Audio: Who needs an English major?December 6, 2011 6:15 AMBy Alex FriedrichHere’s a piece that’s airing on MPR’s Midday today. It’s part of the “Tommorrow’s College” series by American RadioWorks that I wrote about back in August.
How MN comp-sci students can get training, work and future jobsDecember 6, 2011 5:22 AMBy Alex Friedrich“We saw jobs being sent offshore and it was like, why couldn’t we take that same work, send it to students, price it about the same and then the clients have the [added] value of hiring the students on full time after graduation.” — Maverick Software Consulting founder Martin Hebig on how he figured his…
What some St. Olaf students think of Carleton CollegeDecember 6, 2011 4:36 AMBy Alex FriedrichNah, this isn’t official St. Olaf gear. Found one of these after talking to some students at St. Olaf College last week. They said some Ole student started selling them a while back, and that campus administration really frowned on them. (I’ve got a call in to officials there.) They also said Carleton has its…
How Bemidji-minded students responded to Minnesota College Application WeekDecember 6, 2011 2:53 AMBy Alex Friedrich“I feared that people would just use the shotgun approach with applications, but it appears students did carefully look at options of college.” — Harry Cottrell, dean of students at Northwest Technical College, on how students took advantage of waived application fees during last month’s Minnesota College Application Week, and yet didn’t use the waiver as a…
Notes in the Margins: Nerdfighters, Obama and job training factoriesDecember 6, 2011 1:49 AMBy Alex FriedrichObama Meets With College Leaders on Rising Costs Participants at the roundtable said there was discussion on the role the federal government should play to improve graduation rates. (The New York Times) AFT: Completion means ‘cranking out’ workers Corporate interests are pushing the “completion agenda” and turning community colleges into “job training factories,” charges a letter from the American…
Why not too many Oles are saying Hi Mom right nowDecember 5, 2011 7:12 AMBy Alex FriedrichLooks like St. Olaf’s Hi Mom Webcam is partially obscured by the Christmas trees.
How some St. Olaf students show profs appreciationDecember 5, 2011 6:19 AMBy Alex FriedrichLots of students at liberal arts colleges talk about the quality of the teaching, and the close relationships that classes form with their professors. At St. Olaf, they’ve put it down in writing. On a tour of the campus, I stumbled upon a temporary shrine of sorts to professors in the skyway between Buntrock Commons…
Video: Debate on whether too many kids go to collegeDecember 5, 2011 5:07 AMBy Alex FriedrichJudging from the material I’ve received this morning, today seems to be the big Let’s-Question-the-Value-of-College Day. (And it’ll keep popping up. Always does.) The main event here at MPR is at noon: Midday’s broadcast of the Intelligence Squared structured debate: Too many kids go to college. Guests Henry Bienen: President Emeritus, Northwestern University Charles Murray:…
Today's Question: Is the value of college overemphasized?December 5, 2011 4:55 AMBy Alex FriedrichTodays Question on MPR– Is the value of college overemphasized? — prompted this comment from GregX, who said American business has generally abandoned its its job of training workers: I don’t know if we have an economic system that is designed to let them do anything else (but go to college). I think that system…
Minn. online schools go old school to nab cyber-truantsDecember 5, 2011 4:00 AMMinnesota's online schools have quietly persuaded county prosecutors to accept an expansive view of the state's outdated truancy law and use the courts to reel hundreds of cybertruants back to class, but both prosecutors and educators agree the makeshift arrangement can't last.