Category: College

Apart from the tuition, you will have to find the budget for the board, room, transportation, textbooks, and personal expenses. For completing a bachelor’s degree, the total sum of all these expenses will be approximately $ 200000.

An Overview on Scholarship

When a student is facing financial issues and not able to pay the fee, the first idea that hits his/her mind is scholarship. A scholarship is an award of financial aid given to students in order to help them pursue further education in college, university, or academic institutions.

Here are a few points important to know about scholarships.

These are sponsored by big corporations, schools, religious groups, communities, and social and professional organizations, private sectors, organizations, and the federal government intended to help students who meet certain eligibility standards set by them.

These scholarships can range from small to big amounts and are awarded considering the merit in academics, athletic or cultural excellence.

Many private organizations that give scholarships send the money directly to the college financial support office so that the money can be utilized to spend for tuition, fees for the expenses directly billed by the college and not for books, board, room, and other supplies.

The advantage of these scholarships is that they need not be repaid.

If you can not keep up to the scholarship rules and conditions while accepting this award, you might have to repay the amount.

An Overview on Full Ride Scholarship

A full-ride scholarship is a financial award given to students in order to cover the entire cost of the college expense that includes the cost of textbooks, room, full tuition fee, school materials, and monthly stipend including living expenses and study abroad expenses.

Here are a few points you must know about the Full Ride Scholarship.

These Scholarships are generally awarded by the college themselves, a private source, or by the federal government for the most brilliant students.

Some colleges may provide additional benefits to the winners of the full-ride scholarship award.

Amongst the students registered in the college, around 1 to 3 percent get a Full Ride Scholarship that covers the full cost of their studies.

The specifications can change from scholarship to scholarship, but in reality, the full-ride covers more than just tuition.

A full-ride scholarship can be awarded by the federal government, the colleges themselves, or by a private source. But these scholarships have strict requirements and guidelines.

There are some universities offering the full-ride scholarship for international students by taking their SAT scores into account.

An Overview on the Full Tuition Scholarship

As the name itself indicates, Full tuition scholarships are the financial aid given to students in order to cover the tuition cost incurred at the college, not necessarily other fees like travel expenses, room, and board, various student fees, or other costs.

Some of the colleges in the US are Tuition-free colleges that means all the students being admitted to such colleges are not required to pay the tuition fee.

Here are a few you must know about the Full Tuition Scholarship.

The amount given, rules, and conditions vary from scholarship to scholarship. Some might cover other costs besides tuition, but that is the main focus.

Many colleges grant Full Tuition Scholarships as a means to draw skilled and talented students.

Basically, this scholarship is defined to the tuition announced but it may include books, laboratories, or some other student expenses also.

These are sponsored by the government, colleges, or private sources to intellectual students.

In some colleges, this scholarship is guaranteed automatically for the students who meet their requirements.

This scholarship is awarded to the students who achieve high academic standards like scoring good in the ACT or SAT or achieving the required GPA (Grade Point Average).

Difference between Full Ride & Full Tuition Scholarship

Costs Covered

Full ride scholarships generally cover all college costs including tuition, textbooks, meals, boards, room, and maybe they even give an allowance for personal expenses.

But in full-tuition scholarships, they cover only the cost of attendance, and generally, no extra fees rising in the study term will be included.

Academic Years Covers

A Full Ride Scholarship will be awarded for one year initially. From the second year onwards, every year, you will be renewed by default depending on your eligibility which is based on your performance. Finally, if you perform well in academics or maintain your score, it will last for all four years.

Full-tuition scholarships will cover the majority of your college costs for four years. These scholarship awards can cover tuition costs to all of your living expenses, depending on the courses defined by the provider.

Similarities between full-rides and full-tuition scholarships

Both full-rides and full-tuition scholarships are exceptionally hard to achieve. As they are mostly merit-based, students usually must have high GPAs, class ranks, test scores, or have incredible athletic abilities or leadership qualities that make them extremely desired by institutions.

Public colleges and universities play a crucial role that can give a person the opportunity to unlock many doors which could eventually lead to higher education. Whether a college degree is kept or not, can be an important factor in determining a career path. Many high-paying vocations such as lawyers, doctors, and engineers require a degree. Without them, students might fall into low-paying jobs. Nevertheless, college is not without disadvantages. Unexpected bumps in the rod are often present in college life which can lead to students dropping out. A college dropout can be defined as “someone who doesn’t finish a project or program, especially school.” Whenever we quit or don’t follow through on a commitment (“dropout”). Regardless of the school, difficult times in college are unavoidable. From losing financial aid, lack of support from family, stress, lack of motivation, and poor school preparation to not having a close friend are the reasons that can influence a dropout and if those issues don’t get addressed correctly student retention can importantly drop.

