Yale University has been fined $165,000 by the Department of Education for failing to report sexual assaults that occur on campus, according to a Business Insider report.

Yale allegedly did not report four “forcible sex offenses” in 2001 and 2002. Additionally, the school did not explain its policies for alerting students about crimes that occur on campus.

The Clery Act mandates that any school where students get federal financial aid must report crimes on campus yearly.

The DOE investigation into Yale was prompted by a 2004 piece by a law school graduate in the alumni magazine.

The writer, Emily Bazelon, recounted an incident in 2001 when a female Yale sophomore was pinned down by a male junior in a dorm room. The sophomore said “stop” and “don’t do this” while he masturbated on her. Yale’s “sexual harassment grievance board” confronted the junior after she reported the assault, and the junior confessed, but the school never included it in its Clery report.

Bazelon pointed out that this lack of reporting could be responsible for Yale’s low number of sex offenses relative to other Ivy League schools. Yale reported five sex offenses between 2000 and 2002. In the same period, Harvard reported 80 and Princeton reported 29.

In 2001, Yale reported 20 sex offenses.

In response to the $165,000 DOE fine, Yale told the New Haven Register that the school “fully supports the Department of Education’s mandate under the Clery Act and believes that student safety is of paramount importance.”

But they added that because the violations happened several years ago, the “imposition of maximum fines is not warranted.”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A program that delivered popular children’s books to 20,000 children in low-income neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs was abruptly ceased last fall, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The program was a partnership between the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and the city Department of Education to boost literacy rates in low-income households with children up to the age of five.

It apparently took months for confused parents to be notified, and then only by email from the Dollywood Foundation on April 22, despite parents recounting several phone calls to the Department of Education that went unanswered.

Bronx mother Melissa Kim said she and her 18-month-old daughter, Lauren, were perplexed and disappointed by the sudden cut-off.

“We had read the books together every night,” Kim said. “Even if she couldn’t read them, she loved looking at them.”

According to the Dollywood Foundation, the city paid $2 per book. City officials reportedly told the Journal that the project was initially funded by a $750,000 grant from the state Department of Education.

A spokesperson for the city Department of Education reportedly said it was a pilot program to be handed over to a nonprofit organization “considering the unpredictability of state funding and in order to make the program sustainable for the long term.”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Yvonne Hoyt lost toes in her left foot to amputation because of her diabetes.

She was unable to work, but still pursued her dream of getting her GED. Decades earlier, she had left school in ninth grade.

“When diabetes forced me to quit my job and left me partially sighted, I knew that I had no more excuses,” said Hoyt, 63, at the Literacy Partners Gala on May 1. “Now I am determined to succeed, and I recommend anyone thinking about returning to school to go for it.”

The Bronx resident left school in ninth grade to become a nurse’s aid.

Despite losing sight in her left eye and having the toes of her left foot amputated, Hoyt enrolled in classes with the nonprofit Literacy Partners in 2009.

She now attends pre-GED classes four days a week with the hope of entering college and becoming a social worker for diabetics.

“Yvonne’s persistence and dedication to her studies, in spite of the challenges she faces with her health, are an absolute inspiration,” Sarajane Blair of Literary Partners said.

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New York City public school principals were notified by Department of Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott in a weekly online message that starting next school year, all schools will be required to conduct two yearly soft lockdown drills.

The program, projected for the 2013-2014 school year, is part of the DOE’s work on emergency readiness, said DOE spokeswoman Marge Feinberg.

Feinberg said many schools have already been conducting such drills.

The program Walcott announced will also involve training for school officials.

“To ensure that all principals are trained to appropriately implement these drills and procedures as well as effectively respond to emergencies, the Office of Safety and Youth Development is providing a two-hour mandatory training focused on emergency readiness during this summer,” Feinberg reported.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Parents and teachers at schools in Dyker Heights are apparently fearful for their children’s safety around local motorists, according to a report from Brooklyn Daily.

Vincent D. Grippo Elementary School principal Jayne Marie Capatenakis recounted an incident several years ago that resulted in a student losing a foot after being struck by a car at 65th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.

And Grippo at least has a crossing guard at Ninth Avenue: as a middle school, nearby Christa Mcauliffe  Intermediate School on 65th Street between 10th and 11th avenues is ineligible for crossing guards.

Christa Mcauliffe assistant principal Bill Nicoll said that cars have struck two students in the past year and a half alone, though both survived.

“You’ll have people who can tell we’re having a fire drill, and they’re beeping the horn at us, yelling, ‘Hey, get out of the way’,” Nicoll said.

Fire drills are also problematic for Grippo, according to Capatenakis, where people often try to pull sudden U-turns.

Since they can’t get crossing guards, Nicoll reportedly asked the Department of Transportation for “No U-Turn” signs, speedbumps, flashing lights, and a four-way stop near the school to try to slow reckless drivers.

