Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Interested in Learning About Your University?
Have you ever heard of the compliment sandwich? It's when you take criticism and sandwich it nicely between a complement and a jovial approach to fixing the problem. Since Kean took down some of the documents we've linked to in other posts, here's what I'm going to term the Kean Compliment Sandwich Document.
Here's some of the meat—their words, not mine. Let's call it the TBK Top-10:
Here's some of the meat—their words, not mine. Let's call it the TBK Top-10:
1: The allocation of resources is not linked to formal planning and assessment processes
2: Debt per student is $35,645, about 2.8 times the median for A3 rated institutions
3: The University functions without a University-wide assessment plan
4: There are significant problems in the dissemination of information from the administration, President, and Vice Presidents to faculty and staff
5: The administration has usurped the role of the faculty in academic program maintenance
6: Lack in diversity of executive staff
7: No formal written criteria for tenure or promotion and apparently arbitrary processes as a result
8: The Office of Financial Aid does not recognize its role in increasing the graduation rates of students
9: The burdens placed on faculty that impede their professional development have become unsustainable even though increased teaching loads have been met by substantially increasing the adjunct/faculty ratio during the past five years
10: Advisement practices do not provide students the guidance they desire either about degree completion or career development: Too often students unknowingly complete courses out of sequence due to lack of explanation and knowledge
(Read the Report Here)
(Read the Report Here)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Coming Soon: Kean might be trying to keep Student Org under-the-covers...
Why do we say this? Certainly SO has a prominent face on campus, but reference to it is lacking as far as reports to the Middle States Board of Accreditation are concerned. In fact, the Organization is not mentioned at all in the Self-Study Report that we've been telling you about for the past few months!
We think the reason has something to do with a little known plan to further reduce our student government. SO already lost its independence from the Administration but, if this happens the way it looks like its going to, SO will be little more than a funded group like, say, Crusaders for Christ, or the Asian Culture Club.
We think the school purposefully neglected to mention Student Org so that, once the next step of the transition is complete, it won't stand out as an issue in discussions pertaining to the renewal of Kean's accreditation.
Also, here's some food for thought: A week or so ago we told you that our fees, in total, have increased 148.9%. Well, as it turns out, our Student Activities Fee (the fee that contributes to funding Student Org and, through them, Student Groups) has remained constant at $63.75 since 2001. That means that it is one of the smallest fees we pay each semester. What does that say about how Kean views its Students?
More to come soon...
We think the reason has something to do with a little known plan to further reduce our student government. SO already lost its independence from the Administration but, if this happens the way it looks like its going to, SO will be little more than a funded group like, say, Crusaders for Christ, or the Asian Culture Club.
We think the school purposefully neglected to mention Student Org so that, once the next step of the transition is complete, it won't stand out as an issue in discussions pertaining to the renewal of Kean's accreditation.
Also, here's some food for thought: A week or so ago we told you that our fees, in total, have increased 148.9%. Well, as it turns out, our Student Activities Fee (the fee that contributes to funding Student Org and, through them, Student Groups) has remained constant at $63.75 since 2001. That means that it is one of the smallest fees we pay each semester. What does that say about how Kean views its Students?
More to come soon...
Historic Summit Brings Together Student Leaders From Nine Public Universities; New Organization Formed to Represent New Jersey College Students
New Brunswick, NJ – On Feb 5 at the Rutgers University campus, student leaders from nine of New Jersey’s public universities met and formed New Jersey United Students (NJUS). The new organization developed a mission statement and a vision for addressing funding cuts and tuition hikes in the public university system.
The NJUS mission statement reads, “We the students of NJ higher education institutions gather to form NJUS with the purpose of advocating, representing and educating all past, present, and future students of New Jersey colleges and universities.”
NJUS will work to promote the importance of higher education among all populations in the state and avert further decreases in public funding that will be detrimental to future generations.
“The state of higher education is in crisis right now. With more state money being allocated to incarceration than education, many opportunities for the State of New Jersey are being lost,” said John Aspray, a Rutgers University student who helped bring the coalition together.
Members also launched a campaign to promote awareness among school administrators, students, and legislators leading up to a statewide Day of Action on April 13 at universities across the state. The Day of Action will demonstrate to elected officials that students are not apathetic towards decreases in higher education funding and that they desire and deserve a stronger voice in Trenton.
In preparation for the April 13 Day of Action, NJUS will work to foster solidarity amongst student populations on the issue of higher education funding. Students will get involved directly by attending and testifying at the New Jersey state budget hearings in March.
Representatives from New Jersey City University, Ramapo College, Rowan University, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Rutgers-Newark, The College of New Jersey, William Paterson University, Kean University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology were on hand for the formation of the coalition. NJUS intends to include the state’s other public universities in the immediate future.
(Courtesy of NJUS)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Ticked off by Time Sheets: The Star Ledger takes interest in Kean
Hey everybody,
Check out this article that the Star Ledger ran this past Sunday: Ticked off by Time Sheets.
Also, information is available here: NJ Newsroom, Inside Higher Education, The Chronicle
It's about the new rule the Administration has imposed upon professors—they must now fill out a time sheet to track the hours that they work each week. Having talked to professors about the new rule, I can tell you that, as a whole, they feel demeaned by it.
