NEWS | September 2007 - all articles

This page includes all articles in the September issue of NEWS. Return to summary or go to the NEWS archive.

Going green
College enrollment and completion is about more than the money
Federal need-based aid to increase
Briefs

Going green

When Mark Werner took Campus Ecology in 2005, he found that the readings and discussions from the course were immediately relevant to his life at St. Olaf College. “Everyday I would leave class energized and hopeful, ready to change the design of our community and sure that it could be done,” he said. For Werner’s class project on green architecture for the new science center, he and his group made recommendations, many of which are now being incorporated in the current construction. “We’re pretty good at getting students involved and designing sustainability into everyday things,” says Jim Farrell, the St. Olaf professor who teaches the Campus Ecology course.

Involving students and campus communities in energy conservation is just one of the ways that more campuses are going green. With their many employees, students, buildings and land, colleges and universities spend billions on fuel, energy and infrastructure. This translates into a big environmental impact or “footprint.” The cost, environmental implications and a sense of social responsibility are among the reasons that many of Minnesota's private colleges are committing to greater sustainability.

The majority of the energy generated in the U.S. comes from burning carbon-based fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas — which produce carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change. To reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and the nations that supply them means looking to renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal resources.

Students at a St. John's Arboreturm environmental education class

“The challenge of global warming makes environmental stewardship more vital than ever, and we are committed to efforts to attain climate neutrality and live responsibly,” said President MaryAnn Baenninger of the College of Saint Benedict. According to Derek Larson, chair of the environmental studies progr at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB/SJU) his colleges will be completing a carbon audit and developing a sustainability plan. “The process is very campus-specific. It will require a significant cultural shift and take work, but the higher education sector needs to take responsibility,” he said. He noted that CSB/SJU has a history of concern for the environment, as evidenced by the recent 10-year anniversary of its arboretum. For the 2006-07 school year for example, the Saint John’s Arboretum served over 5,100 preK-12th grade students with its environmental education classes.

Other private college initiatives range from making changes in science buildings to save $50,000 per year in energy costs at Macalester College, to the purchase of electric trucks at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, to building the first certified Passive House in North America at Concordia Language Villages.

Mark Dickinson, director of facilities management at Macalester College, believes that the most interesting aspect of its green initiatives is not any one action or activity but the overall leadership. “I feel as though sustainability is being infused into almost everything we are doing at Macalester from the classroom to the food service. We have a lot to do to reduce our ‘footprint;’ this is not a new concept here.”

Transportation is an emphasis at Augsburg College, which is well-placed to benefit from transit routes. “We’re promoting public transportation to get faculty and staff to work by offering a 50 percent discount and offering a semester pass for students that amounts to a 60 percent discount,” said Augsburg’s Tom Ruffaner, chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee. He states that Augsburg has made a long-range commitment to reducing its emissions. “This is a cultural change — it’s hard for people to change their habits, but we are making progress.”

The sustainability focus at St. Olaf College is particularly obvious — an enormous wind turbine known on campus as “Big Ole” generates one-third of the campus’ energy and has reduced carbon emissions by 20 percent. Its new science building should receive a “gold” rating by the LEED Green Building Rating System. And its college cafeteria demonstrates its environmental ethic by offering cage-free eggs, meat, dairy and seafood produced with reduced antibiotics, and purchases from regional food producers and artisans. It also buys all the produce from the student-run STOGROW organic gardens. St. Olaf’s ten principles (stop generating waste and stop wasting it, put our money where our values are…) and other information about St. Olaf stewardship efforts are documented on its black&gold&green Web site.

Cost versus efficiency
So just how difficult is it for campuses to reduce their carbon emissions? “It boils down to money,” said St. Olaf’s Assistant VP for Facilities, Pete Sandberg. “You can conserve like crazy but you still need fuel. If you can use renewable energy, that’s great.” Sandberg notes that St. Olaf is looking for other ways to cut energy costs since those savings leave more money for its education mission.

Across town, Carleton College is making an impact too, including a wind turbine that generates power sold to Xcel Energy. The college recently announced a new single-stream recycling program that allows users to mix all types of recyclable materials in one bin, and plans to compost all food waste. In 2006 Carleton students engaged in Dorm Wars, where dorms “battled” one another to save the most energy. The event was so successful that it went statewide in 2007 with a dozen other campuses joining in. Overall, Carleton dorms reduced energy usage in February 2007 by about eight percent. “It's always amazing to see the level of interest and participation in these events,” said Rob Lamppa, Carleton’s director of energy management and project manager of Dorm Wars. “Carleton students continue to show that they are up to the challenge, and that they want to lead the way.”