“What we get is they’re ‘doing studies,’” Nicoll said. “A study does me no good.”

“I know we don’t want to disrupt the flow of traffic, but I think that’s a small price to pay for saving a kid’s life someday,” he added.

A Department of Transportation spokesperson reportedly told Brooklyn Daily that the DOT is looking into options like repainting the lanes and creating left turn bays along the roadway between Ninth and 13th avenues.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Some city parents are having their children boycott state tests this week, saying state requirements for testing are stressing out their kids.

Parents met at the Bloomingdale Family Program yesterday to say they will refuse to allow their kids to be tested.

Standardized testing for this year started in city schools today.

Parents from 33 schools have told teachers they will not allow their kids to take the tests.

One parent called the testing “child abuse.”

“Why put our children through this exercise? This is surely education malpractice. You can also call it child abuse,” Marco Battistella said. “We have an obligation to protect our children.”

Another parent said her sixth grader complains about the test prep.

“He doesn’t want to go to school anymore,” Evelyn Cruz said.

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Last Monday, an unidentified 10th-grade English teacher at Albany High School assigned her students a “persuasive writing” exercise telling them to pretend their teacher was a Nazi, the New York Times reported.

The students were reportedly told to use historical propaganda and a traditional high school essay structure — “five paragraphs long, with an introduction, three body paragraphs containing your strongest arguments, and a conclusion” — to argue that Jews were “the source of our problems.”

“You do not have a choice in your position,” the instructions reportedly read. “You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!”

The Albany schools superintendent, Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard, reportedly met with Jewish leaders in Albany and apologized, insisting, “that’s not the assignment that any school district, and certainly not mine, is going to tolerate.”

“Obviously, we have a severe lack of judgement and a horrible level of insensitivity,” she said.

But she added, “No one here believes that malice was the intent.”

According to Vanden Wyngaard, the assignment was meant to connect with a history lesson on the Holocaust. The Times noted that this echoed an earlier incident in a Manhattan elementary school, where math problems featuring the whipping and killing of slaves were assigned, reportedly in an effort to tie in a social studies lesson.

The instructions indeed said to use “what you’ve learned in history class,” as well as “any experiences you have.”

The assignment was given on Monday, which was Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The teacher was reportedly not in class on Friday and is facing disciplinary action that could include termination.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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In a high-tech global economy, few people dispute the need for Americans to excel in fields that will help them compete in the world market. In “STEM the Tide: Reforming Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education in America,” Claremont graduate professor of education Dr. David E. Drew tells us why the U.S. underperforms in these critical areas and suggests ways to get back on track.

Why does America perform poorly in STEM education?
The main reason is that we don’t support or respect our teachers as much as other countries do. In countries that out-perform ours, being a teacher is a higher-status job. They have much more professional development, and they’re paid more. Fifty years ago, our underperformance didn’t matter that much. Now, we have a high-tech information economy, so you need different kinds of skills. You’re competing not only against the person from the next town, but with people around the world.

What are our strengths?
Ironically, even though we have a weak K-12 system, we have one of the strongest higher education systems in the world. In the U.S., we believe in giving people second and third chances. Many countries have rigid structures where you take a test before you’re 18 and they tell you what you’ll be doing when you’re 45. Our system is more consistent with human nature.

How can we change the way we think about STEM achievement?
Other countries teach these subjects to everybody, and they succeed. Let me give you a metaphor: Every parent looks forward to the day their newborn will one day learn language. It is a complex cognitive task, but every person in our society does it. That’s how we should be looking at STEM education.

How will liberal arts education fit into the new economy?
I think it’s vital. We must have a cultural context, a historical context and a philosophical context in which we apply technology.  There have been too many instances of masterful technological achievements that have wrought havoc on society. We’ve got to be able to merge values with technologies.

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The Panel for Educational Policy voted on Monday night to approve the closing of 22 city schools, The New York Times reports.

Twenty schools in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan will be phased out over the next few years. Two schools–M.S. 45 in Manhattan and Freedom Academy High School in Brooklyn–will be shut down this June, instead of being phased out. 

The panel, which consists of five members appointed by the borough presidents and eight members appointed by the mayor, rejected a proposal to stop the school closings. The proposal would have also placed a moratorium on the issue, which some of the mayoral candidates have rallied for.

The schools were selected for closure based on low-performance ratings.

“The goal is to have more quality choices for our students and we cannot just sit on our hands and allow poor performing schools to just exist for the emotional sake,” Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott told reporters on Monday.

Devon Puglia at the Department of Education told Metro, “Our policy is working.”

“Across the city, new schools are delivering resounding results, graduating students at roughly 20 points high than the schools they replaced,” Puglia said. “Families deserve great schools — and we’re delivering.”

According to Puglia, in 2006, all of the high schools that were phased out had a graduation rate of 38 percent. In 2011, all new high schools had a graduation rate of 70 percent, he said.

