Indiana University

Skip to:

  1. Search
  2. Breadcrumb Navigation
  3. Content
  4. Browse by Topic
  5. Services & Resources
  6. Additional Resources
  7. Multimedia News

Bloomington Herald-Times articles for May 11 forward

Articles appear in reverse chronological order

Risky social choices face first-year IU women; Researchers interviewed freshman girls about sex, alcohol, the party scene
by Sarah Morin, 331-4363 | smorin@heraldt.com
May 27, 2005

For Indiana University students, it can be risky to not engage in "risky behavior" such as drinking and hooking up.

"You see these images of college that you're supposed to go out and have fun and drink, drink lots, party and meet guys. (You are) supposed to hook up with guys, and both men and women try to live up to that," said an IU freshman girl living in a "party dorm."

She and other females living on the same floor shared experiences and expectations of their social lives on and off campus with IU sociologists from the first day of school to the last.

Led by assistant professor Elizabeth Armstrong, the sociologists presented their findings Thursday at an IU symposium titled "Toward a safer campus: Challenging student norms involving sex, alcohol and the campus party scene."

Armstrong and two doctoral students who worked on the study, Laura Hamilton and Brian Sweeney, gave the keynote talk, "Sexual assault on campus: Insights from research on college student social life."

Armstrong said freshmen girls often feel obligated to go out because to them it beats the alternative: sitting on the sidelines. "The risk of having no friends and being alone at night in the hall," Armstrong said.

So instead of staying in the dorm, they join the pack and attend parties that run on alcohol and are defined by men.

For example, girls go to fraternity theme parties such as "CEO/Secretary Ho" and "School Teacher/Sexy Student" or "menage a trois" - where one guy takes two girls dressed in lingerie as his date, or rather, dates.

At these parties, Armstrong said, there's an oppositional agenda between what men expect - sex - and what women want - to look great and have fun. Half the girls interviewed were virgins at the start of the school year, "and many were virgins at the end," she said.

The sociology team tracked the freshmen from their arrival at IU in August to their departure for the summer earlier this month.

In 41 in-depth interviews and 16 group interviews, the girls talked about peer culture, friends, sex and rape.

One girl said she just enjoys kissing and not doing anything else. The girls reported there's a big difference between looking sexy and looking slutty.

Addressing rape, one girl told the researchers about being sexually assaulted at a party and not telling anyone: "I think I was also at the point thinking like, you know, I just got to school, I don't want to start off on a bad note with anyone. And now it happened so long ago, I don't know who it was. It's just one of those things that I kinda have to live with."

To prevent sexual assaults, the research team presented recommendations ranging from creating more living and learning centers in the dorms to a "Party 101" program to teach students how to navigate party environments safely.

After the presentation, the crowd of 150 or so broke into smaller work sessions tackling issues such as "Student Life" and "How can we rethink campus alcohol regulation toward a safer campus?"

What they said

Quotes by female freshmen from the presentation "Sexual assault on campus: Insights from research on college student social life"

PEER CULTURE: SEX AS PUBLIC AND FUN

Describing a "Playboy" party that was "so fun": "It was basically an excuse -- for everyone to dress in the sluttiest little thing that they can pull off without looking like complete trash. But it was just so fun. You had an excuse to just let loose."

PEER CULTURE: GENDER AND SEXUAL EXPECTATIONS

"But, like, I only like to kiss. I just like kissing. I won't do anything else."

FRATERNITY PARTIES: TRANSPORTATION

"All those girls would stand out there at the circle drive and just like, no joke, get into these big black Suburbans driven by frat guys, shoving themselves in there, wearing like seriously no clothes, piled on top of each other. This could be like some kidnapper taking you all away to the woods and chopping you up and leaving you there."

WOMEN'S EXPECTATIONS: PARTY RAPE

"I didn't know what happened. I was scared and wanted to get the hell out of there. I didn't know who it was, so how am I supposed to go to the hospital and say someone might've raped me? It could have been any one of the hundred guys that lived in the house. And I didn't even know if it happened for sure."

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Ivy Tech OKs 4.8% tuitiion, fee increase; Costs still far less than those of IU
by Steve Hinnefeld, 331-4374 | shinnefeld@heraldt.com

May 26, 2005

Full-time students at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana will pay an additional $119.50 next year as a result of a price increase approved Wednesday by college trustees.

The Ivy Tech board, meeting in Indianapolis, approved 4.8 percent increases in tuition and fees each of the next two years.

The college offers two-year associate degrees, certificates and job training at 23 campuses, including Bloomington. It has more than 65,000 students, many of them part-time.

Annual tuition and fees for a full-time student taking 15 hours a semester will be $2,588.50 this fall and $2,712.50 in 2006-07.

Bob Holmes, Ivy Tech vice president for finance, said officials know the college is a gateway to higher education for students who can't afford to attend a four-year college.

"We have made a concerted effort to keep our increases at a moderate level because of the students we serve," he said.

Holmes said the financial aid from the college, the federal government and donors will increase 7.4 percent next year.

Officials proposed the tuition increase early this month. They conducted public-input forums in Terre Haute and Indianapolis.

Ivy Tech tuition and fee costs are above the national average for community colleges -- about $2,100 a year, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.

"That's primarily because community colleges in most states receive property-tax revenues, and we do not," Holmes said. Ivy Tech relies on state money and tuition.

But it is still a bargain in Indiana higher education. Tuition and fees for Indiana University are nearly three times as much as Ivy Tech's.