Additional wind turbines are planned at Gustavus Adolphus College. “The college wants to install two,” said Jim Dontje, director of the new Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation. “The push for cleaner energy in Minnesota is so strong however, that everyone wants a turbine, so we are waiting for turbines to become available." In regards to overall campus sustainability efforts, Dontje noted Gustavus’ creation of the Johnson Center to lead the necessary transitions. "No campus is truly sustainable yet," he said, “but Gustavus is developing a clear vision for what it takes.”

For graduates who’ve been enmeshed in campus sustainability initiatives, the effects can be long-lasting. Christine Schwichtenberg, a 2006 St. Olaf graduate whose Campus Ecology project looked at recycled paper and lighting, says she applies the lessons learned to her life beyond college. “I currently live with four other girls in a house in St. Paul and we are attempting to make the right decisions. Most of our lights are compact fluorescents, we compost and I ride my bike to work. I have become more conscious of my actions and have strived to instill that consciousness into my housemates and my friends,” she said.
 
St. Olaf’s Sandberg should be proud. “The goal of our task force is to make sustainability part of the everyday fabric of this place. The most exciting thing for me is seeing that our kids can go out into the world and influence others,” he said.

Apparently, it’s working.

Resources:
For campuses to become energy independent and reduce their global warming pollution, Campus Climate Challenge recommends that campuses implement six basic reforms:

• Upgrade to Efficiency: Replace inefficient appliances and upgrade inefficient buildings.
• Build Better: All new buildings should be high performance and energy efficient.
• Move to Clean Power: Buy or generate electricity from renewable resources.
• Expand Transportation Alternatives: Make it easy to get around on less fuel.
• Implement Green Purchasing: Buy products that use less energy, last longer, and are better for the environment.
• Institutionalize Conservation: Create a culture of conservation on campus.

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment
Campus Climate Challenge
New Energy for Campuses (PDF)

College enrollment and completion is about more than the money

Student attendance beyond the freshmen year of college hinges on finances for some students, but most who drop out do so for reasons beyond money, according to a new study. This finding runs contrary to the focus of many states and the federal government on limiting tuition increases at public colleges in efforts to boost enrollment and persistence. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study illuminates the need to think holistically about all factors that contribute to student success — which include but aren’t limited to financial need.

It is largely believed that cost is a barrier to college for many, an obstacle that grows as family income decreases. The response to this barrier has been to lobby for increases in financial aid assistance through mechanisms such as the federal Pell grant or state grants for need-based aid. While finances remain an integral barrier to college enrollment, the NBER study indicates that of all those who drop out, more than 80 percent would have done so regardless of finances. (However, of the individuals identifying themselves as financially constrained, nearly half who dropped out did so for financial reasons.)

So why do students leave college if it’s not just for money concerns? Reasons include difficulty in making friends and fitting in, academic struggles, health concerns or the absence of social support systems. This mix of factors can be successfully addressed. An earlier NBER report found that combining increased financial aid with tutoring and academic support resulted in gains in both retention rates and student’s cumulative grade point averages.

Each member college of the Minnesota Private College Council has effective programs (including those provided by student peers) for at-risk students that are readily available through student services offices; these efforts contribute to an overall high graduation rate. For example, Concordia College in Moorhead uses exit surveys to find out why its students withdraw. “When cost is given as a reason, we sometimes find that it’s because students don’t understand the benefit of a private, liberal arts experience; they know they can get a cheaper education from a public institution,” said Mark Krejci, VP for academic affairs. “Other reasons are that the academics are harder than students expected, they get homesick — especially if home is more than 500 miles away — or they want a major that Concordia doesn’t offer.”

Concordia has taken a number of steps to counter the things that can cause students to drop out, Krejci said. “All Concordia freshmen are now required to take an ‘inquiry seminar.’ We identify the students who have poor writing skills and put them in the same cohort. They learn how to make a scholarly argument and write and think critically. We’ve found that freshmen who take these seminars are more likely to succeed academically and return as sophomores.”

For students who are far from home, Concordia will find a faculty or staff member to serve as sort of a “surrogate parent,” Krejci said. He also noted that the school tracks which majors students are seeking if they go elsewhere and has added majors or formed relationships with other institutions — such as its arrangement with the U of M for engineering students. “The primary thing we do is focus on the advising relationship,” said Krejci. “If a student finds a mentor, it makes their experience and retention better.”

Or consider the College of St. Scholastica (CSS); it has a calendar of retention activities that it uses throughout the year, according to Steve Lyons, VP of student affairs. “During the first eight weeks we identify high risk students by meeting with admissions, reviewing confidential parent questionnaires, and by asking RAs to have one-on-one chats and faculty to share early feedback.” CSS also tracks students throughout the year to determine who has not accessed email or used their meal plan or vending, said Lyons. ”We then contact students who are identified this way.” The school requires first-year students to take “Dignitas” — a course which focuses on learning about human dignity from a variety of topics — and it tries to connect first- and second-year students with faculty in their intended majors, Lyons said.  

