SCUP Scan: Thursday, 12-17-09

Some quick links from our daily environmental scan of higher education media for information of potential interest to SCUP members:
NEW BOOK: Financing Sustainability on Campus, NACUBO: "Shattering the myth of “funding first, operational change second,” the authors provide a comprehensive handbook to financing sustainability with real world examples, creative strategies, and clear explanations of a wide variety of financial tools and programs." Print ($75) or ebook ($35)
Overcrowded and Underfunded: New York's Public Universities, National Crosstalk: "It’s crowded. Very, very crowded. Every seat is taken in every classroom you can see. Some of those seats are in the aisles."
A Tale of Two Cities: Pittsburgh & Dallas, Inside Higher Ed: "Dissecting fall enrollments in Pittsburgh and Dallas, we find that public colleges boomed and independent institutions mostly held on, thanks to rising tide (and more merit aid).
Interview with John Mills, President, Paul Smith's College, Today's Campus: "How does a small private college attract 'achiever students' to a remote location in a down economy? John Mills has an interesting tale."

Chiropractic College's Rugby Team Is Good for Business, The New York Times: "At Life University College of Chiropractic, when they say they've got your back, they mean it. And the Rugby team players provide lots of teaching experience, "players' out-of-whack spines afford an assembly line of bodies to press on."

Pittsburgh Sets Vote on Adding Tax on Tuition, The New York Times: 10 colleges and universities, and 100,000+ students don't like the idea, but this 1 percent tuition tax may well become law; and then head for the courts, of course. Update: The vote was postponed. Mayor still thinking institutions might cough up money voluntarily.

Berkeley & Landmark Buildings, The San Francisco Chronicle: "With more than 300 landmark buildings, Berkeley loves its architecture." Did it go "too far when it bestowed the hallowed status on a concrete, flat-roofed Berkeley building loosely linked to Bernard Maybeck."

Reactions: Is It Time for Class-Based Affirmative Action?, The Chronicle of Higher Education: "A new study [With Their Wholes Lives Ahead of Them] from Public Agenda has found that the main reason students drop out of college is that they have to work. That raises the question: Has the time come for an affirmative-action policy based on socioeconomic status?"
Tufts Adds 5 Stories to Downtown Building, Without Closing It, Buildings & Grounds Blog, The Chronicle of Higher Education: Add 5 floors on top of 10, keep the 10 open while you do it, and earn LEED certification while you're at it. Nice.