University bureaucracies grew 15 percent during the recession, even as budgets were cut and tuition increased

BANGOR, Maine — Post-it notes stick to the few remaining photos hanging on the walls of the University of Maine System offices, in a grand brick, renovated onetime W.T. Grant department store built in 1948.The notes are instructions for the movers, since the pictures and everything else are in the midst of being packed up and divided among the system’s seven campuses.
Only 20 people work here now, down from a peak of 120, and the rest will soon be gone, too, following their colleagues and fanning out to the campuses. Disassembled cubicles and crates of documents are piled in the corners of the 36,000-square-foot space, and light shines from the doors of the few lonely offices still occupied. All of the agency’s three floors in the building, in a quiet part of town near a statue of Bangor native hero and Abraham Lincoln’s first-term vice president, Hannibal Hamlin, have been put up for sale.
It’s part of a little-noticed but surprising shift under way that suggests new resolve in some places to improve the efficiency and productivity of stubbornly labor-intensive higher education.
Surprising because statistics suggest the opposite is happening. The number of people employed by public university and college central system offices like this one — which critics complain often duplicate work already being done on the campuses they oversee, with scores of bureaucrats who have no direct role in teaching or research — has kept creeping up, even since the start of the economic downturn and in spite of steep budget cuts, flat enrollment and heightened scrutiny of administrative bloat.
Continue reading “University bureaucracies grew 15 percent during the recession, even as budgets were cut and tuition increased”

“Many of the purported academic benefits of sports — recruitment, prestige — have all proven to not be true. They don’t exist.”

University of California, Santa Cruz athletes at a drill. Some students want to roll back the fees they pay to support sports teams.



SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Andy Pinedo likes sports. He just doesn’t want to pay more so other people can play them.
As sophomore at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Pinedo voted “no” last year in a referendum about whether he was willing to hand over another $270 a year to support his school’s Division III teams, above the $1,221 in fees the campus charges now.

Read the rest at The Hechinger Report.


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Does performance funding increase college completion? No.

State Higher Education Performance Funding for Community Colleges: Diverse Effects and Policy Implications
by David A. Tandberg, Nicholas Hillman & Mohamed Barakat
Performance-based funding programs have become a popular state policy strategy for increasing college completions, among other things. This study asks, To what extent does the introduction of performance funding programs impact two-year degree completion among participating states? Using a difference-in-differences technique, we find that the program had no effect on average and mixed results for the individual states. We conclude that the policy is not a “silver bullet” for improving community college completions.from The College Puzzle http://stanford.io/2ak1pLN


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#Freebie and Character Interview: The Sweet Taste of Murder

>>>Pick up Top-100 Cozy Mystery The Sweet Taste of Murder FREE TODAY!<<<

The only thing worse than a used car salesman showing up on your doorstep is finding one dead.

Cover
After a scandalous divorce, Elise returns from the big city to her southern home town only to trip over the body of the town playboy. He leaves behind a heap of trouble that includes missing money, missing pets, and mourning lovers, and the suspects just keep piling up.
Caught in her own drama, Elise is quick to wash her hands of it, until her best friend, Lavina, winds up as the number one suspect.
Can Elise clear her friend’s name without ending up as the next one dead? Or are her friendship blinders keeping her from seeing the truth?


Today’s character guest is the protagonist of The Sweet Taste of Murder, Elise.

Q: Elise, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential to give us the inside story on The Sweet Taste of Murder. Which character is your favorite (besides yourself, of course)?  

A: Lavina is totally who I want to be. She’s been my best friend since grade school and has always been there for me. I love her confidence in trying new things and pushing herself past her limits. And she’s pretty fearless! The only thing I don’t like is she’s terrible at giving beauty advice. Just because she is a fashionista doesn’t mean we all are!

Q: Which character don’t you get along with so well?

A: Well, the killer of course! hehe

Q: Who plays you in the movie version?

A: I’d love Mila Kunis to play me!

Mila Kunis

Q: Tell us something about yourself that readers might not already know.

