Friday, December 18, 2009

The Undecided

The recent death of Paul Samuelson at age 94 has prompted me to reflect on my own educational journey.  Paul Samuelson as we know, was a Nobel Prize winning economist and was also the author of a long term best selling textbook that influenced me greatly at a critical time.  As a high school student and even in my first and second year in college, I was uncertain as to what field to pursue.  And there were even moments when I was unsure as to why I was pursuing higher education.  Then economics came into the picture.  I can’t even tell you why I registered for this course—I wasn’t even sure at the time exactly what economics was and I knew of no one in my circle of family, friends and acquaintances who were in the field.  As far as I was concerned, this was just another course, taken most likely to meet a requirement.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Taxing Higher Education

In a recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there was an article on the very controversial higher education tuition tax proposal put forward by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.  The proposal as it stands (even though there are now efforts to scrap the proposal) is a one-percent levy on tuition, labeled by the Mayor as a Fair Share Tax and designed to raise $15 million per year.  There is no question that many cities and many states are in difficult financial shape, and unlike the federal government, deficits are not an option.  But in plugging a budget shortfall, the negative impact of any tax increase or spending cut should always be minimized to the extent possible, both in an immediate as well as in a longer term sense.  For example, instituting a tax on preventative health care would be a mistake in the moment and  the future but having that same (or a greater tax) levied on purely cosmetic surgery might be a good luxury tax revenue source.  It should be clear to everyone that creating an added barrier that will prevent some individuals from visiting their doctor is very negative and results not only in more work days lost (impacting business), more costly health care expenses in the future (for the individual, for insurance companies, and for government) and more needless deaths.  On the other hand, reshaping a part of your body or having a tuck here or there (or everywhere) may be desirable and pleasing to the eye but is in most cases purely a luxury purchase  with limited, if any, negative tax consequences.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The Golden Age of Hofstra Radio and the Importance of Internships

Ten days ago we celebrated a Hofstra milestone, the 50th anniversary of our radio station (WRHU, 88.7 FM).  The highlight of the anniversary was a dinner that included the first inductees into the Hofstra Radio Hall of Fame.  That dinner was a remarkable event. Almost 500 people attended including graduates of almost every year that our radio station has been in existence plus a significant number of undergraduate students who are looking forward to graduating.  It is always a challenge to organize a major event that spans the decades in its appeal.  Most events appeal to a relatively narrow segment of the community, few can span the decades successfully.  Our presidential conferences have had such an appeal as has our Educate’08 and Define’09 series which bracketed the October 15, 2008 presidential debate which took place on our campus.  What made this dinner so appealing and successful?  Was it the food, the venue, a national known guest speaker?  Actually, the appeal came well before the dinner; the appeal came from working at WRHU.  Working at the radio station was for many many students a life changing experience.  Life changing for some in terms of providing a career path that ultimately led to a successful career.  Life changing for others in providing a skill set and a team orientation that served them well regardless of what they ended up doing.  The proof is clear for all to see.  The 2009 inductees into our radio hall of fame include a multiple Emmy winner, and  well known media personalities and executives from impressive stations and companies such as CBS, WINS, Fox News, Sirius, just to name a few.

In 2009, it is clearer than ever that an outstanding educational experience often requires more than classroom experiences and a set number of credits.  The credits and the classroom have been, are, and will remain irreplaceable parts of the educational experience.  But also essential to providing that fully textured outstanding experience is an internship, which may or may not relate to a student’s major.  Internships are growth opportunities that increase a student’s sophistication and his or her skill set.  We provide our students with thousands of internship opportunities relating to virtually all of our majors as well as other areas of interest, and I encourage students to pursue these opportunities.  Without a doubt, if I was an undergraduate today I would sign up for multiple internship opportunities. In my opinion, the bottom line is that the more you do to prepare for a successful career and next chapter of your life, the more successful that you will be.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Lemonade Shortage

