Recent Court Decision Undermines Rights of Student Journalists
Throughout their history, college newspapers have mostly enjoyed the same rights under the First Amendment as have other newspapers. A recent decision by a federal appellate court, however, jeopardizes their freedom.
Here are the facts.
In 2000, Margaret Hosty was the editor of The Innovator, the student newspaper of Governors State University (GSU), located just west of Chicago. Like many student newspapers, The Innovator was supported mainly by student fees. That fall, Patricia Carter, the university’s Dean of Student Affairs, told the company that printed the paper that in the future, school officials would review each issue before it could be printed. She took this action despite written GSU policy stating that the student staff of the paper would “determine content and format of their publications without censorship or advance approval.”
Will UNC Ever Be “Diverse” Enough?
Last April, UNC released its “Chancellor’s Task Force on Diversity” report, 58 pages in length and loaded with eight big recommendations for making the Chapel Hill campus more diverse. And in his State of the University speech, Chancellor Moeser devoted several paragraphs to this subject, saying that “Diversity is a key component of our academic plan,” and lauding “improvement in the diversity of our full-time permanent faculty.”
Alas, UNC is not yet diverse enough. The Task Force report recommends, for example, that the university increase the number of “minorities” in executive, administrative and managerial positions. That might be accomplished through a heavier emphasis on “diversity” in hiring and promotion.
Auditor calls for CCs to tighten control
RALEIGH — In the wake of an audit investigation of Halifax Community College, State Auditor Les Merritt is recommending the community college system have better monitoring of employment contracts, by-laws, and local boards, and improved training programs for trustees and business office personnel.
The recommendations were released Tuesday in a management letter to State Board of Community Colleges Chair Hilda Pinnix-Ragland. It was also released on the same day as an audit investigation of Halifax Community College President Ted Gasper’s activities found several violations, including questionable reimbursements and the president’s contracts being approved with the board not being aware of some amendments.
Halifax Community College Audit Released
WELDON — Halifax Community College Board of Trustees approved a new contract for college President Ted Gasper in 2001 without knowledge of significant contract amendments, according to an investigative audit released Tuesday looking into allegations of misconduct by Gasper.
The audit also found evidence of more than $15,000 in questionable payments to Gasper for fringe benefits and travel, and recommended that the board of trustees seek repayment of any funds made without adequate documentation.
In addition, the audit found that Gasper leased college property without state approval and that his executive secretary deleted files from her computer after the school received notice of the audit investigation, a violation of state law.
Advice for Erskine Bowles: Ratchet Up and Ratchet Down
The UNC presidential search committee has done its work and the new president of the UNC system will be Erskine Bowles. Although the North Carolina Press Association has said that it may challenge the legality of the selection process under the Open Meetings Act, no one doubts that Mr. Bowles will succeed Molly Broad in this important position.
An accomplished, multi-talented man, Mr. Bowles will take the UNC helm with this notable advantage — he isn’t an education “insider.” People who have been immersed in higher education administration for most if not all of their careers tend to uncritically accept most of the “conventional wisdom” about how our colleges and universities supposedly need to function. That fact produces tunnel vision much like a horse with blinders. Bowles doesn’t appear to be wearing them.
CC Board to hear update on Halifax investigation
RALEIGH — Members of a special investigative committee looking into allegations against Halifax Community College President Ted Gasper will be given an update on the investigation’s progress during the North Carolina Community College System’s board meeting Friday.
This comes after a week of meetings at the community college surrounding the allegations, a separate investigation by the State Auditor’s office and new revelations from a former administrative assistant who worked for Gasper.
Gasper has been placed on paid leave for the past month as the state board began its investigation into multiple claims of abuse, including the elimination of academic programs without trustee or state approval. His administrative assistant, Faye Pepper, has also been placed on paid leave because of her close working relationship to Gasper. Joy Cooley is serving as the college’s president.
Pope Conference A Success
RALEIGH – Presentations by Richard Vedder and Mike Adams were among the highlights of the annual John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy Conference held Oct. 8 at the Hilton-Raleigh-Durham Hotel at Research Triangle Park.
This year’s conference was built around the theme of “Higher Education in America: Do Students and Taxpayers Get Their Money’s Worth?” A group of 12 speakers, including a panel of students, debated various topics in higher education today including the lack of core curriculum, taboo subjects, and what is actually taught in the classroom.
The High Cost and Low Productivity of Our Higher Education System: What it Means for America
I am honored by the invitation to speak to you today. The Pope Center is a very positive force in rethinking higher education in America. I am somewhat surprised, frankly, that I was invited to speak, since I am an economist, and economists suffer from two defects. First, they are deadly dull. It is usually more fun watching paint dry than listening to an economist. Indeed, it might even be preferable to have a hemorrhoid operation without an anesthetic from an unlicensed French physician to having to listen to an economist pontificate.
Pope Conference Saturday
RALEIGH – Space is still available for the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy’s annual conference to be held Saturday at the Hilton Hotel in the Research Triangle Park.
Author and economist Richard Vedder is the keynote speaker for this year’s event, titled “Higher Education in America: Do Students and Taxpayers Get Their Money’s Worth.”
Space is still available for those interested in attending. To resgister for the conference, contact Executive Director George Leef at georgeleef@popecenter.org. You may also register online.
“The cost of higher education continue to rise faster than the rate of inflation, but many observer think that quality delivered is going down just as fast,” Leef said. “This conference is designed to explore the important question of how much students and taxpayers are getting for all the money they pour into the quest for college degrees.”
Last year, Vedder’s book Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much examined the rising costs of going to college, how only a fraction of those costs goes toward instruction, and how many colleges are failing to educate their students. Vedder’s speech, entitled “The High Cost and Low Productivity of Our Colleges and Universities” will focus heavily on his research in the book.
Besides Vedder other guests and presenters include UNC-Wilmington professor Mike Adams, Indiana University professor Murray Sperber, Melana Zyla Vickers, and Gary Brasor among others.
Registration will begin Saturday at 8 a.m., with the first session beginning at 8:30 a.m. A luncheon will be held at noon.
UNC Gets Serious About Grade Inflation…Maybe
In the great majority of courses at UNC-Chapel Hill, the average gradepoint is above 3.0 and in a few, it is 4.0, meaning that every student received an A. The question is whether that is a problem.
Evidently, some people at the university believe that it is a problem because the Educational Policy Committee, a subcommittee of the Faculty Council is going to address the matter of grade inflation. Said Professor Peter Gordon, who chairs the committee, “We have begun to explore techniques that give an alternative to the traditional grade point average.”