(AAMU release) Two Alabama A&M University graduate students conducting research in the area of dietary chemoprevention of colon cancer recently received an award for their work by the Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) at the recent 2008 Annual IFT Meeting in New Orleans.
Reuel Field (2nd place) and Vishnupriya Gourineni (3rd place), both graduate student researchers in AAMU’s Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory, studied the use of phytochemicals, neutraceuticals and functional foods and reported on their relationship to colon cancer. The student researchers are advised by Dr. Martha Verghese, a professor of nutritional biochemistry and interim chair of the Department of Food and Animal Sciences. Student researcher Field is being supported by the Title III Program.
The two AAMU students competed against students from Cornell University, Purdue University, Rutgers, North Carolina State Ohio State University, University of Georgia and other institutions of higher education.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
NEA works to lower student loan bills for Teachers
Spring 2008 TOMORROW'S TEACHERS - My Debt, My Life
Education majors are struggling with student loan debt, but NEA is working on lowering the bill.
A $28,000 salary and a $15,000 student loan bill adds up to big trouble. Forget advanced trig, that’s the kind of math that a growing number of education majors and young teachers are agonizing over as college costs grow and salaries stagnate.
Increasingly savvy about future income-to-debt ratios, students are making decisions about careers based on the reality of having to repay loans. At a time when there is a great need for qualified teachers, young people are discouraged from entering the profession.
Today, two-thirds of four-year college graduates leave with student loan debt, compared with less than a third just 10 years ago, according to the State Public Interest Research Group’s Higher Education Project. And they carry twice as much debt as they did 10 years ago, too.
“We absolutely see a chilling effect,” on public service professions, says Robert Shireman, director of the Project on Student Debt. “Students are setting their sights on the future and saying ‘I can’t afford to be a teacher or a social worker.’”
After completing his undergraduate career at Alabama A&M University, Anthony Daniels owed more in student loans than he could make as a starting teacher. In part to defer the loans, and hoping to improve his salary prospects, he went to graduate school. Now he’s $58,000 in debt and considering walking away from teaching in favor of a career in law. “Unfortunately my situation is not unique,” says Daniels, the current chair of NEA’s Student Program. “In fact, it is becoming the norm. We are losing too many qualified teachers because of student loans. It’s not just a burden, it’s a barrier.”
How Did We Get Here?
Since 1994, debt levels for graduating seniors more than doubled to $19,200, according to the Public Interest Research Group. (Eight percent of graduates owe more than a whopping $40,000.) Factoring in inflation, the average student debt burden in 2004 was almost 60 percent higher than in 1994.
Black and Hispanic college graduates are hit even harder than their White counterparts, according to the Project on Student Debt. Black graduates have a higher amount of student loan debt and more of them have debt than White graduates. The number of Hispanic students with debt is on par with Whites, but the amount they owe is higher.
Why did this become, as one author dubbed it, “Generation Debt”?
For starters, tuition costs are rising faster than inflation—they’ve ballooned 42 percent in the past five years. And wages have stalled. In 2006, the median household income actually dropped 2 percent. Add in that families are increasingly squeezed by health care and housing costs. Then factor in that the previous Congress hiked interest rates on student loans and cut $12 billion from the Federal Student Aid program.
When it comes time to figure out where the money for college is going to come from, students are increasingly turning to private lenders who loan money freely but often on less-favorable terms than government loans. A decade ago, private lenders were responsible for only 5 percent of the education loan dollars in use. Now they comprise 20 percent and it’s become a $17.3 billion market. Sallie Mae, the largest private lender in operation, reported $1 billion in profits last year. One online retailer sells a T-shirt that states in bold black letters, “Property of Sallie Mae.”
Fighting on the Hill to Lower the Bill
A substantial victory came this past summer with the passage of legislation providing $20 billion to increase grant aid for low-income students and cut subsidies to student loan companies. President Bush signed it in October 2007.
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act is a sweeping piece of legislation being compared to the G.I. Bill. It increases the Pell Grant program to $4,800 next year (and $5,400 by 2012) by replacing the $12 billion cut previously. Also, it slashes in half the interest rates on subsidized student loans.