Professors work incredibly hard to prepare us for the real world, whether we plan to enter it as teachers, scientists, mathematicians, journalists, or what-have-you. Their goal is to share with us the enormous amount of experience and knowledge they have accrued from their time spent in the field and as it turns out, most of them put in more than 50 hours each week. A good teacher does not leave his work in the classroom—rather, it follows him around wherever he goes. Preparing for class, writing up assignments and exams, examining texts, and grading students' work are all tasks that get done off the books, so to speak.
If the University thinks our instructors are not putting in enough time, then it is not just an insult to them, but also to us as students: it means that they believe we are not getting the education that we deserve. Furthermore, that the school has decided to require teachers to fill timesheets rather than judge performance based on how we feel about our instructors (remember those surveys we fill out every semester before finals week?), is an insult to our intelligence.
We are the consumer, and we should make the judgement. I know that my teachers, regardless of whether they put in 80 hours a week or 25, are educating me well. How do you feel about yours?
If you have any thoughts or comments, email the author, Kelly Heyboer, at kheyboer@starledger.com.
Check out this article that the Star Ledger ran this past Sunday: Ticked off by Time Sheets.
Also, information is available here: NJ Newsroom, Inside Higher Education, The Chronicle
It's about the new rule the Administration has imposed upon professors—they must now fill out a time sheet to track the hours that they work each week. Having talked to professors about the new rule, I can tell you that, as a whole, they feel demeaned by it.
Professors work incredibly hard to prepare us for the real world, whether we plan to enter it as teachers, scientists, mathematicians, journalists, or what-have-you. Their goal is to share with us the enormous amount of experience and knowledge they have accrued from their time spent in the field and as it turns out, most of them put in more than 50 hours each week. A good teacher does not leave his work in the classroom—rather, it follows him around wherever he goes. Preparing for class, writing up assignments and exams, examining texts, and grading students' work are all tasks that get done off the books, so to speak.
If the University thinks our instructors are not putting in enough time, then it is not just an insult to them, but also to us as students: it means that they believe we are not getting the education that we deserve. Furthermore, that the school has decided to require teachers to fill timesheets rather than judge performance based on how we feel about our instructors (remember those surveys we fill out every semester before finals week?), is an insult to our intelligence.
We are the consumer, and we should make the judgement. I know that my teachers, regardless of whether they put in 80 hours a week or 25, are educating me well. How do you feel about yours?
If you have any thoughts or comments, email the author, Kelly Heyboer, at kheyboer@starledger.com.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Student Non-Tuition Fees Increase 148% since Fall 2001!
We've brought up before the fact that Kean adds on fees like Capital Debt Service and Maintenance to our tuition bill, and that they often pay for things that we, as students, don't feel acutely responsible for. We did not cause the school to overspend by millions each year we've attended, and the debt seems disproportionate—at least to the TBK crew—to the amount of improvements we've seen on campus. Sure, we've got the STEM building and the Library addition, but what about the renovations to Hutchinson? Is there really a need for it? Will it be worth what we're paying? The faculty who are being displaced by the overhaul don't think their offices need improvement, and no one I've come across so far thinks the classrooms need more than whiteboards and Credenzas.
In other news, Kean has recently decided to privatize maintenance services. This means that they'll be turning to private contractors rather than posting bids in an open market, and we think it's an interesting coincidence that this is happening at the start of a new round of unnecessary renovation. The idea is that this switch-over will reduce costs for Kean, but the rumor is circulating that someone higher-up is getting kick-backs. Granted, these are just rumors—but we're good at doing research, and we'll get back to you if we find anything.
Last but not least: Here's what we got your attention with in the beginning of this post, and what becomes most relevant now: The way the University pays for all this renovation (aside from, of course, racking up debt):
In-State Undergraduates
total cost increase since 2001: 91.67%
total tuition increase since 2001: 70.96%
total fee increase since 2001: 148.9%
In other news, Kean has recently decided to privatize maintenance services. This means that they'll be turning to private contractors rather than posting bids in an open market, and we think it's an interesting coincidence that this is happening at the start of a new round of unnecessary renovation. The idea is that this switch-over will reduce costs for Kean, but the rumor is circulating that someone higher-up is getting kick-backs. Granted, these are just rumors—but we're good at doing research, and we'll get back to you if we find anything.
Last but not least: Here's what we got your attention with in the beginning of this post, and what becomes most relevant now: The way the University pays for all this renovation (aside from, of course, racking up debt):
In-State Undergraduates
total cost increase since 2001: 91.67%
total tuition increase since 2001: 70.96%
total fee increase since 2001: 148.9%
Out-Of-State Undergraduates
total cost increase since 2001: 118.8%
total tuition increase since 2001: 111.6%
total fee increase since 2001: 148.9%
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
This is just funny:
Have you ever seen President Farahi's Rate My Professor page? It explains why he had such difficulty getting tenure.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
We didn't believe this when we saw it!
