In May 2006, Julea Ward enrolled at Eastern Michigan University and began pursuing a master’s degree in counseling.

It quickly became clear to program professors that Ward holds strong Christian beliefs. She told them in no uncertain terms that her religion barred her from “affirming” or “validating” homosexual behavior.

Professors responded by instructing her that she had to “support her clients’ sexual orientation, whatever that may be.”

When Ward reviewed the file of a client she was assigned to counsel, she saw that he sought advice about a same-sex relationship. Ward asked her faculty supervisor whether to refer the client only if the session required her to affirm the same-sex relationship, or whether the client should be reassigned immediately.

The supervisor reassigned the client immediately. A short time later, she was expelled. The school said she violated the American Counseling Association’s code of ethics by:
• “imposing values that are inconsistent with counseling goals,” and
• discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation.

Ward sued members of the review committee and other school officials, claiming a violation of her free speech and free exercise rights under the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.

A district court ruled against Ward, but a federal appeals court reversed and said her claims should go to a jury.

The appeals court explained that public educators can limit student speech with respect to school-sponsored expressive activities only if the limits are “reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.”

However, they cannot selectively enforce a curricular requirement or single out a student for discipline based on hostility to his speech. In this case, a jury could easily find that the code of ethics did not bar Ward’s referral request and that the school used certain code provisions to punish her speech and religious views.

Nothing in the code of ethics banned values-based referrals such as the one Ward requested. She made the request to avoid imposing her values on homosexual clients, and she was willing to counsel such clients about other issues. In addition, a separate part of the code expressly allowed values-based referrals, and several textbooks used in Ward’s classes did so as well.

The school officials argued that even aside from the code, the school had a policy banning practicum students from referring clients. But the evidence suggested this “policy” was “an after-the-fact invention.” A student manual included a chapter dedicated to referrals, and the school said nothing about such a policy when it dismissed Ward.

There was other evidence weighing in Ward’s favor. The school let students request certain types of students to counsel, and it once allowed a grieving student to refrain from counseling a grieving client. Why, the court asked, should Ward be treated differently?

There was strong evidence that the only policy governing students was the code of ethics, which allowed for referrals. Because a jury could find that the school dismissed Ward based on her faith-based speech, the lower court’s decision favoring the school officials was reversed. The case will proceed.

Cite: Ward v. Polite, No. 10-2100, 2012 WL 251939 (6th Cir. 1/27/12).

It’s only natural for students to feel anxiety over the stagnant job market they’ll soon find themselves in. But based on the 2010 Census data, some occupations are better bets than others.

Here are the top 10 careers with the lowest levels of unemployment:

1. Actuarial science (0%)
2. Pharmacology (0%)
3. Educational administration & supervision (0%)
4. School student counseling (0%)
5. Geological and geophysical engineering (0%)
6. Astronomy & astrophysics (0%)
7. Teacher education – Multiple levels (1.1%)
8. Agricultural economics (1.3%)
9. Medical technologies technicians (1.4%)
10. Naval architecture & marine engineering (1.7%)

You can search through the data here by unemployment rate, earnings potential and popularity.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

The Foundation of Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) sent a letter to Auburn University, claiming its newly adopted Auburn Housing and Residence Life policy violates students’ free speech rights.

FIRE’s letter refers to a rule that prohibits students from “hanging or displaying items such as flags, banners, decals or signs out of or obstructing residence hall windows.”

According to FIRE, student Eric Philips had a Ron Paul for President banner hanging on the inside of his dorm room window.

Citing the new rule, the residence hall director told Philips to take the banner down. So Philips did. And he also took photos of various dorm windows on campus, which have banners and other items displayed. He forwarded the pictures to FIRE.

FIRE President Greg Lukianoff claimed the organization has “evidence of the unconstitutional double standard apparently in place at Auburn” and insisted the university is “bound by the First Amendment [and] must evenly enforce its policies on student expression.”

