Posts filed under 'Pop culture & college'
Most educators are drawn to their careers because they seek rewards other than a fat paycheck. But when it comes to higher education, there are some who break out of the confines of a low pay scale and make some MAJOR coin. I’m talking about college presidents, and a recent report shows that there are a growing number of college and university presidents who take home a cool million each year.
So how does one become the president of a college or a university? As seen by the top five highest paid college presidents below, there’s no exact formula, nor is there a specific degree program one should follow. In fact, there is very little these people have in common, except a love for academics and a will to make their institution the best it can be.
1. Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, $1,598,247. As an African-American woman, Dr. Jackson’s place at #1 of the list signifies the breaking down of more than one barrier in the working world. Dr. Jackson is a physicist by trade; she earned her undergraduate and doctoral degrees in physics from M.I.T. Dr. Jackson’s background is in teaching and research, two things that RPI is known to do very well. 
2. David J. Sargent, Suffolk University, $1,496,593. It’s hard to believe that out of all the colleges and universities in Boston that it is unassuming Suffolk University that makes this list. David J. Sargent, a Suffolk University Law graduate, first returned to his alma mater as a law professor, then dean. Now at the helm of the school, Dr. Sargent is proof that Suffolk does an excellent job of preparing its students for great things.
3. Steadman Upham, University of Tulsa, $1,485,275. It’s hard to say if Dr. Upham knew his destiny when he pursued his undergraduate degree in English and Spanish Literature at University of Redlands, but his graduate and doctoral degrees in anthropology—the study of humans—at Arizona State University prepared him from working many students, faculty, and administrators, first as president of Claremont Graduate University and then at the forefront of the University of Tulsa.
4. Richard Meyers, Webster University, $1,429,738. Dr. Meyers is now the president of Fielding Graduate University, but his salary at Webster still makes the list. Dr. Meyers has an interesting academic background; he earned his undergraduate degree in music and psychology at DePaul University, then a master’s in music and a PhD in Instructional Technology and Psychology from the University of Southern California. His varied academic interests combined to give him a career as a college president; he has enjoyed the title at five institutions of higher ed, including Western Oregon University.
5. Cornelius M. Kerwin, American University, $1,419,339. As an undergrad at American University, Dr. Kerwin may have envisioned returning to his campus for Homecoming, but it took him a while to realize that he would return as president. With a master’s in political science from the University of Rhode Island and a doctorate in political science from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Kerwin taught for a decade before becoming an administrator. He was a dean and provost at Johns Hopkins before making the shift to American presidency, as it were.
–Barbara Bellesi
November 4th, 2009
While it’s fun to keep up with certain celebrities and read about the hijinks of others, what college-bound students really need are role models who give them a little more than just a photogenic smile on a glitzy red carpet.
And in the case of Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka Trump, you get a lot more.
Say what you will about Donald Trump’s hair, but you’ve got to hand it to him—he raises his children to be hard-working individuals who do not take their fortunes for granted. In fact, he also taught them not to assume that there was a job waiting for them in his own enterprise just because they were his kids; the next generation of the Trump Corporation had to earn their degree just like anyone else in his company.
Just like their dear old dad, Donald Jr. and Ivanka are graduates of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, arguably one of the best business programs in the country. Eric is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he majored in finance and management and also had a minor in psychology. After graduation, all three had great jobs waiting for them in Dad’s company, but if you’ve ever watched an episode of “The Apprentice,” you’ll know that they’ll have to continue to prove themselves in order to stay on the payroll.
It’s kind of nice to know that there are celebrities out there that people can still emulate without getting arrested. Even with Ivanka’s fair share of red carpet poses, I can’t help but wonder how many of those parties she’s had to leave early because she has work the next day.
–Barbara Bellesi
November 2nd, 2009
Shakira is one of The CollegeBound Network’s favorite celebrities, and not just because we hear that her upcoming CD She Wolf is muy caliente.
We already knew that Shakira enrolled in a history class at UCLA during a break from her 2007 Oral Fixation tour, but the story of the Colombian singing sensation’s stint on campus is resurfacing in the press now that her new CD drops next month. Some might call it old news, but we call it awesome any time a celebrity goes back to school instead of using their downtime to rack up DUIs or cavort with other people’s spouses. (Allegedly).
