MiddNews
A conference titled "Summit on Technology in Liberal Arts Colleges," held in Middlebury's Bicentennial Hall, brought more than 125 college presidents, chief academic officers, computer information specialists, and faculty members to campus in June. Middlebury College sponsored the two-day conference jointly with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to explore ways liberal arts institutions can make the most effective use of technology to enhance their academic programs while maintaining their essential character as residential colleges.
Collaborative arrangements among several institutions, it was generally agreed, appear to offer the best avenue for the development of technological applications that will enrich their academic programs. A prime example of collaboration that uses the Internet to offer courses to students on multiple campuses is the virtual classics department developed by the Associated Colleges of the South. Scholars from several of the consortium's 15 member institutions developed a course in advanced Latin that will be offered to students on six different campuses starting this fall, using a combination of online and live class sessions.
Throughout the conference, speakers and panels engaged issues dealing with the allocation of resources, ownership of intellectual property, and the need to consider adjusting traditional reward and tenure systems to encourage development of programs by faculty. Unilateral institutional development of commercially available distance learning programs and courses is an unlikely scenario for liberal arts colleges, according to some conference attendees, though partnerships with commercial providers were not ruled out.
A broader view of higher education's use of the Internet is presented in a Wall Street Journal story that reports that venture capital investment in higher education Internet applications currently totals some $6 billion. Ann Grimes's story in the July 17 edition reports that many higher education institutions are moving aggressively to develop online programs, partly out of fear that commercial competitors such as the University of Phoenix Online and Kaplan College will gain dominance in a market estimated to be worth some $250 billion. International Data Corp., a Massachusetts research firm, states that the corporate e-learning market generated about $1billion in revenue in 1999, according to the Journal. That figure is expected to climb to $11.4 billion by 2003.
Some institutions are forming alliances with commercial businesses to develop online courses, a phenomenon that worries some faculty members concerned about slippage in academic rigor and quality. Proponents of commercial distance learning programs argue that e-learning is coming regardless of whether or not traditional colleges and universities participate. Citing the high cost of doing business generally in the field of higher education, many feel that commercial distance learning ventures will provide a significant revenue stream.
The Bread Loaf School of English began its summer activity at Middlebury's mountain campus with a series of three conferences that were packed into four days (June 22-25) before kicking off its regular six-week summer program on June 27. The Bread Loaf Alliance of Rural Educators, the Bread Loaf/Spencer Teacher Research Conference, and the Bread Loaf Teacher Network Conference all took place within this short but energized timeframe. The Bread Loaf School of English operates in four locations: Middlebury College, New Mexico, Alaska, and Oxford.
Testing is in the news. New York Times columnist Brent Staples speculated in a July 9 editorial page piece that the growth in the number of colleges that no longer require SAT scores signals a backlash against the use of the test in college admissions. A Times story that ran on July 3 described sixth graders stressed out over the arduous college admission process that lies ahead, and the need to prepare well for the all-important SATs. William Hiss, of Bates, says that SAT scores have been too big a part of the admissions process at prestigious colleges. He cites a study that shows no correlation between SAT performance and grade point averages at Bates. Students who apply for admission to Middlebury are not required to submit scores on the SAT I, which is the test most often required by colleges. Instead, Middlebury applicants are required to submit scores from one of several combinations of other standardized tests.
A team of Middlebury College students returned to campus on June 22 following a two-week relief project in flood-stricken Mozambique and Zimbabwe. While in Africa, the volunteers helped with reconstruction and clean-up efforts in areas damaged by the torrential rains that had occurred earlier this year. On Friday, June 23, they were honored at a reception held on the Middlebury College campus, where they described their experiences. President John McCardell presented team members with citations of commendation in recognition of their participation in the relief effort.
The Bicentennial Campaign has less than a year to go. To date, donations total $158.5 million toward a $200 million goal. The campaign officially ends on June 30, 2001.
This year, approximately 1,165 students have come to Middlebury to participate in the Language Schools throughout the summer. Corporate executives study side-by-side with writers, journalists, doctors, lawyers, missionaries, government officials, and diplomats. Undergraduates and graduate students from Middlebury College and other institutions also attend the summer sessions to fulfill language requirements or complete degrees. Students eat, sleep, and drink the language they have come to study, and all agree to abide by the Language Pledge, a formal commitment to speak the language of study and no other for the entire summer session.
What do newly minted Middlebury grads plan to do now that they have left college? According to a survey of the class of 2000 conducted in May by the College's office of institutional research, the largest percentage of them (44 percent) accepted full-time employment. In addition, 14 percent reported that they plan to go to graduate school, and 36 percent are still undecided on jobs versus graduate school. Sixty-eight students have travel plans, 133 have summer jobs or internships, three are getting married, and others list relaxing, resting, futzing around, and becoming ski bums as activities they intend to pursue now that the graduation milestone has been passed.
The College donated $3,500 to several nonprofit organizations in Addison County and beyond. The donations were made in the names of seven students honored this spring for their volunteer service work. Each student designated an organization to receive a $500 donation.