President’s Blog Flow of Ideas

I’d like to keep you updated on “The Monthly Bag” and one group’s reaction to the college’s response. See my previous blog entry for the beginning of this story.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a freedom of expression advocacy group, targeted CC in March, launching a media campaign against the college. FIRE said CC administrators violated the students’ rights to freedom of expression and punished the students needlessly (though the students were never sanctioned). FIRE called for the college to remove conduct letters from the students’ files (the letters will remain in their files only until they graduate, and won’t be shared with anyone outside the college, including potential graduate schools, employers, etc.).

A second, completely new conduct committee reaffirmed the college’s findings, saying the students were in violation of the college’s conduct code, but should not be punished or sanctioned. During its regular meeting in May, the CC Board of Trustees also examined the issue, and again, supported the college’s actions.

In June, Colorado College Board of Trustees Chair David van Diest Skilling ’55 sent this letter to FIRE to communicate the board’s finding. FIRE promptly responded by placing CC on its “Red Alert” list (which also includes Brandeis University, Johns Hopkins University, Tufts University and Valdosta State University).

An interesting note: In 2007, FIRE reviewed 346 colleges and universities, and fully 96 percent of them did not pass its test for free speech (only 2% passed; 2% were unrated). From FIRE’s web site:

“Of the 346 schools reviewed by FIRE, 259 received a red-light rating (75%), 73 received a yellow-light rating (21%), and only 8 received a green-light rating (2%). Six schools did not receive any rating from FIRE. Surprisingly, public schools, which are unambiguously legally bound by the First Amendment, actually had a somewhat higher percentage of “red light” ratings; a full 79% of public schools were “red light,” 19% “yellow light”, and 2% green.”

I have a spam guard on my computer to try to eliminate the extraneous stuff that gets sent to my email address. It helps. It catches the virus-laden items and about three quarters of what I think of as electronic junk mail. Still, a couple of times a week I am obliged to review the accumulation to see whether a message from a high school classmate got trapped in the screen.

I have been struck recently by how many messages — tucked in the midst of Viagra pitches, offers of home equity loans, and stock tips — hold out the promise of a quick and inexpensive college diploma. “Online Education Is Easy and Affordable,” “You Can Start Your Higher Education Today, Easily,” and “Get an Instant Diploma” are just some of the recent headers.

…continue reading “Dangerous Spam” »»»

What a first semester! And what a Christmas Eve!

At 4 pm on the very first day of classes last September, the whole Colorado College campus lost power. A blackout shut down the computer center, took the library offline, disarmed the card access to the residence halls, and generally caused confusion and dismay. Conscientious freshmen, who had been in the library eagerly working on their first assignments to impress their new professors, were distressed at being cut off from their computers.

Since we traditionally begin classes on Labor Day, it was a challenge to find the right people to help us restore power to the campus. Our facilities folks quickly established that the problem occurred at the point where the high-tension power line, operated by the city, delivered electricity to the campus. And high-tension lines are not to be toyed with.

Well, we found the experts, and the special equipment they required, in Denver. Fortunately, they understood the urgency of our situation. Within four hours almost all of the power on campus had been restored. Those of us who manage an ongoing disaster planning effort found another threat to be reckoned with. But it turned out to be a small blip on the radar screen as the academic year got under way. A bigger blip loomed as the year was coming to a close.

…continue reading “Semester that Begins with Blackout Ends with Whiteout” »»»

Two months ago, the Commission on the Future of Higher Education issued its final report. The Commission, appointed last year by President Bush and working closely with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, was comprised of 19 members ranging from present or retired college and university presidents to corporate CEO types. It was chaired by a Texas businessman who was deeply involved in the system of higher education in that state. The Commission was charged with the development of a national strategy for postsecondary education that meets the country’s needs for an appropriate 21^st century workforce.

…continue reading “Spellings Commission Report Fails to Recognize Distinctive Contributions of Colleges and Universities” »»»