While the Legislature held the line this year on higher-education funding, it did provide increases for Ivy Tech's growing enrollment. It also changed its name from Ivy Tech State College to Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.

College costs

Ivy Tech tuition and fees:

  • Tuition rises from $80.30 per credit hour last year to $83.95 in 2005-06 and $87.75 in 2006-07.
  • Technology fee goes from $30 per semester to $35 in 2005-06 and $40 in 2006-07.
  • Yearlong tuition and fees for a full-time student taking 15 hours per semester increases from $2,469 to $2,588.50 in 2005-06 and $2,712.50 in 2006-07.
  • By comparison, 2005-06 tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates at Indiana University are $7,112.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Olympic-level athletes in field for NCAA track regional at IU; Event Friday and Saturday to feature 1,200 athletes, draw thousands of spectators
by Doug Wilson, 331-4353 | dwilson@heraldt.com
May 26, 2005

The NCAA Mideast regional Friday and Saturday will be one of the largest track and field meets ever held in Bloomington.

With 1,200 competitors and 240 men's and women's teams, the meet is the biggest Indiana University has hosted since at least 1966, according to former IU track and field coach Sam Bell.

Several thousand visitors are expected to arrive today for the meet, filling local hotel rooms. To prepare for the crowd, IU has added 3,100 temporary seats to its Haugh Track Complex, bringing its capacity to 6,600.

There also will be NCAA track regionals this weekend in Manhattan, N.Y., Norman, Okla., and Eugene, Ore. But the Mideast Regional in Bloomington will have by far the strongest field, both in the rankings of its top teams and in the number of athletes who qualified to compete in the regional.

"In this meet, there will hopefully be half a dozen to a dozen athletes you'll see in the next Olympics," IU track and field coach Randy Heisler said.

Arkansas, which won this year's NCAA indoor track championship and the past two NCAA outdoor titles, heads a men's field that features eight of the nation's top 25 teams -- the No. 1 Razorbacks, No. 4 Louisiana State, No. 9 Indiana, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 12 Auburn, No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 15 Mississippi State and No. 21 Michigan.

The women's field has three top 25 teams -- No. 5 Tennessee, No. 11 Alabama and No. 21 Arkansas.

There are numerous competitors in the field expected to challenge for national titles at the NCAA outdoor meet in two weeks. Among them are a pair of athletes who hold the best performance in the world this year in their events: Arkansas men's sprinter Wallace Spearmon Jr. and Tennessee women's long jumper Tianna Madison.

The meet will have more competitors than the 1997 NCAA track championships that were held in Bloomington.

Bell, IU's head coach from 1970 to 1998, said the last meet IU hosted that may have been as large was the 1966 NCAA championships, before there were regional meets to reduce the field prior to the national championship meet.

NCAA Mideast Track and Field Regional

  • SCHEDULE: Field events start at noon Friday and Saturday. Running events are 4-9 p.m. Friday and 5-8:25 p.m. Saturday. A schedule of events and list of the top competitors in each event will be in Friday's and Saturday's Herald-Times.
  • ADMISSION: Adults $25 both days, $15 one day. Youth $20 both days, $10 one day.
  • LOCATION: Robert C. Haugh Track Complex, North Fee Lane.
  • WHAT'S AT STAKE: A trip to the NCAA championships in Sacramento, Calif., June 8-11.
  • WHO ADVANCES: The top five individuals in each event and the top three relay teams.
  • LOCAL STANDOUTS: IU's Aarik Wilson is the top seed in the men's long jump and triple jump, and Hoosier twins John and Sean Jefferson are the top two seeds in the men's 1,500. Edgewood graduate Cory Martin of Auburn is the second seed in the men's hammer.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Herbert's speech praised
Bloomington Herald-Times, May 25 -- To the editor: Hello, as a recently returned to Bloomington IU grad with degrees in economics, I just want to thank you for reprinting the excellent speech of President Herbert from the IU graduation. I think it was a wonderful speech for all adults or near-adults, and it inspired me to read "The World is Flat," which I think is also a wonderful book for anyone beginning their employment career. My college-attending daughter agrees with his assessment of the book. Susan Thrasher, Bloomington

Lindeman named IU Student Enrollment Services head
Herald-Times Report
May 25, 2005

Art Lindeman has been named associate vice president and director of Student Enrollment Services at Indiana University.

His appointment, subject to approval by IU trustees, takes effect June 1.

Student Enrollment Services was created with the $52 million implementation of IU's Student Information Services system, which uses PeopleSoft software for admissions, registration and financial aid.

"With SIS now in place, the SES organization enters a new phase and is being developed to coordinate the overall planning and management for the new system," Lindeman said in a news release.

He takes over from Don Hossler, who said late last year he was stepping down from two posts - Student Enrollment Services director and vice chancellor for enrollment services - to return to teaching in the School of Education. He also will be special assistant to the vice chancellor.

IU Registrar Roland Cote was given the additional title of interim vice chancellor for enrollment services by the trustees this month.

Lindeman will report to IU Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis. He joined IU in 1981, has served as assistant vice president for financial management services since 1990 and directed the development of IU's financial information system in the mid-1990s.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Judge dismisses criminal charges in case of guinea pig being tossed out window; IU student has paid $500 civil fine for animal cruelty
By Kurt Van der Dussen, H-T Staff Writer
May 25, 2005

Criminal charges have been dropped against the Indiana University student who gave a guinea pig an involuntary crash course in skydiving last Dec. 16.

