Quality of online courses debated

Are online courses inferior to face-to-face instruction? Some college faculty seem to think so, but others, who have taught online courses, also say they feel online classes are as good, or even better, than meeting in a traditional classroom. That’s according to an article in “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” A survey of more than 10,000 university faculty at nearly 70 colleges across the country found that 70 percent believed that online classes were “inferior” or “somewhat inferior” to face-to-face instruction. But professors who had experience teaching online courses felt the classes were “as good” or “better” than classes taught in the traditional classroom. However, 48 percent of those professors who’d taught online ranked the classes as “inferior/ somewhat inferior.” Still, the professors said they recommended online courses to their students. So, which route is better: Online education or traditional college campus? The verdict is still out.

Car on Campus = Big Bucks

You love your car. In fact, you may think you can’t live without it. But did you know it’s costing you thousands a year just to keep it with you at college? Maybe in today’s economy it’s an expense you could forgo? Then, again, maybe not. “The Washington Post” reports on a recent study conducted by AAA. The study found that students pay between $225 and $1,300 a year to park their ride. And they can expect to spend around $8,000 each year on a combination of parking, maintenance and upkeep, and the cost of insurance. Big dollars, huh? Obviously, it costs more to park at colleges in big cities, where space is at a premium. But just think of all you could do with $8,000 if you opt not to bring your car with you to college, and instead check out public transportation. Would it be that horrible?

Looking to go to an elite college? You may want to think twice

So, you have aspirations of going to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, maybe even USC, or some other rather selective college? Well, according to new research by Harvard University and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, such colleges’ selective admissions policies are only getting more selective. Translation: It’s even tougher to get into Harvard than you may have thought. According to “The New York Times,” the researchers looked at 40 highly ranked private and public colleges, and found that the number of applicants that the schools admitted fell “by an average of 25 percent between 1986 and 2003.” And it’s only expected the competition will get tougher for the limited number of openings each college has. A “Times” columnist questions whether this is the best way to promote student learning: It makes students anxious and sends them running to take more advanced courses and prepare harder for college entrance exams.

University of Southern California

Reputable. Elite. And a great football team. What more could you ask for in a college? Oh, wait, yeah: Beautiful location and beautiful weather. The University of Southern California encompasses all of these things – and more. Founded in 1880, the private college is California’s oldest. Known for its research, the university is located in the University Park area of Los Angeles on a 301-acre campus. The college boasts a student population of more than 33,000 with about 16, 400 undergraduate students and 17,000 graduate students. USC’s football team has won 89 NCAA championships – making it the third winningest team in the nation. The university is well known for its various schools, such as the Roski School of Fine Arts, the Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering and the Annenberg School for Communication. The university has been ranked as the 26th best in the nation by “U.S. World & News Report.”

Should you transfer?

Transfer. It sounds easy, right? You already have some courses under your belt, and, hey, maybe the school you’re in right now wasn’t your first choice. Well, “The Princeton Review” warns students not to transfer just to say you are attending a big-name college. The transfer process isn’t always easiest, No. 1. And, No. 2, you may run into issues where all of your credits might not transfer, which could impact when you intend to graduate. But there are good reasons to transfer, the “Review” points out. A major one is the school you are attending currently has a weak academic program in your area. Say you want to study journalism, but your college’s j-program is virtually now existent, it would be worth applying to a college that’s known for its journalism program. When deciding to transfer, you should make sure you know the deadlines. So, do your homework.

Juggling motherhood and academics

Motherhood is tough. At first you have the diapers, the feedings, the not sleeping, and then, you can barely sit down because you’re chasing a toddler around. And, then, suddenly, they are entering kindergarten, and you wonder where the time went. So, what if you are juggling all of this and working toward your degree? It’s tough, but not impossible. Rosemarie Emanuele blogs about juggling motherhood and academics on the Web site for “Inside Higher Ed.” In her most recent blog, “Math Geek Mom: The Summer of the Missing Tooth,” she writes about her summer, which consisted of writing papers and book reviews. But mostly spending time with her soon-to-be first grader. Her daughter grew up this summer, she said, almost unnoticeably, but there were little things, like when she wanted to read books to mommy at bedtime. How do you make motherhood and academics work? It’s a balancing act!

Defamation suit against Ohio University

Ohio University’s Russ College of Engineering has had a black cloud hanging over it ever since a report concluded that “rampant and flagrant plagiarism has occurred in the graduate program of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for over twenty years,” according to “The Columbus Dispatch.” Well, the black cloud continues to follow one of the college’s former professors, Bhavin Mehta, who filed a defamation lawsuit in the Court of Claims of Ohio. He argued that because he was named in the report, his reputation was damaged. The report also named other professors, blaming them for ignoring the engineering students’ plagiarism. Ohio University’s attorneys argued the report was the authors’ opinion, and it was protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The court agreed. Since the plagiarism discovery, Ohio University scans graduate theses for plagiarism, and it has taken steps to educate students on the issue and academic standards.

Time has come for community colleges

Move over four-year universities. The time has come for community colleges, and they are taking over by storm — wooing recent high school graduates and laid-off middle-aged folks everywhere. Community colleges across the nation are experiencing huge leaps in their college enrollment. According to “The Baltimore Sun,” the Community College of Baltimore County’s fall enrollment is expected to be up 20 percent over last year. Yep, you read that right, 20 percent! Community colleges are eyed by students as an affordable alternative to pricier four-year universities, both public and private. They also are providing the recently laid off an opportunity to get re-trained in another, more popular job field. Community colleges offer another item for students: Brevity. You can receive an associate’s degree in two years time — or less. What’s more, President Barack Obama has pledged a $12 billion funding initiative for community colleges.

Online education and single moms

Sure, a college degree is something you’ve always dreamed about. But life happened. Maybe you attempted college, but dropped out. Maybe you always said you’d go, but then you actually got a decent job and found yourself, what seemed like suddenly, a mom. Well, thanks to online colleges, single moms everywhere do not have to give up their dreams of a college education. Earning a degree often brings instant credibility and new job opportunities or promotions. Online colleges offer single moms the opportunity to take classes from the convenience of home – anytime of the day or night! All you have to do is log on to your computer. If baby is napping at 1 in the afternoon, no problem, just log on. If the kids aren’t asleep until 10 p.m., your coursework will still be there. Online education also offers single moms the opportunity to pursue their degree in an accelerated format.

Lehigh University

Want to go to a college that shows the proof’s in the pudding? Lehigh University, a private school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has been ranked by “BusinessWeek” as among the Top 15 schools in the nation of which college graduates earn the most money. And in an economy like today’s, it’s hard to overlook statistics like this. Lehigh University was founded in 1865 and boasts an enrollment of nearly 5,000 undergraduates and about 2,100 graduate students. The university consists of four colleges, including the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, its nationally ranked College of Business and Economics, and its College of Education, which is open only to graduate students. Lehigh’s campus is known for its beauty. It consists of 1,600 acres, located in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Its campus is actually built into the side of a mountain.