Do you think Auburn’s new rule unfairly limits students’ speech rights? Chime in below — and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

More students than ever are sending in early applications to top colleges, according to reports. And those students aren’t the prep school seniors hoping to avoid the springtime rush – it’s a diverse group that includes minorities and foreign students looking to study in the U.S.

Some early examples:

• Duke University – 400 early applications (versus 100 back in 2005)
• Haverford College, PA – early applications from abroad doubled from last year
• University of Chicago – double-digit percentage increase from black and Hispanic students.

In addition, the number of international students applying early has jumped by 25% over the last four years. The number from China has leapt from 10,000 to 57,000.

This influx of diverse early applicants has made for some stiff competition, and private school families are seeing more deferrals – and even rejections – than they might have expected.

Also increasing the competition: some schools – including Princeton, University of Virginia and Harvard – are returning to the early admissions process after years without. During those years, many top colleges increased their number of early acceptances, thinking some of those accepted would turn down the offer if they got in later to one of those three schools.

With the return of Princeton, UV and Harvard, schools like Yale and Georgetown have cut early acceptances by 10%.

At Princeton alone, the early acceptance numbers are shifting. Of the 726 students accepted last month:

• 56% attend public high schools (up from 50% five years ago), and
• 37% are minorities (up from 31%).

How does your school handle early admissions? Tell us in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

Dushawn Sellers enrolled in the registered nurse program at Rio Grande University. Sellers, who began taking classes on campus in the summer of 2011, has epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression.

When she started having trouble with a course in the fall of that year, she went to one of the two professors who taught it and asked for help. Sellers said the professor told her no accommodations could be provided until Sellers obtained a certification of need for them from the school’s accessibility office.

Sellers then obtained something called an Individual Accommodation Plan from the accessibility office. The plan said she was entitled to accommodations including tutoring, drinks in the classroom, use of a tape recorder and extended test time.

According to Sellers, on the day before a test in the class she gave a copy of the plan someone in the faculty office and put another copy in the mailbox of one of the professors who taught the course. But when she took a test in the class a day later, neither course professor was aware of the plan.

Eventually, Sellers asked for help from her faculty advisor, who in turn sought help from a dean. The dean told Sellers that one of the two professors for the class would be her tutor. The professor tutored Sellers for an hour, but Sellers claimed the session was ineffective.

After a confrontation during which Sellers accused one of the professors of failing to provide tutoring services, the school hired a tutor who met with Sellers three times.

Sellers failed the final exam and the course, and she was not allowed to continue in the program. She sued, claiming the school violated the ADA by failing to provide her with effective tutoring.

The court issued a temporary restraining order that required the school to let Sellers enroll, and it extended the order at her request. As the time for the extended order to expire approached, Sellers asked for another extension.

The school argued that the order should expire because the ADA does not require postsecondary institutions to provide students with tutoring services. It also argued that it provided tutoring to Sellers.

The court decided to extend the order by 11 days. While there is legal support for the argument that postsecondary schools need not offer tutoring as a disability-related accommodation, there is also support for the idea that schools must provide tutoring to students with disabilities if tutoring is provided to the general student population.

Evidence indicating that the school had a policy of providing tutoring services to students supported Sellers’ claim. In addition, Sellers produced evidence that she would be irreparably harmed if the extension was not granted. Her ability to pursue her chosen profession would be delayed, and even the occurrence of bias prohibited by the ADA might be deemed an irreparable harm.

Cite: Sellers v. Univ. of Rio Grande, No. 2:12-cv-0005, 2012 WL 163806 (S.D. Ohio 1/18/12).

The University of Rochester, New York has launched a three-dimensional campus model to give a leg up to its admissions department. The model, called RocRes, is designed to provide an insider’s view of what it’s like to live on the school’s River campus.

Included in the 3D model:

• Dormitory room tours
• 360-degree panoramic views, and
• Interactive campus views.

