Sandy Hook Elementary

It is sadly ironic that I was at my daughter's elementary school yesterday to have Christmas lunch with her when I first saw the news about a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School come across the crawler on the lobby television. At that moment 18 students were reported dead. My heart seized, but I immediately and very deliberately made the decision to put all thoughts of this unfolding tragedy aside so that I could be present for my daughter, enjoy her company, and give her my full attention during her special luncheon.

Now 24 hours later, the devastation and grief of this monumental tragedy has sunk into mine and the nation's consciousness. This morning at the University of South Alabama we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating students. Later today we will applaud them as they receive their diplomas and begin or continue careers as educators. No doubt this ordinarily happy occasion for the graduates and their families will be marked by sadness. It is my sincere wish that these students never have to witness such events as the community of Sandy Hook, Connecticut, has endured. It is my hope that in spite of this tragedy, or perhaps because of it, these graduates will be more determined than ever to use their talents and passion to educate and care for others.

Bloggers Wanted!

"StudentAffairs.com is looking for a couple of graduate students to write our weekly blog for the 2013 Student Affairs Job Hunt. This will be our 8th year of, to paraphrase Jim McKay's introduction to ABC's long-running Wide World of Sports, "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of job hunt experiences... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of the job hunt competition."

Interested graduate students should submit one writing sample that would be in line with what would appear on the Job Hunt Blog. Please do not submit a writing sample from a course you have taken or from a personal blog. The deadline to submit a sample to Stuart Brown at Stuart@StudentAffairs.com is Friday, January 4, 2013. The blog will begin the first week of January 7, 2013.

There is a small stipend and the blog will be anonymous to give students more freedom in writing about their experiences. We am looking for individuals that can write interesting, fun, enlightening, edgy, eye-opening blogs. This would take someone who has the time to write a blog, is not shy, and who is a good, creative writer. Students can get an idea of what we am looking for by going to our blog page and perusing the previous Student Affairs Job Hunt blogs."

Grad Student Manuscript Competition

A great opportunity to get published and earn some cash!

The Journal of Technology in Student Affairs, a forum for the student affairs generalists on issues relating to student affairs and technology, announces the first Graduate Student Manuscript Competition. Three prizes will be awarded to graduate students (registered for a minimum of six credits for Spring 2013): 1st Place of $250.00 2nd Place of $200.00 3rd Place of $100.00 For specific information about the types of manuscripts that should be considered as well as length, go to our ejournal. The manuscript submission deadline is February 15, 2013. For further information and to submit contact Stuart Brown at Stuart@StudentAffairs.com.

Case Study Competition

StudentAffairs.com is now accepting registrations for the 12th Annual Virtual Case Study Competition for Masters level students in student personnel administration, higher education, or counseling programs. Information on registering teams, rules and prizes is available at the Virtual Case Study website.

  Registration is free and prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.

• 1st Place: $150.00 to each team member
• 2nd Place: $100.00 to each team member
• 3rd Place: $50.00 to each team member

The registration deadline is Friday, January 25, 2013. The competition will take place from January 28 - February 22, 2013. There is no limit on the number of teams per graduate program that can enter. A write-up of winners along with links to each team project will be published in the Spring 2013 e-journal, The Journal of Technology in Student Affairs.

 

***Students, you have all engaged in case study analyis if you've taken my "Student in Higher Education" or "Principles of School Leadership" course. I have faith that you all would do well in such a competition. I'm happy to help as necessary/allowable if some of you decide to form a team. What a great addition to a resume if you should place in the competition! - Peggy

Analyzing Higher Ed (and Themselves)

An overview from "Inside Higher Ed" of the ASHE conference:

One area that's near (if not dear) to the hearts of all students and administrators...

Sara Goldrick-Rab, an associate professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, discussed the role that she and other scholars who study federal financial aid must play in analyzing what’s working (and, importantly, admitting what’s not) in a higher ed financing system that has student debt soaring.

Inside Higher Ed
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/11/19/higher-ed-researchers-discuss-key-issues-and-their-own-work

Guidelines for Master's Programs in Higher Ed

I got myself elected as secretary of the CAHEP (Council for the Advancement of Higher Ed Programs) council of ASHE. I'm looking forward to more involvement in this association which has been my go-to resource for so many of the things I do and teach. The CAHEP council has proposed guidelines for master's programs in higher ed. Interesting discussions centered around: guidelines are not the same as standards; standards are the next inevitable step; if we don't do this ourselves someone else will do it to us; all programs are not created equal/how can we apply the same guidelines across the board, etc. See the link below to view the guidelines for yourself.

http://www.ashe.ws/images/CAHEPLeadershipProgramGuidelines.pdf

Hoover Dam

Pre-conference activity: touring Hoover Dam! In Las Vegas for the Association for the Study of Higher Education conference. www.ashe.ws

Invent Your Own College Contest!