David E. Feldsott's misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty on allegations he knowingly "abandoned" the guinea pig was dismissed Tuesday by Monroe Circuit Judge Marc Kellams on grounds that prosecution would be unconstitutional double jeopardy in the case.

Feldsott's attorney, Fred Turner, argued in a motion for dismissal that Feldsott already had paid a $500 civil fine for animal cruelty that was levied on him as punishment by animal control officers. Turner said Feldsott can't be punished twice for the same crime.

Feldsott, 19, and some friends taped a parachute to the guinea pig and threw it from a window at Briscoe Quad. The pet was unhurt, but the students were turned in and Feldsott was charged with a Class B misdemeanor.

Kellams dismissed the charge Tuesday. His chief court reporter, Kate Scanlon, said that Noel, the guinea pig, is reported to be alive and healthy.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent

Civil rights pioneer Meredith to visit IU; First black student at Ole Miss honors the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
By Steve Hinnefeld
May 24, 2005

James Meredith touched off riots 43 years ago that left two people dead and 160 injured.

All he was trying to do was go to college.

Meredith, the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi, will share his perspective on civil rights history next week at Indiana University.

He will give a public lecture at 11 a.m. June 1 at the IU School of Education and will speak to a class taught by Alvin Chambliss, a visiting professor at IU. His appearance marks the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the 1955 Supreme Court order that called for desegregating public schools "with all deliberate speed."

Meredith, now 71, was one of the best-known figures of the civil-rights struggle for his lone-wolf tactics, determination and courage.

"I think James Meredith accomplished, with his stand at Ole Miss, as much if not more than any single black leader in American history acting by himself," said Chambliss, who invited Meredith to IU.

Meredith had served two terms in the Air Force when he applied in 1961 to all-white Ole Miss. Rejected twice, he turned to the courts, and the Supreme Court ordered the school to admit him. He enrolled Sept. 30, 1962, escorted by U.S. marshals and Justice Department lawyers.

Within hours, a protesting mob of 2,000 was battling federal officials. Twenty-eight marshals were shot, and President Kennedy sent 16,000 troops to Oxford, Miss., to quell the violence.

"It's the closest thing to secession that has happened since the Civil War," said Chambliss, who was then a high school senior in Columbia, Miss.

In 1966, Meredith undertook a solo "March Against Fear" from Memphis to Jackson, Miss., against the advice of civil rights officials. He was shot and wounded, and other leaders completed the march.

Ever the contrarian, he later ran for Congress against Adam Clayton Powell and worked for arch-conservative Sen. Jesse Helms. He even endorsed white supremacist David Duke for governor of Louisiana, explaining later that his support was the "kiss of death" for a white racist in the South.

A writer as well as an activist, Meredith is the author of 25 publications, including "Three Years in Mississippi" and "Mississippi: A Volume of 11 Books."

In 1997, he donated his papers to the University of Mississippi, the school that wouldn't accept him, where they're housed at the J.D. Williams Library.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Institute staff appear in 'Kinsey' DVD extras; Several attend related art exhibit opening in West Hollywood
By Nicole Kauffman, 331-4357 | nkauffman@heraldt.com
May 23, 2005

In the age of DVDs, movie buffs can learn an incredible amount about how their favorite flicks were conceived and constructed.

With the May 17 release of a special-edition two-disc "Kinsey" DVD, viewers can learn even more about the life's work of Indiana University biology professor Alfred C. Kinsey, if the onscreen portrayal by Liam Neeson leaves them desiring as much.

"So much of Hollywood is made up, and we're real. The actual connection there is always intriguing to people," said Jennifer Bass, head of information services at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction.

The extra disc includes some interviews with Bass and other Kinsey staff, during an 80-minute segment called "The Kinsey Report: Sex on Film." It ends with footage of the Bloomington premiere of "Kinsey" in November and includes IU Bloomington chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis' introduction of the movie.

A six-minute tour of the Kinsey gallery by Catherine Johnson-Roehr, curator of art, artifacts and photographs, also is featured.

While some rare books and other pieces are visible, some images are blurred because of copyright concerns, Johnson-Roehr said.

To celebrate the release of the DVD, Fox executives initiated an art exhibit of Kinsey pieces, "The Art of Sex: Selections from the Kinsey Institute," at a gallery on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

Johnson-Roehr, Bass and four other Kinsey staff members flew to California to represent the institute at the exhibit opening May 16. "The main reason was so that we could be there at the show and give life to the items. We give meaning to them because we all have stories to tell about the objects," Bass said.

"The Art of Sex: Selections from the Kinsey Institute," ran through May 19 and featured items collected by Kinsey himself, as well as photographs, manuscripts and letters.

"Several people commented on the photo of Kinsey lecturing to about 9,000 people at Berkeley," Johnson-Roehr said.

Several manuscripts from the Kinsey library and 40 art objects were displayed, including a handmade comic book by a prisoner in San Quentin, a 1950 ink drawing of a woman with a whip and a moveable wooden object showing a man and a woman having sex -- an early 20th-century piece that was recreated for use in the film.

Johnson-Roehr had just one month to put the show together; she usually has six months.

"We felt like this was a wonderful opportunity for us to get the word out about the collections," Bass said.

It was also a way to rub elbows with potential donors; writer Gore Vidal and Andrew Firestone (best known to the world as "The Bachelor") attended the gala opening.