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We asked chefs for their take on the chicken vs. egg question at the annual benefit for the Careers through Culinary Arts Program, which funds scholarships for students who aspire to be in the kitchen.

SCHOOL FIRST

“If you have experience before you go to school, I think it gives you an edge on learning so you can absorb things that you may be familiar with but not quite confident in. Start with school, get the tools you need and remember that the on-the-job training is really how you learn what the industry is all about.” Michael Lomonaco, Porter House New York

“It’s important to go to school. Actually, if you can combine both, like working during a school break, it’s even better. School is supposed to teach you the basics. The chef [will] teach you to connect what you learn. Nowadays I think it’s important to study first, then go.” Matteo Bergamini, SD26

“I recommend culinary school first. It gets you prepared in the sense of seeing the reality of what you’re going into. It also helps you understand a lot of culinary terms that we use.” Yuhi Fujinaga, The Sea Grill

RESTAURANT FIRST

“I think it’s great to go into a restaurant to make sure it’s actually something you want to do. Culinary school’s a pretty big investment in time and money.” Marc Murphy, Landmarc

“Work in a restaurant. It’s about whether you like it or not. If you don’t love it, you’ll never make it. You have to live it, eat it and breathe it. And when you go to school, you learn things, and you learn a lot, but you need to see whether you’re suited for it. And you can’t tell until you get out there and work in the field.” Sarabeth Levine, Sarabeth’s

“Working at a restaurant gives you all the tools to learn before you get [out] there. I worked in a restaurant first, and the moment I got to culinary school I felt like I had the biggest head-start in the world.” Kelvin Fernandez, The Strand, American Bistro

Q&A: Do you even need to go to culinary school? 
“I went to culinary school and I dropped out. … I’d say like 80 percent of my cooks are dropouts or they didn’t go to school at all. Thomas Keller did not go school.” Kyung Up Lim, Michael’s
“You don’t need to go, but I do think for some people it is worth it. It depends on the person. I personally didn’t go to culinary school.” Sam Yoo, Torrisi Italian Specialties

“I would say no. It’s all about if you can do 80 hours a week and do 12 hours a day and get burned every day — that’s when you know you want it. It’s not necessarily you go to school, you learn it and you come out and be a chef — and that’s what a lot of the schools make it out to be. There’s a lot of really hard work before that happens.” Joseph Fortunato, Extra
Virgin

“No, by no means. I’ve wasted a lot of money just going to school and then [realizing] it’s not what it’s like on the Food Network.” Chris Wyman, Scarpetta

‘It depends on the person’

“Culinary school gives you the knowledge — even how to hold a knife, which is very good. But also, [at a] restaurant, if you have a very good chef, like a teacher, [it’s almost like how] the culinary school teaches you.” Maria Loi, Loi
“I think it depends on the person. I did not go to culinary school, but I know some very good cooks that did and I really think it depends on how you learn. I just went to a restaurant and asked if I could work for free, and that’s how I learned.” Sam Henderson, wd-50

“I think culinary school gives you a great basis to learn the things that you really need to know to get started, but there’s nothing really like restaurant experience. Working in a restaurant is definitely going to enhance your skill level. But culinary school is a great basis and I would never not recommend going to culinary school if you have the opportunity.” Sean Quinn, Chadwick’s

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Major New York state and city programs will take an immediate hit of $3.4 million in funding from nationwide budget cuts, starting on Friday, Mar. 1, according to numbers released by the White House. And that’s only the beginning of a series of cuts over nine months that will affect everything from childcare programs to senior citizens to public housing and Superstorm Sandy aid. The cuts come as part of the so-called sequester, an automatic $85 trillion reduction in national spending cuts, that goes into affect today, in an effort to reduce the federal deficit. The sequester is part of a compromise passed by Congress when they raised the debt ceiling in 2011. As part of that agreement, if the government failed to cut $1.2 trillion from the national debt, then automatic spending cuts, called the sequester, would go into affect.
“Financially it will not be as impactful on the state government as it would be on individuals because it’s more assistance that goes to individuals,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The state’s own financial plan for dealing with the sequester estimates that New York could lose up to five billion in Federal funds over the next nine years if the national budget cuts are enacted.
The sequester would cut $42.7 million from primary and secondary education in New York for the next school year. About 590 teachers and aides would lose their jobs and 120 schools would lose funding, affecting 70,000 students, according to White House numbers. Special education would also lose $36.3 million. New York City schools have already lost $240 million in January after failing to meet a deadline on finalizing the new teacher evaluation system.
The cuts would also affect childcare and vaccines for children in New York, leaving up to 2,300 children without care and 7,170 unvaccinated for common diseases such as measles and Hepatitis B. Roughly 4,300 low-income children would be removed from Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which provide educational support to children under five years old.
Government-provided meals for senior citizens would also see $1,447,000 in cuts.
College funding programs for low-income students would be cut by 5.1 percent, as would research funding from national organizations, Chancellor Matthew Goldstein of The City University of New York said in a statement.
In addition, up to 100,000 workers in the state could lose their jobs due to the sequester, a new study by Stephen Fuller from George Mason University estimated.
Sequestration would also cause a $375 million cut from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief budget, which could affect Sandy recovery efforts.
With $1.94 billion cut from public housing support, the New York City Housing Authority reported that sequestration could lead to a 9 percent loss of funding and a $110 deficit, reducing services by 20 percent.