According to Year on, “Reports estimate that only 54% of Americans who started college last fall will actually make it to graduation. Other studies have revealed some degrees don’t lead to jobs, leaving students under-employed and in debt.” A lower income can make it harder to achieve financial goals, like saving money for the future, buying a house, or a car, retiring, or even saving to have a family. Moreover, it can present an enormous challenge if a dropout still has college debt. College this day is expensive and one of the biggest causes of dropout rates include financial problems. Financial problems can be due to the student, a caregiver, or a guardian losing their job, which can add to psychological stress to financial citations.

Tuition becoming too expensive and unmanageable can have a direct impact on the dropout rate. According to College Atlas, “70% of Americans will study at a four-year college, but less than two-thirds will graduate with a degree, and 30% of first-year students drop out after their first year of school due to finances’. Not all students have a privileged background and for some of them being able to find funding and pay for overall college can be a constant struggle. According to a LendEDU survey, it showed that “55% of students struggled to find the money to pay for college and 51% dropped out of college because of financial issues.’

Financial problems have become more complicated in the United States due to student loans, “over 40% of student borrowers are not making payments on their loans, which adds to a vicious student debt cycle that pushes them out of school” (I grad for Schools). Students might tend to underestimate the cost of higher education, leading them to realize that they are not able to cover all the costs, so they would rather prefer making money by working full-time than pay for an expensive degree. In order to try to solve financial stress, we must school prepare and equip their students with financial education. Financial aid, loans, the management of money, and budgets are some important topics that should be tackled since having knowledge in these specific areas can be the key to helping students know how to correctly manage their expenses such as rent, tuition, and books among other expenses. Integrating fanatical literacy could lead to financial aid orientations.

Posing complementary literacy workshops around campus could be an alternative. According to college, I grab, a college survey about financial literacy found out that “Students who attend schools with financial literacy programs are less likely to over-borrow compared to students who attend schools without a financial program. In fact, 17.3% of institutions with financial programs in place reported that their students borrowed less than the maximum amount awarded to them at least half of the time, versus 12.6% of institutions without a program in place.”

Another alternative would be implementing an income-shared agreement that “allows students to trade a small share of their future earnings for cash to cover upfront enrollment costs. Students have the opportunity to invest in their future career using funds provided by the income shared agreement to pay for the cost of enrollment in college” (Akers). Income shred, an agreement could either be short-termed or long-termed with a small low percentage of income owed monthly contracts.

No one makes perfect financial decisions. Therefore, when going off to college, students should be tested if their financial training really pays off, with a solid foundation on financial stress relief students should be able to go through the years without making multiple financial mistakes and be able to peruse a career long term to have a thriving future.

Throughout my high school career, my coaches and some of my teachers have pushed me to go towards an HBCU not only to get my education but to better myself and to become a young educated black man. My teachers and my coaches have stressed to me that being educated and knowledgeable is a source of power. They told me to work hard toward my career but be educated, knowledgeable, wise, poised, and smart about my decisions. They also told me that whatever college I attend, HBCU or PWI, to work towards my life goal and don’t let anyone stop me.

Every student is different, we all have our own separate set of goals that we want to achieve. The institution of your choosing should reflect what you need and/or trying to pursue, and especially not the opinions of others. I transferred from a PWI to an HBCU so I’m speaking from my experience based on my point of view and my observations while attending.

The choice of whether to go to a PWI or an HBCU for the undergraduate/master’s degree is a personal conclusion and depends upon the person and what they are going for. Some schools only offer so much and sometimes the school you want to go to may not have your major. When you compare both schools you will see that PWI institutions usually have student bodies made up mostly of whites, with different races such as African American, Hispanic, Asian, and more. A historically black college or university can usually have student bodies made up mostly of blacks, Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics, and other races. Comparing schools shouldn’t be based on what and who goes there or who graduated there, it should be based on your needs to go forth into your major. But when you compare the people or culture, you see that HBCU attendees/alums are under the impression that the people that attended PWI’s think they’re somewhat “better” or more “sophisticated” than HBCU students for attending schools that are more highly known by their “Big Name”. Then you have some of the black PWI attendees/alums that think HBCUs are too “ghetto” or do not have the proper resources. This is true sometimes but only because a lot of the HBCU schools do not get equal funding as other schools do. Because of this, they would rather go to well-known schools for xyzzy reasons.

