Posted by CDP @ 7:02 pm on October 31st 2006

Outsourcing Our Future

The Department of Education has launched a number of initiatives designed to attract high school and college students to continue to enroll in college degree programs in fields like engineering, science, IT, and business. Some countries, like Ireland, India and South Korea have had economic difficulties in the past but today, with their well-educated and lower-cost workforce they are making up for lost ground and time. Many U.S. businesses could not resist making huge savings on workforce costs by moving their customer support call centers overseas to be handled by English-speaking and often very well educated employees. The backlash of this practice is that American consumers do not always feel that they receive the service they expect. However, companies know that by literally spending pennies on the dollar for outsourced labor, they can redirect funds to other, revenue-generating activities like marketing or R&D.

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Posted by CDP @ 7:18 pm on October 30th 2006

Strengthening Education: Meeting the Challenge of a Changing World

The Department of Education website points out several interesting issues that are addressed in the February 2006 Strengthening Education: Meeting the Challenge of a Changing World Initiative. One of the primary aims of this initiate is “The Need for an Increased Focus on Math and Science”.* In 1983, the landmark A Nation at Risk report recommended that high school students be required to take a minimum of three years of math and three years of science to graduate. Yet today, only 22 states and the District of Columbia require at least this amount to graduate in the class of 2006.

* According to the College Board, there were nearly 500,000 US high school students in 2004 whose PSAT score indicated that they were ready for AP Calculus but who did not take the course. AP students are much more likely than their peers to graduate from college in four years or less.

 

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education

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Posted by CDP @ 9:26 pm on October 27th 2006

Income Comparisons

In the not so distant past, parents and teachers encouraged their students that the key to having a successful life started with them obtaining a high school diploma.  In 2003 the U.S. Census Bureau conducted a survey of 18-65 year olds to analyze the impact of income based on education levels.  The average income for those who attended high school but did not graduate was $18,740. The income for those who graduated high school but did not continue their education made almost $10k more per year in income. In today’s competitive and technology-driven workplace, the focus for parents and teachers have been for the student to graduate college. Students who went on to obtain their Bachelor’s degrees generally earned about $51k per year which is almost 3 times what high school graduates made.

 

Referenced Source(s): US Census Bureau

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Posted by CDP @ 10:38 pm on October 26th 2006

Campus Crime Defined: Hate Crime

Hate Crimes are usually a type of physical, verbal or written aggravated assault. When these crimes are committed on college or university campuses, administrators are required to report all instances to the Department of Education. Hate Crimes are generally assaults in which the victim has been assaulted based upon their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin/ethnicity and/or disability. Distinguishing hate crimes can sometimes be a difficult task for college and university safety administrators because they have to objectively and definitively identify the assault as being motivated by one of the six types of hate crime. The motives and actions of the perpetrator have to be assessed in instances where it is not obvious to any objective observer. 

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

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Posted by CDP @ 9:41 pm on October 26th 2006

College Costs Rising

Reports show that annual student college costs increased by about 6 percent in 2006. IN the same report, College Board, a student advocacy organization found that the cost for students getting their degrees has definitely increased, partially due to the fact that students are taking more time to complete their degrees. The traditional college path generally required students to take accredited classes for about four years. Currently however, students are averaging about 6 years to graduation. This means more expenses to obtain their degrees including tuition, fees, lodging and activities. According to the report, the average price for one academic year of college can exceed $16k. High-end colleges and universities typical cost around $50k per school year. 

Referenced Source(s): College Board

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Posted by CDP @ 9:30 pm on October 25th 2006

Types of Campus Arson

There are three basic classifications of arson defined by the 2005 Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting: Structural, Mobile and Other. College and university safety administrators are responsible for identifying and reporting these crimes to the Department of Education to remain in compliance with the Clery Act.

1. Arson–Structural – This crime category includes:

• Single occupancy residential (houses, townhouses, duplexes, etc.);

• Other residential (apartments, tenements, flats, hotels, motels, inns, dormitories, boarding houses, etc.);

• Storage (barns, garages, warehouses, etc.);

• Industrial/manufacturing;

• Other commercial (stores, restaurants, offices, etc.);

• Community/public (churches, jails, schools, colleges, hospitals, etc.); and

• All other structures (out buildings, monuments, buildings under construction, etc.).