When Shakira was at UCLA, she claims that she threw her hair back in a hat, went by her middle name Isabel, and wasn’t recognized by anyone. The class must have been really interesting, because I find it hard to believe that Shakira wouldn’t have turned heads, even when incognito.
Sigh. Why can’t more celebrities be like Shakira and use their free time in a productive way?
–Barbara Bellesi
October 26th, 2009
Whether or not you are a fan of Lady Gaga and her music, you’ve got to admit that the woman is a pop culture phenomenon. From her garish performance at the MTV Music Awards to her catchy dance tunes (I admit getting the lyrics to “Love Game” stuck in my head at the most inopportune times), Lady Gaga is kind of a big deal these days.
And to think it all started at New York University.
That’s right. Leotard- and thigh-high-boot-clad Lady Gaga was once a student at NYU. As a precocious 17-year-old, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta wowed the admission counselors at the CAP21 musical theatre program at NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts and was awarded early entry. The word on the street is that back then, Stefani was too pop music-y for Broadway and too theatrical for the record labels, so you’ve gotta give her props for finding a happy medium.
Lady Gaga’s musical theatre background is clearly evident in her onstage antics, and NYU would be proud to claim her as an alumna, but alas, Germanotta withdrew from college to follow her dreams of stardom, and the rest is history.
I wonder what Lady Gaga looked like as she headed to class in Greenwich Village back in the day. Something tells me that she wasn’t the college sweatshirt kind of gal, but I like to think of her as having at least an NYU tee shirt stashed somewhere in her closet. Did she live in the dorms? Did she order food with friends? Did she grab a venti at Starbucks before heading off to class? I know I’m having trouble separating Lady Gaga from Stefani Germanotta, but for some reason, I can only picture her in a concert hall, not a lecture hall.
It’s not surprising to hear that megastars dropped out of college to pursue their art, though equally surprising are the A-listers who do matriculate and even go back for grad school. And while I’m sure that Lady Gaga doesn’t regret her decision as she prepares to launch her concert tour next year, I can’t help feel bummed that she didn’t finish what she started.
–Barbara Bellesi
October 5th, 2009
Like the millions of other show biz news junkies out there, I look forward to regular updates of celebrities’ shocking behavior in Hollywood. So imagine my surprise when a recent juicy tidbit had nothing to do with wardrobe malfunctions or scandalous love affairs, but with a certain star’s decision to go back to school. And to think it’s all happening on Wisteria Lane: not only did I discover that “Desperate Housewives’” temptress Eva Longoria already has a college degree, but she’s also heading back to campus for her master’s.
Now, I am not suggesting that you can’t be both beautiful and brainy. In fact, there are lots of good-looking college students (and alumni) already. And Longoria is certainly not the only movie or television star to have enjoyed a stint in academia. But when you have established a career based on the fact that you look pretty darn good on camera, it’s an easy choice to put down the books and pick up a movie or television script instead. Not so with Longoria, who (according to IMDB.com) earned her B.S. in kinesiology from Texas A&M University, Kingsville. The blogosphere is now abuzz with the news that Longoria will soon be honoring her Mexican heritage by pursuing a graduate degree in Chicano studies and political science.
Longoria’s career is still pretty red-hot right now, so it’s even more refreshing to hear of her plan to return to school. There are about a million different reasons people go back to school, but learning for the sake of learning has always been one of my favorites. Mum’s the word so far on which lucky student body she’ll be joining, but you can bet it’s a campus that will keep her close to both her agent and her NBA hubby, Tony Parker.
Time will tell how well she’ll be able to balance her A-list lifestyle with reading lists and research papers, and I’ll be patiently waiting for the paparazzi photos that capture Longoria on campus. Hopefully she’ll ditch the gowns and stilettos for something more grad student-chic, but then again, it is Hollywood.
Other Celebrity College Grads:
Glenn Close, College of William and Mary
Jay Leno, Emerson College
Natalie Portman, Harvard University
Howard Stern, Boston University
Denzel Washington, Fordham University
Renee Zellweger, University of Texas
-Barbara Bellesi
September 29th, 2009
When it comes to graduation, there’s no shortage of urban legends designed to inspire, frighten, or just elicit a chuckle. Decide if these popular tales are true or false, then scroll down to find out if you’re a candidate for a diploma in discernment.
