Daily Higher Education News

Friday, September 02, 2005

Community College of Philadelphia Assists Hurricane Victims

Community College of Philadelphia Assists Hurricane Victims

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- At this time, the southern coastal United States is experiencing the worse natural disaster in U.S. history. Consistent with our tradition of assisting communities in need and in response to this emergency, Community College of Philadelphia is launching an educational initiative to assist hurricane victims:

-- We are offering Philadelphia residents or the relatives of
Philadelphia residents who have lost their opportunity to attend
college in hurricane-stricken areas special student status. These
individuals will have the opportunity to attend the College without
the need for out-of-pocket expenses for the 2005-2006 year. The
College will forgive direct costs that are not covered by financial
aid, grants or scholarships.
-- The College will provide comprehensive educational support services
to assist students enrolling in the College. If needed, employment
assistance will be provided through the Center for Career Placement.
-- There will be the single point of contact to access these services.
Individuals can email the College at hurricanerelief@ccp.edu.

In addition, our sister community colleges in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties are enacting education initiatives similar to ours. For more information about these programs, please contact these colleges directly: http://www.bucks.edu/; http://www.dccc.edu/; and http://www.mc3.edu/.

The American Association of Community Colleges, of which the College is a member, has begun outreach efforts to the institutions affected by the hurricane. The association is also urging the federal government to do what is necessary to ensure uninterrupted and portable financial aid to students in the affected areas.

All of us at Community College of Philadelphia are saddened by this horrible tragedy. At this time, I would like to encourage all members of the College community to join me in a show of support for the victims in dire need of assistance. Please visit http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadonations.shtm to see how you can participate in the relief effort.

Please check our Web site, http://www.ccp.edu/, for continued updates on how the College is responding to this crisis.

Community College of Philadelphia is the largest degree-granting institution in the city, enrolling more than 40,000 students annually at its Main Campus, three Regional Centers, and more than 30 locations throughout Philadelphia. The College offers day, evening, and weekend classes at a variety of convenient locations, as well as classes on the Internet and television courses on PBS. Visit the College at http://www.ccp.edu/.

Source: Community College of Philadelphia

CONTACT: Kimberly Iapalucci of Community College of Philadelphia,
+1-215-751-8082, or Pager, +1-215-714-5719

Web site: http://www.ccp.edu/

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WVU Opens Doors to Students From Hurricane-Ravaged Gulf, Waives Admissions Fees

WVU Opens Doors to Students From Hurricane-Ravaged Gulf, Waives Admissions Fees

MORGANTOWN, W.Va., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- College students displaced by Hurricane Katrina have the opportunity to take fall semester classes at West Virginia University, WVU officials say.

The University is expediting the enrollment process and offering admission to students who attend colleges that have been closed by the disaster until Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Additionally, WVU is waiving application and late registration fees for students in the storm-affected areas, said Brenda Thompson, assistant vice president of Enrollment Management.

"The University is working with students on a case-by-case basis," she said. "We want them to know they have options."

Two students from Tulane University have been admitted to WVU, Thompson noted, and two more -- one from Tulane, the other from Xavier University in Louisiana -- will speak with University officials Friday.

For more information, students are encouraged to call Marilyn Potts in Admissions at 304-293-2124 ext. 1513 or e-mail marilyn.potts@mail.wvu.edu.

Health Sciences officials, meanwhile, are exploring whether they can admit additional students into the health professional programs at WVU's Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center.

"All of us have been deeply affected in one way or another by the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina," said Dr. Robert D'Alessandri, vice president for Health Sciences. "Each of the deans has been engaged in this process, and we are at this point assessing our ability to accept additional students in all of our programs."

WVU News on the Web - http://www.nis.wvu.edu/newsroom/

Source: West Virginia University

CONTACT: News and Information Services of West Virginia University,
+1-304-293-6997

Web site: http://www.nis.wvu.edu/newsroom

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'Dollars for Disaster' Fund-Raiser Set for Next Week

'Dollars for Disaster' Fund-Raiser Set for Next Week

WVU community continues its relief efforts in Katrina's aftermath

MORGANTOWN, W.Va., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- As thousands are feared dead and many more left homeless in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, students and employees at West Virginia University are mobilizing relief efforts for survivors of the monster storm.

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the WVU Student Health Advisory Board -- along with the Student Government Association, fraternities and sororities, Campus Crusade for Christ and many other student organizations -- will launch a two- week, campuswide fund-raiser called "Dollars for Disaster: Hurricane Katrina Relief."

Student volunteers will accept donations from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sept. 6-9, 12-16 and 19-20 in the Mountainlair and Health Sciences Center (outside the HSC cafeteria).

SHAB is coordinating the "Dollars for Disaster" fund-raiser through the River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. The money will help the Red Cross provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to people devastated by the hurricane, said to be the worst natural disaster in the United States since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

"This is a way for the WVU and Morgantown communities to show we care and directly help those devastated by Hurricane Katrina," said Lisa Costello, SHAB president and fund-raiser organizer. "We are calling on students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni to make financial donations of $1 or more for the cause."

University departments and student organizations are encouraged to collect and donate as units, she added. Every unit will be recognized on a display in the Mountainlair.

Cash and checks will be accepted. Checks should be made out to ARC Hurricane Katrina. If people would like their donations to go to a designated state, they may note that in the memo line. Donations should be mailed to: SHAB/WVU Health Service, P.O. Box 9247, Morgantown, WV 26506.

As with last year's tsunami fund-raiser that raised more than $10,000, each person who lends a hand is encouraged to sign his or her name on a "hand" made out of paper. These "hands" will be available at the collection sites and exhibited in the Mountainlair.

For more information or to volunteer with the fund-raiser, e-mail shabwvu@yahoo.com.

WVU, other state colleges join forces to help displaced students

While University-wide relief efforts are under way, the West Virginia Campus Compact, operated from WVU, is also busy communicating with its 17 member colleges and universities to see if there is space available to house and educate the thousands of students displaced by the storm.