A lot of people weigh in on a lot when both schools can produce big names. I think when people see what a school has produced, they think “well, this school is better because of such and such graduated from there”. a lot of the Black PWI attendees will say that too. Also, you’ll hear a lot that may get the impression that HBCU attendees think they’re “more woke,” or more Knowledgeable for attending a black institution over a white one. This comparison also involves the idea of which degree holds more weight because when most jobs see your HBCU degree and then see another person with a PWI degree, they’ll likely take the PWI one because of the bigger name.

Both schools have their pros and con, but I am going to have to say that an HBCU is better in my opinion. I feel like any HBCU is underrated for what it can produce. But whether you attend an HBCU or a PWI you go for one purpose and that purpose is to get your education. Many people have the idea that by attending a Predominantly White Institution they will get a higher level of education, but you could easily get the same at an HBCU. I transferred from a PWI to the HBCU I am attending now, and I can tell you the feeling is different, and the environment is entirely different as well. The two could be remarkably similar but also vastly different in certain areas.

The PWI I went to was Indiana Tech University. This was a private college as well. I can say I enjoyed myself and enjoyed the people I met but it just did not feel like home. I didn’t feel like I was supported like how I feel now. After I’ve done some research on the graduation rate, a lot of sources say black graduates from historically black colleges and universities are significantly more likely to feel an enormous amount of support while in college than their black peers who graduated from predominantly white institutions (RAY). HBCUs have always been a strong influence in assisting African

American students in their studies. That doesn’t mean that grades are handed out on a silver platter but there is more of an understanding from the students and professors. Not only do they feel comfortable but there is a level of understanding. For example, students usually go for an environment around what they were raised with while they were young. So, a black student picking an HBCU is more comfortable for them than picking a college far away that’s a PWI.

I don’t have a lot of compare and contrast mostly because I see them as just another Institute of learning. Even though I’m fully towards an HBCU, everyone has their own different experiences with which school they attend. Personally, the reason I choose this HBCU is that my girlfriend goes here as well, and I’ve always wanted to go to an HBCU ever since I was younger and watched “Drumline”. Your school of your choosing should be based on your major and how you feel, not on everyone’s silly opinions on where they think you should attend.

Works Cited

RAY, SEAN SEYMOUR, AND JULIE. https://news.gallup.com/poll/186362/grads-historically-black-colleges-edge.aspx. 27 October 2015.

The work done this semester achieved the specified goals. This semester a lot of time was spent getting used to Vivado and settling up projects. Also, a lot of time was spent getting used to Verilog. As VHDL had been done before the goals may have been achieved more quickly if this language was used. But this allowed me to broaden my knowledge of languages. Also as this is used a lot in the industry it is a benefit to use. For next semester it would be presumed that the time spent getting used to Vivado and Verilog and problems that occurred in the language would be mainly solved this semester. Also, problems with connecting the amplifier would not happen next semester.

The next step for the next semester would be to pick a tune. To find the notes for this tune. Test that the note produced is the note specified and is not picking up noise or an error in the code.

With the work done this semester, the code would be changed to the value input from the switch and will play a lot more notes for different periods of time to play the tune.

Work on displaying notes on the 7-segment display will be something new for this semester. Playing different notes is building on previous work. But no work was done on the 7-segment display.

The main goal for this semester is to do extensive work with the Vivado system to become more comfortable with Vivado and the chosen language and to produce a number of sounds on the amplifier. In conclusion, the goals of this project have been achieved. As extensive work had been done with the Vivado system on sample projects and the writing code step by step had been done. Errors could be found more quickly as there are multiple different ways to test for errors. That the simulation can be tested to check different outputs depending on the input. That the implementation of the block design can also be viewed to see if the design is correct. This builds greatly on next semester for working with Vivado.

As different notes were produced on the speaker this achieves the goal to build on the next semester to play a tune. A lot of work has been done on different problems encountered to produce different sounds this will help greatly with next semester. Work on the clock and make sure that it resets in the correct places for the counter which can cause a lot of errors. Having a count greater than or equal to is safer as it could go over the counter when switching from statements. So this catches problems that would occur if it went outside the count.

In conclusion for next semester, a lot of work on the frequencies and playing multiple frequencies after each other work has been done. This will help greatly for next semester as the background is mainly covered. That correct notes will then need to replace with random notes.

It can be observed that work will need to be done at the start of the 7-segment display to ensure it can work at a small level before including it in the main code. As work on the 7-segment display was not done this semester.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, pursuing higher education has become increasingly important for individuals seeking to secure a successful and fulfilling future. The benefits of a college education are numerous and far-reaching, ranging from enhanced career prospects and earning potential to personal growth and development. As someone who has always been passionate about learning and eager to pursue my goals, I am excited to share why I want to go to college and how I believe it will help me achieve my dreams. 

