DIVERSITY MEDIA WATCH
WISCONSIN
The state of Wisconsin held a rally on October 28,
2002, to commemorate thirty years of Title IX Education
Amendments of 1972. The ceremony in Wisconsin included
showing a new photography exhibit that features the
accomplishments of women in education. University
of Wisconsin System President Katharine Lyall participated
in the celebration and said of Title IX: "Women
are much better off for it and are flourishing as
a result. In the UW System, it has been a large part
of the reason our student body is now over fifty percent
women and they can go into the fields of medicine
and law. Enrollment used to be one-third female when
Title IX went into effect. Now it's 55 percent."
"Rally Celebrates Thirty
Years of Title IX," by Brenda Ingersoll, Wisconsin
State Journal, October 29, 2002
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CALIFORNIA
The 2001-2002 study conducted by the University of California,
Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)
found that an increasing number of college professors
are self-identifying themselves as "liberal"
or "far left" politically. The 2001-2002
survey found that the percentage of faculty identifying
themselves as politically "conservative"
has held steady since 1989 at 18 percent. The percentage
of faculty identifying themselves as "middle of
the road" politically decreased from 40 percent
in 1989 to 34 percent, and the percentage of faculty
self-identifying as "liberal" politically
increased from 42 percent in 1989 to 48 percent. The
shift was especially prominent among women faculty,
54 percent of whom identified as "liberal"
compared to only 45 percent in 1989. Ninety-one percent
of faculty respondents indicated that a diverse student
body enhances the educational experience of students.
Statistics were compiled from the responses of 32,840
full-time undergraduate faculty at 358 universities.
Information is available on the HERI web site: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html
"Survey Says Faculty Leaning
‘Far Left,‘" by Andrew Whelan, The
California Aggie, October 30, 2002
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VIRGINIA
State Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore wants the Virginia
state legislature to pass a law barring illegal immigrants
from attending public colleges in Virginia. Officials
at Northern Virginia Community College, an institution
located just outside of Washington, D.C., that serves
38,000 students, say that Kilgore's proposal conflicts
with the university's mission to serve the local
community. Kilgore's office states that it is
concerned with illegal immigrants taking the admission
spots of legal state residents as well as a possible
terror threat by allowing illegal immigrants to receive
higher education in the States. But Max L. Bassett,
vice president for academic and student services counters,
"As long as we are within the law, we're
not really considering closing our doors to people who
need us." Ultimately, Northern Virginia Community
College complied with Kilgore's request to charge
illegal immigrants the out-of-state tuition rate rather
than the in-state tuition rate, even though many of
the students have lived in the community for years.
"Virginia Weighs Banning
Illegal iImmigrants from State Colleges," by Jamilah
Evelyn, Chronicle of Higher Education, January 10, 2003
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NORTH CAROLINA
According to a report published by The Journal of Blacks
in Higher Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill and Duke University earn high marks on integrating
black students and faculty. The study ranked the application
and admittance rate for black students at twenty-five
of the nation's highest ranked universities and
liberal arts colleges. In the university category, University
of North Carolina ranked number one in the percentage
of black freshman students attending with 12.5 percent,
while Duke University ranked number three in the report
with 10.4 percent of the freshman class composed of
African-American students.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher
Education, "The Progress of Black Student Enrollments
at the Nation's Highest-Ranked Colleges and Universities,"
www.jbhe.com/, November 15, 2002
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SOUTH CAROLINA
January 28, 2003 marked forty years of racial integration
at Clemson University in South Carolina. When Clemson
admitted black students in 1963, it became South Carolina's
first public institution to integrate. But today Clemson
continues to struggle in its efforts to build a diverse
student body. At the University of South Carolina black
students make up 16 percent of the student body, while
at Clemson, African-American students comprise between
6 and 8 percent of the student body. Approximately 30
percent of South Carolina's population is black.
While Clemson has several minority recruitment and outreach
activities, some criticize the institution's failure
to devote more resources to building a diverse campus
population.
"Clemson struggles to diversify
students," by Jeff Stensland, The Myrtle Beach
Sun-News, January 28, 2003
| ON AND OFF THE
RECORD / MATERIALS FOR THE MEDIA |
If you want to tell a reporter
something, but don't want to be quoted,
tell the reporter: "The following is OFF
THE RECORD." Make sure that the reporter
explicitly agrees when you are speaking off the
record. When you are done speaking off the record,
tell the reporter that "we are now talking
ON THE RECORD again."
Be aware, however, that off the record information
may still wind up in the article, if the reporter
can find another source to say the information
on the record. Good reporters know how to get
another source to confirm information, especially
if it makes a good story. They may even tell the
other source that you told them the information.
All "off the record" means is that
the information will not be attributed to you.
When you speak off the record, you are giving
the reporter background information for their
story. Don't tell the reporter idle gossip.
If you don't want something to appear in
print, don't tell it to them, even off the
record. Be very careful with on and off the record.
With established publications, if you say "the
following is off the record" they tend to
respect that. But reporters do sometimes make
mistakes. With lesser publications, just don't
tell them off the record information.
If you get sandbagged, don't become defensive.
If you do, you'll seem like you're
either whining or covering up. Definitely don't
overreact. Either refer them to someone else for
the answer (and call that person to give them
a heads up), or answer the question with a question.
It takes a lot of skill to put the proper spin
on an answer, so don't try until you have
more experience. If you have to answer, don't
talk to the specifics of the challenge, but the
intent behind them. For example, state that privacy
rules prevent you from discussing student records,
and describe the general procedures you follow
in resolving problems. Changing the topic can
backfire on you. The right way to change the topic
is to toot your own horn on a related subject.
If you don't want to answer a question,
answer simply "no comment." If you
say that you don't want to answer in too
many words, you're giving the reporter something
they can excerpt.
General Tips
- Spell out all names when talking to a reporter. Not only will this help ensure your name is spelled correctly, but it increases the likelihood that they'll quote you.
- Don't be long-winded. Try to find the shortest possible way of answering the question. Sound bites are more likely to be quoted than detailed explanations because they are easier to remember, so try to be concise. Try to say what you need to say in thirty seconds.
- Avoid jargon.
- Think before you talk. Don't be so eager for the interview that you launch into an explanation without gathering your thoughts together.
- If being interviewed for TV, know in advance what you're going to do with your hands. Don't fidget. Don't cross your arms, as this appears confrontational. If standing, keep your hands at your side.
- Be yourself. Don't assume a persona--you'll come across as artificial or uptight. Use personal pronouns and don't use the passive voice.
Excerpted from FinAid! the smart guide to Financial Aid. Copyright © 1994-2000 by FinAid Page, LLC. All rights reserved.
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