And it got the Kinsey Institute's name mentioned in some news segments.

"This was an opportunity to tie the movie into something unusual," Bass said.

The exhibit marked the first time a Kinsey art collection was featured in a stand-alone show outside IU, she added.

But sadly, it also marked the last time the Kinsey Institute folks will get to hang out with the "Kinsey" film folks, specifically writer-director Bill Condon and executive producer Gail Mutrux.

"It was a little bittersweet for us -- They're such delightful people," Bass said.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

IU plays spoiler in finale vs. Boilers; Hoosiers cost Purdue Big Ten title with 6-0 shutout
By Jim Gordillo, H-T Sports Writer
May 23, 2005

Indiana's Brad Davidson scattered four hits in six shutout innings in Sunday's series finale against Purdue. The Hoosiers won, 6-0. Staff photo by Monty Howell

For Indiana's Ryan Parker it felt as good as a doubleheader sweep.

First, the Hoosiers unleashed their pent up offense to stop a seven-game losing streak and end their season by whipping in-state rival Purdue, 6-0, on Sunday.

In doing so, last-place Indiana (26-30, 10-23) threw cold water on the Boilermakers, who were the Big Ten's hottest team.

The IU players knew Purdue (25-28, 17-11), which had gone 12-3 in conference play since a 6-7 start, could clinch a Big Ten regular season title with a win if faltering Illinois lost to Iowa.

But Purdue was limited to eight hits and stranded 12 runners.

"We didn't want to see them celebrating on our field," said Parker, who went 3-for-4 with a homer. "So that was a small victory right there."

Indiana played error-free defense, got solid pitching from a pair of freshmen and posted a 11 hits, the most since its last win, on May 9.

"Losing is contagious just like winning is contagious," said IU coach Bob Morgan, whose team was outscored 41-15 during its skid. "When you lose tough ones like that it's hard to turn things around. It gets to the kids' confidence and they try to do more than they can."

Silencing the Purdue party were starter Brad Davidson and relievers Chris McCombs and Steve Nielsen.

The lefty Davidson (3-3), carried a 9.00 ERA in Big Ten play but scattered four hits over six innings.

"Confidence," Davidson said. "That's what it's all about. Being out there relaxed and knowing you can get them all out."

Purdue's best scoring chance off him came when it left the bases loaded in the third after Davidson got cleanup hitter John Hunter to fly out to end the inning.

That allowed Indiana, which had hit a meager .153 (13-of-83) while being outscored 13-2 in the first three games of the series, to take a much-needed lead in the fourth. IU was 22-10 this season when it scored first.

With one out after Jay Brant was tagged out at home after being caught in a rundown, Josh Richardson dumped an opposite-field single into left to collect two of his three RBIs.

"We finally got those key hits in this game, so that was big," Parker said. "We just put everything behind us and came out and started anew today."

The Hoosiers tacked on three runs in the sixth.

Joe Kemp and Parker singled and Richardson hit a grounder to short, but the throws to second and first were both late and Kemp scored. Michael Nilles' infield single loaded the bases and chased Purdue starter Dan Sattler (3-3).

But light-hitting catcher Kurt Weigle (.145), one of five IU seniors playing their last game, drilled the first pitch he saw from closer Chris Toneguzzi to center to make it 5-0.

Parker added a solo homer in the eighth.

"We just wanted to send our seniors out a winner," Parker said. "The victory was kind of bittersweet. We would've liked to have a better season for these seniors."

Indiana dropped the series, 3-1, but still leads Purdue all-time, 131-110-2.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Billionaire U; IU one of 47 schools with endowments that exceed $1 billion
by Justin Pope, Associated Press
May 22, 2005

NEWTON, Mass.
Crossing the main quad at Boston College, visitors can't miss the billion-dollar view.

There is Higgins Hall, the recently renovated science center, with its pricey, Gothic exterior. Behind it sits a new, $41 million office building, complete with coffee bar. Down the road, through well-tended grounds, lies St. Ignatius Gate Residence Hall, home to 322 students in suites featuring instant cable and high-speed Internet access.

"I don't think you can ever overinvest in higher education," says the Rev. William Leahy, BC's president. With an endowment that hit $1.15 billion last year, BC can invest a lot: The school is in the stratosphere of wealth in American higher education.

The stratosphere is getting crowded.

Forty-seven U.S. colleges and universities -- including Indiana University -- now have endowments of $1 billion or more, compared to 17 a decade ago, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Harvard alone has $22 billion, nearly $10 billion more than No. 2 Yale.

The billionaire schools have amassed their wealth through savvy fundraising, shrewd investing and generous tax laws, and they are the envy of the world. Outside the United States, only England's venerable Oxford and Cambridge are in the same financial class.

In this country, $1 billion has become a benchmark, a point beyond which schools can stop worrying about the day-to-day and dream big.

"It allows a place to take its other sources of support -- student revenues or state financial support -- and use them as a base," said David Ward, president of the American Council on Education. "And use the rest as a source of excellence."

To shed light on how these schools are using their unprecedented wealth and why they still cost so much to attend, the Associated Press analyzed thousands of numbers collected by the federal government and college guidebooks over the past decade. The AP found an increasingly varied mix of private and public schools in academe's financial elite, a group spending heavily on new construction and aggressively recruiting top faculty.