Now's your chance folks! The Chronicle of Higher Ed is hosting a contest where you get to reimagine college. The prize is $500!

"If you could start your own institution of higher education from scratch, what would you build?

Sketch out your idea—in prose or poetry, a picture, a video, or even a song—and send it to us at reinvent@chronicle.com."

 

Here are the rules: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Chronicle-of-Higher/135126/

 

Good luck!

International Day of the Girl Child

Yesterday was International Day of the Girl Child.

http://dayofthegirl.org/

How ironic that it comes on the heels of the Taliban's shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai in retribution for her advocacy for girls' education. Current reports are that Malala is still fighting for her life...and that she's become a global icon. Not quite what the Taliban had in mind, I'm sure.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/10/malala-yousafzai-the-girl-shot-by-the-taliban-becomes-a-global-icon/263527/

Obviously Malala's plight has galvanized me. Dean Hayes and Dean Mitchell have generously agreed to fund the purchase of the "Half the Sky" video I wrote about previously so that we can have a public screening on campus. In doing so we will be creating awareness of the injustices and lack of opportunity that many girls and women around the world suffer from, including lack of access to education. I hope viewing this video will spark conversations that lead to action on their behalf. 

Stay tuned and keep Malala in your hearts.

Half the Sky

My heart is so heavy this morning. I just heard on the news that a 14-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, was shot in the head by the Taliban in retribution for her efforts to secure education for girls in her country. Here is a link to the video clip from NBC:

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/10/14332088-pakistani-teen-blogger-shot-by-taliban-critical-after-surgery?lite

And here is a link to the blog that Malala contributed to the BBC in 2009. She was in the 7th grade at the time:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7834402.stm

This comes, for me, on the heels of having watched a wrenching documentary on PBS last week called "Half the Sky," which detailed the oppression of women worldwide in forms such as human slavery, second generation prostitution, female genital mutilation, and lack of access to education.  Yesterday the book, on which the documentary was based, arrived in the mail for me, sent by my best friend Debbie, who watched the documentary with me in shock, horror, and sadness.

I feel like the universe is sending me a message with all of these events pointing to the need for women, like myself, in much more fortunate and secure positions, to DO SOMETHING to help those in other parts of the world, like Malala, who are being abused and killed, rather than being allowed to realize their full potential.

Here is a link to PBS where you see trailers for the documentary. There is also a lot of information about the book, as well as organizations that are working to change the future for women

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/half-the-sky/

I welcome your comments on all of the above.

50 Years of Progress?

I am out of the office this week recruiting graduate students across the great state of Alabama. Listening to lots of radio during my drive time and a piece on NPR about today being the 50th anniversary of James Meredith's integration of Ole Miss captured my attention.  The NPR web site has good information for those of you who want to review recent history

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/01/162083705/ole-miss-students-look-back-at-integration In the transcript from the story that aired today, current Ole Miss students reflect on the past and question how integrated the institution really is today.

http://50years.olemiss.edu/photo-gallery/ Pictures taken of Meredith's first day of classes. Shocking and heartbreaking to view the classroom emptied of everyone, students and professor, leaving only Meredith.

http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/olemiss/home/ Information from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum about Meredith's integration of Ole Miss. Kennedy was president in 1962 when Meredith enrolled at Ole Miss. He ordered 30,000 troops, federal marshalls and National Guardsmen to Oxford to help keep the peace. In spite of their presence, two people were killed and more than 300 injured.

For Ole Miss alum, please note that I am not picking on your alma mater by singling it out on this historic date. The University of Alabama has its own shameful segregationist past, as do many other southern institutions of higher education, as do many other cultural institutions for that matter. Witness Mobile's "proud" tradition of Mardi Gras, which to this day maintains separate white and black mystic societies with their own kings and queens. For a revealing look at this tradition, view Margaret Brown's documentary "Order of Myths."

And for James Meredith's own account of his experiences at Ole Miss, read "Three Years in Mississippi."

Fall and Football

In South Alabama fall has arrived and it's the kind of weather that makes you feel good to be alive. Those of you who live in the deep South know what I'm talking about. From June to mid-September I try to spend as little time outdoors as possible. The heat and humidity literally take your breath away. So the cool air and shortening days fill me with happiness and more willingness to dabble in football.

I am not a big football fan. It's not that I'm anti-football (and anyway admitting to such a thing in Alabama might get me thrown out of the state), I simply don't have the background. I didn't grow up with football. My K-12 public school in Florida, with an enrollment of 300-ish, understandably did not have a football team. So, I don't have a history with football. I don't understand the rules of the game. To my untrained eye it looks like the players just run into each other and pile up, and not much  happens.

But, that's changing. My son is playing football in middle school for the first time, so I'm learning a little about the game. I've been introduced to all of the padding and protective gear that the players have to wear, as well as the infinite options available in cleats. Also, USA has a relatively new football program, now in its fourth year, and some of my students are players. So, I have more of a vested interest in the sport. AND, now that the weather is agreeable, I'm more willing to join the other fans in the stadium to cheer on the Jags.

