Friday, January 30, 2009
Will It Ever End?
The committee tasked with drawing up the new guidelines for SIUC's plagerism policy has been accused of, wait for it, no not yet, almost, yes plagiarism.
Labels: ethics, plagiarism, siuc
Monday, January 26, 2009
School Closings
The list of school closings gets longer by the minute. But, by gum, we're not closing SIUC.
Update: SIUC announced it was closing sometime between 10 p.m and 6 a.m.
Update: SIUC announced it was closing sometime between 10 p.m and 6 a.m.
Labels: schools, siuc, weather
Larry Dietz on NPR
Vice Chancellor Larry Dietz was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday regarding his recent trip to Iraq as part of the Iraq's government's Study Abroad initiative.
Labels: Iraq, Larry Dietz, siuc, students
Saturday, January 24, 2009
SIUC Enrollment Down Again
Looks like enrollment figures will drop about 1.5% from last year's numbers. Freshman and sophomore enrollment was up about 11% but it was more than counterbalanced by a 12.5% drop in upperclass enrollment. Unfortunately, this is part of the long term trend at SIUC:
Enrollment peaked in 1991 at 24,869 students, according to university records. By fall 2007, that number had fallen to 20,983. Enrollment numbers affect everything from faculty and staff salaries to building maintenance.
Enrollment peaked in 1991 at 24,869 students, according to university records. By fall 2007, that number had fallen to 20,983. Enrollment numbers affect everything from faculty and staff salaries to building maintenance.
Labels: enrollment, siuc
Friday, January 23, 2009
Carbondale Poverty 2
After looking at the figures more and considering some of the comments, something else became apparent. The student population at SIUC has remained pretty constant since the early 90s, fluctuating maybe a couple of hundred students a year or so. However, the Carbondale poverty rate increased by 5% during the period from 1999 to 2007, so whoever was getting poorer, it wasn't the students.
Labels: Carbondale, Economics, poverty, siuc
Sunday, January 18, 2009
SIUC students and locals head to the Inauguration
About a hundred students from Southern Illinois University Carbondale will leave early Monday morning to head to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration. A lot of them are journalists. Here's an article by SIUC professor Bill Freivogel - a special for the online newspaper St. Louis Beacon .
Related, here's also an article from the Du Quoin Evening Call newspaper from a few days ago saying how Du Quoin will be well represented at the Inauguration.
Related, here's also an article from the Du Quoin Evening Call newspaper from a few days ago saying how Du Quoin will be well represented at the Inauguration.
Labels: Inauguration, journalism students, siuc, washington d.c.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
SIUC Free Speech
Interesting discussion with SIUC Chancellor Sam Goldman on WSUI this morning, talking about FIRE and free speech on the SIUC campus, Saluki Way and enrollment. Listen to it here. The DE's take on the involvement of FIRE is here and the original letter from FIRE is here
Labels: FIRE, freedom of speech, Sam Goldman, siuc
Thursday, December 25, 2008
More about Students and C'dale Government
Got an email from Allan Keith, author of SIUC's Days of Dissent and, according to him, it was pretty common during the late 60s and early 70s for the city to appoint a non-voting student representative to not only city council but most city committees as well.
Labels: Carbondale, city government, siuc
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
'Dawg-scalator' rules!
SIUC team captures robotics championship: "The “Dawg-scalator” . . . won the head-to-head competition in a field of 11 teams from schools including Cal Poly, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa. This year’s competition involved picking up at least three racquetballs and putting them in a box faster than the other robot in a head-to-head contest. The robot designed by the SIUC team used a set of rollers on the front that directed the balls into the space between two opposing conveyor belts, which subsequently grabbed the balls and moved them along and upward before depositing them in the box."
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Students on City Council
As this article points out, there is a long tradition of students running for and failing to get elected to the C'dale City Council. If there are primaries, student candidates usually don't make it any further. The closest thing to a student council member I recall was when Larry Briggs got elected to the council for a term with strong student support. It's a far cry from the late 60's/early 70s when, according to the book SIUC's Days of Dissent, there was actually a student representative appointed or elected to the council.
Labels: City council, election, siuc
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Grant Papers to Mississippi
Via FreeU, the US Grant association moves the Grant collection of papers from SIUC to Mississippi State University, thus ending the 45 year association with SIUC with a whimper instead of a bang.
Labels: John Simon, siuc
Friday, December 5, 2008
Poshard and Plagiarism yet Again
It's the gift that keeps on giving. The new proposed plagiarism policy for SIUC is out now and the DE focuses on one particular part, the provision allowing the president's office to punish those who bring plagiarism charges deemed frivolous or malicious.
I find it amusing that this section follows one prohibiting retaliation against an individual who makes complaints or allegations of a violation of the plagiarism policy. Also, interestingly, the proposed policy ONLY applies to the Offices of the President and Chancellor. All other cases will be handled by the individual academic unit. You can read the entire 7 page draft here.
In a follow-up in today's DE, one of the principals in the plagiarism investigation, associate professor Gerald Nelms, commented that, under these guidelines, the allegations against President Poshard would have been considered worthy of investigation. However, Professor Nelms felt that his comments to the DE were taken out of context and he has written a very lengthy explanation of his reasoning in the article comments.
I find it amusing that this section follows one prohibiting retaliation against an individual who makes complaints or allegations of a violation of the plagiarism policy. Also, interestingly, the proposed policy ONLY applies to the Offices of the President and Chancellor. All other cases will be handled by the individual academic unit. You can read the entire 7 page draft here.