A: I actually wasn’t too much of a dog person before, or I didn’t know I was until I started the dog walking business.

Q: What do you really think of your author, CeeCee James?

A: She’s pretty good. Needs way too much coffee and chocolate to get going though. I like her running shoes.


About the author:

Author photo
CeeCee James is a wife, mom of four rambunctious kids and pet mom to two mini-dashchunds. She’s always loved to read and always had her nose in a book– getting her into trouble at school when she’d sneak it in her text books.Writing has been a life long passion. Her first works were published in middle school and she won several short story and poetry competitions through out her life. She loves writing about love, humanity’s struggles and the celebration of life. Sometimes there is beauty even in messy times. For her, writing is about taking time to savor those moments.

CeeCee’s blog 

CeeCee’s Amazon Author Page

CeeCee on Facebook

A perfect summer read! Get The Sweet Taste of Murder here


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Spotlight and #Giveaway: Bring Your Own Baker by D.E. Haggerty

>>>Enter to win a print copy of Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 1) <<< 
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Bring Your Own Baker
by D.E. Haggerty

BYOBCV

Bring Your Own Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 2)
Cozy Mystery
Self Published
Print Length: 166 pages
Publication Date: June 20, 2016
ASIN: B01FJVGWXI
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Synopsis

Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal, Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation of Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur, or will Callie’s detective boyfriend and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations?

Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker, because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.

Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue.

DENA
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.

 
Author Links:
Website: http://www.dehaggerty.com
Blog: http://www.dehaggerty.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dehaggerty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/denaehaggerty
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DEHaggerty/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/denahaggerty/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210211.D_E_Haggerty
 
Buy links:
Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and NobleKobo
 


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Kindle Press picks up the latest Professor Molly mystery, The Blessed Event

Exciting news: The Blessed Event has been selected via Kindle Scout to be published by Kindle Press.
“You might wonder what my least-favorite student was doing in my living room. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, Davison was now my stepson.”
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Professor Molly Barda is looking forward to a quiet summer in Mahina, Hawai`i working on her research and adjusting to married life. But when a visit from her new husband’s relatives coincides with a murder, Molly wonders what she’s married into–and realizes she might have a killer under her roof.


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You’ve seen the meme. Here are some actual college administrator titles



By now you’ve likely seen the viral “University Title Generator” meme that parodies the culture of academic bureaucracy by listing made-up administrative titles such as “deputy vice president of the committee on community climate,” “principal deputy dean of the committee on learning affairs,” and “temporary lead deputy chancellor of facilities compliance of the task force on alumni service.”
At least, we’re pretty sure they’re made up.
But these aren’t. These actual administrative job titles have appeared over the last few months in academic help-wanted listings.
The number of administrators at American universities and colleges has more than doubled in the last 25 years, vastly outpacing the increase in enrollment. Read here about the perks that go to university administrators nationwide, and here about a backlash against administrator benefits at Massachusetts public colleges and universities, and the legislative investigation that has resulted.
University officials say their administrative payrolls have grown in response to parent expectations and government regulations, among other reasons.
Here are some examples of the jobs they’re filling.
Assistant director of affinity group leadership (University of Denver)
Constituent relationship management program manager (University of Massachusetts, Boston)
Educational talent search academic advisor (Harris Stowe State University)
Early career readiness and student employment program coordinator (University of Arizona)
Coordinator of community standards (Governors State University)
Academic success consultant (Creighton Medical School)
Academic success coordinator for peer-led instruction (Framingham State University)
Senior associate director for student engagement (Eastern Kentucky University)
Student involvement coordinator (North Carolina State University)
Senior associate director of student engagement (Columbia University)
Manager of employee communication and engagement (Seminole State College)
Assistant director of admission student volunteers (University of Pennsylvania)
Associate director of student conduct and community standards (University of Tennessee at Knoxville)
Director of institutional effectiveness (Wabash College)
Customer relationship management coordinator (University of Cincinnati)

Student journals and competitions coordinator (University of Colorado)
Student philanthropy manager (University of California, Berkeley)
Associate director of young alumni engagement (Kenyon College)
Assistant director for athletic event and guest services (Miami University)
Senior user experience analyst (University of Maryland University College)
Vice president for planning, analytics, and decision support (New York Institute of Technology)
Director of campus relations (University of Maryland)
Office concierge (University of Maryland University College)
 
from The Hechinger Report http://bit.ly/1TTjwqC


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Were you taught these brain myths?