Education cuts

The sequester would cut $42.7 million from primary and secondary education in New York. About 590 teachers and aides would lose their jobs and 120 schools would lose funding. Special education would also lose $36.3 million, according to White House numbers. Special education would also lose $36.3 million.

Meals for senior citizens

Government-provided meals for senior citizens would see $1,447,000 in cuts in New York.

Job cuts

Up to 100,000 workers in the state could lose their jobs due to the sequester, a study from George Mason University estimated.

Public housing cuts

The New York City Housing Authority reported that sequestration could lead to a 9 percent loss of funding and a $110 deficit, reducing services by 20 percent.

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When academics generate data on race in higher education, they often include an asterisk next to the Native American category. That little mark lets researchers know the population is “statistically not significant,” usually meaning roughly less than 1 percent of the student population.
In March, Stylus Publishing will release what is perhaps the most comprehensive collection of writing by Native American scholars to date: “Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education.” With contributions from more than a dozen leading Native Americans in higher education, the new book examines the Native American college experience from almost every angle — from the first-year experience, to tribal colleges, to Native American Greek organizations and culturally sensitive housing.
“One of the things that constantly came up [for the Native American academics] was this concept of invisibility: in scholarship, research, data, curriculum and on the campuses,” says Heather J. Shotton, the lead editor of the book. Shotton is a professor at Oklahoma University and a member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. “For us, the idea was to offer some perspective on Native students, from Native professors.”
Shotton is quick to point out that the Native experience is different from other minority groups.
“I think what separates Native students is that Native people are not just a racial or ethnic group. We are also considered a political group,” she says. “We are citizens of sovereign nations — tribal nations, but also citizens of the United States.”

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As a coach and trainer for creative professionals, Dave Mowers says when starting out in graduate study, “You’ll be surrounded by opportunity, new and fascinating people, lofty ideas, incredible demands and intense feedback and attention.” Can you make it pay off? Mowers lays out what to know before committing the time and money.

Why should we think about grad school right now?
There are signs of economic recovery. We have many industries, and advanced training and education are key to the innovation movements across the board.

Are there common mistakes people make when deciding to apply or choosing a school?
The No. 1 mistake is the assumption that any specific program will change your life and solve financial problems. People’s second mistake is taking an initial rejection as a stopper. But the biggest mistake is taking on the cost without a realistic plan for managing finances after the program is complete.

Is enrolling in continuing studies classes a good alternative to immersing yourself in grad school full time?
Continuing studies programs offer an amazing route to achieving your career goals. Programs like this are staffed by professionals working in the field. Most of them participate because they are interested in cutting-edge development, staying current with thought leadership in their industry and sharing a passion for their discipline or work.
What to remember when taking the next steps: Research is free. Spend time online with schools that interest you, but also visit open houses. Learning about a school is the first step to learning from the school.

Applying is not committing. Applications aren’t cheap, but they’re a small investment compared to the cost of attending a school. Find out what you need to succeed and take it from there. You don’t have to accept.

Keep an open mind. Sure, there is always a program ranked No. 1, but there are also other schools that may offer you better options for placement upon graduation.

Ask for it. Graduate schools are competing for your business. Make sure you are meeting face-to-face with a committed team of people who will help you get the experience you want.

What happens after?  Business is still business when you finish, and it comes down to who you know. Graduate school should provide you with a network that will move you toward your professional goal.

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George Saunders, creative writing professor at Syracuse University and author of “Tenth of December”

These days George Saunders’ talents are more in-demand than perhaps any other American writer: His latest collection of short stories, “Tenth of December,” recently appeared on the cover of the New York Times Magazine with the headline, “George Saunders Has Written the Best Book You’ll Read This Year.” Heady times. But back in the ’80s, Saunders found himself out of work with an MFA in creative writing — and looking straight into a pile of looming debt. These days he teaches at Syracuse University — in the very same MFA program he once attended. And, over the years, he has developed more than a few insights into the true value of post-graduate education.

Do your students ever struggle with perceptions that an MFA in creative writing isn’t practical? Did you struggle with this when you were a student?
Some of them do, sure. One of the most satisfying things is when a family that has been skeptical comes to our third-year graduation event, hears their child read from his or her work and is converted. Personally, I never felt that way, no. When I got into the Syracuse program I was working as a groundsman, so being in an MFA program was a big step up.

