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Live & Learn: U Miami Re-imagines its Dorms

Miami Today: ‘When the University of Miami administration decided to replace its 50-year-old dorms with two sleek new clusters of mixed-use buildings, the focus changed. ‘This isn’t just housing; it’s an extension of the learning environment,’ said Jim Smart, UM’s executive director of Housing and Residential Life. Buildings in each cluster feature housing on the upper floors and classroom, office, recreational, study and meeting space on the lower floors.” Mr. Smart added: We’ve learned a lot over 50 years. We used to think of dorms as places just to sleep and study, but now we know a lot of learning, both formal and informal, goes on there. It’s really an extension of the classroom.”

“The first phase, which has no official name yet but is informally called Lakeside Village, comprises 12 acres with 25 interconnected buildings and a multitude of outdoor spaces including a grand courtyard, study spots, recreational spaces and outdoor terraces. Each of the seven-story main buildings, designed by Arquitectonica, will have five floors of student housing for 1,115 sophomores, juniors and seniors, with the ground floor and mezzanine level of the main structure serving as event and university office spaces … The second phase, Centennial Village, (for freshmen) begins with the demolition of Stanford Residential College and Hecht Residential College, both built in the late 1960s.”

“The freshman spaces were designed to draw students out of their rooms and encourage them to interact with others. ‘It’s better than a home away from home, Mr. Smart said. ‘The fact that staff and faculty live there, too, increases their interaction. We’ve added a lot of spaces that will make adjusting to college easier. We know that as they grow up more, they want more autonomy.” The university’s goals in transforming its residential component are to ‘be in a position to house as many people on campus as want to be here,’ Mr. Smart said.“We want them to have a positive experience during the course of their stay with us’.”

What Does The Ivy League Really Want?

The Washington Post: “Because of the impressive SAT scores and high grades of students admitted to Ivy League institutions, many people incorrectly infer that superhuman academic performance is the key ingredient for admission. ‘Grades are still the most important factor in admissions,’ the founder of one consulting firm told USA Today. ‘Course rigor is also extremely important’ … In reality, academic strength is just one of several dimensions by which candidates are ranked, including extracurriculars, athletics and the enigmatic ‘personal’ ranking.”

“Savvy parents and applicants are well aware that the Ivy League values athletic talent. But it is often listed as just one ‘hook’ among many others, including legacy status, membership in a historically underrepresented minority group and socioeconomic disadvantage. Asked in 2012 about the magnitude of athletics, a former dean of admissions at Princeton said that ‘we do not emphasize one activity over the other; athletes as well as artistic endeavors are equally valued.’ She went on to specifically mention ‘musicians, dancers or actors’ as groups receiving recognition. But athletes are a special case and are given vastly more preference than other recognized categories.”

“A number of studies have shown that Ivy League graduates are vastly overrepresented in positions of corporate and political leadership: Almost a third of officers and directors in the corporate elite earned undergraduate degrees from elite schools. But overrepresentation is far from dominance. In a comprehensive 2017 study of ‘3,990 senior executives drawn from 15 sectors, including government,’ researchers at the University of California at Riverside found that barely 10 percent attended Ivy League colleges. Ivy League graduates were most represented in industries involving media, including publishing, journalism and the arts — but even there, they were a decided minority.”

Robots Boost Breakfast at GMU

The Washington Post: “In the first days after a fleet of 25 delivery robots descended on George Mason University’s campus in January, school officials could only speculate about the machines’ long-term impact. The cooler-size robots from the Bay Area start-up Starship Technologies — which were designed to deliver food on demand across campus — appeared to elicit curious glances and numerous photos but not much else.” However: “During the first day of deliveries at GMU, the machines were flooded by so many dinner orders that school officials had to pull the plug, shutting off orders so that robots weren’t operating late into the night, far behind schedule. Each robot is opened using a delivery code and can carry as much as 20 pounds — the equivalent of about three shopping bags of goods, Starship Technologies said.”

“Two months later, breakfast has replaced dinner as the go-to meal for robot delivery. The question is why … During the morning hours, restaurant experts say, there is generally more emphasis on speed than any other part of the day. Combine college students’ love of food delivery with chaotic morning routines, and perhaps you have a perfect recipe for robots … Starship Technologies says GMU is the first campus in the country to incorporate robots into its student dining plan … Starship Technologies also announced Monday that a new fleet of more than 30 robots is launching today at Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus.”