Through this essay, I hope to convey my motivations for pursuing higher education, the impact I hope it will have on my life, and the steps I am taking to make this goal a reality.

Career Advancement

Advancing one’s career is a common and crucial reason for pursuing higher education. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, having a college degree is often seen as a prerequisite for securing a desirable job and advancing in a chosen career path. 

Through a college education, students are equipped with vital skills and knowledge that are fundamental to success in many professions. These skills include critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, among others. With a college degree, individuals are better positioned to compete for the jobs they aspire to and qualify for higher-paying positions. 

The ability to enhance one’s career prospects through higher education is a compelling reason why many individuals choose to pursue college, and the benefits of this investment can be substantial and long-lasting.

Personal Growth

Another reason why I want to go to college is for personal growth. College is an opportunity to learn about new subjects, explore different ideas, and challenge oneself. A college education can expand my perspective on the world and help me to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

Additionally, college can provide opportunities for personal and social development, including making new friends and participating in extracurricular activities.

Expanded Knowledge

One of the main benefits of a college education is the opportunity to gain knowledge in a variety of subjects. College courses cover a wide range of topics, from literature and history to math and science. With a college education, I will be able to deepen my understanding of subjects that interest me and learn about new subjects that I may not have had exposure to before. This expanded knowledge can also benefit me in my personal and professional life.

Network and Connections

College can also be a valuable opportunity to make connections and build a network of professionals in one’s field of interest. Professors, classmates, and alumni can all be valuable sources of information, advice, and support throughout one’s career. A strong network can help me to find job opportunities, get advice on important career decisions, and make connections with others in my field.

Higher Earning Potential

Obtaining a college education not only provides personal and professional benefits, but it can also result in higher earning potential. Research has demonstrated that individuals who hold a college degree typically earn more money over the course of their lifetime compared to those who do not possess a degree. This increased earning potential can translate into a better quality of life and greater financial stability. With a college degree, individuals have access to a wider range of job opportunities and are better equipped to qualify for higher-paying positions. 

Additionally, the skills and knowledge acquired through a college education can enable individuals to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, further enhancing their earning potential. 

Conclusion

To summarize, pursuing higher education is a valuable investment that can open up countless opportunities for personal and professional growth. From the chance to explore new areas of study, develop essential skills, and build my network, to the potential for increased career prospects, a college education promises numerous advantages. I am looking forward to this journey with eager anticipation and feel certain that pursuing higher education will help me reach my goals and unlock my full potential.

Ultimately, I believe that by investing in myself and my education, I am investing in a better future for myself, my loved ones, and my community.

This Article is about how some may feel that title IX is the reason why schools are eliminating male sports programs. The author also talks about court cases that involved Title IX cases between an athlete and a school. He discusses a 3 hurtles dealing with Title IX. Title IX is an Act of the United States Congress that was passed in 1972. This Act prevents sex separation in schools and other instructive Programs that get government reserves. Title IX has been an act for more than forty-five years and is credited with making everything fair for women in education, sports, and all the more as of late has been the lawful road for casualties of rape and badgering (Jones 2015). A basic role of Title IX is to stay away from the utilization of government assets to help oppressive practices. There are 3 prongs in Title. IX Prong 1 is called the ‘sheltered harbor’ test since in the event that a school agrees to this prong, at that point an assurance of the staying two prongs is pointless. The proportionality number is determined by taking the level of female understudies selected at the establishment, and subtracting the level of female competitors (Anderson, Cheslock, and Ehrenberg 2006; Yanus and O’Connor 2016). On the off chance that the proportionality number is certain, at that point there are progressively male competitors by rate. A zero proportionality number shows the sexual orientations are equivalent, and a negative number implies there are increasingly female competitors by rate (Anderson, Cheslock, and

Ehrenberg 2006; Yanus and O’Connor 2016). As far as the quantity of competitors, the DOE orders the ‘copied’ tally. For instance, a three-sport competitor taking part in the fall/winter/spring athletic seasons would be tallied multiple times for reasons for a competitor check (Mill operator v. College of Cincinnati 2008). To explain further, a competitor who strolls on and makes a group without a grant, groups that incompletely store or completely support themselves however are supported by the organization, and competitors in a list spot who may rehearse however don’t contend, are all meant athletic interest (Hogshead-Makar and Zimbalist 2007). The NCAA references that it is a misnomer to presume that magnificent prong one is a ‘protected harbor’ since fulfilling any of the three prongs is adequate for Title IX consistence. In fact the proportionality test is the standard that extremely drives the assurance of whether a school is consistent or rebellious with Title IX. The second and third pieces of the settlement test take into account consistence by something short of proportionality. In the instance of Boucher v. Syracuse University, the District Court allowed outline judgment to the respondent college since it had shown a background marked by program extension as the college had plans to include progressively intercollegiate groups for female understudies (1999). While it is conceivable to consent to Title IX with the subsequent prong, it isn’t the primary technique for examination, and it is hard for schools who don’t meet the primary prong to meet the second as Syracuse shown for their situation. Prong Three Interests and Abilities Fully Effectively accommodated. The third prong of the three-section test is an assurance if the school has completely and effectively suited the interests of the under-spoke to sex (Policy Interpretation: Title IX and Intercollegiate Athletics 1979).