Do you feel that national conversations about higher education are too focused on job preparation?
It seems to me that it is, yes — although maybe that’s not surprising, given the scary job market and the tricky and shameful way that a student loan has basically morphed from a high-minded government program designed to provide civic benefit, into, well, a credit card [with] high-interest rates and merciless payback conditions.  Students now are so weighed down with this debt — which seems to me is a kind of welfare program that benefits the banks and the colleges but not the student — that there is, of course, pressure on them to start paying it back… and not go loafing around the desert with a backpack and a copy of “On the Road.”

Is there value in a creative writing MFA beyond becoming a better writer?
Well, I’d argue that the task of working through pieces of fiction or poems helps us become not only better writers, but better people. Writing somehow tends to move us from a position of one-dimensional certainty about a topic to a more ambiguous or even confused state — and that is mind-enlarging. On a more pragmatic level, I think the MFA degree has made it easier for our grads to get teaching jobs. This didn’t used to be true, but increasingly it seems so.

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The Department of Education wants to sell two schools on the Upper West Side to developers, to be demolished and replaced with high-rise apartment buildings, DNAinfo reports.

The DOE apparently advertised the locations via a request in Crain’s New York in November, but did not mention that the “prime development sites” being hocked were P.S. 191 and P.s. 199.

Officials reportedly said students will be relocated during construction, and developers will be obligated to include a new school at the base of the towers.

The DOE is also offering up the School of Cooperative Technical Education, attended by 11th and 12th graders at 321 E. 96th Street. Developers can purchase all three schools as a package deal, or just one.

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They’re words we often hear and often say: Man cave, F-bomb, gastropub, mash-up, energy drink. Now, they’ll find a place among the pages of the 2012 update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

According to Merriam-Webster Editor-at-Large Peter Sokolowski, the updates are really just a testament to the ever-changing English language and our ability to reshape it through new generations.  

“Some of the new words this year provide colorful images,” he said. “Terms like ‘man cave,’ ‘underwater’ (when used to describe mortgages), ‘earworm,’ and ‘bucket list’ paint vivid pictures in your mind. They show that English-speakers can be very creative as they describe the world around them.”

Creative, indeed! “Energy drink”? That takes wit.

About a year ago, the 12th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary set the pace for all other dictionaries when it added “domestic goddess,” “woot,” “gastric band” and “sexting” (which is also included in the new Merriam-Webster’s). The definition is: The sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone.

Here’s the full list of the new words added to the 2012 update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. However, some of them aren’t yet recognized by spell-check. Get on board, Microsoft!

•     aha moment
•     bucket list
•     cloud computing
•     copernicium
•     earworm
•     energy drink
•     f-bomb
•     game changer
•     gassed
•     gastropub
•     man cave
•     mash-up
•     sexting
•     systemic risk
•     underwater

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Christie was clutching an ice cream cone, but that didn’t stop him from having a meltdown on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights (the same Seaside Heights where the cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” regularly gets drunk or gets arrested) when a passerby made some snippy comments to Christie regarding his education policy, according to TMZ.

“You’re a real big shot. You’re a real big shot, shootin’ your mouth off!” a heated Christie yelled, as he took several angry steps towards the man, while clutching his ice cream cone.

“Just take care of the teachers!” the man shouted back at Christie.

Someone in the governor’s crew ushered him away to diffuse the situation. The altercation was likely sparked by Christie’s recent approval to increase funding for charter schools — a move that upset critics who thought public schools would be better served by the money. 

Christie’s office has not yet responded to Metro’s request for comment regarding the incident.

Christie is known for his upfront attitude and tendency to speak his mind. Just days ago, Christie snapped at a reporter and demanded to know if he was “stupid” after he asked an off-topic question at a press conference about an emergency at a water treatment plant. He referred to the reporter as an “idiot” to the rest of the crowd.

Not the type to sit down and take it, the governor famously told the New Jersey Nets “good riddance” when it was announced the team would move to Brooklyn.

“My message to the Nets is
goodbye,” Christie declared at a press conference. “You don’t want to stay here, we don’t want
you. I’m not going to be in the business of begging people to stay
here. There will be no tears shed on my part.”

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Researchers at Sydney University in Australia found that too much homework can often have the opposite effect on students. Instead of enhancing their intellect, they become bored and unhappy, leading to absolutely no academic advancement.

“What the research shows is that, in countries where they spend more time on homework, the achievement results are lower,” Dr. Richard Walker, from Sydney University’s Education Faculty, told The Telegraph.

The study found that 59 percent of 10 and 11-year-olds do less than two hours of homework per week. About 22 percent do three or four hours a week, and five percent complete seven or more hours of homework per week.

“At the moment homework (is often) an add-on because parents want it,” Walker added.

The one exception to the study was high school students in grades 11 or 12. Those students did prove to benefit from more than a few hours of homework each week.

However, recalling our own high school days, the last two years were exactly when we started blowing off homework all together.