When students click on a particular building they’d like to investigate, they’re provided with information and images of the structure. This virtual campus is especially useful for international students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit during the application process.

Is this the future of campus tours – or just a novelty? Share your opinions in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

After University of Central Florida student Patrick Macchione met fellow student Kristen Platt in 2009, he began stalking her in cyberspace.

Macchione eventually faced criminal charges, accused of Tweeting death threats, posting 27 lewd, threatening videos on YouTube, leaving messages on Platt’s Facebook page and calling her hundreds of times.

He ended up pleading no contest to 19 charges and was sentenced to four years in jail. His lawyers wanted outpatient treatment, saying he has a severe mental illness.

With credit for time served, he could be out in two years.

Prosecutors wanted to put Macchione away for 15 years, and Pratt also thinks he got off too easy.

Do you agree? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

John Stickle, a sophomore at Front Range Community College in Colorado, was struggling to pay for his education. Financial aid wasn’t helping and he couldn’t get a bank loan.

So he did the only rational thing: started a business developing web apps.

But to get this venture off the ground – and pay for a computer to actually create the apps – he needed capital. So he sold his coin collection, his desk and his furniture to buy a Mac and an iPad.

Then, of course, he had to teach himself how to develop iPhone and iPad apps, with some help from a lot of library books.

The first fruit of this endeavor has just debuted. The app, called Girlfriend 411, sends users a notification of when their significant other’s birthday, anniversary and other important dates are coming up.

Stickle will make 70% profit off of every $.99 app sold – all of which he intends to pool back into his education.

How else can students make ends meet? Tell us in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

Harvard University is the latest among Ivy League schools to report a drop in applications for the 2012-13 academic year.

Harvard fielded 34,285 applications from hopeful candidates for the academic year, down 1.9% from a year earlier.

The school joins Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania in reporting a decline. Columbia saw an 8.9% drop, while Penn said applications were down by 1.7%.

Why the decrease? In Harvard’s case, it could have something to do with the university’s decision to bring back its early application program this year. There has also been a drop in the number of high school seniors, according to BusinessWeek.

Do you think the number of applications to Ivy League schools will continue to drop? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Student attendance at Duke University men’s basketball games has been falling consistently over the last five years. This season, it’s dropped so low that Duke Athletics has begun selling more and more general admission tickets in the student section.

Because of this lack of student interest – only 650 undergrads attended each game this season – the athletics department has sold about 300 tickets per game to the general public at $65 each. Each game, first pick goes to Iron Dukes supporters, then to football and women’s basketball season ticket holders.

What’s causing the lack of enthusiasm? Three possibilities:

• Unfounded rumors that it’s too hard to get into the game or students will be turned away if they show up only half an hour before tipoff
• Increasing popularity of online streaming options, including WatchESPN.com, or
• The underwhelming home schedule – with marquee conference matchups moving to Madison Square Garden and other larger venues.

To fight diminishing student attendance, Duke has hoped to engage the crowds more, using highlight videos, player instructions and pop music in its pregame festivities.

What can schools do to increase student attendance at games? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

Kiplinger’s has released its annual list of best values in public colleges for 2012 — and once again, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is ranked first.

A relatively moderate sticker price, generous financial aid and a competitive admission rate are among the key attributes that make UNC numero uno, Kiplinger’s explains.

Here are Kiplinger’s top 10 public school values for in-state students, with total in-state/out-of-state annual sticker prices:

1.  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($17,628/$37,454)
2.  University of Florida ($15,526/$37,803)
3.  University of Virginia ($21,626/$45,948)
4.  The College of William and Mary ($23,054/$45,331)
5.  New College of Florida ($15,458/$38,487)
6.  University of Georgia ($19,258/$37,468)
7.  University of California Berkeley ($29,027/$51,905)
8.  University of Maryland ($19,409/$36,780)
9.  University of California, Los Angeles ($28,174/$51,052), and
10. University of California, San Diego ($26,232/$49,110).

For more information, click here.