On a related note, I'm really trying to finish reading Tom Wolfe's novel "I Am Charlotte Simmons," about the modern college experience. The book has been out since 2004, so it's not news anymore, but I want to read more fiction related to  higher ed, and this one is on my list. The setting is fictional Dupont University in Pennsylvania, which purportedly was modeled after Duke University. The book is full of stereotypical college characters -- misogynistic frat boys, lunkhead athletes, loser nerds, slutty sorority girls, and snobbish, intellectually superior professors. I'm not giving anything away to say that the reader won't come away feeling good about higher ed after having completed this book.

At any rate, a great deal of the book is devoted to the corruption rampant in college athletics, and in this case the sport under the microscope is basketball. The whole time I've been reading Wolfe's book I've kept wondering why he didn't focus on football? Not that college football is or isn't more allegedly corrupt than college basketball, but it's certainly a much bigger phenomenon in university culture. However, that may just be my southern perspective, because where I live, football is often compared to a religion.

So, at this point, about two-thirds of the way through the ridiculously long (600+ pages) "I Am Charlotte Simmons," I can't say that I'd recommend it. But I am feeling good about fall...and football.

My Journey to Higher Ed

Some of my EDL 561 students wondered how I got into higher ed after I posted a VoiceThread which detailed my university experience. Let me explain here.

I noted previously that I "fell into" higher ed. That's true. It was never in my early career plan to work as an administrator at a university. In junior high I thought I might like to be a translator because I took several years of Spanish and enjoyed it. Then I became more interested in journalism through my work on the newspaper and year book in high school. I believe I did start out in college at the University of West Florida as a journalism major, but I found the inverted triangle style of writing (just the facts, ma'am) left little room for creativity. One course with Professor Tom Groth, Ad Man Extraordinaire, and I was hooked on advertising. Here was the job that allowed me to be creative!

I followed my undergraduate degree with a graduate program in Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alabama. While there I learned a desktop publishing program called QuarkXpress. It would prove to be the thing that helped me get my foot in the door of higher education.

Immediately after graduating with my master's degree I joined my husband (David) of one year in Moscow, Russia, where he was enrolled in a study abroad program for his Russian language and literature major. I got a job at The Moscow Times, an English language newspaper for the expat community, in the advertising production department. Dave and I enjoyed our Russian experience so much that we extended for another year and I continued working for The Moscow Times.

On returning to the states we settled in Birmingham, Alabama where I worked temp jobs while I searched for suitable employment. UAB was looking for someone to produce their class schedule. This was back in the 90's when the class schedule was in newspaper format and since UAB was on the quarter system (plus a Maymester), the schedule came out five times a year. My graphic design skills, which have since badly eroded, got me the job; so I fell into higher ed. What I discovered was how very comfortable I felt in the college environment. Cheesey as it sounds, for the first time in my working life, I felt like I really belonged where I was working.

The rest is history. I moved to other positions at UAB, realized that I liked learning and helping others learn, took advantage of tuition benefits to get my doctorate, and was lucky enough to land a job at USA in 2006. Here I am six (wow!) year later, helping to introduce others to the joys of higher ed and to turn out higher ed professionals who will improve the field and the lives of college students!

Beginnings of a Blog

So fall semester is just around the corner...faculty are busily putting the finishing touches on their courses, students are (hopefully) enjoying their final days of freedom, and stoic staff are bracing for the onslaught of questions, calls, e-mails and visits from both of the previous two groups mentioned, panicked, uncertain, stressed as only a new semester can cause them to be. In spite of this there is a sense of excitement, a feeling of embarking on a new path, even for those of us who have seen a LOT of semesters come and go.

I recently had a conversation with an administrator who said that "this" (meaning higher education) was the best job in the world. My immediate response was to laugh, but he was sincere. This got me to thinking about my own career. I discovered upon some reflection that I really do love my job. Higher ed is going through rough times with decreased funding, rising costs, increasing scrutiny and accountability, and a depressed economy. Uncertainty is everywhere as students and parents question the value of a college education. Still, many, many of us continue to cherish education and see it as the key to a better self, and a better life, and a better society. Could I envision myself doing anything else? No, not unless someone paid me to travel and experience the world at my own pace, or to write whatever I wanted with no deadlines. Short of that, I'm pretty happy in higher ed.

While I might grumble inwardly at being a problem-solver or pushing paper or dealing with bureaucracy, the end result is that I get satisfaction from helping students. I like learning with them. I like seeing them succeed. 





I "fell into" university life, but I immediately felt comfortable and at home in its environment. Fifteen years later I'm still here, hopeful and excited about the possibilities and the future of higher ed. This blog is a way to share thoughts and ideas and invite conversation about what's happening in higher education. 

Here's to many, many fruitful semesters. - Peggy