More adventures in psuedoscience:

• While 17-year-old students are likely to benefit from homework, they aren’t likely to benefit from Plan B’s over-the-counter availability. A new study found that one in five pharmacies will deny access to the emergency contraceptive to 17-year-old’s, despite a federal mandate.
• A man in the U.S. has undergone the most extensive face surgery in history. You have to see these before and after photos.
• If those pictures make you blurt out an obscenity, have no fear. A new study found that cursing in the work place can actually boost relationships. Sh**, that’s cool!

The post A Study Has Found: Homework is pointless appeared first on Metro.us.

Drinking: Alcohol (or drugs, for that matter) on campus or in public might get you expelled or arrested. Be careful not to become intoxicated to the point of getting sick or doing anything stupid. Alcohol poisoning is a potentially life threatening condition, and can result in stupor, seizures, slow and irregular breathing or vomiting. Because the gag reflex is depressed by alcohol, you could aspirate (inhale) anything you vomit while unconscious, resulting in a lack of oxygen to the brain and coma or death.

The effects of alcohol poisoning are unpredictable in any one person, but you need to recognize common signs and symptoms. Anyone who has passed out from drinking could be in danger, as alcohol continues to be absorbed from the stomach long after drinking has ceased. If you suspect someone is in trouble, call 911 to have your unconscious buddy brought to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.

If you decide to drink, limit intake to one alcoholic beverage an hour (or less!), don’t drink on an empty stomach (food slows alcohol absorption), and drink a 12-ounce glass of water for every alcoholic beverage. Don’t drive a car, steal stuff, vandalize other people’s property or do anything else that will endanger or draw attention to you and your crew.  Law enforcement is not sympathetic to intoxicated minors. And try not to engage in intimate activity that you’ll later regret while your ability to discriminate is compromised. Broadcasting your bad behavior on the Internet isn’t funny to future employers or graduate school admission officers, either.

Eating: The four basic food groups are not caffeine, nicotine, cholesterol and alcohol. Do your best to eat three square meals a day. Missing breakfast actually promotes weight gain, as your body thinks it’s starving and conserves fat. If you have to grab something on the fly, keeping a supply of fruit, nuts, carrot sticks, yogurts and granola bars is much better than a meal of Cheese Doodles, Snickers and Mountain Dew.

— Mark Melrose, DO, is a board-certified emergency physician at Urgent Care Manhattan. E-mail him your questions at askdrmark@metro.us.

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages.

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Pursue grants and scholarships
The big advantage of scholarships and grants is that you don’t have to pay back the money — it’s given outright. Some scholarships are for tuition only, others cover related expenses like books, housing and so forth. There are three main groups that give scholarships and grants.

 The federal government and state governments have numerous programs, most of them based on the student’s financial need. The best known of these is the federal Pell Grant, given to undergraduate students. Another area of government aid is for people from community service programs like Americorps, or from the military.

Individual schools usually have grants for their own students. These are somewhat more common in private universities with large endowments, but may be available at public universities as well — for instance, grants for students who transfer from a community college.

Don’t rule out financial aid
Don’t assume that you make too much money to be eligible for financial aid.

 Although the financial aid staff looks at your household income, they also look at your circumstances — such as the size of your household. Make sure the school has all relevant information at the time of your application. For instance, tell them if you have unusual medical expenses, either as a one-time situation or on an ongoing basis.

Once the financial aid office has made an offer, if you think they’re expecting too much as your contribution, you can ask for a reevaluation.

In addition, if your circumstances change — even in the middle of a school year — let the financial aid office know right away. If you (or your spouse or parent) lose your job, for instance, that will obviously have a huge impact on your ability to pay your share.

File your FAFSA
If you haven’t already done so, file your taxes as soon as possible. You’ll need information from your tax return to fill out a FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the form you use to apply for all financial aid, not just federal but state and school-specific. You can find the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The due date to be considered for federal financial aid is June 30. The deadline in Pennsylvania is May 1, except for some two-year programs, which have an August 1 deadline. In New Jersey, the deadline is June 1.

Check in with your employer
Many companies and unions offer tuition assistance.  Some plans assist not only the employee, but his or her spouse or children. Others cover only the employee, and sometimes only cover courses that the employee takes to improve his or her job skills.

Check with the human resources department to find out:
   
Who is covered
What courses, programs and schools are eligible
What the financial arrangements are (does the company pay the school directly, or do you have to pay tuition and fees up front, getting reimbursed after the term?)
Other terms and limitations (does the student have to achieve a certain minimum grade?)

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Her courses at UMKC challenge students to confront these issues face to face, literally: One brings prisoners to campus and includes them in classroom activities.

This month, Ashgate Publishing will release her first book, “Teaching Justice: Solving Social Justice Problems Through University Education,” which re-envisions criminal justice classrooms as a place where the most vexing issues in the United States can be explored  and addressed in an inquisitive, compassionate, non-partisan environment.