Kim Colebank, director of WVU's Office of Service Learning Programs, is coordinating outreach efforts with Jerry Beasley, Concord University president and WVCC Presidents Council chair.

"We're currently conducting an availability assessment," she said, "to see if food and residence halls are available so we can invite them to our schools. We're focusing on immediate relief -- how we can accommodate them and get them here."

Two students from Tulane University, meanwhile, have been admitted here, WVU officials said, and a third student will speak with University officials Friday.

Colebank said student volunteers are needed to make phone calls. If anyone is interested in getting involved, they can call 304-293-8761 and talk to Chris Willis, a volunteer with the Office of Service Learning Programs.

WVU has some 185 students from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and South Florida attending classes and wants to hear from anyone experiencing family difficulties or loss. Call the Student Infoline at 304-293-5555. For counseling services, call the Carruth Center at 304-293-4431.

From cyberspace to your street - other ways to help

Outreach groups across north-central West Virginia and the region continued their efforts for the people caught in Katrina's path.

The United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties will stage a "response and recovery collection" of cash and checks Sept. 9 at WVU Hospitals, the Monongalia County Courthouse, Mountaineer Mall and The Dominion Post/W.Va. Radio Corp. offices in Sabraton.

WVU Hospitals will match employee contributions up to $10,000 in that effort. Call 304-296-7525 for more information.

A blood drive will also be held at WVU Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 1-7 p.m. at Arnold Hall on the Downtown Campus.

The organization is also encouraging monetary donations for the relief effort. Call 304-598-9500 or (800) HELP-NOW for details.

Morgantown's detachment of the Salvation Army is also accepting donations, as it readies to send its own staffers to the hurricane area. For more information, call 304-296-3525 or visit your local Wal-Mart or Sam's Club.

EDEN, the national Extension Disaster Education Network also has a list of online resources at www.eden.lsu.edu/; and people can also track down family members at colleges and universities in the affected areas by joining a "Katrina Community" online at The Society for College and University Planning. That URL is www.scup.org/.

Waiting for the next storm

As the battered Gulf Coast rebuilds in the months ahead, there's more than a good chance that WVU will play a role in the emotional health and well-being of the endeavor. The University's Job Accommodation Network is an international service that provides consulting for businesses whose employees are grappling with physical and emotional issues.

Months after the Sept. 11 attacks the network known as JAN fielded hundreds of calls from the New York-Washington area from frazzled personnel managers wondering how to best accommodate employees suddenly finding themselves in the throes of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dr. Deborah Hendricks, who oversees JAN's expects more of the same in the months ahead, courtesy of Katrina.

"It's like one storm has passed and we're waiting for the next one to hit," Hendricks said. "You can't 'shake off' a devastating hurricane. We just want people to know we're to help, when they need us."

For more information, call Hendricks at 304-293-7186, or visit JAN online at www.jan.wvu.edu.

WVU News on the Web - http://www.nis.wvu.edu/newsroom/

Source: West Virginia University

CONTACT: Lisa Costello, president, Student Health Advisory Board, cell,
+1-304-670-1030, or Kim Colebank, director, Office of Service Learning
Programs, +1-304-293-8761, both of West Virginia University; or Dr. Deborah
Hendricks, operations manager of Job Accommodation Network, +1-304-293-7186

Web site: http://www.nis.wvu.edu/newsroom
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/
http://www.eden.lsu.edu/
http://www.scup.org/

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USA Funds Commits $1 Million to Help College Students Affected by Hurricanes

USA Funds Commits $1 Million to Help College Students Affected by Hurricanes

Disaster relief to help low-income students stay in school

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Funds(R), the nation's leading education-loan guarantor, has announced a commitment of $1 million to provide financial assistance to college students in sections of four states affected by recent hurricanes. USA Funds' financial support will provide assistance to low-income students attending schools in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi counties designated as federal disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following hurricanes Dennis and Katrina.

Awards of up to $35,000 may be made to eligible postsecondary institutions that apply. Financial-aid offices at institutions awarded grants will distribute the funds to eligible students affected by the disaster to supplement the students' financial-aid packages.

Assistance of up to $750 may be given to each eligible low-income student who already receives Pell Grants or other need-based aid. The assistance may be used for immediate education-related needs or for second-term education expenses -- tuition, fees, books, room and board or other education-related expenses.

"USA Funds recognizes that low-income students are especially vulnerable to dropping out of school in the wake of such disasters, so we are providing this support to help these students stay in school and complete their studies," said Carl C. Dalstrom, USA Funds president and CEO. "This program is consistent with our nonprofit mission to support preparation for, access to and success in higher education."

For additional information about the program and to apply for a grant, campus financial-aid administrators should visit http://www.disasterrelief.scholarshipamerica.org/ .

Dalstrom noted that this marks the second year that USA Funds has supported disaster relief for college students. A grant from USA Funds provided $545,000 in emergency aid to students attending 41 postsecondary institutions in areas of five states -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi -- ravaged by four major hurricanes during 2004.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services. USA Funds annually guarantees education loans totaling $16.5 billion for students and parents throughout the nation and serves as the designated guarantor of federal education loans for eight states: Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming.

Source: USA Funds

CONTACT: Robert P. Murray, Director, Corporate Communications of USA
Funds, +1-317-806-1283, bmurray@usafunds.org

Web site: http://www.disasterrelief.scholarshipamerica.org/
http://www.usafunds.org/

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Minnesota's Private Colleges Tell Congressional Delegation Higher Education Reauthorization Act Is Inadequate to Meet State Needs

Minnesota's Private Colleges Tell Congressional Delegation Higher Education Reauthorization Act Is Inadequate to Meet State Needs

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The following memorandum from the Minnesota Private College Council, representing 17 of Minnesota's four-year private colleges and universities (see: http://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/ ), has been sent this morning to members of Minnesota's Congressional delegation.