Here’s a quick quiz. Rate the following statements on a scale from one to five, with one meaning you totally disagree and five meaning you wholeheartedly agree:

  • Beginners and experts essentially think in the same way.
  • Most people are either left-brained or right-brained
  • Students learn more when information is tailored to their unique learning styles.

Cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists would resoundingly give all three of those claims a rating of one.
Did you bomb that test? Here’s a small piece of solace—many professional educators wouldn’t pass either. The Hechinger Report http://bit.ly/1TSPXIj
Read the rest


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Oh, you want to be an artist? Know what else starts with the letter "A"? (Accountant)

By Melissa Burns
Whether you are just starting out at college or are going to graduate this year, you should think carefully about what your future career is going to be. But probably not too carefully – we don’t live in the age of static jobs, so even if you make a wrong choice today, or made it some years before, it is never too late to change the course. Here is the list of careers that are going to be hot in the next decade – so keep an eye on them!

1.    Accountants/Auditors

It may not sound very exciting, but the fact is a fact – with the growing number of small businesses, self-employed people and entrepreneurship, the demand for professional accountants that can service a large number of independent businesses is going to grow as well. All these small firms and sole proprietors won’t be able to employ accountants and auditors full-time, and will need somebody to take care of their books and records.

2.    App Developers

Programming in general and app development in particular is a job of the future. This market has exploded in the course of the last few years, and ongoing research and development in such spheres as the Internet of Things, smart home systems, artificial intelligence and so on show that what we’ve seen so far is nothing but a tip of an iceberg. If you get a good education in this sphere, you will have no trouble finding a job with any firm from the list of the top iPhone development companies.

3.    Registered Nurses

The world’s population is getting older – the percentage of senior citizens, especially in developed countries, is growing steadily, and is going to noticeably change the world economy sooner than one may expect. All this aging population is going to need somebody to take care of them, and the number of registered nurses capable of doing so is already somewhat insufficient, which is reflected in rapidly growing demand for their services.

4.    Medical Specialists and Surgeons

Nursing is not the only sector of healthcare that is going to grow. High-end specialist physicians, and especially surgeons, are among the highest-paid jobs today, and this tendency isn’t going to alter any time soon. Their median pay is already very high and is only going to get higher – however, the level of education necessary to land such a job is not easily attainable as well. Not to mention that it requires a considerable initial investment.

5.    Veterinarians

Veterinarians do much more than simply treat dogs, cats and other domestic animals (although it is no small feat in its own right). They also inspect livestock, protect public health, keep our food supply from contamination and disease and in general have a far greater impact on our everyday life than one may think. In recent years, scientific advancements in veterinary medicine have created many new jobs, and their number is only going to expand in the years to come.
Of course, having a degree in one of these spheres doesn’t guarantee total job security, but it certainly is going to be higher than in most other areas.
Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University in 2008. Nowadays she  is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Her sphere of interests includes startups, information technologies and how these ones may be implemented.
      
– See more at: http://stanford.io/1MaShdK
from The College Puzzle http://stanford.io/1RQMWVz
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New software gizmo will tell you what your skills are, match you with the perfect job

New software gizmo will tell you what your skills are, match you with the perfect job

Texas State Technical College, spurred by the fact that one third of its state funding is now tied to its graduates’ starting salaries, has eliminated all majors except petroleum engineering developed software that matches graduates’ skills with job requirements. But why should Texas State Technical College students have all the fun? Anyone can try out the Skills Engine here.

I fed three academic CVs into the Skills Engine. Do academics actually have any transferable skills? See the results over at College Misery.


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