They also are a clique that can induce tuition sticker-shock as never before: Despite tripling its wealth over the last decade, the average billionaire college has nearly doubled its price. Tuition and fees at the average private billionaire college hit $29,002 in 2004; at public universities in the group it cost $7,230 to attend the typical flagship campus.

Rich getting richer

A significant boost in financial aid means many students aren't paying full freight, yet the costs have provoked criticism that the richest colleges should use more money from their savings than they do now -- at most schools, about 5 percent per year.

Some also worry the wealthiest colleges take too big a piece of the financial pie.

The 47 billionaire schools possess nearly two-thirds of the endowed wealth in American higher education. They are indisputably engines of life-improving research but, excluding the branch campuses of billionaire public schools, they educate fewer than one in 25 American undergraduates.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of small colleges," said Ian Newbould, president of North Carolina Wesleyan College, a school with an $8.5 million endowment that ranks No. 702 of the 741 schools in the college business officers' latest endowment survey.

"There is the democratization of education, but in fact, there are a large number of students who need support and need resources."

Similar but different

The billionaire schools, meanwhile, seem flush. But though they are grouped together at the financial peak among America's 2,300 four-year colleges, they aren't all alike.

Each of the eight Ivy League colleges is a billionaire, as are other private schools that wouldn't be hard to guess -- Stanford, Duke, Chicago and Notre Dame among them. Yet there also are small liberal arts colleges, such as Grinnell in Iowa, and 14 public universities, up from four a decade ago.

A billion dollars goes a lot farther at a small school than a large one. Wellesley College, an all-women's school outside Boston, for instance, ranks 39th on the endowment list with $1.18 billion. Purdue University is one slot higher with $1.21 billion, but has 17 times more students.

What all these schools have in common is that -- by American standards, anyway -- they're old. Their average age is 168, ranging from 93 (Rice) to 369 (Harvard). Colleges need decades, even centuries, to build a reputation, reap the rewards of compounding investment returns, and produce generations of alumni who can be tapped for donations.

Ask any president of a billionaire college about the endowment and you'll get a lecture on how little $1 billion really is: Spend too much each year and there isn't enough left for the future. And many endowment funds are for specific purposes, from scholarships to professorships to landscaping.

That's why the presidents say their endowments can do little more than put the brake on tuition increases.

The AP's analysis found tuition and fees rose 63 percent at the average private billionaire school over the last decade, slightly less than the increase faced by students at private four-year colleges nationally.

At the 14 public schools on the list, including IU -- many still dealing with state budget cuts and more dependent on tuition than a decade ago -- tuition and fees at flagship campuses are up 106 percent, compared with an increase of 90 percent for students at four-year public colleges nationwide.

The debt loads of students who borrow to attend the billionaire colleges stands above $16,000 at both the flagship public universities and private schools.

Grant opportunities rise

Still, for many, billionaire colleges have become more affordable. That's partly because the percentage of students receiving loans is down and the percentage receiving grants is up.

The private schools have increased grant aid and tuition discounts by two-and-a-half times in the last decade. That's money students don't have to give back.

Private billionaires are meeting almost all of what's called "demonstrated need" -- that is, getting students the cash they must have to stay enrolled. Public flagship schools are meeting 84 percent of demonstrated need.

Princeton recently replaced loans entirely with grants, and Yale and Harvard eliminated tuition for students from low-income families. Among public schools, the universities of Virginia, North Carolina and Michigan have recently implemented or announced more financial aid for low-income students.

"Right now, the wealthiest schools are remarkably accessible to low-income students," said Gordon Winston, a higher education economist at Williams College ($1.23 billion), which recently reduced or eliminated loan burdens for students from families earning less than about $60,000.

At the wealthiest schools, even middle-class families may qualify for at least some need-based aid, though tuition still doesn't come cheap. "It's a sacrifice in terms of the extra things," said Neale Mahoney, a graduating senior who has attended Brown University ($1.65 billion) on a partial scholarship, and whose parents are both educators. "My parents have never bought a new car."

In 2002, Boston College joined the small group of colleges that promise to find funding for all accepted applicants. It spends between $55 million and $60 million annually on undergraduate, need-based financial aid.

BC is now "much more attractive to a range of students who might at first be put off" by the school's list price of $41,950, including room and board, said Leahy, a Jesuit priest who does his bit to keep costs down by declining a salary.

But no matter how wealthy BC gets, Leahy doubts it ever will stop raising tuition.

"A billion dollars is a great amount of money, but it by no means eliminates all the pressure," he said, noting the costs of heating oil, health insurance and technology. At BC, endowment income accounts for only 10 percent of the operating budget.

More ideas than money

In part, prices rise because it's hard for colleges to offset costs as a company would, by increasing productivity. And in part, they rise because the market allows it: The average private billionaire school gets four applications for every available slot.

But mostly, prices rise because there are so many things the billionaire colleges want to do.

Wealthy universities "have many more ideas than they have money to spend on them," said Charles Clotfelter, a Duke economist and author of "Buying the Best: Cost Escalation in Elite Higher Education." "If their leaders don't feel that way, they probably need to be replaced."

With money, "the appetite intensifies to do great things," said BC's Leahy. "We could use another billion." A new campaign is planned to raise it.

Critics, meanwhile, have a suggestion for American schools feeling pinched: spend more of the money they've already raised.