September 1, 2005

MEMO TO: Minnesota Congressional Delegation

FROM: David B. Laird, Jr.
President, Minnesota Private College Council

RE: Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act

cc: MPCC Board of Directors
Governor Tim Pawlenty
President Robert Bruininks, University of Minnesota
Chancellor James McCormick,
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Late in June, Tom Friedman's book, The World is Flat, was climbing steadily in public sales throughout the nation. Among the many challenges which he articulates in his analysis is the likelihood that many other nations will out-hustle us in the coming two decades to produce the intellectual capital necessary to compete in a global economy.

At about the same time, the Business Roundtable and other respected groups across the spectrum issued reports which call attention to the coming crisis in America's workforce. Their collective conclusion is that unless we find immediate ways to increase access to and success in college for low-income and minority Americans, our nation will not be able to compete in the world of the future.

While this important public discussion about education and our nation's future was occurring, the House Education and Workforce Committee was completing its work on the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The bill (HR 609) is a great disappointment and addresses none of the challenges which our business and education leaders have been articulating for months, if not years.

Does the House bill adopt an investment strategy which will help meet our
internal and external challenges for the next five to ten years? No.
Indeed the bill calls for savings (budget cuts) somewhere between $8 and
$12 billion at a time when demographic changes and cost increases over
the next decade will surely increase the documented need of students who
wish to attend college.

Does the House bill provide incentives for colleges and universities to
enroll and succeed with more low-income and minority students in the near
term? No. The House bill will weaken many of the tools now available in
Title IV to accomplish those goals.

Does the House bill provide incentives for producing more people with
degrees in the critical areas of science, engineering, and mathematics
and improve our understanding of other cultures and other business
practices throughout the world? No. The House bill ignores these
challenges along with the problems associated with recruiting additional
intellectual capital in other parts of the world.

Does the House bill preserve protections against fraud and abuse for
students, the public, federal funding, and competing institutions? No.
Indeed, the House bill eliminates nearly all of the provisions in current
law that provide such protections, and ignores the fundamental
differences in mission and roles for non-profit and for-profit higher
education entities.

Does the House bill create conditions for a more effective partnership
between the federal government, the states, and public and private
institutions of higher education? No. In fact, the attempts to
federalize higher education in the House bill will reverse 40 years of
efforts to build effective partnerships.

The need for effective partnership with both state and federal governments in higher education is especially acute in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Our demographics will change dramatically and rapidly within the next five years. We are projected to have a deficit of college graduates to replace those retiring from our educated workforce, to say nothing of producing enough college-educated people to fill the anticipated new jobs created by our state's diverse and complex economy.

For both individuals and institutions, financing higher education has become very complicated, leading to frustration among families and policy makers. To grasp the challenge we must consider the complex variables that are part of the higher education marketplace and especially understand the roles that the federal and state governments have played in making the situation more difficult to resolve.

For instance, according to one national economist, "the primary anticompetitive force in higher education" (Hoxby, 2000) today is the federal rationing device used to control the costs of the Pell program -- promoted publicly as a family needs analysis. The federal policies and practices associated with the FAFSA have produced distorted needs analyses, undermined family confidence in the process, and left individual institutions in an untenable position to work with families and their financial circumstances. The continuing support to maintain regressive, low public college tuitions for people with the means to pay substantially more is an equally complicating factor in the marketplace.

Our member institutions currently are working together to try to find a different approach for the future, but we must have leadership from the federal government.

With this as context, the four most serious concerns we have about the Reauthorization process and positions to date are as follows:

1. Congress has changed the conversation about the federal role in
higher education from expanding student opportunity to controlling
institutional decision making. Instead of focusing on students and the
nation's economic well being, Congress has found new ways to insert the
federal government's hand in university management decisions.

2. Federal intrusion into college tuition, admissions, and accreditation
decisions undermines institutional independence and does nothing to make
college more affordable. Congressional proposals would impose even more
federal regulations, including price controls, on institutions and unduly
limit the independence of trustees and administrators. Unfunded
reporting mandates will further strain college budgets and put pressure
on colleges to increase their most significant revenue source: tuition.

3. The federal government has a fundamental role as a key partner in
college accessibility, which cannot be replaced by institutions, states,
or families. Since the creation of the Higher Education Act in 1965, the
federal and state governments, colleges and universities, families, and
philanthropic organizations have worked as effective partners to ensure
that financial resources would be available for needy students. Federal
grant, loan, and work study programs are critical sources of aid
available to students. Federal student aid funding has stagnated the
past four years, putting additional strain on college budgets as
institutions attempt to fill the gaps.

4. The looming higher education access and affordability crisis is real
and can only be solved by renewed commitment by Congress to fully funding
the student aid programs. In Minnesota, all of the potential growth in
college students over the next ten years will come from high school
graduates with low-income and minority backgrounds, many of whom would be
the first in their family to attend college, and one in five of whom will
live in poverty. America's long-term economic health, social cohesion,
and security will be ensured only through equal access to a college
education. Student aid, not government regulation is the key.

As we view the House bill and its anticipated floor amendments alongside the limited information about current Senate discussions, we reach the unhappy conclusion that no Reauthorization this year would be better than the anticipated result from either house or a conference process. Given that disappointing conclusion we would urge House members to vote against the bill (HR 609) produced by the House committee leadership, and we would urge Senators to ask their committee members to redouble their efforts in the coming year to produce a very different kind of Reauthorization initiative.

On a personal note, I have been involved in every Reauthorization since 1972 and have never observed a more disjointed process or seen a more destructive bill emanate from either house or either party in all of those years. As I reflect on the most effective Reauthorizations, they were created in an open give-and-take environment with a bipartisan coalition to move the Reauthorization as a major priority for our nation.

Our country needs a very different approach to our nation's investment in our future human capital.