Why go to college if you’re not guaranteed to get a good job? In today’s society with student debt at an all-time high going to college is necessarily meant for everybody since not everyone is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to interviews or other things that enhance your resume to look better. Going to college is not needed in today’s world due to rising student debt and inequality at record levels.

Why attend college when you can excel in other careers and make the same money, if not more, without a degree? The website usatoday.com shows countless examples of well-paying jobs that pay on average about $70,000 a year. It claims that jobs like an electrician, Gaming manager, or personal care aide are not only good paying but enjoyable too. The website states that good-paying jobs without a degree don’t look for education they rather look for skills people bring to the business instead of what degree they have or what grades they had on an important test. This proves that in today’s society with technology advancing every day and opening career opportunities college isn’t the right thing to do anymore.

Sometimes a college degree does not pay off as much as it costs to get it, and sometimes the competitiveness of getting into a certain school or program makes the cost issue even more serious. When you graduate college it might leave you with debt, high stress levels, or possibly no self-motivation. The question that goes through every student’s head at least once is “Is college worth it?” This question is even more complicated for today’s average family household and prospective high school graduates. One of the main problems for today’s high school graduates is the rising price of college education. Attending college can add up fast considering the price of (room, board, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. it can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars per year. In Steven Barkan’s book on social problems, Barkan states that “ Only 44% of all students who attend a four-year institution is lucky enough to have annual tuition and fees amount to less than $9,000 per year.” This means that of that 9,000 you would still be paying about 750 a month which could go towards your rent or invested into stocks which in ten years if invested properly could add up to about 40,000 dollars. Besides the costs and likelihood of getting in, college can still benefit your life in multiple ways.

Over the past 30 years, Greek life has gotten a lot of stereotypes, but this is because no one truly knows what goes on inside of the organization other than those that are a part of it. One might even say it’s a “secret society,” kind of like the Illuminati. But what is Greek life? It’s an organization for university students that help them gain life experience and help with the local community. Greek Life has always held a negative connotation that states if you join a fraternity or sorority then you gain the stigmas of only wanting to party and get drunk every night or to show you are above others in a materialistic way. In the past few decades, every good thing they do gets glazed over by all the negative connotations. Those being that all they do, once they join Greek life, is not care about school. But, a lot of that is false. Fraternity life is very strict, especially here on Nevada’s campus. They tend to drop people if their GPA is lower than 3.0 and if they also break the house rules or university rules.

Greek life is often referred to as a “secret society.” This is because you never truly know what goes on inside of it. When you try to ask a question about it, the member tends to deflect the question and tries to change the topic. But why is this? Is it because it’s tradition or is it something else? For example, I know quite a few people who are involved both in fraternities and sorties, and when asked about how their time is spent in the organization, they become very hesitant to answer. One friend, Jace Woodard, is a part of a fraternity on here campus and cannot discuss anything that he does, all their meetings for the house are to be called “business meetings” and not fraternity meetings. The term “secret society” reflects the idea of Greek life being the new “Illuminati”. The term may seem vague and slightly terrifying, but since the organization first emerged, they have consisted of a network of supporters who vow their lives to help a community and each other. This is done so both sides can band together as brothers and sisters until death does its part. In reality, Greek life is just one big club that houses a lot of traditions that they don’t want to get out of.

Greek life has a lot of negative stereotypes. The top is that you only join to party and get drunk every night, some might also say you “buy friendships” and sexual assault. But how true are these stereotypes? John Hopkins, a student journalist, states that “scholars had focused on alcohol use, sexual assault, and hazing, largely overlooking the organizations’ influences on student development.” And he’s completely right. I mean the stereotypes for Greek life all come from social media, movies and TV shows, and even our family members. We grow up in a society where we like to blame people for silly mistakes that we all make. Who can safely say they never got drunk in college? Or who never went out with friends because if they wanted to go have some fun? It’s because of the stigmas that we grew up with do we tend to blame the most obvious party. One thing a lot of people tend to say about those who join Greek life in college was the “popular” kids in high school. That statement couldn’t be more wrong, because Greek life is a welcome center for everyone, they try their best to accept anyone and everyone to the best of their abilities.