"Endowments represent money that's not being spent on education," said Henry Hansmann, a Yale law professor, who has criticized endowment stinginess. During the recent economic downturn, Stanford froze hiring, MIT closed its campus over the holidays and Dartmouth tried to eliminate its swimming program before alumni stepped in. But few schools significantly adjusted their 5 percent endowment spending rate for fear of long-term consequences.

"Should we tax this generation of students so we can spend it on the next?" Hansmann said. "That doesn't make much sense, because the next generation of students is almost certainly going to be more prosperous than this one."

The billionaire colleges say they have to be cautious, given the uncertainties of the stock market. And they say students are getting more for their money -- in and out of the classroom.

Many have built or renovated science labs. But much of the campus building boom is about "atmosphere" and "experience." The charms of decrepit dorms and bad plumbing are quickly fading in a race for the best, most well-appointed facilities possible -- better food, cutting-edge computer networks and health-club-style gyms. Duke ($3.3 billion) even experimented with giving iPods to all incoming freshmen.

"We don't have dormitories anymore, we have 'living and learning units,"' said Ronald Ehrenberg, an economist at Cornell ($3.24 billion). "We don't have dining halls any more, we have 'dining kiosks.' It is not sufficient for any college students to be housed in buildings that were put up in the 1940s. What these students are getting facility-wise is enormous."

The billionaires also are spending on academics, from student research jobs to travel grants to the salaries of celebrity professors. Including the University of California system, 11 of the 15 American Nobel Prize winners in the last two years work at billionaire schools.

Wealth doesn't guarantee quality, but the correlation between money and reputation, at least, is hard to ignore. Each of the top 21 universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings is a billionaire.

"It seems to me there's something really useful about having the really turned-on kids go to schools that provide them with the really turned-on resources," said Winston, the economist at Williams.

Costs and the future

But the "arms race" for superstar faculty is costing many nonbillionaires their best talents -- researchers such as Hanna and Antonio Damasio, two neuroscientists who recently left the University of Iowa to start a brain institute at the University of Southern California ($2.4 billion).

The drain to richer colleges is a "huge problem," said William Kirwan, chancellor of the university system of Maryland. "As talent ebbs away, and I think we're seeing that happen, it really affects public higher education."

The wealth disparity is unlikely to disappear, even as more and more schools crack the billion-dollar barrier. Fifty colleges and universities now have between $500 million and $1 billion. The $10 billion endowment soon may be the new $1 billion endowment -- and $1 billion a mark of mere mediocrity, not excellence.

And a club of billionaire high schools will likely form in the not-too-distant future. Two New England boarding schools, Andover and Exeter, have topped the $600 million mark.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Endowment gives IU 'margin of excellence'
By Steve Hinnefeld, Hoosier Times
May 22, 2005

What can a billion-dollar endowment buy?

At Indiana University, the answer includes competitive salaries for top faculty, scholarships for honor students and athletes and support for research and facilities.

Officials say the $1,012,707,000 endowment helps IU stand out from the crowd.

"It's the endowment that gives us the margin of excellence we could never have if we just relied on tuition and state support," said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre.

Indiana University ranks 46th among the 47 U.S. colleges and universities with endowments of $1 billion or more. Ten years ago, the IU endowment was $375,568,000.

It includes gifts that are invested to generate interest, usually for specific programs or activities. Managed by the IU Foundation, it includes money for all eight IU campuses.

Like most universities, IU spends 5 percent of the value of its endowment each year; another 1 percent goes for administrative costs, including investment fees.

IU Foundation spokeswoman Barbara Coffman said excess interest is used to build up the endowment. That way, earnings keep pace with inflation.

"The donor wants the gift to last forever," she said. "The only way we can make it last forever is to cover inflation."

With most gifts, donors stipulate that the principal can't be touched; only the earnings can be spent. And most can be used only for specified purposes. On the other hand, IU officials typically solicit donations for top-priority programs.

"People give to universities because they have dreams," Coffman said. "They want to make the world a better place."

The last IU Bloomington endowment campaign ended in 2001 and raised more than $500 million. It focused on faculty, tripling the number of endowed chairs and professorships, moving the Bloomington campus from the bottom of the Big Ten to the top. Endowment funds also support research in specialized areas such as entrepreneurship and biomolecular science.

The next campaign is in a "silent phase" and is slated for a launch late this year or early in 2006. It will emphasize graduate fellowships, scholarships and research and athletic facilities.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

IU tuition rising despite large endowment
by Steve Hinnefeld, Hoosier Times
May 22, 2005

BLOOMINGTON
Like most schools in the billion-dollar endowment club, Indiana University hasn't devoted its wealth to holding down costs for average students.

Its tuition and fees have more than doubled in the past decade, while the value of its endowment nearly tripled.

Tuition and fees for most Hoosier undergraduates attending IU this fall will be $7,112, about average for public institutions with billion- dollar endowments. That compares with $3,582 in 1995-96.

Out-of-state tuition and fees will be $19,508, up from $10,771 a decade ago.

State Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, an outspoken critic of rising tuition rates, said college is getting too expensive even for middle-income families.

Indiana lawmakers have stayed away from capping costs at state colleges and universities. But they voted this year to require public institutions to conduct forums on tuition, then set costs for two years at a time.

IU raised tuition by 4 percent a year ago and 4.9 percent this year, its smallest increases in years. Kenley said that's progress.

"I think it's a good thing that some of the universities are showing some restraint," he said.

Some $267 million in the IU endowment does generate earnings for student scholarships. The last IU Bloomington fundraising campaign almost doubled the number of endowment-supported scholarships, to 1,543.