I’m an economist and I am as passionate about economics today as I was when I took my first undergraduate course.  In that course, in fact in the first lesson, a very basic but still fundamental definition of economics was presented and discussed.  That definition focuses on the allocation of scarce resources among alternative ends.  Because of scarcity, it is impossible for our society or any society on our planet to meet everyone’s needs and wants.   And because of that scarcity, choices need to be made and hopefully these will be the best possible choices.  Scarcity and choice become even more of a challenge if you are working within the constraints of a severe economic recession, an unemployment rate that is at 10%, and at least some uncertainty as to whether a recovery is in fact underway.  More scarcity, more uncertainty, more difficult choices, more needs not met.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Homecoming Revisited

I am a longtime fan of homecoming and at Hofstra we do it especially well. This year’s theme is “myths and legends” and I am excited by the possibilities inherent in such a theme.  I also take enormous pride at the recognition of alumni achievement, I enjoy seeing all the floats at the Homecoming Parade, I always welcome watching Hofstra athletics, and I like the fact that various groups such as the “young alumni” have a set time to socialize.  But the reality is that Homecoming attracts a tiny minority of our over 100,000 alums, and even a tiny minority of local graduates. 

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Ethics of Teacher Evaluations

One of my favorite Sunday pleasures is to go through the New York Times.  And early on in my reading of the Times, I go to The Ethicist column written by Randy Cohen.  I start with the ethical dilemma presented and before reading Randy Cohen’s typically very astute answer, I reflect on my position regarding the issue.  This week’s column is entitled “Grading the Ratings” and begins with a faculty member’s lament that his or her “listing on ratemyprofessor.com has a few positive ratings but the majority are from students who gripe about their workload and the density of…[the]lectures.”  The faculty member next asks whether he or she may “suggest” that the “more-satisfied students…post a rating on the Web site.”

Monday, September 14, 2009

The Academic Dishonesty Virus

I’m an economist and my typical reading pattern, especially on a weekend when I tend to have more time, is to gravitate first to the major economic news.  But my reading patterns as of this past summer have changed dramatically:  I now look first for news on H1N1.  As is true for almost all of us, there is a measure of self interest in my starting with flu-related articles.  But what motivates me most to look for H1N1 news is the potential impact on the University.  We know from the CDC as well as from state guidelines that the expectation is in most cases for most individuals, that this flu will last 2-4 days and that most people will recover without seeing a doctor.  We have been asked and we will make allowances for students who may miss up to 5 class days with H1N1.  We will make allowances for students who miss regularly scheduled exams (even final exams).  And we will prepare for the contingency that a number of faculty will contract this virus and will not be able to come to class for a few days.  We will do all of this while attempting to make certain the standards are not compromised.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Provost's Welcome

In recruiting new undergraduates, which any provost spends considerable time doing, you always stress all the benefits of attending the college or university you are promoting. As Hofstra’s Provost, I thoroughly enjoy my involvement in this process and am passionate about the vast curricular and co-curricular benefits that are inherent in a Hofstra education. And as a person who has been at Hofstra for forty years, I know all the facts that demonstrate and verify the high quality student centered education we provide. But in addition to the benefits we provide, there are clear expectations we have, which we ask students and all members of our community to meet. How do you make these expectations known? And how do you make this happen sooner rather than later?

As Provost, I am given the opportunity to speak to new undergraduates at the beginning of our welcome week (a few days before classes begin),shortly after the students arrive on campus. To be a truly welcoming experience, we all agree that these days should come together as an entertaining orientation and bonding opportunity. How does a very serious message to the students that stresses the importance of embracing diversity, the importance of recognizing the value of “difference” and the importance of academic integrity resonate with an upbeat welcome experience? How do you help ensure that new undergraduates listen and hear such a message? In summary, can very serious expectations be made known “loud and clear” within an entertaining framework? My venue for this year’s “Provost’s Welcome” was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The movie was this summer’s blockbuster film, and the book was a clear must read for many in the class of 2013 when it was first published in 2005. And I’m a Harry Potter fan besides.

Did the speech succeed? Please use this link to access my remarks and I would welcome your thoughts and feedback.