One of the most popular stereotypes in Greek life, mainly fraternities, is hazing. Hazing is defined as, “subjecting potential group members to degrading initiation rituals. (Honeycutt)” Ever since the 1970’s hazing has been a thing in fraternities, it’s when active members take the new members (pledges) and try to make them prove themselves that they belong within the house. It’s meant to be a harmless joke but has cost many kids their lives and even sometimes ruin their careers before they even start. The stereotype behind hazing new members is that active members will make the pledges drink a lot and then go “dare” them to do something like walk down the road wearing a silly costume, ring the school bell, etc. just some dumb harmless humor (Hollmann). But many believe that it’s always taken a bit too far, and it has been in the past. Little do people realize that hazing is illegal, this is because of how dangerous it can get, but most fraternities nowadays just make the pledges do one small thing that humiliates them. For example, one fraternity on campus made its current pledge class act like an animal for a full day, they weren’t allowed to speak to anyone and had to do certain things if someone said a key phrase or word, the joke ended once the fraternities meeting started later that night.

While there are a lot of negative connotations about Greek life, they do a lot of good and try their hardest to defy all the stereotypes. One of the biggest things that Fraternities and Sorties try to do is prepare their members for life after college. To do this they tend to push their active members to be the best and not give up. While this could be very challenging, most believe that in the end, it’s very rewarding. Everyone that I interviewed, had the same opinion when it came to the stereotypes made about Greek life. They all said they know it’s there, but it pushes them to strive for more, to prove to people that they aren’t what people say they are.

Joining Greek life can help college students. It gets them more involved with both on-campus and off-campus life. By joining a fraternity or sorority one can make lifetime friendships, gain leadership skills, and a lot more. One current student, Darby Shaw, states that joining a Sorority her Freshman year was one the best things she’s ever done. This is because of the friends she’s made during her journey and the things she does inside her sorority that help not only college students but also the surrounding Reno community. She states that Greek life is, “a complete personality and resume builder.” This is completely true because one of the main goals in Greek life is to help prepare members for life after college. By joining a Sorority, Darby was able to get two different finance internships over this past summer. This happened because of her current position as Vice President of Finance in Sigma Kappa. Darby also stated that joining Sigma Kappa helped build her personality more over the past four years. This is because she has become very involved in a community and is surrounded by people, she considers lifelong friends. She also mentioned that joining a sorority it has given her life opportunities that she would never have gotten to experience. These were going out of state to fundraisers and house meetings and being able to meet so many amazing people over the past four years.

Another way this community defies its stereotypes is through the statistics they prove every single year. Those are higher graduation rates, higher grade point averages, and even better chances of getting higher income after graduating (Routon & Walker). This is all done because of the support that each member has for their brothers and sisters. One thing no one likes to talk about is how each fraternity or sorority tries to push its current members to be the best they’ve ever been. This could imply school and social events. One sorority here on Nevada’s campus, Kappa Alpha Theta, pushes its members to do well in school. They tend to hold study sessions and even sometimes tutoring to the girls who are a part of the house. One former student, Austin Blatnick, was a part of the Fraternity Sigep de Mayo. He stated that he has, “gone into an interview before where I mentioned being in Greek life and one of the people who were on the panel had also been a part of my fraternity at some point.” What this implies is that by joining Greek life you can become very connected with the community and even be able to connect with others about it. Something that few people realize is just how big Greek life is. A lot of people tend to think it’s a small community, but thousands of people are either current or past members of a certain house. So, you never really know what or who you might come across.

Every sorority and fraternity has a mission. That mission is called philanthropy, the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed through donations or money and good causes (Lara & Johnson). Some philanthropies help with diseases like Alzheimer’s, others help the surrounding communities with homelessness or children in need, and some even help those who are military veterans. With philanthropies, it helps get the stigma that Fraternities and Sororities are only created to party and not care about anyone but themselves. Instead, this organization helps get its members out in the world and do some good. For example, Sigma Kappa has 5 different philanthropies that they are a part of. Those being, “The Sigma Kappa Foundation, Inherit the Earth Gerontology, Maine Seacoast Mission, and Alzheimer’s research.” All these missions strive out to different communities around the world to help bring awareness to it all. With the “Inherit the Earth Gerontology” and “Seacoast Mission,” Sigma Kappa does its best to go around and pick up trash and help push for environmental-friendly lifestyles. As for Alzheimer’s research, Sigma Kappa raises money all year round to help fund research for a cure for Alzheimer’s and donate money to organizations that sponsor the disease and help spread awareness about it. Philanthropies also help the members gain community hours. This could be very beneficial for both school and career-related things. Writers Christen Lara and Daniel Johnson stated this about philanthropies being used by Greek life, “Philanthropy given by alumni is an important, and increasingly important, source of financing for institutions of higher education. Given the competition for those donations, it would be valuable for smaller institutions to be able to model the potential of their own alumni database, and to identify high-probability, untapped philanthropists.” This statement provides the details that further enlist the idea of philanthropies being good not only for the community but also for the institution or organization.

