University Business - November/December 2010 - (Page 14)

Behind the news Curbing underage drinking Money In, Students Out: U Taxpayer Costs of Attrition What have U.S. State and federal governmentS Spent recently to support four-year college students who left before sophomore year? a whopping $9 billion, according to an american Institutes for research (www.air.org) analysis of data from 2003-04 through 2007-08. “We really have to think about how much money is being spent on student attrition,” says mark Schneider, an aIr vice president and the former commissioner of the national Center for education Statistics, who authored the report. With so many states running out of money and some experimenting with performance budgeting, the analysis is timely, he notes. “We need to change a lot of the funding formulas from seats to productivity.” Broken down by state, the analysis covers only first-time, full-time students, due to data limitations. Combining state appropriations and grants, California leads the list with close to half a billion dollars doled out. fourteen states spent more than $200 million on students who didn’t start a second year at school. Schneider hopes to see increased institutional accountability for student success. there are high stakes for parents, students, and taxpayers, he says. “We have to take actions to better understand student success and completion.” the report could be a first step toward holding institutions more accountable. Interventions such as freshman college success courses can work, as evidence has shown, but Schneider would like research to reveal specifically which interventions are working. Improving student services through administrative offices on campus can help keep students in school, as well, he says. might states want to reduce appropriations if it seems their money is being wasted? Schneider sees two possible options: getting more out of existing resources or getting the same outcomes for less resources. the analysis serves as the foundation for aIr’s new Collegemeasures.org website, which allows users to evaluate performance of individual colleges and state systems on factors such as graduation rates and productivity of expenditures. —Melissa Ezarik C O U R S E C ATA L O G on June 1, An IoWA CITy ordInAnCe went into effect barring patrons under 21 from being in bars after 10 p.m. on november 2, residents voted to keep the ordinance. Iowa, as with most states, doesn’t have a statewide minimum bar entry age, so establishing that is up to municipalities. Although deeply interested in the issue, University of Iowa couldn’t use institutional resources to advocate on behalf of the ballot issue, explains Tom rocklin, vice president for student services. still, many on campus were involved in supporting the ordinance on their own time. With residence halls close to downtown and students walking past bars on the way to class, temptation is always close at hand. Institutional officials did expand the jurisdiction for the code of student life to apply to the entire city. Before, it was just on campus, rocklin shares. “We’ve had about 50 students we’ve seen for off-campus alcohol events, which are 50 more we can help.” expanded late-night campus entertainment, educational programs, and outreach and intervention efforts for at-risk groups are also key elements of an alcohol reduction plan. since the ordinance passed, rocklin explains, Iowa City is no longer a party destination for eastern Iowa and western Illinois. “Another college president called and thanked us because those students are staying home where they are easier to help,” he says. —Ann McClure Conservatism 101 Colleges Are regulArly ACCused of indoctrinating students in liberalism. University of Virginia students can explore the other point of view in Conservatism 101. “It isn’t about being a conservative,” says alumnus Wes siler, who initiated creation of the class. “It’s about studying it as a political movement.” students trace the history and philosophy of conservatism from the 18th century to today. The goals: mature discussion and an exploration of their beliefs without worries of the conversation degenerating into an argument, siler says. The pass/fail class attracted 35 students for its first section this semester— the largest student-run class on the roster. siler isn’t attending, since he has graduated. A review committee initially rejected the class proposal, but after revisions it got approved. “everything I’ve heard has been great,” he says. In fact, the organization Conservatism 101 (http://conservatism101 .org) was formed to help students elsewhere start a similar class. several schools are expressing interest and siler hopes that, on one campus, the class will be approved for the spring. If all goes according to plan, students across the country will graduate with another set of critical thinking skills under their belt. —A.M. 14 | November/December 2010 universitybusiness.com http://www.air.org http://www.CollegeMeasures.org http://www.conservatism101.org http://www.conservatism101.org http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - November/December 2010

University Business - November/December 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Models of Efficiency
An Edible Arrangement
Friend or Foe?
Sense of Place
Independent Outlook
Internet Technology
What's New
End Note

University Business - November/December 2010