Lehigh Launches ‘Plan for Greek Excellence’

ABC:”Lehigh University isn’t the only school where alcohol-fueled parties at frat houses is a problem, but they are now going to significant lengths to stem it. Ricardo Hall, the University’s Provost for Student Affairs says the ‘Plan for Greek Excellence’ is designed to reconstruct the school’s party-centric fraternity and sorority culture into what it was intended to foster. ‘Academic achievement, service to the community, and leadership development. Those three things are inherent in Greek life, that’s the men and the women,’ said Hall.”

“It’s a 10-point plan, but the items that truly stick out include an indefinite ban on hard liquor at any Greek events. It also mandates live-in graduate assistants who are trained in crisis response and helping keep the frat houses compliant with the new rules. Over the past two years, dozens of Lehigh students have been cited for underage drinking and several Greek organizations have either been dissolved or sanctioned for alleged alcohol policy abuse.”

“School officials can’t say for sure this is a ‘first of its kind’ policy, but they do say they believe the Greek Life Initiative here at Lehigh will eventually become the new standard for Greek life at schools across the country.”

Green Mountain Question: Why UVM and not UVT?

Burlington Free Press: “The mystery of why the University of Vermont’s name is abbreviated to UVM and not UVT is due to history instead of whimsy. The university was founded way back in 1791, according to UVM’s website. It’s the fifth oldest university in New England after Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and Brown. University of Vermont’s founders chose to call the school Universitas Viridis Montis, the “University of the Green Mountains” in Latin. Vermont, accepted as a state in 1790, takes its name from the French vert (green), mont (mountain).”

“The Latin name can be seen on the university’s seal … The motto on the seal, ‘studiis et rebus honestis,’ was taken from the writings of Quintus Horatius Flaccus, also known as Horace, a lyric poet during the Roman Empire. The translation, according to UVM, means: ‘for virtuous studies and matters.’ The Washington Post in 2016, in an article about school mottos translated the Latin phrase as ‘through studies and upright affairs’.”

“The phrase was selected by UVM’s first president, Daniel Clarke Sanders a graduate of Harvard University in 1788, according to UVM’s Lyman-Roberts Professor of Classics M. D. Usher … Latin and Greek language, literature, history and philosophy formed the core of what students studied two hundred years ago. ‘Classics is thus both the historical core and spiritual heart of UVM,’ Usher said.”

Tips on Appealing For More Student Aid

The Washington Post: “In just a few weeks, families across the country will find out how much their children will receive in financial aid … This will send students and their parents into a frenzy over how to persuade the colleges to give them more assistance. Negotiating for additional financial aid isn’t easy … But if you want to plead your case for more money, there’s a way to strengthen your argument.” Mark Kantrowitz comments: “Negotiation for more financial aid depends on presenting a college financial aid office with documentation of special circumstances that affect the family’s ability to pay.”

“Here’s the reality: Most demands for more money fail — miserably. Although appeals are seldom successful, you have a slightly better chance at private nonprofit schools and high-cost colleges, which often have a policy of providing more aid to needy students … If, however, your financial circumstances have changed, it’s worthwhile to submit an appeal. A number of special circumstances can affect a family’s ability to pay. These include a recent job loss or salary reduction, unusually high child-care expenses, or medical costs not covered by health insurance.”

“Kantrowitz provides useful suggestions on writing an appeal letter, including the do’s and don’ts. For example, don’t ask for a specific amount of money. Do detail a significant financial hardship.”

The Flipside of Elite College Admissions

Quartz: “The revelations that affluent families bribed their kids into elite universities … is also evidence that elite universities have actually become much more meritocratic, such that some mediocre but wealthy students who were once ushered into Ivy League colleges now feel they have to resort to bribery and fraud (or, at least, their parents do). It once was far easier to get into an elite university if you were white, male, and rich. In 1933, for example, 82% of Harvard applicants were admitted. By 2003, the number fell to 9.8%. Last year the number was 4.6%. Elite universities are now drawing from a much wider base of applicants, a trend that starting with the admission of women.”

“In recent years, the growing wealth of Americans, the rise of a global middle class eager for a US education (particularly in China), and—to the credit of the colleges—much more generous financial aid (Harvard is basically free for families that earn less than $65,000) has meant there are fewer slots available for lackluster children of privilege … University admissions are still far from egalitarian, but they have made strides in leveling the playing field.”

Sticker Shock: What is the Real Cost of College?

CNBC: “According to the College Board’s 2018 Trends in College Pricing Report, from 1988 to 2018, sticker prices tripled at public four-year schools and doubled at public two-year and private non-profit four-year schools … During the 2018 – 2019 school year, the reported tuition at private non-profit four-year schools is an average $35,830. But in reality, many students end up paying far less. Here’s how. College ‘sticker prices’ include tuition, fees, room and board (TFRB) and do not account for scholarships, grants and tax benefits … students typically pay less than the published price.”