Should a school costing more than $50,000 a year be included on a “best value” list? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Last summer, Syracuse University grad student Matthew Werenczak was student teaching at a middle school when a black member of the city’s Concerned Citizens Action Program said city schools should hire more teachers from historically black colleges.

Werenczak, who is white, expressed his feelings about the comment on his personal Facebook page. Among other things, he said, “Just making sure we’re okay with racism. It’s not enough I’m busting my ass tutoring in the worst school in the city, I suppose I oughta be black or stay in my own side of town.”

Werenczak says that when school administrators found out about the posts, they forced him from the program.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) then went to bat on Werenczak’s behalf. In a letter to Syracuse’s chancellor, it accused the school of violating a student handbook provision that says students have a right to express themselves as long as they don’t violate the school’s code of student conduct.

The letter also said the school broke a promise to provide fundamental fairness before imposing formal disciplinary sanctions.

FIRE urged the school to take corrective action.

Apparently, Syracuse listened. FIRE said that within hours after it took action to publicize the case, school officials readmitted Werenczak.

Have a comment? Please add it below.

Arizona Senator Ronald Gould plans to reintroduce a gun bill that would ensure students with concealed carry permits could carry guns on public college and university campuses.

This isn’t the first time he’s tried to get the bill passed. He introduced a similar bill last legislative session, which was vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer.

“To disallow guns on campus, what that really does is create a self-defense-free zone. So people with evil intents, they know there’s no weapons there,” Gould told reporters. He believes by allowing students to carry weapons – thus making potential criminals too afraid of getting shot themselves to actually act – crime on campus would decline.

The Arizona Board of Regents, however, sees it differently. Among their arguments against having guns on campus:

• Students and faculty should feel free to express strong opinions without fear of reprisal
• It would make it difficult for police to investigate any on-campus gun crime if one did occur, and
• Young people, drugs, alcohol and firearms is a potentially volatile combination.

But Gould still believes the bill could pass, since it made the changes that concerned the governor by allowing schools to restrict guns in buildings if they provide gun lockers. On that subject, the Board of Regents points out law enforcement concerns that it would actually give access to non-permit owners.

Where do you stand on the issue? Tell us in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

The City College of San Francisco recently discovered that its servers have been infected by computer viruses that have been in the school’s systems since 1999. The college first noticed the infection in November, when gaps in the data logs at a campus computer lab tipped the IT department off.

The college closed off the infected computer lab and took the server offline, but it may have been too little, too late: transmissions had already been sent to Russia, China and other countries. So far, there’s been one confirmed instance of personal banking information recorded by the virus.

And there are an additional 100,000 students and 3,000 employees whose personal info could be compromised.

In response, CCSF has taken multiple corrective actions, including:

• reconfiguring the campus firewalls
• changing and strengthening passwords on all servers
• preparing to install new security hardware
• establishing new procedures for the school to follow when it comes to using computers and network, and
• planning to isolate the network into three separate areas – administrative, academic and wireless.

Is your school prepared for a virus attack? Tell us in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

As the home of shows like Teen Mom and Jersey Shore, MTV’s not generally known for its ability to help young minds. But it’s never too late to start – and to prove it, the network has developed a Facebook app that helps students track down scholarship and other financial aid.

Working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the College Board and the Get Schooled campaign, the “My College Dollars” app uses information from the student user’s Facebook page to fill in a form, then suggests aid the student is eligible to apply for.

Among its other functions, it helps students:

• Access and fill out the FAFSA
• Post questions for experts, and
• Keep a calendar of important dates and send alerts to the student’s Facebook page.

The app operates entirely on Facebook, setting it aside from other college finance websites like finaid.org and fastweb.com.

Check out MTV’s app here, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

For the first time, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the top online bachelor’s programs, based on three major criteria: faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, and student engagement and assessment.

The data is based on survey responses from the 184 schools that have been offering online bachelor’s degree programs for more than one year.