Predictably, student lenders fought the reform vehemently. Left out of the final law—thanks in part to pressure on legislators by NEA members mobilized by the Association’s “College Affordability Concerns Me” campaign—was a troubling amendment that would have given student loan companies more than $4 billion at the expense of the grant aid to students.
But the work isn’t over. In addition to pushing for a $40,000 starting salary for all teachers, NEA continues to advocate for legislation that will make it easier for students and graduates to consolidate their loans. Leaders promising change must be held accountable, says Daniels.
Despite all the financial obstacles facing those with student loans, they remain staunchly optimistic about the importance of the work they’re doing. At left are some of your fellow NEA Student Program members’ stories.
----------------------------------------------------
National Education Association: Members and Educators Spring 2008 Newslettere, authored by Cynthia Kopkowski
Education majors are struggling with student loan debt, but NEA is working on lowering the bill.
A $28,000 salary and a $15,000 student loan bill adds up to big trouble. Forget advanced trig, that’s the kind of math that a growing number of education majors and young teachers are agonizing over as college costs grow and salaries stagnate.
Increasingly savvy about future income-to-debt ratios, students are making decisions about careers based on the reality of having to repay loans. At a time when there is a great need for qualified teachers, young people are discouraged from entering the profession.
Today, two-thirds of four-year college graduates leave with student loan debt, compared with less than a third just 10 years ago, according to the State Public Interest Research Group’s Higher Education Project. And they carry twice as much debt as they did 10 years ago, too.
“We absolutely see a chilling effect,” on public service professions, says Robert Shireman, director of the Project on Student Debt. “Students are setting their sights on the future and saying ‘I can’t afford to be a teacher or a social worker.’”
After completing his undergraduate career at Alabama A&M University, Anthony Daniels owed more in student loans than he could make as a starting teacher. In part to defer the loans, and hoping to improve his salary prospects, he went to graduate school. Now he’s $58,000 in debt and considering walking away from teaching in favor of a career in law. “Unfortunately my situation is not unique,” says Daniels, the current chair of NEA’s Student Program. “In fact, it is becoming the norm. We are losing too many qualified teachers because of student loans. It’s not just a burden, it’s a barrier.”
How Did We Get Here?
Since 1994, debt levels for graduating seniors more than doubled to $19,200, according to the Public Interest Research Group. (Eight percent of graduates owe more than a whopping $40,000.) Factoring in inflation, the average student debt burden in 2004 was almost 60 percent higher than in 1994.
Black and Hispanic college graduates are hit even harder than their White counterparts, according to the Project on Student Debt. Black graduates have a higher amount of student loan debt and more of them have debt than White graduates. The number of Hispanic students with debt is on par with Whites, but the amount they owe is higher.
Why did this become, as one author dubbed it, “Generation Debt”?
For starters, tuition costs are rising faster than inflation—they’ve ballooned 42 percent in the past five years. And wages have stalled. In 2006, the median household income actually dropped 2 percent. Add in that families are increasingly squeezed by health care and housing costs. Then factor in that the previous Congress hiked interest rates on student loans and cut $12 billion from the Federal Student Aid program.
When it comes time to figure out where the money for college is going to come from, students are increasingly turning to private lenders who loan money freely but often on less-favorable terms than government loans. A decade ago, private lenders were responsible for only 5 percent of the education loan dollars in use. Now they comprise 20 percent and it’s become a $17.3 billion market. Sallie Mae, the largest private lender in operation, reported $1 billion in profits last year. One online retailer sells a T-shirt that states in bold black letters, “Property of Sallie Mae.”
Fighting on the Hill to Lower the Bill
A substantial victory came this past summer with the passage of legislation providing $20 billion to increase grant aid for low-income students and cut subsidies to student loan companies. President Bush signed it in October 2007.
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act is a sweeping piece of legislation being compared to the G.I. Bill. It increases the Pell Grant program to $4,800 next year (and $5,400 by 2012) by replacing the $12 billion cut previously. Also, it slashes in half the interest rates on subsidized student loans.