1. The Graduation Gift
A man asked his father for a sports car as his college graduation gift; he received a Bible instead. Angered by the gift, the son never opened the Bible. He rediscovered it years later, after his father passed away. When he opened the Bible gift box, he found a car key and the words “Paid in Full.”
2. Making the Grade
Henry Kissinger was the last student to graduate from Harvard with perfect grades. He graduated summa cum laude in 1950.
3. The Sneeze
In response to a legal injunction barring invocation and benediction prayers from a high school commencement ceremony, a graduating senior faked a sneeze during his speech so that a group of students could cry out, “God bless you.”
4. Suicide Prevention
A boy befriended a nerdy kid at his high school. Years later, in the valedictory speech at their high school graduation, the nerdy kid thanked the boy for befriending him that day. Were it not for that intervention, the boy admitted he would have committed suicide that weekend.
5. Handshake Ban
In some colleges, congratulatory handshakes at commencement have been banned as a precaution against disease.
6. Virgin Awakening
If a virgin ever graduates from the University of Maryland, Testudo – the school’s bronzed mascot – will rise from his pedestal and fly over the crowd during commencement.
7. Dangerous Caps
A university has requested that graduating students not throw their caps in the air, calling the action a safety hazard.
True or False?
1. Gift: It’s an oft-told tale of hidden treasure, but there’s no record of this ever actually happening. To stay on the safe side, never spurn a gift!
2. Grade: Though Kissinger reportedly received an A in all his courses at Harvard, he was not the only student to achieve that distinction. In 2001, Kevin Schwartz earned perfect grades; in 2003, his sister, Lisa Schwartz, earned straight A’s as well.
3. Sneeze: It’s true, and it happened on May 20, 2001 at Washington Community High School in Washington, IL. Ryan Brown was the student who used a sneeze to protest the court’s prohibition of commencement prayer.
4. Prevention: It’s an inspirational story about the impact we can have on another’s life, but there are no reports of it happening for real. The story is based on a fictional tale that first appeared in “Chicken Soup for the Soul.”
5. Handshakes: Unfortunately, it’s all too true. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, Indiana University, Purdue University, Northeastern University, the University of Hawaii, Florida Gulf Coast University, and the University of South Florida, commencement handshakes were banned this year as a precaution against swine flu.
6. Virgin: Many college students spread superstitions about virgins at their schools, but we’ve yet to see statues come to life.
7. Caps: It’s no joke. Anglia Ruskin University has advised students against throwing their caps in the air because of the potential for injury. Several years ago, a graduating student at the U.K. school needed stitches after being hit by a flying cap.
Are you ready to get your diploma?
May 29th, 2009
Have you ever played the icebreaker game “Two truths and a lie”? Basically, each person tells the group three things about herself, and the group has to decide which two items are true, and which one is the lie.
Sound easy? Try your hand at the game with these college urban legends. Choose the lie before scrolling down for the answers. No cheating!
The Legends
1. Dissect an Aunt
Imagine rolling up your sleeves for gross anatomy lab, only to discover that you are, in fact, seeing dead people – and one of the cadavers is someone you’ve seen before. It happened to a medical student who discovered that one of the cadavers presented to her class was her great aunt. Of course, a different cadaver was immediately substituted by the state anatomical board.
2. Doing Laps to Get a Degree
At Columbia University, a stellar student who completed his degree requirements in three years, finished at the top of his class, and later earned a Ph.D. from Columbia and taught at Columbia was denied his bachelor’s degree because he failed to pass the mandatory school swim test. After informing Columbia that he had since learned how to swim and asking the school to waive his disqualification, he was finally granted his bachelor’s degree – 60 years later.
3. Beware the Brothel
Have you ever wondered why your school doesn’t have a sorority house? It might be because of local brothel laws, which prohibit more than a specified number of unrelated females from living together. In these municipalities, sorority houses are illegal … so members of the sisterhood stay in the dorms.
Truth or Lie?