The top 5 based on faculty:

1. Westfield State University, Massachusetts
2. United States Sports Academy, Alabama
3. St. Mary’s College of California
4. Pace University, New York
5. Sam Houston State University, Texas

The top 5 based on technology:

1. Arizona State University
2. Sam Houston State University
3. Florida International University
4. University of North Dakota
5. Troy University

The top 5 based on student engagement:

1. Bellevue University, Nebraska
2. Newberry College, South Carolina
3. Troy University, Alabama
4. University of the Incarnate Word, Texas
5. University of Phoenix, Arizona

Finally, U.S. News gave Honor Roll mention to the schools that ranked in the top 1/3 of all three criteria:

1. Florida Institute of Technology
2. Pace University
3. University of Florida
4. Westfield State University

You can view the entire ranked list here. Then let us know what you think in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

John Doe A has filed the first civil suit against Pennsylvania State University in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.

John Doe A claims he was sexually abused by Sandusky more than 100 times – most frequently in the football locker room. The suit claims Penn State:

• knew or should have known about the abuse
• assumed a duty to protect John Doe A by inviting him on campus
• breached its duty to protect John Doe A, and
• failed to properly supervise Jerry Sandusky in his role as a Penn State employee.

Penn State faces a laundry list of charges, including:

• vicarious liability of childhood sexual abuse
• negligence
• negligent supervision, and
• premises liability.

When asked by folks at Follett Higher Education Group to identify where they study, more than 9 out of 10 students said they’ve studied on the way to class, just minutes before the test.

OK, maybe that’s not strange or even surprising. But check out the progressively odd places on the rest of the list:

• as a passenger in a car (87.6%)
• while waiting in a line (63.4%)
• at work (60.9%)
• while working out (46.1%)
• in the restroom (44.1%)
• at a party (27.5%)
• at a late night restaurant/bar (25.8%), and
• on a date (9.8%).

More than 61% of students said they begin studying just a few days before a big test. Roughly 20% wait until the night before, while only about 13% said they get going with studying a few weeks before the test date.

Surprised? Please leave your comment below.

When Brittany Hamilton moved into student housing at the University of Nebraska, she wanted her four-pound miniature pinscher to come with her.

Hamilton had been diagnosed as having depression and anxiety, and she says the dog alleviates her symptoms.

The school generally bans pets other than fish in student housing, and it concluded the dog was a pet and not a legitimate service animal.

Hamilton supplied notes from her medical provider saying the dog was part of her therapy. But the school rejected them, saying they were insufficient to prove the animal wasn’t just a pet.

Hamilton left the school in early October 2010, about a month after she had arrived.

The Justice Department says the school violated the federal Fair Housing Act by refusing to modify its no-pet policy for Hamilton. They are asking a federal court to award damages, a $16,000 civil penalty and other relief.

Should the school have allowed the dog? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

 The average starting salary for graduates in the Class of 2011 jumped by 2.3% from the average salary for 2010 grads, a new survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers says.

The overall average salary for members of the Class of 2011 was $41,701, up from $40,766 a year earlier.

The survey created eight broad employment categories and reported average 2011 grad salaries for each. Here they are, in order:

1.  Engineering: $61,872
2.  Computer Science: $60,594
3.  Business: $48,111
4.  Health Sciences: $44,955
5.  Math and Sciences: $40,204
6.  Communications: $39,577
7.  Education: $37,830, and
8.  Humanities and Social Sciences: $35,503.

 All eight categories saw increases in average salary from 2010 to 2011. Computer science grads benefited most with a 4.1% jump, while math/science grads and health sciences grads saw salaries rise by 1.1% — the smallest increase among the eight groups.

The highest single salary reported by a 2011 grad: $72,594, by an engineering major. The lowest: a $28,312 annual take agreed to by a humanities grad.

Have a comment? Please add it below.