Predictably, student lenders fought the reform vehemently. Left out of the final law—thanks in part to pressure on legislators by NEA members mobilized by the Association’s “College Affordability Concerns Me” campaign—was a troubling amendment that would have given student loan companies more than $4 billion at the expense of the grant aid to students.
But the work isn’t over. In addition to pushing for a $40,000 starting salary for all teachers, NEA continues to advocate for legislation that will make it easier for students and graduates to consolidate their loans. Leaders promising change must be held accountable, says Daniels.
Despite all the financial obstacles facing those with student loans, they remain staunchly optimistic about the importance of the work they’re doing. At left are some of your fellow NEA Student Program members’ stories.
----------------------------------------------------
National Education Association: Members and Educators Spring 2008 Newslettere, authored by Cynthia Kopkowski
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Judge Shashy dosn't know his own state laws, and asks both sdes for help
Judge will not remove 4 trustees from A&M
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
MONTGOMERY - A judge Tuesday refused to throw four new Alabama A&M University trustees off the board, but the issue is far from dead.
Circuit Judge William Shashy of Montgomery asked attorneys for examples of Alabama law covering other state colleges and boards that support their arguments.
Shashy asked for the information within five days, but he isn't expected to issue a ruling for several weeks.
Troy Massey, a Montgomery attorney, is suing Gov. Bob Riley and his four appointees because the Senate Confirmations Committee unanimously rejected their nominations in May.
The four returned to the board by Riley were David Slyman Jr. of Huntsville; Leroy Richie of Birmingham, Mich.; Mayor Edward May of Bessemer; and the Rev. Willie Clyde McNeil of Chatom.
After the Legislature had adjourned, Riley simply reappointed the four in June.
Massey said Riley's second letter appointing the four trustees after the session had ended was "contrary to the law and violated the statute."
Riley's appointees were in the majority when the board fired former Alabama A&M President Robert Jennings in March.
The lawsuit by Massey, a former A&M trustee, is seeking an injunction that would remove the four from the board and permanently prohibit them from serving.
"We've got people appointed to serve on our board who have been rejected by the Senate," Massey said. "That creates problems in terms of insurance, bond issues, refinancing bond issues, hiring personnel ..."
Sonny Reagan, Riley's deputy legal adviser, initially argued that Massey's clients, Robert Hughes of Florence, a former A&M trustee, and David Marzette of Birmingham, the financial secretary of Alabama A&M's National Alumni Association, had no legal standing to sue because they had suffered no harm.
About two dozen Alabama A&M alumni and supporters, some from as far away as Chicago, attended Tuesday's hearing.
Earlier, Shashy had denied a motion by the office of Ken Wallis, Riley's legal adviser, to postpone Tuesday's hearing because Wallis was in London.
"If I were Mr. Ken Wallis, I'd be out of the country, too, because I wouldn't want to be making these arguments for the governor's position," said Massey.
He called his case "clear, simple and precise," adding, "There are no ambiguities. They were appointed in February and they were rejected in May, so they were trustees for four or five months."
Massey said a state law that applies specifically to Alabama A&M states when the Senate committee rejected the governor's appointees, it created four unique vacancies on the board.
The Senate committee's action created vacancies that cannot be filled until new appointees are confirmed by the Senate, said Massey.
"It is clear upon its face. It's not unclear; it's not ambiguous," he said of the law. "It's only four lines. There's nothing wrong with it. There's no reason why anyone couldn't follow this statue."
The four reappointed by Riley shortly after the Legislature adjourned would face the same Confirmations Committee again in the 2009 legislative session.
Reagan noted there are two state laws covering appointments to the Alabama A&M board. He said the most recent, approved by the Legislature in 1995, should prevail over the older one cited by Massey.The 1995 law explains in much more detail the creation and composition of the board, such as representation from congressional districts, at-large members, ex-officio members and those who must hold degrees from A&M.
"Our position is that these statutes are in conflict with each other and because this (1995 law) is the most recent version of the legislative intent that this should control when the two statues are in conflict," he said.
Reagan also noted the four nominees were not rejected by the full Senate - only eight members of the 16-member committee.