But while most federal and state financial aid goes to students who need help paying for college, that's not the case with university- funded grants.

According an IU report, just 13 percent of the $28.5 million in grants the university awarded to undergraduates last year was targeted to students who needed the money. Most was awarded on the basis of academic or athletic talent or other factors.

Kenley said he understands college endowments can't be used to hold down tuition, unless that's what donors request. But he said universities should do all they can to keep higher education affordable for most Hoosiers.

"We just need to keep pushing," he said.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Rich schools still working hard at getting richer
Associated Press
May 22, 2005

NEWTON, Mass.

The first billion is the hardest.

America's richest colleges -- the 47 with endowments over $1 billion -- have a combined $160 billion, on par with the gross national product of Hong Kong. And they are going all out to get even more.

Last year, they raised $7.2 billion, or just under one-third of all the money donated to American higher education. Harvard alone raised $540 million.

Having money means having the resources to raise more of it, and to invest it shrewdly.

Development officers still use the old tricks, like making the rounds at football tailgate parties, and calling on elderly alums who may be thinking about their wills. But these days, they also use direct-mail software, host alumni golf tournaments and organize cruises.

At Boston College ($1.15 billion endowment), the fundraising staff numbers 150, not including the Rev. William Leahy, a Jesuit who has taken a vow of poverty but estimates he spends up to 40 percent of his time raising money for the school. Last year, BC took in $65 million.

Three staffers do nothing but work to get young alumni in the habit of giving annually, even though it may be years before the donations they solicit even cover their salaries.

"It's a long-term investment," says James Husson, BC's vice president for university advancement.

The billionaires' greatest resource is rich alumni with fond memories of college.

"I think part of it is American students bond with their universities more than anywhere else," said David Ward, the American Council on Education president.

But school spirit isn't the only ingredient.

U.S. law is extremely -- even uniquely -- generous to colleges. Congress makes contributions tax-deductible and gives schools a break on patent royalties for their researchers' inventions. It also declines to tax the investment earnings of colleges, and allows them to raise money through tax-exempt bonds.

When a big project comes up, wealthy colleges usually don't tap their endowments. Instead, they use their gilt-edge bond ratings to borrow money at low interest rates.

That allows them to continue to earn investment returns on the endowment, which usually more than covers the bond payments. They can keep the extra and plow it back into their endowments.

Harvard, despite its $22.6 billion endowment, has borrowed more than $3 billion over the last decade, according to Thomson Financial.

Wealthy colleges such as Harvard also can afford the most sophisticated financial advice, and can invest aggressively.

Harvard pioneered investing in nontraditional assets such as timber. It caught flak for paying money managers as much as $35 million per year, but those managers consistently beat performance benchmarks and Harvard is billions the richer for it.

Figures from the National Association of College and Universities Business Officers show billionaire colleges earned 12.5 percent annually on their investments over the last decade, compared to 8.8 percent for colleges with endowments under $25 million.

Some experts think it's fine that money flows heavily to schools that have a track record showing they can use it well.

Colleges "that do a good job, that get better, tend to do a better job at finding resources," said Richard Spies, an economist and executive vice president for planning at Brown University. "Those that for whatever reason miss the mark tend to fall away. That's a good thing."

Others see the rich getting richer as a cause for concern.

"What's going on in private education is what's going on in the rest of society," said Ronald Ehrenberg, a Cornell University economist who has written extensively about higher education. "We're just becoming a more unequally distributed society.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

IU student reports rape
by James Boyd, Herald-Times Staff Writer
May 20, 2005

For the eighth time in 2005, Indiana University police are investigating the report of a campus sexual assault.

A 19-year-old student reported the incident to police Wednesday afternoon, nearly two months after the date she said it occurred.

According to IUPD reports, the student told police she was grabbed and raped while walking back to her campus residence from Jordan Hall just after 8:30 p.m. on March 22.

She said she had left Jordan Hall and was walking on a pathway that runs along the north side of Jordan Hall near the west side of Ballantine Hall when she heard footsteps behind her.

According to the report, she said she heard the footsteps grow closer, so she began to walk faster.

At some point, a man grabbed her and forced her into a wooded section of campus, where she was held down on the ground and sexually assaulted, the report said.

The man was described as a black male with a light complexion, approximately 6 feet tall with a slim build.

At the time of the incident, he was reportedly wearing blue jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt. He had the shirt pulled over his face during the assault, but the woman said she noticed a small area of facial hair on his chin.

He fled the scene after the assault in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information about the incident or who believes they may have witnessed the assault is asked to call Detective Greg McClure at 855-4291.

The man told the victim he would "hurt or kill her if she told anyone," the report said.

Seven other sexual assaults have been reported on campus this year. Three of those cases are unresolved. In two, the prosecutor declined to file charges. In two others, the initial allegations have since been determined to be unfounded.

Reporter James Boyd can be reached at 331-4370 or by e-mail at jboyd@heraldt.com.
© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Wilson pulls off rare track awards sweep; Hoosiers win IU-Purdue series
By Doug Wilson, H-T Sports Writer
May 20, 2005

Aarik Wilson is just the second Big Ten track and field athlete ever to win the conference's two biggest awards in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in the same year.

The Indiana senior long jumper and triple jumper this week was named the conference's Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Championships for the outdoor season. He earned the same honors in this year's indoor season.

Michigan distance runner Kevin Sullivan in 1995 was the only other person to accomplish the sweep.