Kean has placed the Middle States Accreditation Reports up in plain view on the Kean website! Disclosure of this document is a huge step towards informing the student body of the current situation... Of course, someone still has to tell all of you that it's available—and that someone is us.
Remember—Middle States is the organization that gives Kean 'license to teach' so to speak. If Middle States Accreditation is lost, all of us are out on our rear ends in the snow.
Everybody should check this out... it's your future after all:
Middle States Self-Study Report: This is a report written by Kean Administrators concerning the University's battle to retain accreditation. We've done an article or so about it, and now you can read it too--honestly, you will be very surprised by some of the things written in there.
Middle-States Periodic Review: This is an overview of the major changes that have taken place at Kean in the last ten years—the last two sections, IV (Summary of Major Changes and Developments) and V (Planned Initiatives), are of the greatest interest.
Remember—Middle States is the organization that gives Kean 'license to teach' so to speak. If Middle States Accreditation is lost, all of us are out on our rear ends in the snow.
Everybody should check this out... it's your future after all:
Middle States Self-Study Report: This is a report written by Kean Administrators concerning the University's battle to retain accreditation. We've done an article or so about it, and now you can read it too--honestly, you will be very surprised by some of the things written in there.
Middle-States Periodic Review: This is an overview of the major changes that have taken place at Kean in the last ten years—the last two sections, IV (Summary of Major Changes and Developments) and V (Planned Initiatives), are of the greatest interest.
Some People Have Asked Us What The Purpose Of This Blog Is...
Here's a story that might help explain just that:
Two years ago, a student (let's call him David, because he has asked to remain anonymous) transferred to Kean with the intention of majoring in Social Work. He made the switch from Raritan Valley Community College to Kean in 2008 after recieving his Associates Degree in Human Services, primarily because Kean offered him an affordable and well-regarded program.
David could have moved on to Rutgers, or a variety of other State Schools that offered better student-to-faculty ratios and a better overall reputation, but instead chose Kean because he wanted to help people. Social Work is, after all, a degree centered around helping those who are less fortunate, those who fight the uphill battle towards financial security in hopes of realizing that elusive American Dream.
Where else, other than Kean University, would a New Jersey resident go for a Social Work Degree? Ramapo College, Monmouth College, Centenary College, Seton Hall, and Richard Stockton College all offer the BSW Degree, but none of them has Kean's incredible diversity. Furthermore, part of Kean's mission is to provide Education to those who are backed up against economic barriers. So where else, really, should a student who plans to make his living by helping those who face such economic barriers go? In Dave's opinion, nowhere.
Unfortunately, once Dave was accepted to Kean and attended the transfer-student registration session, he was told by his faculty advisor to avoid pursuing the BSW because the department was in shambles and on its way out.
Because he already had one foot in the door, Dave did build a schedule that day and has continued at Kean as a Sociology Major. He still intends to help people, and may eventually find his way into a Social Work position once he graduates, but the tools he had hoped would help him achieve his goals vanished out from under him.
What surprises me the most about the whole situation is this: Why would a school, especially one that focuses so predominantly on helping those in need, abandon a well-regarded Major designed to breed undergrads who would do just that? Moreover, why would a school that plans on eliminating a field of study in such a way plan to do so without informing incoming and transfer students who expect to earn degrees?
The answer, at least in part, resides in the Middle States Report: Two words, 'Fiscal,' and 'Crisis.'
Two years ago, a student (let's call him David, because he has asked to remain anonymous) transferred to Kean with the intention of majoring in Social Work. He made the switch from Raritan Valley Community College to Kean in 2008 after recieving his Associates Degree in Human Services, primarily because Kean offered him an affordable and well-regarded program.
David could have moved on to Rutgers, or a variety of other State Schools that offered better student-to-faculty ratios and a better overall reputation, but instead chose Kean because he wanted to help people. Social Work is, after all, a degree centered around helping those who are less fortunate, those who fight the uphill battle towards financial security in hopes of realizing that elusive American Dream.
Where else, other than Kean University, would a New Jersey resident go for a Social Work Degree? Ramapo College, Monmouth College, Centenary College, Seton Hall, and Richard Stockton College all offer the BSW Degree, but none of them has Kean's incredible diversity. Furthermore, part of Kean's mission is to provide Education to those who are backed up against economic barriers. So where else, really, should a student who plans to make his living by helping those who face such economic barriers go? In Dave's opinion, nowhere.
Unfortunately, once Dave was accepted to Kean and attended the transfer-student registration session, he was told by his faculty advisor to avoid pursuing the BSW because the department was in shambles and on its way out.
Because he already had one foot in the door, Dave did build a schedule that day and has continued at Kean as a Sociology Major. He still intends to help people, and may eventually find his way into a Social Work position once he graduates, but the tools he had hoped would help him achieve his goals vanished out from under him.
What surprises me the most about the whole situation is this: Why would a school, especially one that focuses so predominantly on helping those in need, abandon a well-regarded Major designed to breed undergrads who would do just that? Moreover, why would a school that plans on eliminating a field of study in such a way plan to do so without informing incoming and transfer students who expect to earn degrees?
The answer, at least in part, resides in the Middle States Report: Two words, 'Fiscal,' and 'Crisis.'
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