Free University Tuition Video From Detroit's Television "Flashpoint"

Very interesting discussion on the free tuition movement with panelists Morley Winograd, Chairman of the "Campaign for Free Tuition" and former Michigan Governor James Blanchard.  Both panelists talk about the use of existing federal higher education funding for funding free instate tuition at public universities.  They state that Congress would not have to raise taxes to accomplish free tuition for all if they redirected the existing $60 billion federal dollars on higher education in America.  Also they talk about the fact that student college university loan debt is now at $1.2 TRILLION.  This I believe is higher than current national automobile loan debt and credit card debt.  The link below will take you to this video--it is the second video on the page.

The first video on the link is an interview with former Senator Carl Levin on the topic of ISIS, Middle East and foreign policy.  Worth a view.  Senator Levin now on the faculty at Wayne State University is the former Chairman of the US Senate Armer Services Committee and very knowledgable on this topic.  Worth a view.  

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/politics/flashpoint/flashpoint-discussing-refugees-with-sen-levin-free-tuition-with-panel/36600466

"Why Are a Student Protestors So Fearful" Op Ed raises Good Questions And Perspective. #highered. #changemakers. #leadership.

All of us involved with higher education should read this Op Ed.  All who care about what is happening on our nation's campuses should read this piece of journalism.  It raises some questions that need to be discussed and debated.  This discsuuion may help us assure that we keep student protest and dissent alive and vibrant on our campuses.  Judgement free debate and discussion will assure that our First Amendment stays an important integral part of our culture.  Think, analyze, criticize, disagree, dissent, agree and debate.  Our culture in this country is not about building walls around differences of opinion but rather to encourage our differences while agreeing to respect and not judge each other or our differences.  Our differences and our diversity make us a great a nation. 

 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/why-are-student-protesters-so-fearful.html?hpw&rref=opinion&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Saying Thank You- Part Of Being A Leader. #Leadership. #changemakers. #highered.

Saying thank you always means a lot to your team members.  In my former capacity as a university president I developed the practice sending old fashioned handwritten notes to say thank you to members of our university community and alumni.  It might be for something special they did for our university, an award they received or just a thank you for being a member of our university community.  I also emailed thank you notes.  I wrote my own notes and I sent them.  I would see them  hanging in employee offices.   

I also developed the habit of whenever I was in a university building to stop and say hello and thank you to employees who just finished a huge task, or to a maintenance worker doing a repair or cleaning in the building. i never entered or left a building without stopping to shake hands and say thank you to someone on our campus.  It always made me feel happy and I always learned something about the employees family, their professional lives or there views on issues of importance on campus.  I know it meant more to me than to them because it reminded me that everyone on our campus was part of our family, made huge contributions to our community everyday and we were a team, a family! 

 http://leadchangegroup.com/the-most-cost-effective-way-to-engage-your-people/

Michigan Held Down By Low Education Levels And Low Income. #highered #poverty. #changemakers

Interesting analysis by Lou Glazer in Bridge online magazine.  Poverty rates are a huge problem in Michigan and so many states-actually all across America.   In order to close the opportunity gap between the poor and high income earners (and middle class), we need to make sure we intervene early with children in poverty levels home.  A good start is mandatory pre K education and home delivered mentoring support.  We can get our education rates increased when we provide opportunities for poor children to be able to,afford a higher education. This report is worth a read.  

 http://bridgemi.com/2015/11/report-michigan-held-down-by-low-income-education/#.VlMRCBOCVyk.facebook

Campus Student Newspapers Creating "Safe Space" For Minority Students. #highered. #leadership. #1st Amendment

Campus newspaper editors are creating "safe space for students of color". They say it will be edited but unfiltered.  Might see more student groups want the same "safe space" for them or for a protest/cause.  This might add a lot more pages to the newspapers, but might also create a lot of transparency, effective communication on background of issues and also broad and open debate amongst students and the public.  Will also take more effective leadership on campus and in the public square to manage this new trend.  

Leadership Lessons On Campus. Univ Of Missouri Review #highered. #leadership. #edreform

Some really good lessons in the Univ of Missouri situation.  This article gives you some of the background, intrigue and politics of the situation.  Lack of leadership, lack of effective leadership, failure to lead, failure to build a narrative around a situation and around ones leadership plans.  Sitting Presidents and future presidents should pay lots of attention to what is described in this article -it is and will be a big part of your life as a leader on a campus.  Of course campus politics is always amongst the nastiest compared to most organizations.  Dissent, debate and arrogance is always part of campus cultures.  Worth a read.  http://chronicle.com/article/How-Missouri-s-Deans-Plotted/234283/?key=Ao6IduZjMulJ8MK6lwKChJk4DMU8PGfSai_vr678QP41dDBweTBnMEptV0QydTVCQmVZXzhqQm9SSGtKRkF1NXJtcnRuZVo3OWhn

 

Media & Free Speech On Campuses: Protestors Tell Media Stay Away From Campus Rallies. #highered. #leadership

 http://www.vox.com/2015/11/22/9778376/student-protests-media-free-speech?utm_campaign=vox&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Not sure how protestors will get their message out to an audience larger than those who support their cause.  However, this is a new world order on campuses around diversity, race,  peace, etc., etc..  This will have to play out some more before it can be adequately analyzed and parsed.  Will be interesting to see how faculty and administrators react to this student demand and how they resolve the free speech issue.  Also seems almost 60s-ish on campuses now with a return to students not really caring what faculty or administration think about any issue.   

Dark Store Loophole Legislation Needed ASAP. #leadership #taxrevenue

This article in Bridge Magazine written by the CEOs of the Michigan Municipal Leaugue and the Michigan Association of Counties  gives good background on the issue and why action is necessary.  Allowing big box stores to escape local taxes while small businesses downtown and all around have to belly up to the tax bucket is somehow just not right and needs to be adjusted.  This loss of revenue is causing local libraries, municipal services and other services to be greatly reduced. Taxation  needs to be fair in a democracy.  

 http://bridgemi.com/2015/11/legislature-must-close-dark-stores-tax-loophole/

 

Student Mental Health Issues Raise College Awareness/Attention. #highered. #mentalhealth #edpolicy

Campuses across nation are paying a lot more attention these days to minoritynstudent concerns about campus mental health issues expressed by students in wake of issues raised at Univ of Missouri and other campuses.  In addition to the demand by minority students that universities do something about racial incidents, attitudes and hate speech on campuses the mental health issue has been brought under scrutiny.  Boards of Trustees should be paying a lot of attention to this issue.  This is a governance issue as well as a administration/management issue.  http://chronicle.com/article/How-Mental-Health-Care-Entered/234267/?key=XmepCUYQgr3hEjs1FJdolFDsiaXf2eRMArsPqaQkhgJOQjVUTEw2VTlpUnVXUEJ0NG9WTDg2bllMWU5acWZ0VVlHTzktUURsRHFr

Colleges In The Crosshairs-With More scrutiny To Come. #highered #edpolicy #leadership

A good review of increased scrutiny by not only policy makers, but voters, parents and students.  All demanding that policy makers pay more attention to the governing and leadership crisis in America'colleges and universities.  Liberals, conservatives and independents weighing in on lots of issues that have been festering for years--cost of tuition, affordability, legacy, tenure, salaries, president  compensation and powers, etc., etc..  Will only the elite and wealthy be able to get a college education without mountains of student loan debt?  Will policy makers close the "opportunity gap" for students from poverty?  Will the next few years bring about any reforms?  Some?  None?

 http://politi.co/1JBkbw1