As many as one in three freshmen don’t make it back for a sophomore year, according to data from the U.S News and World Report. There are plenty of reasons students might drop out – money, family or academic problems among them – but it’s never good for a college’s reputation, or its morale.

These are the 10 schools with the lowest retention rates:

1. South Carolina State University – 64%
2. University of Arkansas – Little Rock – 64%
3. Cleveland State University – 63%
4. Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi – 61%
5. Lynn University – 60%
6. Our Lady of the Lake University – 60%
7. Texas A&M University – Kingsville – 60%
8. Texas Southern University – 59%
9. Idaho State University – 58%
10. University of Texas – San Antonio – 58%

How can colleges boost their retention rates? Share your ideas in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

College admissions departments looking to learn more about prospective students may have a secret weapon: the admissions essay.

While plenty of schools are sticking with traditional “Why this school?” essays, some are learning more about applicants by offering more quirky, unusual prompts, such as:

• “Imagine you have to wear a costume for a year of your life. What would you pick and why?” – Brandeis University
• “What is your favorite ride at the amusement park? How does this reflect your approach to life?” – Emory University
• “What does Play-Doh have to do with Plato?” – University of Chicago
• And rather ominously, “Why did you do it?” – Wake Forest University

Other schools are sticking with more standard questions, but with a twist – a word length that shows how concise a student’s response can be:

• “You have 150 words. Take a risk.” – University of Notre Dame
• “If I could do something with no risk of failing, I would … (25 words or fewer)” – Brown University
• “Gadget that needs inventing (in 20 words)” – University of North Carolina

How does your school get to know prospective students? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

While enrolled as an online student at the University of Scranton, Kristen Hart took a practicum in an elementary education class taught by Professor George Jones.

According to the court’s ruling in the case, Hart handed in an assignment that included some text she had initially written for another class. Jones concluded she had plagiarized her work, and Hart was assigned a grade of zero and expelled.

She sued, claiming breach of contract. She also said the school had fraudulently represented to her that she had violated her contract with it.

The court ruled for the school. Hart did not reference any specific contractual terms or cite any specific contractual breach by the school. The fraudulent misrepresentation claim failed because Hart alleged only that Jones accused her of plagiarism and acted unprofessionally. This was not enough to support the latter claim, the court said.

Cite: Hart v. University of Scranton.

Have a comment? Please add it below.

Architecture and the arts have not been kind when it comes to employment of newly minted college grads, says a new report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.

According to the report, recent grads in these five fields have had the most trouble finding work:

1. Architecture (13.9%)
2. Film Video and Photographic Arts (12.9%)
3. Fine Arts (12.6%)
4. Commercial Art and Graphic Design (11.8%), and
5. Information Systems (11.7%).

Who’s had better luck among recent grads? That would be those who majored in healthcare or education. Among those new grads, the unemployment rate is a relatively low 5.4%.

Surprised by these findings? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

It often takes decades of notoriety to get your work hung in a major metropolitan museum. Andrzej Sobiepan, a student at Wroclaw Fine Arts Academy in Poland, decided to take a quicker route, inspired by the graffiti artist Banksy: hang one of his paintings while the guards aren’t looking.

And – at least for a while – it worked!

Sobiepan’s small piece hung in the contemporary Polish art room for three days before National Museum officials spotted it. The director admitted the student’s act was a “witty artistic happening,” though he was less enthused with the apparent breach in museum security.

In fact, the museum has kept the painting on display – though t was downgraded to a position in its cafe. It’s expected to be sold at a large charity auction.

Any more legal ways arts students can get their works out there? Share your ideas in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

Of the 10 most expensive college dorms for 2011-2012, the top five are all in New York City, according to a list compiled by Campus Grotto.

At the top of the list is The New School, where a double room at the school’s 13th Street location will run students just over $18,000. The cost includes a required meal plan. A single dorm room pushes the bill to more than $21,000.

Massachusetts and California were the only states other than New York with schools cracking the top 10, and the annual housing cost for every school on the list topped $14,000.

