I found this article interesting 01/13/2014

I thought this was worth a read, especially since it talks about changes in doctoral programs, Please chime in after you read it:

“How Should Graduate School Change?”

A dean discusses the future of doctoral-education reform

“What sorts of changes would you like to see in American graduate study?”

“The biggest one is that our doctoral curricula need to be changed to acknowledge what has been true for a long time, which is that most of our Ph.D. students do not end up in tenure-track (or even full-time faculty) positions—and that many of those who do will be at institutions that are very, very different from the places where these Ph.D.'s are trained.”

“The changes will differ from program to program but might include different kinds of coursework, exams, and even dissertation structures. Right now we train students for the professoriate, and if something else works out, that's fine. We can serve our students and our society better by realizing their diverse futures and changing the training we offer accordingly.”

“The other necessary change: We need to think seriously about the cost of graduate education. There is a perception that graduate students are simply a cheap labor force for the university, and that universities are interested in graduate students only because they perform work as teachers and laboratory assistants cheaper than any one else.”

“At elite universities—or at least at elite private ones—that is simply not true, and I am glad that it is not. It is absolutely true that graduate students perform labor necessary for the university in a number of ways, but it is not cheap labor, nor should it be.”

“The cost of graduate education has repercussions for the humanities and social sciences, which is one reason you are seeing smaller admissions numbers and some program closings. It also has repercussions for the laboratory sciences, where I am seeing too many faculty members shift from taking on graduate students to hiring postdocs. Unfortunately, they regard postdocs as a less expensive and more stable alternative to graduate students, and postdocs come without the same burdens of education or job placement that otherwise fall on the faculty member who hires doctoral students.”

Read the whole thing here: http://chronicle.com/article/How-Should-Graduate-School/143945/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

 

What are your thoughts on this subject? Is he right?

Dr Flavius AB Akerele III

The ETeam



Obsessions in America-an education issue

Parts of our constitutional rights are the freedom to obsess about whatever we want, which means I can comment on these obsessions if I want.

Have you ever seen, heard, or have been a young woman who is fit and in her prime and tells herself she is fat because she gained a pound? How many times have you met those folks who try to convince you they are old because they just turned 30? How many ads do you see on TV, the newspaper, or hear on the radio about what is unhealthy for us or how to stay young?

We are blessed to have so many choices for food in this country, to be able to go to one store and get everything we need quickly and conveniently; and yet we spend time and energy on visceral hate of some of these big stores and the food available. Do you know a food shopping trip in some countries is literally a whole day affair because you have to go to five different places (sometimes walking)?

We live in a country that people can literally eat themselves to death, and we cannot see the beauty of that; that kind of death is very difficult to achieve in a large part of the worldJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJjMnHoIBI (Weird Al)

It is often said that youth is wasted on the young, and for those who fear getting older, get over it because that is life, and your life is not over. You are old when you have lived a full life and are dead in your coffin!

I am not saying obesity is good, I am not saying we should not try to live long and healthy lives; what I am saying is our obsessions can lead to bigger problems. I did not grow up around bulimia, anorexia, food allergies, and dislike of our elders; I still do not understand how a land of plenty can have such silly (yes I said it) obsessions. Women, a little thickness is not a bad thing in a large part of the world J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mU6USTBRE (Weird Al)

Young lady (and man), you are not fat, nor old, and your life is not over. Snap out of it and get on with life!

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam



Sharing an article 01/10/2014

From the Chronicle today:

“Career Colleges of America”

“The number of reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military academies fell slightly this year, from 80 to 70, according to an annual report expected to be released on Friday by the Department of Defense. In more than half of the cases, assault victims filed restricted reports, in which they sought medical or other care but did not make a formal complaint.”

“In the past, academy students have underreported incidents of assault by as much as two-thirds, citing fears of retaliation by authorities, ostracism by peers, and concern about punishment.”

“The Associated Press noted that sports and clubs will be a special target of prevention efforts after recent athletics-related harassment and assaults at the U.S. Air Force, Military, and Naval Academies.”

Read here: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/jp/sexual-assault-reports-at-military-academies-dip?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en



So is this true progress or the usual fear of retaliation? Either way, these stats are still entirely too high! Women who choose to serve should not have to pay a ‘special’ price for the patriotism.

True progress will occur when the stats are virtually non-existent.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam



One of the Big Players in Non-Traditional Higher Education…

It is always good to pay attention to stuff like this because the affects are often far reaching.

“Possible Probation for Phoenix”

“The University of Phoenix’s accreditation woes are more serious than the for-profit giant had been told to expect, with a site team from its regional accreditor recommending last week that the university be placed on probation because of concerns about a lack of autonomy from its holding company, the Apollo Group.”

“The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools last year wrapped up its accreditation review of Phoenix. In January the accreditor informed Apollo that it had identified unspecified problems that would be disclosed in a forthcoming draft report. Company officials told investors that it would probably be placed “on notice,” a less severe penalty than probation.”