In the past 3 decades, Greek life has gotten an infinite number of stereotypes that will last forever. But how true are those stereotypes? How did we get them in the first place? The answer to that one may seem simple but is quite complex. This is because we all grew up with the negative connotations of going Greek. We got it from movies and TV shows, the media, and even sometimes our parents, who were in a sorority or fraternity. It appears that joining a fraternity or sorority is very taboo nowadays, but why is that? Is it because we don’t truly know what goes on inside the organization, or is it because we want to believe everything we see on social media and the big screens?

Greek life has helped many people get through college and has even opened the floodgates for those graduating. From making friends to being involved with the university and local communities, this organization has benefited people so much in the past 200-plus years it’s been around. While the negative stigmas will always stick to the terms Fraternity and Sorority, just try to remember all the good they do. Sure, they like to party and have a good time, but what college student doesn’t?

Intro

College is a place where students go to learn. However, for years many other things that are rarely publicized have come along with this experience. College is as much a place for big parties, binge drinking and sexual assault as it is for learning. Approximately 1 in 4 college women are sexually assaulted before they graduate, which is 7% higher than the national average for women in general (Hecht Schafran and Weinberger, 195). The statistic is even worse when limited to college-aged women. “Women in the traditional age range for college students—from eighteen to twenty-one—are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in any other age group, and college-bound women are at greater risk than their non-college-bound peers”(American Association of University Professors,93). In addition, victims often don’t get justice because they are too scared to report the assault because they fear how they will be treated. While rape is only one kind of sexual assault and approximately 18% of US women have been raped, only 16% of victims reported their rape to police.(Hecht Schafran and Weinberger, 195). When they do report the assault, the perpetrator often doesn’t get a just punishment, if they get one at all.

The system of how colleges should respond to sexual assault on campus is a much debated issue and has undergone many changes over the last 40 years. Prior to 1980 there were no national guidelines for how colleges should deal with campus assault. A first step for making colleges act on sexual assault reports was taken in 1980, when Title IX was officially applied to deal with sexual assault cases. It states that no one should be discriminated against based on their sex in an education setting that receives federal funding. It would, however, take 12 more years before the Supreme Court made this ruling official. The next significant change came in 1990, when the Cergy Act was passed. This act mandates that colleges have to publicly report the crimes, although in very broad categories. During Obama’s time in office, he also made strides in the issue by releasing the Dear Colleague Letter in 2011. The letter put in place a guideline of how schools should be handling sexual assault cases. This was considered a major step forward for the rights of victims. However, most recently the secretary of education, Betsy Devos has changed the policies and almost completely reverted the system to how it was before Obama’s letter.

Sexual assault is a serious crime and yet colleges almost always handle the cases reported to them without involving the police. Even though the government has tried to improve the system of how colleges handle the cases, there are still many problems. The current rules of how colleges must handle sexual assault are unclear and inefficient, and one ambiguous aspect is finding the right balance between due process and the general rights of the victims and the accused. Another large problem is that colleges are not unbiased judges, because they can be greatly affected by the outcome of the cases. These cases can cost the college a lot of money and not just because they have to hire specific officers to handle the cases but also in the case that the victim or the accused sues them, or if they are found guilty of not following title IX guidelines and lose their federal funding. On top of this, their reputation can also be affected by the outcomes of the cases. Colleges are in place to punish the student as they see fit and to just try to make their campus as safe as possible however this punishment only applies to the college setting. It is not enough to take the place of the punishment under the law. The two systems serve different purposes and should not be seen as substitutes. Instead, for true justice to occur, both the colleges and the courts need to be involved in adjudicating the cases.

Many have argued that mandatory reporting to the police will limit the number of victims that will come forward because many victims are scared of being mistreated by the police. However, over time, as police improve the way they handle the cases, involving the police in the cases will lead to fuller investigation and justice. Although many feel that colleges should take sole responsibility for dealing with sexual assault on campus, this system has failed the victims of assault. Colleges should be mandated to report all cases to police for adjudication, because colleges are not equipped to properly investigate crimes by themselves, although they should maintain the right to impose their own disciplinary actions in addition to the outcome the legal case.