“In fact, the average net price of tuition and fees in 2019 is $14,610 at private nonprofit four-year schools. These students typically receive an average $21,220 in grant aid and tax benefits. Similar discounts are also in effect at public colleges. During the 2018 – 2019 school year, the reported sticker price for in-state students is $10,230 at public four-year schools, but the average net tuition and fees is closer to $3,740.”

However: “Many students underestimate the cost of living expenses when they go to college … more than a third of students struggle with basic needs such as food and housing. Prospective students also often overlook graduation rates when they are considering colleges, but they can be an important measures of a school’s quality and cost … just 40 percent of first-time full-time bachelor’s students earn their degree in four years, and only 59 percent earn their bachelor’s in six years … students may want to estimate what six years of tuition and fees will cost them at schools with low four-year graduation rates, and be mindful of planning their schedules and making the most of AP and other college credits.”

Discovering the ‘Art’ of College

The New York Times: “While not typically top of mind as a go-to destination, college and university art museums have a common goal: to raise the bar for the academic and cultural life of a campus and its environs.” At Duke: “The Nasher highlights artists of African descent and female artists — those who have been historically underrepresented or omitted by art institutions.” At Dartmouth: “Students and visitors have access to its 65,000-object collection including works by Rembrandt, Francisco Goya, Mark Rothko, Yayoi Kusama, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frank Stella and Julie Mehretu, among others.” At Rutgers: “The Zimmerli Museum’s Russian and Soviet nonconformist art holdings contain over 22,000 objects by more than 1,000 artists and provide an overview from the 14th century to the present.”

At Colby: “A collection of nearly 900 works by the figurative painter Alex Katz is a highlight at the college’s museum of art.” At UT-Austin: “Founded in 1963, the Blanton Museum of Art is considered one of the largest university art museums in the country with collections of nearly 18,000 objects.” University of Michigan, Ann Arbor “has a permanent collection of more than 20,000 artworks collected over 150 years and features big hitters like Helen Frankenthaler, Picasso, Monet and Warhol. The museum also hosts around 20 special exhibitions per year.”

At UCLA:”The Fowler Museum, which opened in 1963, has a … total of over 120,000 art and ethnographic and 600,000 archaeological objects, but it’s the museum’s African art collection that makes it standout as a leader in the exhibition and preservation of art from Africa.” At Northwestern: “An evolving permanent collection of about 6,000 works focuses primarily on prints, photography and drawings.” At Princeton: The works include Greek and Roman ceramics, marbles and bronzes, Roman mosaics, stained glass from medieval Europe and European paintings from the early Renaissance through the 19th century.” And at Williams: “There are around 15,000 works of art in the holdings of the Williams College Museum of Art that spotlight work by African-American artists, work by women artists, and international contemporary art.”

Hidden Gem: Norwalk Community College

With so much attention diverting to the deep, dark underside of higher education, let’s take a moment to shine a light on a hometown hidden gem: Norwalk Community College. NCC may not project much as a status symbol, but it certainly deserves serious consideration by certain high-schoolers. Surprisingly, this includes the highest performing students.

Here’s why: The most selective universities favor applicants who not only take advantage of everything their high schools have to offer, but who also pursue additional opportunities above and beyond the norm. Students who want to impress dream schools with their passion for learning should think about enrolling in a high-level course or two at NCC. Their application will be all the more outstanding and memorable for it.

NCC is, of course, best known as a place for those who are just not quite ready for a four-year college experience. This could be because of academic issues, financial considerations, emotional state, or some other personal reason. For such students and others, NCC offers an attractive pathway to a four-year college. For one thing, it maintains a special arrangement with UConn, which guarantees transfer admission to NCC associate-degree graduates with at least a 3.0. Not bad! For another, it provides a low-cost way to earn college credits before transferring to a four-year school.

At a two-year tuition cost of about $9,000, students can take care of basic college requirements on their way to a bachelor’s degree at one of America’s finer universities, up to and including the Ivy League. It’s a fact: NCC grads have been known to go onto Columbia, Yale and other highly selective schools. Indeed, many elite schools pride themselves on accepting community college grads.

Sadly, community colleges are often dismissed and even derided. That’s not only unfair, but outdated and just plain wrong. Right here, in our own backyard, is a local treasure, Norwalk Community College. Can you dig it?