Wilson won both the long jump and triple jump titles at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend.

The Fallon, Nev., native leaped a personal-best 26-3 to win the long jump, a mark that ranks third in the IU record books. In the triple jump, Wilson won with a mark of 53-4.

He is just the second IU student-athlete to be selected Big Ten Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. Olympian Bob Kennedy, who won 20 Big Ten individual championships, won the outdoor award three straight years from 1990 to '92.

"Aarik is such a special athlete," IU director of track and field Randy Heisler said. "He wins everything he does and it's fun to watch him do it. We are lucky to have him here and we can't wait to see what he can do at the upcoming regional and national meets."

VAUGHN DROPPED: IU recruit Deonta Vaughn has been dropped from the Indiana All-Star team.

Vaughn was dropped because he will not meet a requirement that all players must be graduating seniors.

Vaughn recently withdrew from Indianapolis Arlington to start attending Harmony Community School, a prep school in Cincinnati, with the intention of raising his grades so he'll be eligible to play at IU in 2006-07.

IN GOOD SHAPE: Despite Tuesday's announcement that coach Dorsey Tierney will leave to head Auburn's powerhouse program, the IU women's swimming and diving program's future appears bright.

There has understandably been some grumbling in Bloomington about losing Tierney, a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. But IU is now in a strong position to hire another outstanding coach -- and the team's recent success under Tierney is just one reason for this.

Another is IU's women's diving program, coached by Jeff Huber -- the strongest in the country. At the Big Ten meet this year, Hoosier divers scored a record 214 of the team's 497 points as the swimming and diving team finished second.

The resuscitation of the Hoosier men's swimming program over the past couple of years will also help make the women's job attractive because IU is regaining a spot on the national swimming map. A particularly strong recruiting class Tierney landed for the upcoming year will help as well.

And while IU has athletics facilities that are below Big Ten standards in most sports, swimming is one of three IU sports -- soccer and track are the others -- with outstanding facilities.

HOOSIERS WIN IU-PURDUE SERIES: IU has captured what is now called the Crimson and Gold Cup for winning most of its 2004-05 sports events against rival Purdue this year.

With a total of 20 points available in the series, IU has a 12-7 lead with just one event left, its baseball series against Purdue here this weekend, starting today.

PRAIBIS IN MAIN DRAW: IU men's tennis player Jakub Praibis has moved up from second alternate into the main draw of the 64-player NCAA singles championships next week.

The first-team All-Big Ten player earned a berth in the NCAA championships for the second straight year.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Athletics at IU wins stamp of approval; Self-evaluation results in NCAA recertification
by Steve Hinnefeld, Herald-Times Staff Writer
May 20, 2005

The NCAA has given its blessing to the Indiana University athletics program, declaring it to be operating in line with the organization's principles.

IU was one of 13 Division I colleges and universities to have their programs recertified this week by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The announcement follows a yearlong process of self-study and an evaluation by the NCAA. Certification means the program is "in substantial compliance" with NCAA principles.

The university began the process in February 2004. Charlie Nelms, vice president for institutional development and student affairs, headed a 19-member steering committee that supervised the study.

Subcommittees of faculty, students, alumni and staff examined the athletics department's performance in academic integrity, governance, rules compliance, opportunities for women, student welfare and sportsmanship.

"Charlie Nelms and the study committee did a very thorough job," IU President Adam Herbert said in a news release Thursday. "We are committed to not only meeting NCAA standards, but meeting our own standards of excellence and integrity as well."

Also recertified this week were Birmingham-Southern, Boise State, Charleston Southern, Cleveland State, Colorado State, Colorado, High Point, Lipscomb, Northwestern, St. Bonaventure, the University of Southern California and Western Illinois.

Three schools -- Arkansas, Delaware State and New Orleans -- were certified "with conditions," which means problems were discovered that the institutions must correct.

The NCAA began certifying its members' athletics programs under legislation adopted in 1993. The initial round was for five years, and IU was one of the first universities certified, in 1997.

Later, the NCAA moved to a 10-year time frame, with the second round of certification beginning in 1999. All 326 active NCAA Division I members participate in the process.

Reporter Steve Hinnefeld can be reached at 331-4374 or by e-mail at shinnefeld@heraldt.com.
© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.

Kelley School of Business ranks 29th in programs for executives
Herald-Times Report
May 19, 2005

Custom executive education programs at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business ranked 29th in the world, according to a survey published this week by the Financial Times.

The programs ranked 13th among U.S. institutions and second, behind Northwestern, in the Big Ten.

Duke Corporate Education led the rankings, but the top-five list was dominated by international schools, including IMD in Switzerland, the London Business School and Insead in France and Singapore.

"The Kelley School has a long history of providing world-class custom executive education programs," Dan Smith, the school's interim dean, said in a statement. "We take a practical, value-added approach to program design that results in high levels of client satisfaction."

Fifty-eight schools took part in the Financial Times survey of nondegree, custom executive education programs, the results of which were released this week. To be eligible, a school had to do at least $2 million worth of business in executive education.

The rankings were based on statistical data and telephone interviews with top client purchasers of the schools' executive education services. The interviews accounted for about 80 percent of the rankings.

IU executive education programs, offered through Kelley Executive Partners, were ranked 16th in the U.S. in 2003 by Business Week magazine. They include custom education for companies such as 3M, Cinergy, Federal Express and Microsoft.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.