“But the report, which Apollo received last week, surprised company officials and industry analysts alike. It described “alleged administrative and governance deficiencies” that led to the call for probationary status, according to a corporate filing Apollo released Monday.”

Read the whole thing here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/02/26/university-phoenix-faces-possible-probation-accreditor

I sincerely hope that this particular issue is not a precursor to the 2014 year. Unfortunately, this kind of issue is subjective, and highly political, and I will reiterate my opinion that the ‘traditional’ and ’non-traditional’ sectors should spend their energies working together rather than against each other.

Can you imagine how students could be helped if the entire industry truly collaborated? Students first please!

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam



School Testing Madness

Let me start by saying I not against testing, when I was in school (across the pond) testing was and still is a normal part of the education system. My objection is the state of madness school displayed during testing time here in the united states, for example:

• Trying to get students pumped about a test to the point where you think it is a pep rally for a sports game
• Giving out gum, candy, and cupcakes to keep the kids energy up (let the parents decide this please!)
• Reminding parents about the obvious such as, kids getting a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast (that should be everyday right?)
• Giving out prizes for being at school during the whole testing time (and asking kids not to get sick during that time)

One the best ones I read about was this one: “Chicago School Rations Bathroom Visits to Help Prepare for Common Core Tests”

“How far will schools go to prepare for Common Core tests? From an elementary school teacher in Chicago, I received the following memo, delivered to faculty this week.”

“Dear Faculty,”

“Welcome back and Happy New Year! In order to maximize student learning and reduce the loss of instructional time, we are implementing two new restroom policies.”

“1. Designated Restroom Times - Take your class to use the restroom only during your allotted time so that multiple groups of students are not competing to use the facilities. Also, the expectation is that the restroom break should last only five minutes. Before leaving for the restroom, clearly communicate the behavioral expectations and the time limit. Use your watch or stopwatch to time the students and praise them when they meet the behavior and time expectations.”

“Sign up for your restroom time slot in the main office by Tuesday, January 7. “

“2. Restroom Passes - In addition to scheduled restroom breaks, students will be given restroom passes to use if they need to use the restroom outside of the scheduled time. Students will be given two restroom passes to use between now and the end of the quarter. They can choose to hold on to them and trade them in for a reward at the end of the quarter. Following these guidelines:”

“Have students fill in their names as soon as they receive them. Passes are invalid if names are crossed out for another name.”

“For the upper grades, students can use one teacher's pass in another classroom, but they still only get the same number of passes per quarter.

Read the rest here: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2014/01/chicago_school_rations_bathroo.html?cmp=ENL-EU-MOSTPOP

Really?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur0g-R7ZODY

Tests are high stress enough as it is, do you realize that all this ‘stuff’ is creating more stress? Stop the madness! Schools look at the way you are behaving!

Remember, the tests are supposed to be about the best interests of the students, not the school's stats.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam



This can be fixed right now!

I am always a little surprised when I read new stories about sexual assault issues on college campuses (and in the military), because it seems that major progress should have been made on this and that the deterrents should be strong enough to scare the bejeezus out of would be assaulters.

Reading this story today: “Bill Would Require Campuses to Report Rape to Police”

“A bill introduced in the California Assembly on Monday would require all colleges in the state to notify the police or sheriff’s department any report of a violent crime, including forcible rape, willful homicide, robbery or aggravated assault, unless the student who filed the report requests otherwise. Newsweek reported that Assemblyman Mike Gatto was inspired to draft the bill because of Occidental College’s failure to report two dozen sexual assault allegations to the federal government, as required by the Clery Act, in 2010 and 2011. Gatto suggested the university was trying to avoid bad PR. While some students report their assaults to both campus and local police, many forgo the former to avoid a grueling investigation process.”

(Read the whole thing here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/01/07/bill-would-require-campuses-report-rape-police)

You mean schools are continuing to sweep this under the rug? You mean that students are still not reporting it for fear of retaliation and their reputation? You mean the victim is still getting blamed?

Lawmakers and school administrators, do not pat yourselves on the back for this so called progress because you are way behind on this issue. The culture of many college campuses is still ripe for rape, and it is on your watch. Personally, I will train my daughter to be a lethal weapon so that anyone who attempts to assault her would pay a steep price, however, that does not help all our students and it is not a solution to the larger problem.

It is 2014, get your s**t together! It is about the student not you!

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam



Happy 2014 Educators!

It is a new year, and that means new problems in education, but more importantly, new opportunities to solve problems and work collaboratively. It could also mean innovations in teaching and student services.

Conflict and issues cannot be avoided, however, how we deal with them will set the tone for the year; so let us set the right tone now.

Pledge to not sweep issues under the rug, please pledge to deal with them head on in a meaningful way. Pledge to be a proactive solutions creator (not just a reactive provider). Pledge to spread optimism, not just rumors and negativity.

Lastly, pledge to put our students first, because everything we do is (or should be) about them.

 

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam 2014