1. Dissect an Aunt: It’s true, and it happened in 1982 at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. Other urban legends about discovering the cadaver of a long-lost parent or a celebrity, however, are false, including the tale of the corpse of English novelist Laurence Sterne, who died in 1768. But the fact that it could happen and it has happened is creepy enough!
2. Doing Laps: This one’s for real, too. In 1923, Dr. Mortimer J. Adler was denied his bachelor’s degree from Columbia because he couldn’t pass the mandatory swim test. Actually, Columbia and a handful of other schools still require students to pass a swim test before graduation. Untrue urban legends about university swim tests do abound, however, citing that the tests came at the behest of a wealthy benefactor whose own child drowned.
3. Beware the Brothel: Despite constant retelling at colleges across the country, there are no “brothel laws” that tie a building’s classification as a bordello to the number and gender of its occupants. Some municipalities do have zoning laws that prohibit more than a specified number of nonfamily members from living together, but buildings in violation of those codes would only be labeled a brothel on the basis of what goes on inside the house. Plus, sororities and fraternities are exempt from those housing restrictions.
Comment up: What’s your favorite college urban legend?
– Robyn Tellefsen
May 21st, 2009
Let’s face it. This year’s graduating class at Arizona State University had one of the best commencement speakers possible: the President of the United States. With approximately 60,000 audience members gathered in the university’s football stadium – named Sun Devil Stadium – Obama asked graduates to eschew materialistic endeavors in favor of a leading a life of commitment and service to the community.
“It is clear that we need to build a new foundation – a stronger foundation – for our economy and our prosperity, rethinking how we educate our children, and care for our sick, and treat our environment,” said the president.
But unlike most commencement speakers, Obama didn’t receive an honorary degree from the school at which he was speaking. In deference to a tradition of not honoring elected officials, Arizona State University announced prior to the ceremony, that they would not be bestowing a degree upon the president.
Obama understood, even joking about the matter.
“Now, before I begin, I’d just like to clear the air about that little controversy everyone was talking about a few weeks back,” he said. “I have to tell you, I really thought this was much ado about nothing, but I do think we all learned an important lesson. I learned never again to pick another team over the Sun Devils in my NCAA brackets. It won’t happen again.”
For more on the story, head over to Yahoo! News.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
May 15th, 2009
How’s this for procrastination? After dropping out of college approximately 15 years ago, Jimmy Fallon is finally going to receive his bachelor’s degree.
As a former player on Saturday Night Live and the current host of Late Night, Fallon’s long been majoring in humor. But back when he attended the College of St. Rose in Albany between 1992 and 1995, Fallon had his eye first on computer science and then on communications. It’s for the latter discipline that he’ll be receiving his degree this month.
Although Fallon had left college with just a semester left to complete, he was able to earn the last few credits he needed by submitting a portfolio of his work from over the years.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
May 12th, 2009
Amazing! Never thought I’d see my name next to old Bill Shakespeare.
– Ashton Kutcher, @aplusk, via Twitter
Well, to be honest, Ashton, neither did we! But it seems the world of academics is trying to get a little more pop-culture relevant each day – or at least in the UK, it is. According to The Guardian newspaper, cited in this Australian article, the British government is pushing to reinvent the curriculum for primary schools by making classes more tech-savvy.
While all the old subjects and staples will still be present, teachers will be encouraged to be more flexible, integrating lessons on Wikipedia, blogging, podcasting, and even – yes, Ashton – Twitter. (Though I thankfully doubt the courses would focus on analyzing Ashton’s latest tweets on the merits of chest hair.)
Naturally, there are already some detractors popping up to put down the overhaul. John Bangs of the National Union of Twitterers sorry, Teachers, accuses the government recommendations of jumping on the latest trends. That’s a bit over-simplified. According to the article, the report stresses the importance of studying these networks in order for students to familiarize themselves with effective global communication. Students would also have to improve their typing skills and – let’s all be thankful – their spelling as well.
So count me on the side of the UK government. The sooner kids learn how to effectively and safely use the Internet, the better.
And as always, check out what’s happening with the CollegeBound Network on Twitter!
– Genevieve M. Blaber
March 26th, 2009
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