The top 10, in order:

1.    The New School (New York, NY)
2.    New York University (New York, NY)
3.    Fordham University – Lincoln Center (New York, NY)
4.    Fordham University – Rose Hill (New York, NY)
5.    St. John’s University (New York, NY)
6.    Suffolk University (Boston, MA)
7.    Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY)
8.    Pace University (New York, NY)
9.    University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
10.  Marymount Manhattan College (New York, NY)

Are these dorms overpriced — or worth the cost? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

A new financial aid program at the University of California Berkeley gives help to families whose gross annual income is $80,000 to $140,000. According to the school, the contribution those families make toward the annual cost would be capped at 15%.

This plan is a response to the state’s high cost of living and the resulting challenges middle-class families face as a result. The school’s state funding has been reduced by almost $1 billion since 2007-08.

The current cost to go to UC Berkeley: $32,634 for students living on-campus. Non-residents pay an additional $22,878.

The Middle Class Access Plan will begin in the 2012-13 school year, and apply to domestic undergraduate students, including incoming freshmen. State money won’t be used – the funding is expected to come from donations and an increasing number of students paying non-resident tuition.

How has your school handled financial aid cutbacks? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

Students from York College took part in the 4^th Annual Great Kills Beach Polar Plunge, raising awareness and funds for the Special Olympics in the process. The cold-weather stunt provides year-round sports training and athletic competitions for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities.

The student-athletes – including Aileen Abad of the York College softball team, and Devon Lynch and Du’Quan Lawson of the men’s basketball team –raised $300 for Special Olympics New York, the largest SO program in the country.

Fortunately, on the 53-degree day of the event, the water was cold – but could’ve been much, much colder.

Share your school’s crazy fundraising events in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

The state of Colorado seems to be a popular one for tokers. A new Princeton Review survey ranks Colorado College No. 1 and the University of Colorado at Boulder No. 4 for marijuana use on campus.

The Review’s “Refer Madness” list, part of the 2012 edition of “The Best 376 Colleges,” is based on email surveys filled out by 122,000 students at more than 370 U.S. schools. Administrators are quick to point out that the rankings are unscientific and glorify dangerous behavior.

To Colorado College’s credit, it also ranked 20^th for “most politically active students.”

The top 5:

1. Colorado College in Colorado Springs
2. University of California in Santa Cruz
3. University of California in Santa Barbara
4. University of Colorado in Boulder
5. Bard College in New York

Should Colorado College worry about its image, or is any publicity good publicity? Share your views in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

The number of presidents earning at least $1 million is increasing, and widening the pay gap between presidents and faculty, according to the annual Chronicle of Higher Education review of presidential salaries.

It’s a trend that’s become common in the last few years. Presidential pay has grown by 35% in the last decade, while professorial pay rose only 5%, according to the most recent figures by the American Association of University Professors.

How to account for the high pay rates? In many cases, it’s the result of deferred compensation payouts. For instance, J. Timothy Cloyd of Hendrix College, whose pay tripled to $1.1 million after collecting eight years of contributions and earnings from a deferred compensation plan valued at $738,388.

While most of the highest-paid presidents can be found at the wealthiest schools in the country, there are some more interesting additions among lower-budgeted schools.

Example: Charles Polk, president of Mountain State University. Polk’s pay made up 3.5% of the school’s budget, at a school that’s struggling to retain regional accreditation and claims only a 2.5% six-year graduation rate.

Here are top 10:

1. Constantine Papadakis, Drexel University – $4,912,127
2. William Brody, Johns Hopkins University – $3,821,886
3. Donald DeRosa, University of the Pacific – $2,357,540
4. Henry Bienen, Northwestern University – $2,240,775
5. Nicholas Zeppos, Vanderbilt University – $1,890,274
6. Charles Polk, Mountain State University – $1,843,746
7. Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – $1,771,877
8. Alfred Bloom, Swarthmore College – $1,756,293
9. Richard Levin, Yale University – $1,627,649
10. James Lodi, Chapman University – $1,542,270

Check out the list at the Chronicle’s website ,and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

According to New York University professor Jose Angel Santana, actor/director James Franco missed 12 of 14 class meetings for Santana’s “Directing the Actor II” course. Santana assigned Franco, who was pursuing a master’s degree, a grade of “D.”

