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www.linfieldreview.com
May 13, 2013
Looking for college credit? Welcome to the buffet Jon Marcus The Hechinger Report Danine Adams has taken a few courses at a four-year university, some at a community college and still more online while working all over the country as an investigator for the Federal Bureau of Prisons—career experience that she’s also been able to transform into academic credit. A little from here. A little from there. And now Adams, who’s 42, is just a few credits shy of earning a bachelor’s degree. “I’m the whole ball of wax,” she said cheerfully. “On-campus education, community college, online classes, life experience.” She’s also a forerunner of a new type of college stu-
dent, one who doesn’t start and finish at a single brickand-mortar campus, but picks and chooses credits toward a degree or job from a veritable buffet of education options. These include dualenrollment courses—college-level courses offered to students while they’re still in high school—advancedplacement programs, military or corporate training, career and life experience, and classes taught online. “We are at or approaching a point of significant transformation, where you will be able to snap modules together from a wide array of choices or link them in ways that produce what are sometimes called stackable credentials,” said Molly Corbett Broad, the
president of the American Council on Education, the predominant national association of colleges and universities. All these alternatives to conventional higher education are growing exponentially, thanks to their flexibility and, often, considerably lower cost. A new federal report shows that 1.3 million high school students took courses for college credit in the 2010-2011 academic year, up 67 percent from the last time the government checked, in 2003. More than half of all colleges in the U.S. award at least some credit for military and career experience, according to the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. The number
of transcripts from military and corporate training courses submitted for college credit through an accreditation service provided by the council on education rose 35 percent in the last 10 years, and a consortium of colleges that agree to accept credit for military experience now awards an average of just under 18 credits per year to each of more than 45,000 service members. More than 6 million people are enrolled in one or more college classes online, the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board report. “You’re seeing learning becoming much more open,” said Mark Milliron, the chancellor of the Texas branch of Western Gov-
ernors University, which awards degrees based on “real-world competencies” obtained from work experience and elsewhere. “People have access now to lots of different learning resources, and ways to prove what they’ve learned.” Other than at a handful of accredited alternative institutions, such as Western Governors University, a private, nonprofit online university based in Salt Lake City, getting a degree this way depends on mainstream schools accepting nontraditional credits toward one, something they’ve been slow to do. After all, it cuts into their business of providing classroom education for a fee. There are also legitimate concerns about quality. Just
because the council on education awards academic credits to certain military and corporate courses doesn’t mean that colleges are required to accept them, and there’s no way of tracking whether they do. Last year, when the Department of Defense asked colleges that enroll service members under its tuition reimbursement plan to accept more nontraditional credits - which would have saved the government money - the colleges balked, saying it was undue interference, and the Pentagon backed down. But under growing pressure to improve graduation rates, more colleges and universities are coming to terms with this new higher education model.
Dalai: His Holiness discusses environment, education << Continued from page 1
dhist aspects like compassion and impermanence, but I was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of subjects he discussed, especially the environment and education,” Pratz-Albert said. The Dalai Lama interacted with guest speakers and answered questions from audience members. Students were particularly struck by the white silk scarves, or katas, that were handed out to each audience member at the end of the event. “Inspired by an Indian tradition, white scarves were handed out to the thousands of people in the audience. Everyone held up their scarves in offering to the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama then explained how the white of the scarves are symbolic of purity of heart, and the scarves themselves represent connectedness and compassion between people, Pratz-Albert said. “It was really beautiful to
see so many people standing in unison with the white scarves around their necks.” Fahy said the visual representation was striking, as nearly 11,000 people wore the scarves in “symbolic reverence and solidarity.” Pratz-Albert said many people mentioned the moment they will remember most was when Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim, a Native American spiritual elder, and the Dalai Lama shared a hug. “It was pretty adorable,” Pratz-Albert said. Students described the overall feel of the event to be positive and enlightening, some calling it surreal. “The Dalai Lama has the best laughter, so every time he laughed the entire audience also erupted into laughter, Pratz-Albert said. “It didn’t matter what the joke was, everyone felt drawn to join in with his joyfulness. Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewmanaging@gmail.com.
Kiera Downs/Copy editor
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers perform, closing for the Dalai Lama on May 11 at the Memorial Coliseum.
Kiera Downs/Copy editor Linfield students were given the opportunity to see the Dalai Lama on May 9 at the University of Portland and May 11 at the Memorial Coliseum.
Graduation: Risks Real-life Marge Simpson, Linfield alum dies can lead students to future career paths Jessica Prokop Editor-in-chief
<< Continued from page 1 Traveling abroad to France, Mexico, Greece and Turkey helped her to deepen an appreciation for cultural exchange and gave her a sense of humility in working and living in diverse settings. For more than 11 years, she has been leading a study in Sierra Leone following the lives of a cohort of war-affected youth, many of them former child soldiers, and working with Partners in Health in Rwanda to launch research on
an intervention to promote mental health among children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. “[My experience at Linfield was] an amazing one,” Betancourt said. “I was able to pursue my interests in language and crosscultural exchange and plant the seeds for a career that I enjoy immensely. Linfield provides a tremendous foundation.” Betancourt will speak June 2 during the commencement ceremony. Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.
Margaret Ruth Groening, a ’41 Linfield graduate, died in her sleep at the age of 94, April 22 in Portland. Groening, mother of “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, was born March 23, 1919 in Chisolm, Minn., as Margaret Wiggum, according to a paid obituary in the Oregonian. Margaret married Linfield classmate Homer Groening, “whom she chose because he
made her laugh the most,” according to the Oregonian obituary. Margaret Groening said that the highest honor she received throughout her schooling was being named May Queen of Linfield College. After college, she taught high school English before starting a family. Margaret and Homer Groening supported the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Trail Blazers and many local yarn shops, according to the
Oregonian obituary. Margaret’s son, Matt Groening, said on several occasions that he named Marge and Homer Simpson after his parents, and Lisa and Maggie after two of his sisters. His other sister, Patty, shared a name with Marge Simpson’s sister. Additionally, he used his mother’s maiden name, Wiggum, for “The Simpsons” character, Chief Wiggum, chief of police in Springfield, according to an article in the Oregonian.
Margaret Groening is survived by her brother, Arnold; her child r e n , M a r k , Matt, Lisa Groening and Maggie; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren, according to the Oregonian obituary. Jessica Prokop can be reached at linfieldrevieweditor@gmail.com.