Source: Minnesota Private College Council

CONTACT: Kate Metzger or David Laird, both of Minnesota Private College
Council, +1-651-228-9061, or +1-800-774-2655

Web site: http://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/

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Babson Executive Education Leads 'Innovation' Consortium in Singapore

Babson Executive Education Leads 'Innovation' Consortium in Singapore

WELLESLEY, Mass., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Babson Executive Education, ranked among the top 10 in the world by both the Financial Times and BusinessWeek, will lead global business executives in Singapore from September 18-21 in its Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship Consortium Program. Babson Executive Education is partnering with the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) to deliver the three-day program.

The Consortium Program, the only one of its kind in Asia, is designed to help organizations accelerate new avenues of growth -- whether from new product and service offerings, entry into new markets, alliances, business ventures, or mergers and acquisitions.

Consortium Program curriculum includes:
* The Entrepreneurial Process
* Opportunity Identification
* Entrepreneurial Finance
* Shaping and Identifying Corporate Ventures
* Positioning and Selling New Business Opportunities
* Institutionalizing an Entrepreneurial Orientation

According to Chris Hennessey, Babson Executive Education Faculty Director and Consortium Program Director, the key to enhanced growth is radical innovation and a bold challenge to existing business models. "Our goal is to help executives develop an 'entrepreneurial' mindset to better identify new business opportunities, and then actually convert them into profit-making initiatives for the company."

Hennessey's research interests (shareholder value, economic value added, corporate entrepreneurship) and education and consulting experience will provide important insights for Consortium participants leading entrepreneurial initiatives in their organizations.

Babson Professor Neal Thornberry will join Hennessey on the faculty team. Thornberry's research and teaching focus on organizational change, strategy implementation, leadership development, and entrepreneurship within a corporate environment.

Invited executives are from leading companies in their industries and include multi-national corporations from Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Australia.

Additional information about the Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship Consortium Program can be obtained by contacting Craig Hawke, Learning & Development Manager, AGSM, at craigh@agsm.edu.au or +(61-2) 9931-9340.

About Babson Executive Education

Babson Executive Education fosters the spirit of innovation: the drive to identify new opportunities and bring them to commercial realization. It shows large corporations how to be agile, efficient, and effective under adverse conditions and during periods of growth. For more information on Babson Executive Education and its custom solutions, open programs, and research centers, visit http://www.babson.edu/bee.

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com/.

Source: Babson Executive Education

CONTACT: Barbara Spies Blair of Babson College, +1-781-239-4621,
blairb@babson.edu

Web site: http://www.babson.edu/bee

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Woodbury to Host 'Building Better Cities' by Architect William McDonough

Woodbury to Host 'Building Better Cities' by Architect William McDonough

BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Architect and designer William McDonough, the man Time magazine called a "hero for the planet," will talk about ways for "Building Better Cities" during a Wednesday, September 7 event at Woodbury University.

The free event is open to the public. A reception will begin at 6:15 p.m., with the program starting at 7 p.m. Woodbury University is located at 7500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank.

McDonough is the winner of three U.S. presidential awards: the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development (1996), the National Design Award (2004); and the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (2003). Time magazine's recognition of McDonough said that "his utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that -- in demonstrable and practical ways -- is changing the design of the world." McDonough is the founding principal of William McDonough + Partners, Architecture and Community Design, an internationally recognized design firm practicing ecologically, socially, and economically intelligent architecture and planning in the U.S. and abroad.

McDonough's lecture is being sponsored by Carolyn Lawrence, Woodbury University, The Luckman Partnership Inc. and City of Burbank Recycle Center.

For more information or to RSVP for limited seating, please send e-mail to mcdonough-event@luckmanpartnership.com.

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. An accredited, nonprofit university, Woodbury is located on a 22-acre residential campus in Burbank and offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture and Design, Business, and Arts and Sciences. Woodbury also offers a master of business administration as well as weekend and evening study for working adults. A San Diego campus was established in 1998 to offer bachelor of architecture degrees.

Source: Woodbury University

CONTACT: Janet McIntyre of Woodbury University, +1-818-762-2938,
janet.mcintyre@woodbury.edu

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Lieutenant Governor Steele and Sallie Mae CEO to Announce New Maryland Program for Teachers, Nurses

Lieutenant Governor Steele and Sallie Mae CEO to Announce New Maryland Program for Teachers, Nurses

WHAT: Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele (R-MD) will join Sallie Mae
Vice Chairman and CEO Tim Fitzpatrick to launch a new initiative
designed to attract and retain teachers and nurses in the State of
Maryland.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a )

WHO: -- Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele
-- Sallie Mae Vice Chairman and CEO Tim Fitzpatrick
-- Dr. Calvin Burnett, Secretary, Maryland Higher Education
Commission
-- Dr. David Ramsay, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore
-- Mary Etta Mills, ScD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for the
University of Maryland School of Nursing, University of
Maryland, Baltimore
-- Nursing and teaching students

WHERE: University of Maryland, School of Nursing
655 West Lombard Street
Baltimore

WHEN: Sept. 8, 2005
2:15 p.m.

WHY: States across the nation are grappling with how to attract and
retain qualified teachers and nurses. This announcement will
highlight a new program to lower the cost of higher education for
teachers and nurses and to keep these important professionals in
Maryland.

SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's No. 1 paying-for-college company, managing more than $116 billion in student loans for 8 million borrowers. Sallie Mae was originally created in 1972 as a government-sponsored entity (GSE) and terminated its corporate ties to the federal government in 2004. The company remains the country's largest originator of federally insured student loans. Through its specialized subsidiaries and divisions, Sallie Mae also provides debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including colleges, universities and loan guarantors. More information is available at http://www.salliemae.com/. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

CONTACT: Martha Holler of Sallie Mae, +1-703-984-5178, martha.holler@salliemae.com.