“When I developed [courses] at UMKC, I discovered that the students had traditional criminal justice concepts down, but they hadn’t done a lot of work putting criminal justice practices in a larger justice perspective,” says Holsinger. “The class became about defining justice in a larger way. It became about community activism.”

Intended for criminal justice teachers, “Teaching Justice” is packed full of ideas for bringing activism to the classroom and elucidating social justice concerns amongst students.

“A lot of the ideas in this book challenge the status quo. In that way, it could be negatively categorized as ideological,” says Holsinger. “But I don’t think it’s good to model apathy or pretend that we don’t have a viewpoint. Also, in my class, I don’t dictate how students define justice or what they determine to be a social problem.”

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“Initially I thought the MBA was the way to go, because it sells itself,” says Eberhardt. “But so many people have MBAs now, so I don’t think it stands out as much anymore. If you’re not focused primarily on business or accounting, an MBA may not be the best fit.”

In past decades, the Master of Science in Leadership was offered, almost exclusively, in Europe. But over the last five years, the number of MSL programs in the U.S. has grown significantly as more professionals seek alternatives to the traditional route. Typically, MSL programs provide a focus on psychology — and even anthropology — to prepare students for effective leadership. They’re less devoted to marketing, finance and accounting. “It’s an interdisciplinary degree. The focus is leadership, not necessarily business leadership,” says Dr. William Schulz, associate dean of Walden University School of Management. “In an MSL program, you’ll find school administrators, teachers, university leaders [and] nonprofit leaders. It’s a more diverse group.”

MSL vs. MBA
   
An MBA speaks for itself, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for everyone. “The MSL is still somewhat new in the United States, so it doesn’t have the brand value of an MBA,” says Schulz. “But if a student really wants the MSL curriculum, then they shouldn’t have trouble describing the benefit of that program to an employer.”

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Freshman Hillary Dworkoski launched a petition on Change.org about a month ago after it was reported that Chick-Fil-A donated almost $2 million in 2009 to organizations like Focus On The Family, Exodus International and the Family Research Council. Critics of those organizations say the groups have anti-gay motives.

“NYU prides itself on being a diverse, open and inclusive campus community. That’s one of the major reasons why I enrolled at NYU as a freshman last fall,” Dworkoski said on the petition website. “Unfortunately, maintaining a contract with an anti-gay vendor like Chick-fil-A undermines what makes this university so great.”

The petition, which has garnered nearly 11,000 signatures, calls on NYU to remove Chick-Fil-A from its campus. For students who are on the fence about supporting the chain’s removal, Dworkoski poses this choice: waffle fries or human rights?

“She wants students to know they have to make that choice and live by those values and not just talk about them,” said Mark Anthony Dingbaum, a campaign manager with Change.org.

On Thursday, supporters of the petition plan to rally outside NYU’s Weinstein Residence Hall, which houses Chick-Fil-A.

Though campaign members admitted they have not been in touch with Chick-Fil-A, a company official did comment about the donations in an recent interview, calling the report about them “folklore.”

“We’re not anti-anybody,” said Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Our mission is to create raving fans.”

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The result — “Is Graduate School Really for You?: The Whos, Whats, Hows, and Whys of Pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D.” — was released earlier this year by Johns Hopkins Press.

“There are a lot of advice books out there about how to be a graduate student, but they all assume that everyone wants to be a research professor, do nothing but research and not really interact with people,” says Seligman, an associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. “But through my students, I’ve come to understand that it’s not appropriate for grad school to be the sole focus of anyone’s life.”

Laid out in a question-and-answer format, the book takes readers on a practice journey through many of the slaloms and hurdles of the academy: the initial decision, paying for the degree, navigating the coursework and writing the thesis.

“It’s not a how-to book. This book is saying, ‘This is what graduate school in the United States is like.’ You are the only person who knows what you are like inside, so you need to find out if that’s a match,” says Seligman. “It’s not that there’s a right reason or wrong reason to go to graduate school, but you should know what your reasons are.”

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Consider the up-front money
“Always remember that continued education is an investment,” explains Steve Herzog, assistant dean at The American College in Bryn Mawr. “Carefully consider the amount of money you’ll spend and the likelihood you can reap the financial rewards in a reasonable amount of time.”

But before running the numbers, check in with the boss. If your company is able to provide tuition reimbursement, nothing’s stopping you from moving forward.

Make sure the program is accredited
For many employers, an accredited school can make all the difference. “Some employers simply don’t recognize degrees from non-accredited schools, and credits from non-accredited courses are often non-transferable to other institutions,” says Cheri Varnadoe, director of corporate relations at MBA@UNC, an online program from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Know your style
If you’re employed full-time, online courses may help with time management. “Online options can keep you be productive at work while also giving you the education you need,” says Dr. Sally Mounts, president of Auctus Consulting Group. That said, it’s important to consider how you learn. Steve Herzog recommends asking yourself:?“Do you do well in classroom settings, or does reading and listening to pre-recorded lectures best suit you?”

