University Business - October 2009 - (Page 15)

39 DATA P O I N T —Percentage of students in India who see the United States as a preferred study destination. —Tata Consultancy Services Generation Web 2.0 survey IS A COMMUTER LOUNGE ADEQUATE TO KEEP THAT POPULATION comfortable? Mansfield University (Pa.) officials didn’t think so. “It just made sense,” says Charles W. Colby, associate vice president of Residence Life at Mansfield of the original decision to offer free overnight housing to commuter students. Since its 2007 launch in “an isolated section of a larger dorm,” the Commuter Connection program has proven popular enough to get new digs closer to the center of campus. The move also resolved the issues of a unisex bathroom—instead of 10 rooms on one floor, there are now five rooms each in a women’s and a men’s hall. The new location also has electronic locks instead of keys, so temporary cards are issued and access is at the commuters’ convenience. President Maravene Loeschke was drawing on her own experience as a commuter student when she proposed Free bunks for off-campus residents is a perk the idea, Colby explains. “We wanted that helps keep Mansfield students safe. to provide a safe haven.” Available for free, the commuter rooms are mainly used during inclement weather, or when students attend an evening event on campus and don’t want to drive home late. Deer encounters are also common near the mountainous campus, which the overnight stays could help students avoid. Guidelines help prevent abuse of the rooms. Loeschke allocates funds to support the program (residential fees are not used). Colby says he has not heard of similar programs on other campuses but has received many inquiries about how Mansfield’s program operates. While the program can certainly be a success elsewhere, he cautions, “if you are at capacity [for housing] you probably can’t do this.” —A.M. T:6.75” Commuter Comforts BETWEEN THE LINES Privatizing the Public University: Perspectives from across the Academy Edited by Christopher C. Morphew and Peter D. Eckel; 2009, The Johns Hopkins University Press; 224 pp., $45. More public colleges are cultivating private revenue streams in the face of decreasing state and federal funding. But although states are reducing financial support, they aren't ceding ownership or control, and that's a sticking point for many schools. Privatization has been going on as a matter of survival, with little public discussion about its short- and long-range consequences. The essays in this book show privatization has its advantages. Private funding may be free from government regulations and oversight. Tuition rates could be on a par with those of private schools. On the other hand, privatization may increase outside influence, or expose the institution to risk. This book doesn't offer answers—in fact it raises even more questions—but it builds a foundation from numerous perspectives on which a serious discussion of privatization might begin. —Tim Goral HOW DID BLACKBOARD TURN INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM? T:2.375” AND POOLSIDE INTO AN EVERY DORM ROOM, COFFEEHOUSE, MEET YOUR CAMPUS’ EXPECTATIONS AND VISIT DELL.COM/HigherExpectations universitybusiness.com October 2009 | 15 http://www.DELL.COM/HigherExpectations http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - October 2009

University Business - October 2009
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Lessons in Video
Dining Halls of Distinction
Lost in Space
Independent Outlook
Internet Tech
End Note

University Business - October 2009