PRNewswire -- Sept. 2

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Sallie Mae

Web site: http://www.salliemae.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/827187.html

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Kimberly-Clark Professional to Donate Cold and Flu Packages to University of Alberta Students

Kimberly-Clark Professional to Donate Cold and Flu Packages to University of Alberta Students

Wednesday, September 7, 2005, 8:30 am - 10:30 am

WHO: Kimberly-Clark Professional to donate cold and flu care
packages to students at the University of Alberta.

WHAT: To help prevent the spread of germs during the upcoming cold
and flu season, Kimberly-Clark Professional is donating
waterless hand sanitizers, facial tissue and information on
germ prevention to students at the University of Alberta as
they return to school for the "Week of Welcome." The donation
coincides with the launch of a new initiative: "Cleaning for a
Healthy University," which focuses on improvements in surface
cleaning and sanitation and other methods of germ prevention
throughout the 40,000-student institution.

WHERE: University of Alberta Students' Union Building
8900 114 Street
Edmonton, AB

WHEN: Wednesday, September 7, 2005

WHY: Hand washing is one of the most important ways to keep from
getting sick, according to both the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health
and Safety. Waterless hand sanitizers can be used to cleanse
hands when soap and water are not available. Covering your
mouth or nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze is another
recommendation to help prevent the spread of germs to others.

EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Iris Raylesberg
Kapnek Communications
iris@kapnek.com
215-830-9890

PRNewswire -- Sept. 2

Source: Kimberly-Clark Professional

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A Message from AICUNJ

A Message from AICUNJ

SUMMIT, N.J., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A Message from AICUNJ President, John B. Wilson to New Jersey students attending all colleges/universities that are closed as a result of Hurricane Katrina -- Tulane University, University of New Orleans, Loyola University and any other Louisiana, Alabama or Mississippi college/university.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of New Jersey (AICUNJ) is saddened and concerned about the destruction and resulting hardship caused by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. We recognize the importance and timeliness of getting students back on track and enrolled for the fall semester.

Our member institutions -- if they have appropriate space -- have agreed to admit students as "visiting students" for the fall semester, with the expectation that they will return to their university/college in the spring semester with transferable credits. We will make every attempt to fit these students into classes related to their major/program.

These institutions are:
- Bloomfield College
- Caldwell College
- Centenary College
- College of St. Elizabeth
- Fairleigh Dickinson University
- Felician College
- Georgian Court University
- Monmouth University
- Princeton University
- Rider University
- Saint Peter's College
- Seton Hall University
- Stevens Institute of Technology

Although we know that this does not take away the pain, we hope this can add some relief in this time of distress.

Source: Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of New Jersey

CONTACT: John B. Wilson, President of Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities of New Jersey, +1-908-277-3738

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Colleges, Universities Offer Hurricane-Displaced Students Opportunities to Continue Studies Via Society for College and University Planning Listserv

Colleges, Universities Offer Hurricane-Displaced Students Opportunities to Continue Studies Via Society for College and University Planning Listserv

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Colleges and universities across the country are offering students displaced by Hurricane Katrina the opportunity to temporarily continue their studies on their campuses during the recovery period. The offers are posted on a listserv, or email community, hosted by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP).

Interested parties, institutions offering assistance and students needing it, can subscribe to the listserv by sending an email with the word "subscribe" in the subject line to scup-katrina-request@umich.edu .

A list of current offers have been posted at http://splendid.backpackit.com/pub/221296 , and the homepage for the SCUP- Katrina Listserv is http://www.scup.org/pubs/sen_html/katrina_alert.html .

Nearly 1,000 subscribers joined the listserv in its first 48 hours. Examples of assistance from colleges and universities include:

* Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, VA, is offering a 50 percent discount on tuition, free on-campus room and board, and guaranteed admission to displaced female students attending one of the four-year, accredited institutions in the affected area.

* Washington and Lee's Law School is offering Tulane and Loyola law students the opportunity to study law on campus at no additional tuition until their home law schools reopen.

* The University of Charleston in Charleston, WV, will offer free room and board for the fall term for up to 25 displaced students.

* Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH, will accept 20 displaced students for the fall semester and will cover the cost of tuition, room and board, and student fees.

* The University of Southern Indiana offers guaranteed and tuition-free admission for one semester.

* Lander University in Greenwood, SC, will provide free housing for up to 50 displaced students and guaranteed admission.

"The outpouring of assistance from colleges and universities across the country on this listserv has been incredible," said Jolene Knapp, CAE, SCUP's executive director. "We hope that by providing this email-based resource, SCUP can help displaced students find a place to continue their studies until their own colleges and universities can welcome them back."

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, at the University of Michigan, the society serves a diverse member base of administrators, architects and planners from public and private institutions, corporate partners, and higher education systems. Visit http://www.scup.org/ .

Source: Society for College and University Planning

CONTACT: Terry Calhoun, Director, Media Relations & Publications of
Society for College and University Planning, +1-734-998-7027,
Cell: +1-734-883-4407, terry.calhoun@scup.org

Web site: http://www.scup.org/
http://splendid.backpackit.com/pub/221296
http://www.scup.org/pubs/sen_html/katrina_alert.html

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Sallie Mae Reaches Out to Higher Education Community and Students in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Sallie Mae Reaches Out to Higher Education Community and Students in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Company to Provide up to $15 Million in Emergency Financing

RESTON, Va., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Sallie Mae today announced its initial efforts to assist the higher education community, students and borrowers impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a )

Sallie Mae is making available interest-free emergency financing of up to $15 million available to students who have applied for or received Sallie Mae loans at schools that are closed indefinitely due to Hurricane Katrina (see list below). These zero-fee loans of between $500 and $1,000 per student will help cover living and other education-related expenses. The loans will feature no interest through June 1, 2006, and then revert to prime rate -- currently 6.5 percent. Information is available at http://www.salliemae.com/katrina and at Sallie Mae's hurricane relief hot line 1-877-HELP-040 or 1-877-435-7040.

