Media Watch (April 16 – 23, 2007)

"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.

David Pines, assistant professor of civil, mechanical, and biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, is scheduled to be a guest on WDRC-AM Radio’s “Dan Lovallo Show” this afternoon (Tuesday, April 24) at 3:30 p.m. Pines will discuss, from a civil engineering perspective, ways to improve drainage and prevent roads from being closed due to flooding.

The three-hour Shakespeare Sonnet Marathon that was part of the University’s Community Day events last weekend appeared in The Hartford Courant’s “Java” section. The column asked readers to volunteer for the marathon in which 154 of the Bard’s sonnets were read. "Passion in the heart is all you need for starters," said Humphrey Tonkin, president emeritus and professor of the humanities. (Hartford Courant, April 17)

Five area colleges and universities, including the University of Hartford, signed an agreement to share resources in emergencies and disasters, such as fires, hurricanes and epidemics. St. Joseph College, Goodwin College, Trinity College, the University of Hartford, and Wesleyan University were all part of this agreement, which is thought to be the first of its kind in the nation. Although the initiiative was planned long before the Virginia Tech massacre, the shootings were a strong reminder of why the pact would be so important to each school. “This Memorandum of Understanding is important because it sets a framework for how institutions will respond together to emergencies and will assist each other in protecting students, employees, facilities and their communities,” said Judith B. Greiman, president of the Connecticut Conference for Independent Colleges. (Hartford Courant, April 18; Middletown Press, April 18; Windsor Journal, April 20; Danbury News Times, April 22; NBC 30, April 17; WTNH-TV Channel 8, April 17; Fox 61, April 18)

Tuesday's dedication ceremony for the new Renée Samuels Center at the Hartford Art School (HAS) attracted a large crowd of students, faculty, and staff, as well as HAS supporters from the Greater Hartford community. The HAS Gala on Saturday was previewed in the “Cal” section of the Hartford Courant (Fox 61, April 17; West Hartford News, April 20; Hartford Courant, April 19)

As a result of the tragic events at Virginia Tech, area media looked to get reaction from students on local college campuses and to find out what safety and emergency communication measures local colleges and universities had in place. University of Hartford spokesman David Isgur was interviewed by the Hartford Courant, WFSB-TV Channel 3, and the New England Cable News network. University students were interviewed by NBC 30 and New England Cable News. (Hartford Courant, April 18; New England Cable News, April 17; WFSB-TV Channel 3, April 16; NBC 30, April 16)

University of Hartford student Russell Butkiewicz, wearing a Virginia Tech sweatshirt, joined Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell in a ringing of the state’s Liberty Bell at the Old State House in a memorial service for the 32 students killed at Virginia Tech. “It’s a very scary thing that something like this can ever happen on a college campus, and on behalf of President Walter Harrison and the University of Hartford, our condolences and our prayers are with all the students down there,” he said at the ceremony, which featured representatives from 12 college and university campuses in Connecticut. (WTNH-TV Channel 8, April 20)

Susan Coleman, a professor of finance in the Barney School of Business, was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article that looked at the issue of college graduates learning to save money. “I talk to kids all the time, and when I ask them about the biggest challenges they face when starting out, they always say the same thing: They never realized how many things they would have to pay for,” said Coleman. (Los Angeles Times, April 22)

Shanta Evans, a graduate student in the Barney School of Business, was highlighted by the Hartford Business Journal as one of 16 graduate and undergraduate students facing off during the Connecticut Venture Group’s semi-annual business plan competition being held on April 20 in Fairfield. (Hartford Business Journal, April 16)

Jacob Komar, a University High School of Science and Engineering student and the founder of Computers for Communities, received a BRICK Award in recognition of the work that his organization does to provide refurbished computers to those who might not be able to buy a computer. The BRICK Awards program celebrates and spotlights young stars of social change. (CW Network, April 12)

Joshua Quinones, a junior at University High School of Science and Engineering, and about 20 of his classmates took part in the National Day of Silence — a social action event meant to raise awareness about anti-gay bullying, harassment, and discrimination. (Hartford Courant, April 17)

Ted Michalowski, an art teacher at Marywood University in Scranton, Pa., and Keystone College in La Plume, Pa., who is currently working on a Master of Fine Arts in illustration at the Hartford Art School, was highlighted in the Times Tribune for starting a series of upcoming drawing socials at a downtown Scranton gallery. The drawing socials feature live musical performances at which artists and students enjoy the entertainment and illustrate the musicians while they play. (Times Tribune, April 22)

The new superintendent of schools in Bristol, Conn., Philip A. Streifer, who is a graduate of The Hartt School and a member of the University’s Board of Regents, was featured in an article in the Bristol Press about his belief that children should be educated with higher education in mind. Streifer said Bristol schools should ensure that all graduates are ready for higher education, whether it’s a community college, a four-year university, or a technical school. (Bristol Press, April 17)