But Massey added, "The one word they (Riley's attorneys) stay away from is rejection because they're not comfortable discussing it. Because once they were rejected by the Senate, it's like when a bill doesn't make it to the floor of the House, it's dead. Those appointments were dead."
After the Senate committee voted to reject the appointees, Chairman Myron Penn, D-Union Springs, said the panel was sending a message that it was best for Riley to select a new slate of nominees.
Penn said the appointees were rejected due to divisions among the university's alumni, faculty and students because Riley's appointees were instrumental in firing Jennings at the end of March.
(SOURCE) The AAMU Alumni president posted to AAMUFAMILY LIST, an article written by BOB LOWRY of the Huntsville Times
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
MONTGOMERY - A judge Tuesday refused to throw four new Alabama A&M University trustees off the board, but the issue is far from dead.
Circuit Judge William Shashy of Montgomery asked attorneys for examples of Alabama law covering other state colleges and boards that support their arguments.
Shashy asked for the information within five days, but he isn't expected to issue a ruling for several weeks.
Troy Massey, a Montgomery attorney, is suing Gov. Bob Riley and his four appointees because the Senate Confirmations Committee unanimously rejected their nominations in May.
The four returned to the board by Riley were David Slyman Jr. of Huntsville; Leroy Richie of Birmingham, Mich.; Mayor Edward May of Bessemer; and the Rev. Willie Clyde McNeil of Chatom.
After the Legislature had adjourned, Riley simply reappointed the four in June.
Massey said Riley's second letter appointing the four trustees after the session had ended was "contrary to the law and violated the statute."
Riley's appointees were in the majority when the board fired former Alabama A&M President Robert Jennings in March.
The lawsuit by Massey, a former A&M trustee, is seeking an injunction that would remove the four from the board and permanently prohibit them from serving.
"We've got people appointed to serve on our board who have been rejected by the Senate," Massey said. "That creates problems in terms of insurance, bond issues, refinancing bond issues, hiring personnel ..."
Sonny Reagan, Riley's deputy legal adviser, initially argued that Massey's clients, Robert Hughes of Florence, a former A&M trustee, and David Marzette of Birmingham, the financial secretary of Alabama A&M's National Alumni Association, had no legal standing to sue because they had suffered no harm.
About two dozen Alabama A&M alumni and supporters, some from as far away as Chicago, attended Tuesday's hearing.
Earlier, Shashy had denied a motion by the office of Ken Wallis, Riley's legal adviser, to postpone Tuesday's hearing because Wallis was in London.
"If I were Mr. Ken Wallis, I'd be out of the country, too, because I wouldn't want to be making these arguments for the governor's position," said Massey.
He called his case "clear, simple and precise," adding, "There are no ambiguities. They were appointed in February and they were rejected in May, so they were trustees for four or five months."
Massey said a state law that applies specifically to Alabama A&M states when the Senate committee rejected the governor's appointees, it created four unique vacancies on the board.
The Senate committee's action created vacancies that cannot be filled until new appointees are confirmed by the Senate, said Massey.
"It is clear upon its face. It's not unclear; it's not ambiguous," he said of the law. "It's only four lines. There's nothing wrong with it. There's no reason why anyone couldn't follow this statue."
The four reappointed by Riley shortly after the Legislature adjourned would face the same Confirmations Committee again in the 2009 legislative session.
Reagan noted there are two state laws covering appointments to the Alabama A&M board. He said the most recent, approved by the Legislature in 1995, should prevail over the older one cited by Massey.The 1995 law explains in much more detail the creation and composition of the board, such as representation from congressional districts, at-large members, ex-officio members and those who must hold degrees from A&M.
"Our position is that these statutes are in conflict with each other and because this (1995 law) is the most recent version of the legislative intent that this should control when the two statues are in conflict," he said.
Reagan also noted the four nominees were not rejected by the full Senate - only eight members of the 16-member committee.
But Massey added, "The one word they (Riley's attorneys) stay away from is rejection because they're not comfortable discussing it. Because once they were rejected by the Senate, it's like when a bill doesn't make it to the floor of the House, it's dead. Those appointments were dead."