Sallie Mae will also grant automatic payment relief to student loan customers in the areas affected by the storm. This will allow students to discontinue making payments on their loans. The company will also extend the same payment relief terms authorized by the U.S. Department of Education for federally guaranteed loans to its private loan customers. Customers who have other questions about their student loan accounts should contact the company toll-free at 1-888-2-SALLIE (1-888-272-5543) or log on to the Manage Your Loans section of http://www.salliemae.com/.

In addition, Sallie Mae is reaching out to closed schools across the Gulf Coast region to offer communications resources such as phone and Web support to help these institutions and their students remain in contact. Also, The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, has made a donation to Scholarship America's Disaster Relief Fund for Post-Secondary Education. This fund will provide grants to higher education institutions to cover education-related expenses of low-income students affected by Hurricane Katrina.

SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's No. 1 paying-for-college company, managing more than $116 billion in student loans for 8 million borrowers. Sallie Mae was originally created in 1972 as a government-sponsored entity (GSE) and terminated its corporate ties to the federal government in 2004. The company remains the country's largest originator of federally insured student loans. Through its specialized subsidiaries and divisions, Sallie Mae also provides debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including colleges, universities and loan guarantors. More information is available at http://www.salliemae.com/. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission -- to increase access to a postsecondary education for America's students -- by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, preparing families for their investment, and bridging the gap when no one else can. For more information, visit http://www.thesalliemaefund.org/.

The following schools are closed indefinitely based on the latest information received as of Sept. 2, 2005:

Louisiana:

Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond
Nichols State University, Thibodaux
Dillard University, New Orleans
LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Loyola University, New Orleans
Tulane University, New Orleans
University of New Orleans
Xavier University, New Orleans
Nunez Community College, All branches
Delgado Community College, New Orleans
Louisiana Technical College campuses in Metairie, New Orleans, Slidell,
Bogalusa and Harvey
Southern University New Orleans
Ayers Institute/Diesel Driving Academy

Mississippi

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, all three branches
Pearl River Community College
University of Southern MS
William Carey College
East Central Community College
Jones County Community College
Alcorn State
Tougaloo College

Alabama

University of Mobile

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Sallie Mae

CONTACT: Tom Joyce of Sallie Mae, +1-703-984-5610,
tom.joyce@salliemae.com

Web site: http://www.salliemae.com/
http://www.thesalliemaefund.org/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/827187.html

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Salem Academy and College to Accept Students Displaced by Katrina

Salem Academy and College to Accept Students Displaced by Katrina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Salem Academy, a college preparatory school for girls in grades 9 through 12, and Salem College, a private women's college, are accepting female college and independent high school students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The students will receive free tuition for the remainder of the 2005-2006 school year.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to our sisters who have been affected by Katrina," said Julianne Still Thrift, president of Salem Academy and College. "In 1862, Salem was here, taking in girls from families who wanted to give their daughters a safe haven from the Civil War. Our offer today is simply a continuation of that faith tradition."

The College will assess each student's ability to pay for room and board, including working with the colleges and universities in the affected states to transfer grant, loan and scholarship monies.

One student, a senior from Xavier University of Louisiana, has already enrolled at Salem College, and a student from Tulane has requested admission.

The value of the tuition-free offer is significant: tuition for the College is $16,795 per year and tuition for the Academy is $11,834. Interested students should contact Dana Evans in the College admissions office at 1-800-32SALEM and Lucia Uldrick at the Academy at 1-877-407-2536.

Schools disrupted by Katrina include Xavier, Tulane University of Louisiana, the University of New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans. Public information officers at colleges throughout the country are communicating through a listserve to compile the list of colleges willing to accept students.

Salem Academy is working with several associations of independent schools, including the National Coalition of Girls Schools, which is helping displaced students of Academy of the Sacred Heart and the Louise S. McGehee School.

Salem Academy and College was founded by Moravian settlers in 1772. Today, Salem Academy is a day and boarding school for girls grades 9-12, and Salem College is a four-year liberal arts college for women, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and a continuing studies program for adults.

Contact: Julie Larison, 336-721-2831

or Sara Butner, 336-917-5313

Source: Salem Academy and College

CONTACT: Julie Larison, +1-336-721-2831, or Sara Butner, +1-336-917-5313,
both of Salem Academy

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HACC Dedicates New Select Medical Health Education Pavilion Sept. 7

HACC Dedicates New Select Medical Health Education Pavilion Sept. 7

Who: Representatives from HACC, including President Edna V.
Baehre, Ed.D., Select Medical CEO Robert Ortenzio and
Pennsylvania Senator Pat Vance along with Capital Campaign
co-chairs Donald Schell and Governor George M. Leader will
formally dedicate the new allied health education facility.

What: Grand opening of the Select Medical Health Education
Pavilion.

Where/When: Wednesday, Sept. 7 beginning at 1pm at the Select Medical
Health Education Pavilion on the Harrisburg Campus of HACC,
Central Pennsylvania's Community College.

1pm: Remarks at the tent to the north of the Pavilion.

Approximately 2:30pm: Ribbon Cutting ceremony in the main
lobby of the Select Medical Health Education Pavilion.

2:45pm: Plaque unveiling for the Leader Nursing Education
Center within the Pavilion.

Afterward: Tours and open house begin at the first floor
student lounge. Along the tour is a station of students to
demonstrate SimMan, a patient simulator resembling a manikin
but taking advantage of advanced software and computer
interfaces to create an extremely realistic and programmable
student learning experience. He has a pulse, symptoms and
responds to medication among his capabilities.

3:30pm: Dedication of brick terrace.

For further information, contact:
Patrick M. Early, APR
Executive Director, Public Relations
Telephone: (717) 780-3228
Cell: (717) 385-1119
Email: pmearly@hacc.edu

PRNewswire -- Sept. 2

Source: HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College

Web site: http://www.hacc.edu/

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Boston University Opens Doors to Tulane University Undergraduate Students for Fall Semester

Boston University Opens Doors to Tulane University Undergraduate Students for Fall Semester

Graduate & Professional Students to be Considered

BOSTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston University (BU) today opened its doors to undergraduate students from hurricane-stricken Tulane University. University officials announced that fully enrolled Tulane undergraduates are now eligible to enroll tuition-free and attend classes at BU during the fall semester.