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“There was a time a few years ago where I was having students add me as a friend, but when I saw pictures of them binge drinking, passed out next to kegs, I decided maybe that wasn’t such a wise decision,” says Charles Wankel, who teaches management at St. John’s College and is the author of “Cutting-edge Social Media Approaches to Business Education.” “But I imagine an instructor could adjust the privacy setting, so they could share classroom items and not inadvertently see the other stuff.”

Wankel still assigns a number of Facebook-based assignments, but now uses LinkedIn to connect students to each other and networking opportunities.
 
“I don’t think it’s a good thing to require students to be on Facebook. But it can be helpful if the population of students is already there,” says Steven L. Johnson, professor of management systems at Temple University. “I find master’s students just aren’t interested in communicating on Facebook. But so many undergrads live in a post-e-mail world, so Facebook definitely helps reinforce things.”

Meeting today’s students in their world

Both Wankel and Johnson use a number of other online connectors with their students, and they say blogging sites like WordPress and Blogspot are more effective for posting core class information, like syllabuses and assigned reading.
   
“As educators, we can take the stance that students are going to do what we tell them. Or we can take a stance that says we want every student to do as well as possible, and we’ll meet them where they are,” says Johnson. “If we take the second approach, part of that is recognizing that students — just like any person — have different preferences about what communication channels they want to use.”

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According to Sweeney’s statement, a major public university would create better educational opportunities for South Jersey residents. Although 30 percent of the state’s population lives in South Jersey, only 12.5 percent of the state’s undergraduate slots are there.

There would be financial benefits as well. Currently only about 55 percent of the money Rutgers Camden collects in tuition is used on this campus; the rest goes into the general fund in New Brunswick. “A recent $1.5 billion-plus list of proposed capital expenditures from Rutgers University showed that less than 10 percent of the funds were to be dedicated to its Camden campus,” said Senator Donald Norcross, whose district includes the Rutgers Camden campus.

A separately organized and funded university would mean that South Jersey would get its fair share of higher education resources — benefiting not only the universities, but the region’s economy as a whole.

The Rutgers response

Rutgers Camden had staged numerous protests against the proposed merger, fearing the loss of the Rutgers name. Sweeney addressed that issue, saying “the history, degrees, accreditation and identities of both Rutgers and Rowan should be respected.”
   
Rutgers Camden chancellor Wendell Pritchett responded positively to Sweeney’s statement: “Expanding on the core principles in the statement could help us to increase resources to higher education in southern New Jersey while respecting the strengths, programs and names of both Rutgers Camden and Rowan.”

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But his latest — “Art Schooled: A Year Among Prodigies, Rebels and Visionaries at a World-Class Art College” — is an exploration of perhaps the most profoundly secular enclave in American society: the fine arts conservatory.

Unexpectedly, Witham ran into plenty of parallels between art students and churchgoers.

“Contemporary art is kind of its own religion. Sociologists will tell you this,” says the former Washington Times reporter. “You’ve got to know the language, the rituals, the art theology and — just like any religion — if you’re not familiar with these things, you don’t feel like an insider.”

Witham embedded himself at the revered Maryland Institute College of Art, attending classes, gallery events and administrative meetings. But he spent the majority of his time with individual students, tracking their work and play, as well as their developing zeitgeist.

“I realized that over the last 30 years, being an artist is more about a way of life and attitude. And skills have become somewhat secondary,” explains Witham. “There’s a definite style, attitude and scene that young artists are attracted to — and it can provide access to the art market, though it’s no guarantee.”

Tradition vs. tech

Witham noticed a growing  divide between the traditional art student and a new breed: the graphic
design/IT technophile.
   
“Some people can make it just by knowing the technology, but other artists still have to make it by mastering a skill — by being able to do something very traditional very well,” explains Witham.

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Initially based on informal memos intended for their own students, “What They Didn’t Teach You” contains 299 snippets of career advice on everything from the wrong adjectives to use in a research paper to navigating the tenure track. “We’re two authors that have been in the business a long time, and have reflected on it, and we’re simply trying to share our best insights,” says Drew, who is still teaching with no plans for retirement. “When I was going through school, I worked at all kinds of jobs to earn money — from a paper mill, to operating a lathe, to being a bartender. In very few of those jobs is there an intrinsic pleasure to the work, but in being a professor there is.”

Laced with irreverent cartoons by Matthew Henry Hall, the 2.0 edition is nearly twice as thick as the 2008 model, with new insights on for-profit colleges and the reduction of tenured-track positions.

“I think there’s a need for a book like this in most fields,” says Drew. “In graduate study, people learn the theories, the models and literature — but they’re typically not told how the job actually works.”

Pro tip
   
David E. Drew’s advice: “Every paper can be published somewhere. Your first papers will be rejected. Don’t worry about this. View the reviewer’s complete misunderstanding of your brilliance as cheap editorial help.”

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