After the Senate committee voted to reject the appointees, Chairman Myron Penn, D-Union Springs, said the panel was sending a message that it was best for Riley to select a new slate of nominees.
Penn said the appointees were rejected due to divisions among the university's alumni, faculty and students because Riley's appointees were instrumental in firing Jennings at the end of March.
(SOURCE) The AAMU Alumni president posted to AAMUFAMILY LIST, an article written by BOB LOWRY of the Huntsville Times
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
AAMU seeking mentors
AAMU seeking mentors
(AAMU Release) Huntsville, Ala. ---- The few. The proud. The mentors. Alabama A&M University’s Office of Retention and Academic Support (ORAS) is reaching out to alumni and interested persons in the community to make a positive impact in the lives of college students, says its director, Dr. Leatha Bennett.
The “Changing Lanes” program was conceptualized less than two years ago as a tool to improve the collegiate experience of first-year students by involving AAMU alumni and other interested individuals in the former’s paths of matriculation. But, according to Howard Wright, ORAS program specialist, the “re-launched” mentorship project has been expanded to encompass upperclassmen, who will be paired with alumni and professionals in the surrounding communities. Freshman students, however, will continue to be mentored by faculty and staff.
“We are only asking our mentors to make a one-year commitment,” notes Wright, an AAMU alumnus, who adds that the list of prospective mentors will be drawn from churches, businesses, alumni and others who exemplify a keen interest in impacting students’ lives. “We prefer our mentors to be college graduates or to be involved in a profession affiliated with the student’s interest.”
The major thrust of the program, then, is to provide the student with an extra cheerleader and encourager. This can be accomplished, says Wright, through a brief, monthly face-to-face
meeting; by calling the student to see how he or she is progressing in the academic arena; by sending an e-mail; and/or providing the student an invitation to a social event.
Wright assures that ORAS has the capacity to handle a large number of mentor-protégé arrangements, and efforts have been made to inform students about Changing Lanes through the popular youth website Facebook.com. “Freshmen will be arriving around August 9,” says Wright, “I want to have the forms from interested parties in by the end of July.”
Forms and additional information are available by accessing the Internet at www.aamu.edu, then by clicking “Changing Lanes”. For all other inquiries about the program, contact Howard Wright at (256) 372-5493.
(AAMU Release) Huntsville, Ala. ---- The few. The proud. The mentors. Alabama A&M University’s Office of Retention and Academic Support (ORAS) is reaching out to alumni and interested persons in the community to make a positive impact in the lives of college students, says its director, Dr. Leatha Bennett.
The “Changing Lanes” program was conceptualized less than two years ago as a tool to improve the collegiate experience of first-year students by involving AAMU alumni and other interested individuals in the former’s paths of matriculation. But, according to Howard Wright, ORAS program specialist, the “re-launched” mentorship project has been expanded to encompass upperclassmen, who will be paired with alumni and professionals in the surrounding communities. Freshman students, however, will continue to be mentored by faculty and staff.
“We are only asking our mentors to make a one-year commitment,” notes Wright, an AAMU alumnus, who adds that the list of prospective mentors will be drawn from churches, businesses, alumni and others who exemplify a keen interest in impacting students’ lives. “We prefer our mentors to be college graduates or to be involved in a profession affiliated with the student’s interest.”
The major thrust of the program, then, is to provide the student with an extra cheerleader and encourager. This can be accomplished, says Wright, through a brief, monthly face-to-face
meeting; by calling the student to see how he or she is progressing in the academic arena; by sending an e-mail; and/or providing the student an invitation to a social event.
Wright assures that ORAS has the capacity to handle a large number of mentor-protégé arrangements, and efforts have been made to inform students about Changing Lanes through the popular youth website Facebook.com. “Freshmen will be arriving around August 9,” says Wright, “I want to have the forms from interested parties in by the end of July.”
Forms and additional information are available by accessing the Internet at www.aamu.edu, then by clicking “Changing Lanes”. For all other inquiries about the program, contact Howard Wright at (256) 372-5493.
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