In a follow-up in today's DE, one of the principals in the plagiarism investigation, associate professor Gerald Nelms, commented that, under these guidelines, the allegations against President Poshard would have been considered worthy of investigation. However, Professor Nelms felt that his comments to the DE were taken out of context and he has written a very lengthy explanation of his reasoning in the article comments.
Labels: Glenn Poshard, plagiarism, siuc
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday Notes
Want a Wii? Good luck. it's the top selling product on eBay with over 3100 of them sold on Friday alone, average price $349.
Car retailers closing. Around another 500 nationwide will close by this time next year.
New CoC director named yesterday. Interestingly, WSIU mentioned she had a degree from CCHS but not that she has a master's from SIUC.
Car retailers closing. Around another 500 nationwide will close by this time next year.
New CoC director named yesterday. Interestingly, WSIU mentioned she had a degree from CCHS but not that she has a master's from SIUC.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Evening Summary
Yeah, it's a recession. And it's already longer than the average post WW II recession, which lasted about 10 months.
Durbin asks for a communtation for Ryan.
No salt shortage, it's just more expensive.
The Faculty Senate announced recommenced changes to SIUCs sexual harassment policy. They're not quite far enough for the dankprofessor.
Does this mean no football at SIUC while they're building this thing?
Durbin asks for a communtation for Ryan.
No salt shortage, it's just more expensive.
The Faculty Senate announced recommenced changes to SIUCs sexual harassment policy. They're not quite far enough for the dankprofessor.
Does this mean no football at SIUC while they're building this thing?
Labels: economy, McAndrew Stadium, sexual harassment, siuc, state government
Monday, December 1, 2008
Poshard Maybe Favors Tax Increase
Given the state of the state budget. Chancellor Poshard opines that a tax increase may be the only solution to the state's budgetary woes. There just doesn't seem to be enough sources for money to keep funding the services that the state's population demands.
Labels: chancellor, siuc, state government
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Champaign vs. Carbondale
I'm up in Champaign for the weekend and went walking through the downtown area last night. Much livelier compared to downtown Carbondale but I was struck buy how much the local food places rely on student custom. 10 p.m. on Friday night, Thanksgiving weekend and a good 80% of the walk in fast Italian, Chinese, burger etc. joints were closed, compared to about 20% of those in Carbondale.
Labels: business, downtown Carbondale, siuc
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Morning Notes
Increasing expectations that Gov. Ryan will get pardoned.
No place to go for Thanksgiving in southern Illinois? Here's a roundup of locations offering dinner.
Along with the rest of the economy, Internet retailing is cratering.
Driving somewhere for Thanksgiving? There're fewer people on the road this year. It's still the deadliest holiday for driving.
In a effort to fill McAndrew Staduim for the playoff game this Saturday, the Chancellor's office is giving away 500 free student tickets.
No place to go for Thanksgiving in southern Illinois? Here's a roundup of locations offering dinner.
Along with the rest of the economy, Internet retailing is cratering.
Driving somewhere for Thanksgiving? There're fewer people on the road this year. It's still the deadliest holiday for driving.
In a effort to fill McAndrew Staduim for the playoff game this Saturday, the Chancellor's office is giving away 500 free student tickets.
Labels: Carbondale, economy, siuc
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Maybe They'll Get It Right This Time?
According to today's DE, yet another search committee is looking for yet another chancellor. The twist this time is that the committee is all in-house SIUC faculty and staff, since paying $100 grand to outside search firms worked so well in the past. One member of the committee has already said what they are looking for in the next chancellor:
- Can manage strategic goals
- Is committed to a strong, student-centered research environment
- Has experience to deal with declining state support and enrollment
- Is devoted to shared governance, collective bargaining
- Has earned a doctorate in field
- Is recognized as a leader
- Has significant administrative experience
- Understands the complexity of a research institution
- Can address enrollment and retention specifically
- Is able to transform the campus
- Shows tangible results and gets the job done
- Can build relationships with the city, state, SIU Foundation and alumni
- Is a good fiscal manager
- Has experience in long-term planning
- Has experience in a university system
- Has fundraising skills
- Has interpersonal communication skills
- Is loyal
Labels: chancellor, siuc
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Can't Pronounce This...
but congratulations to SIUC on becoming the second university in the country to offer a degree in it.
Labels: siuc
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Haunted Carbondale
Faner Hall has had several sightings, mainly during the '90s, of a female student in striped top and jeans, carrying a backpack and hurrying briskly down a hall or into the women's restroom. The sightings I'm aware of took place in the evening and were reported by janitorial staff. The stories were genrally the same. They staffers were cleaning and the girl walked quickly past them but when they turned to look at her, she had vanished.
In one store, the staffer was cleaning one of the women's restroons. A girl came through the door of the restroom, walked past the staffer into one of the stalls. The door didn't close and the staffer didn't hear any sounds coming from inside. After several munites passed and the rest of the room was cleaned, the cleaner knocked on the unlatched stall door. The door slowly swung wide open revealing an empty stall.
Supppoosedly the girl killed herslef in Faner over a romance gone bad, but as with similar stories from other SIUC buildings, there's no evidences any deaths have ever happened in the building.
In one store, the staffer was cleaning one of the women's restroons. A girl came through the door of the restroom, walked past the staffer into one of the stalls. The door didn't close and the staffer didn't hear any sounds coming from inside. After several munites passed and the rest of the room was cleaned, the cleaner knocked on the unlatched stall door. The door slowly swung wide open revealing an empty stall.
Supppoosedly the girl killed herslef in Faner over a romance gone bad, but as with similar stories from other SIUC buildings, there's no evidences any deaths have ever happened in the building.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]