Jennifer Smith Turner, a member of the University of Hartford Board of Regents, will be the first chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut when the state’s five existing councils merge this fall. She will lead 55,000 girls in the scouting program as well as 20,000 adult volunteers in Connecticut. Turner is also president of the board of the Hartford Stage Company. (Norwich Bulletin, April 20)

The Hartford Courant profiled Keith Brown, who has been the host and guiding force behind “Gay Spirit,” a show that has aired weekly on WWUH Radio for 26 years. Brown believes it is the longest running radio show in the United States for gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender people. He volunteers about 20 hours a week on WWUH and also has an opera show on Sunday afternoons. Almost as passionate about environmentalism as he is about gay issues, Brown owns no car and commutes to the University of Hartford campus from the West End by foot or by bicycle. (Hartford Courant, April 23)

University President Walter Harrison was interviewed by Metro Radio Networks for a story on the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American player in Major League Baseball. Harrison discussed Robinson’s impact on the game and on American society. (Metro Radio Networks, April 15)

Other News

Still grieving and increasingly wary of the media spotlight, Virginia Tech students returned to their campus on April 22, preparing to salvage the final weeks of a semester eclipsed by violence. The scene on campus resembled move-in day in late summer, with parents helping their children carry suitcases into dormitories. There were tears and hugs goodbye. But instead of excitement for the year ahead, there was simply determination to endure and regroup in the fall. When classes resumed on April 23, the university gavestudents three choices: to continue their studies through the end of the semester next week, to take a grade based on what they have done so far, or withdraw from a course without penalty. (Boston Globe, April 23)

The University of Connecticut's Spring Weekend festivities resulted in relatively few arrests (about 20), leading UConn Police Maj. Ron Blicher to pronounce the weekend a success. Blicher credited an aggressive crackdown by UConn police on motor vehicle violations as helping to deter some of the trouble, as it afforded police a window into the cars and a look at the contraband they might contain. (The Hartford Courant, April 23)

Three University of Connecticut students, including two roommates in Alsop Hall, were charged with selling marijuana from their dormitory rooms. UConn police had made undercover buys from the students and then obtained search warrants. (The Hartford Courant, April 18)

Activists are calling on universities to help make their life-saving discoveries affordable to all. At Yale and dozens of other campuses, students called on administrators to rethink their licensing agreements with drug companies to increase global access to medicines. At Yale, students left a pill bottle sculpture outside President Richard Levin’s office. Made of 2,700 yellow pill bottles, it was meant to symbolize the 27,000 people who die each day for lack of medicine. (The Hartford Courant, April 19)

College career directors are reporting record numbers of recruiters on campus. Job offers are up, and companies are saying they’ll bring on nearly 20 percent more new graduates than they did last year. This is a banner year for college hiring. The National Association of Colleges and Employers said its employer members intend to hire 19.2 percent more graduates this year than they did in 2006. (Philadelphia Inquirer, April 23)

For decades, undergraduate women have been moving in ever greater numbers into science and engineering departments at American universities. Yet even as they approach or exceed enrollment parity in mathematics, biology and other fields, there is one area in which their presence relative to men is static or even shrinking: computer science. Women received about 38 percent of the computer science bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States in 1985, the peak year, but in 2003, the figure was only about 28 percent, according to the National Science Foundation. At universities that also offer graduate degrees in computer science, only 17 percent of the field's bachelor’s degrees in the 2003–4 academic year went to women. (New York Times, April 23)

In recent years, universities have been trying to weave stronger nets to catch students who are potentially dangerous to themselves and others. But even so, college officials and mental health specialists say that some — like Virginia Tech's Seung-Hui Cho — may still slip through. Mental health services that used to serve largely as career counseling centers now often assess or treat many students with psychiatric illnesses. Colleges try to train parents, roommates, and faculty in the signs of suicide and sources of help when a student seems to be going off track. But, for all the added attention and resources devoted to mental health, colleges are also highly constrained in the actions they can take when a student seems ill. (Boston Globe, April 19)

A group of investors announced plans to buy Sallie Mae, taking the nation’s largest student lender private in a $25 billion deal that comes as some regulators call for tougher standards and lower federal subsidies for the $85 billion college loan industry. J.C. Flowers and private-equity firm Friedman Fleischer & Lowe will invest $4.4 billion and own 50.2 percent of the company. Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. each will invest $2.2 billion and each will own 24.9 percent. The buyers also will provide Sallie Mae with $200 billion in backup financing. “We think Sallie Mae is a great company and a great business, and appropriate regulation will sort itself out in a way that will make this an attractive transaction for us,” said John Oros, a managing director at J.C. Flowers. (Chicago Tribune, April 17)

Upcoming

Eleta Jones, assistant director of the University’s Center for Professional Development, was interviewed by consumer reporter Debra Bogsti of NBC 30 for a story on the best and worst ways to ask for a raise. The story is scheduled to be broadcast in May.