Tulane graduate and professional students may also contact BU schools and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. BU's Medical and Law Schools have already made arrangements for several Tulane students to attend BU programs this semester.

"Like so many schools across the country, we are mobilizing to help a sister institution," said BU President Robert A. Brown. "Their situation is dire, and opening our campus to displaced students so they can continue their education this fall is a critically important thing to do."

The fall semester for undergraduate students at BU begins September 6 but Tulane students would have until September 12 to start classes. Nonetheless, university officials encourage interested students to contact the university as soon as possible, and once they do, officials will help students register for courses that are relevant to their respective degrees.

Although no on-campus student housing is available, BU housing officials will also provide students with resources to search for off-campus accommodations.

Interested students should contact BU at katrina@bu.edu or 617/358-1818.

About Boston University

Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU contains 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school's research and teaching mission.

CONTACT:
Colin Riley
617/353-5386 or 617/293-1543; criley@bu.edu

or

Phil Gloudemans
617/353-6546 or 617/257-2958; philipg@bu.edu

Source: Boston University (BU)

CONTACT: Colin Riley, +1-617-353-5386 or +1-617-293-1543, criley@bu.edu,
or Phil Gloudemans, +1-617-353-6546 or +1-617-257-2958, philipg@bu.edu, both
of BU

Web site: http://www.bu.edu/

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Reading Mayor McMahon to Address Latino Higher Education Concerns Sept. 9

Reading Mayor McMahon to Address Latino Higher Education Concerns Sept. 9

City Hall Event Part of The Sallie Mae Fund's Nationwide Paying for College Bus Tour

RESTON, Va., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by The Sallie Mae Fund:

WHAT: The Sallie Mae Fund's Paying for College Bus Tour will be in
Reading to help Latino families understand how to prepare and pay
for college. The tour enables Latino students and their families to
access resources and information on scholarships, grants, loans and
federal aid in both Spanish and English, as well as attend a
workshop on financial aid presented by recent college graduates. A
scholarship will be given out at each workshop.

Mayor McMahon will welcome the tour to town and hand out a college
scholarship to one of the attendees.

WHY:
* 54-percent of Reading public school students are Latino.
* The number of college-age Latinos in Reading is growing, yet only
16-percent of local Latinos over the age of 25 have graduated
from college.
* 43 percent of Latino young adults and more than half (51-percent)
of Latino parents reported that they were not aware of a single
source of college financial aid. The result: thousands of Latino
kids are not going to college because they do not know about
their financial aid options. (source: Tomas Rivera Policy
Institute/The Sallie Mae Fund)
* More than two-thirds of Latino families believe that getting
financial aid information before leaving high school was "very
important" to their decision to attend college.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 9
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (Mayor's Remarks/Scholarship Award at City
Hall)
2:25 p.m. - 3:10 pm (Workshop at Reading High School: 801 North
13th St, Reading, PA)

WHERE: City Hall, 815 Washington St., Reading, PA

WHO: - Mayor Thomas McMahon
- Daisy Alfaro and Orlando Espinosa, The Sallie Mae Fund's national
spokespeople
- Local Latino students and families
- Local partners include: Reading Community College, Kutztown
University, The Community Prevention Partnership, The Hispanic
Center

VISUALS/PHOTO OPPS:
* Bus wrapped in colorful mural tour with interactive college
counseling center inside
* National spokesperson and recent college graduate delivering
interactive workshops and distributing financial aid resources
* Local Latino community members learning about financial aid
information

ADDITIONAL TOUR STOPS:
Thursday Sept. 8: 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Hispanic Center, 501 Washington St,
Reading, PA 19601

The Sallie Mae Fund is a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae. For more information, visit http://www.salliemaefund.org/.

CONTACT: Hugh Rosen of Sallie Mae Fund, +1-703-984-6227, or hugh.rosen@thesalliemaefund.org.

Source: The Sallie Mae Fund

CONTACT: Hugh Rosen of Sallie Mae Fund, +1-703-984-6227, or
hugh.rosen@thesalliemaefund.org

Web site: http://www.salliemaefund.org/

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Tri-C Western Campus to Host Grand Opening of Crile Archives and Center for History Education

Tri-C Western Campus to Host Grand Opening of Crile Archives and Center for History Education

Event co-sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library will kick-off with short World War I documentary film

PARMA, Ohio, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Cuyahoga Community College's Western Campus, 11000 Pleasant Valley Road in Parma, will host the premiere of the documentary film The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Public Library System in a special program on Sunday, September 18 at 2 p.m. in the Western Campus Theatre.

A ribbon cutting for the grand opening of the Crile Archives and Center for History Education and an open house and reception will follow in the Western Campus Library. The activities are free and open to the public.

The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power is a film and discussion project for libraries from National Video Resources in partnership with the American Library Association with major funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It includes a series of film and discussion programs to be held at seven different branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library System beginning October 27, 2005, and continuing through May 17, 2006. For more information on the series of film and discussion programs, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org/news/ww1/films.htm.

A highlight of the September 18 program will be videotaped interviews Dr. James Banks conducted recently with two World War I survivors, aged 103 and 107, respectively. The United States Veteran's Administration is currently unsure how many World War I survivors remain living across the country, but estimates place that number at perhaps 25, according to Banks, Professor Emeritus and Director of the Crile Archives and Center for History Education at Tri-C's Western Campus.

Tri-C's Western Campus is built on the site of the former Crile General Hospital and is the current home of the Crile Archives and Center for History Education. The Crile Archives began as a student project in 1994 as part of the 50th commemoration of World War II. Both the Archives and the College were designated as a "Commemorative Community" by the Department of Defense in 1995.