At the College of St. Catherine, few students leave because they don’t like the school or because it is not a good fit, according to Ellen Richter-Norgel, director of student retention. The reasons can be varied, she said, but St. Kate’s has instituted a number of programs in response to specific retention issues. “Some of our students don’t understand their financial aid and have trouble keeping up with the bill,” she said. Since about 10 percent of women admitted to St. Kate’s are “conditionally accepted” due to their lower ACT scores and many are first-generation college students, the school developed LEAP (Learning Enhanced Advising Program). These students take classes together (including “Financial Fitness”) and receive more intensive support. Due to some new components, the persistence rate of students has increased since last fall,” Richter-Norgel said. St. Kate’s also offers programs geared to specific populations such as its Hmong students. “This summer we did a Hmong family orientation and had a translator. It was very moving to see how much these parents want their daughters to succeed in college.”

Although finances are an issue for most students who attend college, it is clear that a variety of elements of the educational experience can be addressed to help students stay and complete their education. And all students can benefit from developing an understanding that asking for help is an essential part of learning.

Resources for further reading:

• The Effect of Credit Constraints on the College Drop-Out Decision, National Bureau of Economic Research
• Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition by Vincent Titnto, offers an overview of successful student retention structures.

Federal need-based aid to increase

President George W. Bush is poised to sign legislation that recommits the federal government to keeping higher education affordable and accessible through meaningful improvements in need-based aid.

Already passed by Democratic majorities in Congress, the "College Cost Reduction and Access Act" is the major budget authorization legislation to guide federal financial aid expenditures for the next five years. The most significant elements of this bill authorize a $1,000 increase in maximum Pell grants, which are to be phased in over the next five fiscal years. If fully funded, by 2012 the maximum Pell would increase from $4,310 to $5,400, which would be especially helpful for low-income students.

If our nation and state are to have the educated citizenry to staff our economy and to make informed democratic decisions in an increasingly competitive global context, increased need-based aid for low- and middle-income students will be a necessary element of increasing their participation and success in higher education.

It is important to realize, however, how much catch-up the federal government needs to do when it comes to need-based aid. Over the last 15 years, Minnesota college students have seen the share of their financial aid coming from federal grants dropping from 24 to 11 percent. In 1975 the Pell Grant covered 78 percent of tuition, fees and room and board at a public four-year institution. To achieve this level of coverage today, the maximum Pell would be $9,981.

Other positive elements of the Act include:

• Lowering interest rates on federally subsidized student loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent by 2011;
• Capping monthly federal loan repayments to 15 percent of students’ discretionary income, starting July 2009;
• Creating a loan-forgiveness program for graduates who work for 10 years in several public service professions, including public safety, emergency management, child care and others; and
• Offering new grants of up to $16,000 for qualifying students who will teach high-demand subjects at at-risk schools for at least four years.

Taken together, these changes are expected to have a $20 billion price tag. The increases for Pell and a number of other related programmatic initiatives will be paid for by a corresponding reduction in subsidies to federal student loan lenders. The impact of these cuts in subsidies is not yet clear; lenders are claiming that they will be forced to reduce some discounting practices that will result in higher costs for students.

Meanwhile, many observers may not realize that law-making tied to higher education continues on other fronts. The second stage is the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act for a five year period. The Senate has completed its initial action on reauthorization and is waiting for the House to complete its work this fall. Once both houses have acted, reaching a compromise between the two approaches should occur expeditiously. The reauthorization bills will contain programmatic and regulatory authorizations and this year will include some responses to student loan irregularities and external demands for focusing more attention on the imputed results of a college education.

The third stage of the process is the direct appropriations process for the fiscal year, which begins on October 1. Both the Senate and the House have developed proposals consistent with the budget authorization legislation, but the administration is threatening to veto their actions, which would call for spending levels above the original White House proposals. Failure to reach agreement on the appropriation will threaten the increases authorized by the budget legislation.

BRIEFS

• The exhibit Right on Lake Street developed by the Minnesota Historical Society and Macalester College opened Sept. 18 and runs through March 9, 2008.
• The new Education Pays study from the College Board reports that higher education yields a high rate of return for students from all racial/ethnic groups, for men and for women, and for those from all family backgrounds.
• Four Minnesota private colleges will be home to federally-funded McNair Scholars Programs starting this fall. The College of St. Scholastica received continued funding and Augsburg College, St. Olaf College and the University of St. Thomas programs received new funding. McNair Scholars partner with a faculty advisor to conduct rigorous research projects.