After his stint as an NYU student, Franco taught a course at the school. He also hired an NYU professor to write and direct a film.

Santana says the school’s cozy relationship with Franco caused it to frown on his decision to give the bad grade — to the point where the school decided to take Santana’s job away from him.

His lawsuit has asked a court to order the school to give it back.

Have a comment? Please share it below.

Boston University and Suffolk University math professor Irina Kristi has been charged with running a methamphetamine lab out of her home. The charges include distribution of meth, conspiracy to violate the drug law, and drug violation in a school zone.

Her 29-year-old son turned himself into authorities last month and pleaded not guilty to the same charges. Following this, there was a daylong search of their home, where investigators found “a large amount of materials believed to be hazardous,” believed to be used to make meth.

She’s set to be arraigned Dec. 21.

While Kristy still teaches at BU, Suffolk University had placed her on administrative leave through the end of the semester after hearing of the charges. A spokesperson for the school pointing out that since Kristy is an adjunct professor appointed and a per-semester basis, she has not be reappointed for next semester.

How should the colleges respond to the arrest of a faculty member? Share your thoughts in the comments section,  and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

Most of the time, Facebook use has practically no effect on student GPAs, according to a study from Lockhaven University of Pennsylvania. Out of the 1,800+ students surveyed, 92% admitted to using Facebook and spending an average 106 minutes on the network daily – about six times per day for 24 minutes at a time.

The study found “no strong link” between Facebook use and a drop in GPA. However, for every additional hour and a half spent on the site (over the 106-minute average), GPAs dropped an average of 0.12 points. That doesn’t prove one causes the other, though.

“Students with lower grades could simply use Facebook more, or there could be a third factor that affects both but isn’t studied here,” the study’s authors note.

The way students use Facebook may also affect how they do in the classroom. Students who shared links or checked the site to see what their friends were doing often did better in class. But students posting vague, “Eating ramen again, LOL”-style updates did worse.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland can count St. Mary’s River as part of its campus, as 240 students are living aboard a cruise ship about the length of a football field. The Sea Voyager is docked at the school’s southern Maryland campus.

After heavy rains exacerbated a mold problem in two rooms and made some students sick, they were moved out and put up in hotels. But because the college is so remote, and the hotels so far away, the college came up with the cruise ship idea as an alternative.

An alumnus suggested the idea after learning the boat was nearby and available. After a cost analysis showed the $20,000 a day to keep the ship operating was about what the school had been paying for the hotels, the initially far-fetched idea became a reality.

Students enjoy plenty of amenities – a TV and DVD player in every room, toilet paper in the cabin bathroom that gets folded into a little point and laundry service (since there aren’t any laundry facilities in the boat) – but there are some downsides as well. The ships location means a longer walk to class, and the 150-square-foot cabins are a bit cramped compared to the 178-square-foot dorms.

Fortunately, the boat-dwellers won’t have to weigh the pros and cons for too long. The school plans to have the dorms renovated and mold-free by the end of the semester.

How does your school handle emergency housing issues? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

After innocuous questions about age and grade level, a survey distributed by the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at the University of Vermont concluded with this query:

“If I could rape someone, who would it be?”

Administrators got a hold of the survey — and now the frat is in some serious hot water.

The school has suspended the frat and launched an investigation. The national organization of Sigma Phi Epsilon has called on the University of Vermont chapter to shut down. Even the police are involved in the investigation.

University officials called the survey question “incredibly offensive and inappropriate,” according to The Associated Press, while the school’s associate vice president said it was “quite shocking and quite disconcerting.”

Should the local chapter shut down? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.