn, and David Desplaces, assistant professor and director of the Institute. (Hartford Business Journal, Oct. 30)
In a story about the release of a report that found annual tuition costs continue to outpace inflation at America’s four-year colleges, the Hartford Courant interviewed the father of a University of Hartford student who also has another child getting ready to enter college. “It certainly is a much more difficult undertaking than we thought it would be,” said Robert Schectman. In addition, Courant columnist Rick Green wrote a follow-up piece that questioned the high cost of tuition among Connecticut’s institutions of higher education and wondered whether improved productivity could reduce those costs. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 25; Hartford Courant, Oct. 27)
The Connecticut Jewish Ledger previewed the inauguration of the new Jewish Music area at the George J. Sherman and Lottie K. Sherman Museum of Jewish Civilization at the University of Hartford. With nearly 3,000 recordings, the Sherman Museum collection will be one of the largest in the region. (Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Oct. 27)
In his “Jazz Notes” column highlighting the opening of the Long Wharf Theatre’s 2006-07 “Jazz on the Wharf” series, Hartford Courant columnist Owen McNally wrote about one of the opening performers, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, a protégé of the late Jackie Mclean. McNally wrote that “McLean, who was known for spotting and nurturing young talent, offered Escoffery a full scholarship to his jazz program at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, from which the young saxophonist later graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in jazz performance.” (Hartford Courant, Oct. 26)
The Norwich Bulletin highlighted an upcoming concert by Spanish and Latin guitarist Lorena Garay, a Puerto Rico native and a graduate of The Hartt School. She has had her work featured on releases by the Connecticut Classical Guitar Society. Her performances feature original compositions as well as new arrangements of Afro-Caribbean, Spanish and Latin American music. (Norwich Bulletin, Oct. 24)
The Hartford Courant featured two color photographs on the front page of its "Connecticut" section of a group of Clark Elementary School students who came to the University’s television studio to record a rap CD and video about the importance of reading. The project was a joint initiative between Educational Main Street; Clark Elementary School, an Educational Main Street affiliate school in Hartford; and WQTQ radio at Weaver High School. Educational Main Street’s Connie Coles co-wrote the rap song and Television Studio Manager Dan McNamara was featured in one of the photos. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 19)
WTIC-AM’s Scott Gray devoted his Oct. 27 “Sports Commentary” to what he called the growing buzz surrounding the University of Hartford athletics program. He highlighted the nearly $7 million dollars invested in new athletics facilities, the women’s soccer team winning the America East regular season championship, and the expectations for the women’s and men’s basketball teams. (WTIC-AM, Oct. 27)
Former University of Hartford forward Kenny Adeleke was one of the final cuts by the Seattle SuperSonics. He signed as a free agent over the summer and played in two exhibition games, scoring two points. The CBA is an option for Adeleke, who was selected by the expansion Butte, Mont., Daredevils with the second pick in the Sept. 26 draft. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 25)
University of Hartford Director of Athletics Pat Meiser, who is also chair of the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB), was featured in a photograph in the “Accolades” section of the Hartford Business Journal. The GHCVB was recognized by Successful Meetings Magazine with its 2006 Pinnacle Award. (Hartford Business Journal, Oct. 30)
The Hartford Courant outlined the sales prospects for three houses listed by Connecticut celebrities – Martha Stewart, Ivan Lendl, and former Hartford Hawks standout and NBA All-Star Vin Baker. Baker is looking to sell his 16-room house, which sits on 11 acres in Durham, for nearly $6 million. (Hartford Courant, Oct. 29)
Other News
Surrendering to months of widening and unrelenting protests by students, faculty, alumni and advocates, the board of trustees of Gallaudet University, the nation’s premier university for the deaf, abandoned its choice of the institution’s next president. In an announcement Sunday night that followed an all-day emergency meeting of the trustees, the board announced “with much regret and pain” that it would terminate the contract of Jane K. Fernandes, the former provost trustees named in May to succeed the outgoing president of 18 years, I. King Jordan. The board said it was acting “in the best interests of the university.” (New York Times, Oct. 30)
With rising tuition and lagging government aid making private student loans an increasingly competitive business, lenders are courting universities in hopes that they will steer students their way. One lender pays universities bonuses based on how much their students borrow. Students took out nearly $13.8 billion in private loans in 2004-5, more than 10 times the amount borrowed a decade ago, according to the College Board. (The New York Times, Oct. 23)
In today’s economy, getting a bachelor’s degree is no longer a guarantee of raises large enough to keep up with inflation. Although the best-paid college grads are doing well, wages of college grads have fallen on average, after adjusting for inflation, in the past five years. The only group that enjoyed rising wages between 2000 (just before the onset of the last recession) and 2005 (the most-recent data available) were those earning graduate degrees. (The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 24)
Some colleges and universities have understated violent crimes such as robberies and sexual assaults. A recent comparison of Clery Act reports to FBI data shows that colleges may be portraying themselves as safer than they really are. For instance, some schools, including Northeastern University in Boston, acknowledge they exclude many unsolved thefts from burglary numbers submitted to the Education Department, despite federal guidance to the contrary. (The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 25)
The “Freshman 15,” a widely-held theory that many first-year students gain as many as 15 pounds in their freshman year, is actually more like 5 to 7 pounds, but it is followed by the “Sophomore 2 or 3,” say researchers who led two of the largest and longest studies ever done of weight gain among college students. The research also showed that males piled on significantly more pounds than females. Doctors say it is good news that the number of pounds gained is less than the widely believed, but bad news that “Generation XL” students seem to be learning patterns of gradual weight gain that could spell trouble after graduation. (The Buffalo News, Oct. 23)
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation said it is committing $50 million to fund digital learning initiatives over five years to understand how young people are affected by digital media, such as games and virtual worlds, and how they can be educated by them. The MacArthur Foundation is most often associated with the so-called "genius grants" it has handed out to talented individuals, especially in the arts. (The Red Herring, Oct. 20)
Women earn more graduate degrees than men yet constitute only a third of full-time faculty at U.S. research colleges, raising concerns of a persistent gender bias, according to the American Association of University Professors. In the first of what it expects to be an annual study, the association said the problem is partly the result of women’s own choices and also the result of policies and attitudes on college campuses that limit women’s chances at advancement (Bloomberg News, Oct. 26)
As the cost of college continues to rise and the federal government is limiting how much it will loan students, young adults are taking out private loans to finance their education. The amount loaned to students nearly tripled between 2001 and 2006, from $6.1 billion to $17.3 billion, according to an annual student aid survey by the College Board. The trend is especially dangerous because such loans almost always carry a variable interest rate and lack the protections offered by federal loans. In addition, recent changes in federal bankruptcy laws mean that delinquent borrowers face the possibility of a ruined credit rating or being forced into an unaffordable payment plan. (San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 25)
At some colleges, Parents Weekend has expanded into a far more elaborate ritual than the traditional template of football games and faculty lectures. Several universities now offer an eclectic menu of entertainment — from wine tastings, to etiquette workshops for younger siblings, to offers of discount tickets for Broadway shows. For colleges, elaborate parent weekends are a marketing tool, as parents are potential donors and siblings are potential students, say officials. (The New York Times, Oct. 25)