The Crile Archives is a repository of 20th century military history containing documents, artifacts, and oral histories of veterans of World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It also features a prisoner-of-war archives as well as information about nurses and African American veterans.

For further information on the Crile Archives and Museum housed at Tri-C's Western Campus, visit www.crile-archives.org

Source: Cuyahoga Community College

CONTACT: Greg Krizman, Public Affairs & Information, +1-216-987-4820, or
Rick Haase, Western Campus Public Affairs, +1-216-987-5134, both of Cuyahoga
Community College

Web site: http://www.tri-c.edu/
http://www.crile-archives.org/
http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/news/ww1/films.htm

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RightNow Technologies to Present at ThinkEquity Partners 3rd Annual Growth Conference

RightNow Technologies to Present at ThinkEquity Partners 3rd Annual Growth Conference

BOZEMAN, Mont., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RightNow(R) Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:RNOW) today announced that Susan Carstensen, CFO will be presenting at the ThinkEquity Partners 3rd Annual Growth Conference on September 13, 2005 at 2:30 p.m. (PT)/3:30 p.m. (MT). A live audio webcast will be available on RightNow's Investor Relations website at http://www.shareholder.com/rnow/medialist.cfm/. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same website through December 12, 2005.

About RightNow Technologies, Inc.

RightNow (NASDAQ:RNOW) provides organizations with industry-leading on demand CRM solutions to build customer-focused businesses. RightNow's acclaimed technology, comprehensive services and commitment to customer success deliver high returns on investment for its customers. More than 1,300 organizations worldwide use RightNow solutions including British Airways, British Telecom, Cisco Systems, Continental Tire North America, John Deere, Nikon and the Social Security Administration. Founded in 1997, RightNow is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, with additional offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For further information, please visit www.rightnow.com.

RightNow is a registered trademark of RightNow Technologies, Inc. Nasdaq is a registered trademark of the NASDAQ Stock Market.

FRNOW

Source: RightNow Technologies, Inc.

CONTACT: Investor Relations, Todd Friedman of The Blueshirt Group,
+1-415-217-5869, todd@blueshirtgroup.com, for RightNow Technologies, Inc.; or
Corporate Communications, Jason Treu of RightNow Technologies,
+1-972-232-3977, or cell, +1-214-893-3096, jtreu@rightnow.com

Web site: http://www.shareholder.com/rnow/medialist.cfm

Web site: http://www.rightnow.com/

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Thursday, September 01, 2005

Thought Police Try to Stifle Academic Freedom at Iowa State University, Says Discovery Institute

Thought Police Try to Stifle Academic Freedom at Iowa State University, Says Discovery Institute

SEATTLE, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In a blatant attack on academic freedom a small number of faculty at Iowa State University have organized a petition denouncing intelligent design as unscientific and urged the university community to essentially ban the theory from campus.

"The Darwinist inquisition is spreading," said Bruce Chapman, president of Discovery Institute, the nation's leading think-tank researching the theory of intelligent design. "Darwinists at George Mason University, Ohio State University, and the Smithsonian have recently hunted down and tried to disgrace scientists and educators for daring to defy the Darwinian orthodoxy. Now we see that the witch hunt has turned to Iowa State University and is focused on an astronomer, Guillermo Gonzalez."

Dr. Gonzalez, a senior fellow of Discovery Institute, is internationally known among astronomers and cosmologists as an expert on the astrophysical requirements for habitability and on habitable zones. He is a co-founder of the concept of Galactic Habitable Zones (GHZ). He and his colleagues captured the cover of Scientific American for their foundational and defining work on the very idea of GHZs. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed science papers, the latest being "Habitable Zones in the Universe" forthcoming in the journal Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres.

He is also a leading scientist who is for intelligent design in cosmology and astronomy, and his association to the subject has led to these attempts to stifle scientific inquiry and academic freedom.

The Des Moines Register reports that faculty members have "accused Gonzalez of having a hidden religious agenda" and "fingering him as an academic fraud." Gonzalez has commented that the incident has made his work environment less than collegial.

"A small group of narrow-minded and intolerant faculty members have started a petition to rule out intelligent design as inherently unscientific; and are seeking to essentially ban it from being researched, taught, even discussed, at ISU," said Chapman. "In so doing they have targeted the only person on the campus who publicly is known to defend intelligent design in his work."

For more information visit the Discovery Institute website at www.discovery.org.

Source: Discovery Institute

CONTACT: Rob Crowther of Discovery Institute, +1-206-292-0401, ext. 107,
or rob@discovery.org

Web site: http://www.discovery.org/

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Woodbury University Opens Doors to Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Woodbury University Opens Doors to Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodbury University today announced that college students displaced from their classrooms by Hurricane Katrina can continue their studies on an interim basis at the university.

Woodbury has received a number of phone inquiries from Southern California students who are seeking refuge from the hurricane's aftermath and shuttered universities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Students who have no connection to Southern California are also scrambling to find last-minute arrangements and have contacted the university, according to Don St. Clair, vice president for enrollment management and university marketing at Woodbury.

"The recovery from Hurricane Katrina is a massive task that likely will leave students without any chance of returning to classes for months as the focus of current efforts is rightfully placed on relief efforts such as providing food, shelter and basic services. Woodbury is working with all students who contact us to help them make new plans and we stand ready to help additional students who need a place to go," St. Clair says.

Students affected by Hurricane Katrina should contact the Woodbury University Office of Admissions at 818.767.0888.

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. An accredited, nonprofit university, Woodbury is located on a 22-acre residential campus in Burbank and offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture and Design, Business, and Arts and Sciences. Woodbury also offers a master of business administration as well as weekend and evening study for working adults. A San Diego campus was established in 1998 to offer bachelor of architecture degrees.

Source: Woodbury University

CONTACT: Janet McIntyre of Woodbury University, +1-818-762-2938,
janet.mcintyre@woodbury.edu

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