• A house trailer or mobile unit that is permanently fixed as an office, residence, or storehouse

2. Arson–Mobile – This crime category includes:

• Motor vehicles (automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc.); and

• Other mobile property (trailers, recreational vehicles, airplanes, boats, etc.).

3. Arson–Other (encompasses Arson of all property not classified as structural or mobile. Willful or malicious

burnings of property such as crops, timber, fences, signs and merchandise stored outside structures are included in this category.

 

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

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Posted by CDP @ 9:21 pm on October 25th 2006

Campus Crime Defined: Arson

Colleges and universities across the nation experience their fair share of crimes on campus. Usually, the types and frequency of the crimes mirror the surrounding environment or neighborhood where the academic institution is located but this is not always the case. One very dangerous crime that college and university safety personnel have to report to the Department of Education under the Clery Act is arson. This crime, for reporting purposes, is defined as follows:“Arson is any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc. Report as Arson only fires determined through investigation to have been willfully or maliciously set. Attempts to burn are included in this offense, but fires of suspicious or unknown origins are not. Note that Arson is the only Clery Act offense that must be investigated before it can be included in the statistics. One offense should be counted for each distinct Arson operation originating within the reporting jurisdiction. If Arson is perpetrated in one locale and spreads to another, the jurisdiction in which the fire originated must report it.”

 

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

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Posted by CDP @ 8:25 pm on October 24th 2006

Campus Crime Defined: Motor Vehicle Theft

Motor vehicle theft is yet another crime that colleges and universities often have to deal with and report to the Department of Education. The 2005 Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting defines this crime as follows: “Motor Vehicle Theft. Motor vehicle theft is the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. Count one offense for each stolen vehicle. Motor Vehicle Theft includes the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle, which the UCR defines as a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land surface and not on rails: for example, sport utility vehicles, automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles are classified as motor vehicles. This category does not include farm equipment, bulldozers, airplanes, construction equipment or water craft (motorboats, sailboats, houseboats or jet skis).”

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

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Posted by CDP @ 8:20 pm on October 24th 2006

Campus Crime Defined: Burglary-Unlawful Entry-No Force

Another type of burglary identified in the 2005 Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting as a reportable campus crime would be Burglary–Unlawful Entry–No Force. College and university safety administrators can use the guideline defined in the Handbook to determine when a crime would be considered, “Burglary–Unlawful Entry–No Force. The entry of a structure in this situation is achieved by use of an unlocked door or window. The element of trespass to the structure is essential in this category, which includes thefts from open garages, open warehouses, open or unlocked dwellings and open or unlocked common basement areas in apartment houses where entry is achieved by someone other than the tenant who has lawful access. (Note that if the area entered was one of open access, thefts from the area would not involve an unlawful trespass and would be classified as Larceny. The Clery Act does not require an institution to disclose Larceny statistics.)” 

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

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Posted by CDP @ 10:58 pm on October 23rd 2006

Campus Crime Defined: Burglary-Forcible Entry

Students and professionals taking accredited college classes online may not be aware of the reporting requirements the college or university they are enrolled at have to make to the Department of Education regarding campus crimes. One of the categories of reportable crimes includes burglary. The 2005 Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting identifies a couple of types of burglary that can occur on campus. The first type identified in the Handbook is “Burglary–Forcible Entry. Include all offenses where force of any kind is used to unlawfully enter a structure for the purpose of committing a theft or felony. This definition applies when a thief gains entry by using tools; breaking windows; forcing windows, doors, transoms or ventilators; cutting screens, walls or roofs; and where known, using master keys, picks, unauthorized keys, celluloid, a mechanical contrivance of any kind (e.g., a passkey or skeleton key) or other devices that leave no outward mark but are used to force a lock. Also include in this category burglary by concealment inside a building followed by exiting the structure”. 

Referenced Source(s): Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

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