The history of the policies

Sexual assault on campus has been a prevalent issue for decades. The statistic of 1 in 4 is dropped frequently, however, it is unclear what has really been done to try and lower that number. The first major stride made to try to reduce sexual assault on campus was Title IX. Originally passed in 1972 it states ‘No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”(“Title IX Frequently Asked Questions.” ). In 1980, the National Advisory Council on Women’s Education Programs reviewed Title IX, issued a statement that Title IX should be interpreted to prohibit sexual harassment, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights issued administrative guidance to colleges that prohibited school employees from sexually harassing students. (Sarkozi,128). Twelve years later it was made official when the Supreme Court recognized that sexual harassment could fall under Title IX gender discrimination (Sarkozi,128) . This required schools to act if they knew or should have known of harassment by students. Failing to effectively do so would result in Title IX violations (Sarkozi,129).

In 1990 other steps were being taken, the Clery act was enacted by congress stating that colleges have a legal duty to publicly disclose these crimes that are reported to their campus police or department (Von Spakovsky, 4). It requires the colleges to file annual reports with the federal government on campus crime, however the purpose of this was to generate a statistic, not to further investigate the cases. However, it did encourage colleges to try to limit the amount of assaults in order to not to damage their reputation and enrollment. Amendments were passed in 1992, 1998, and 2008 requiring campuses to develop and spread prevention policies, make specific assurances to victims, and report an expanded set of crime categories, including hate crimes. (American Association of University Professors,95).

When Obama came into office he made some big changes. In 2011 Obama Administration released the dear Colleague letter that outlines the procedures that colleges must follow when sexual assault is reported if they want to keep their federal funding. The Letter required that all, “Public and state-supported schools must provide due process to the alleged perpetrator. However, schools should ensure that steps taken to accord due process rights to the alleged perpetrator do not restrict or unnecessarily delay the Title IX protections for the complainant”(Sarkozi,132). The guidelines were viewed as a major victory for victims of crime, however, tension remains between the requirements of Title IX, constitutionally and contractually mandated due process, and the rules of confidentiality and disclosure under FERPA (Triplett,510). Colleges have had to open Title IX offices and hire special counselors in order to be in line with the guidelines, since the letter was released in 2011 colleges have spent more than $100 million “to meet their Title IX obligations regarding sexual assault”(Wilson, 4).

Most recently under the Trump administration the Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has released new rules regarding how campuses should handle sexual assault. They released a statement that declared that the Obama administration rules and procedures had failed and undid them. On top of reverting back, Devos also released new rules, one of them significantly changed the definition of sexual misconduct on campus, to the Supreme Court’s definition of sexual harassment: “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity.”

College adjudication alone is insufficient

Colleges’ main job is to educate so it’s no surprise that their adjudication system is messy and disorganized. Since the policies have changed so much it’s unclear exactly how colleges should set up their courts. The lack of clarity has created an environment in which colleges are uncertain on how to adjudicate cases and “Without affirmative guidance on how to balance these competing obligations, the OCR’s views on Title IX will remain ineffectual, thereby endangering victims, increasing the probability of liability on the part of the institution for denial of due process, and jeopardizing the accused student’s due-process”(Triplett,511). Colleges want to take the path of least resistance and in this case it means handling the cases in a way that they will receive the least backlash, meaning handling the case in a way that could never be accused of not following the federal guideline . The Dear Colleague letter fails to address the correct amount of due process that should be given in order to not come in the way of proper victim protection (Triplett,490) and this leads to colleges being oversafe with protecting the victim and denying the accused rights.

Colleges are not well suited to conduct full investigation because it creates a possibility

for liability. Colleges have been sued due to how they handle sexual assault cases and “failing to provide sufficient investigative and judicial proceedings when responding” (Triplett, 488) by both the victims and the accused. “Public university systems with schools in the nation’s five major athletic conferences paid out more than $10.5 million in settlements related to sexual-harassment claims in 2016 and ’17, according to a Wall Street Journal review of recent settlements, gathered mainly through public-records requests”(Korn,1). The money spent to set up the offices to follow the title IX guidelines and to settle with students who aren’t happy with how the case was handled adds up to over a hundred of million dollars. When colleges handle the cases “rather than an unbiased jury deciding guilt, biased school administrators who have strong financial incentives decide responsibility in these cases” (Sarkozi,142). Not only do the colleges have to think about the possibility of a million dollar lawsuit but also the possibility of losing all federal funding. Because of this “College campuses have enormous financial incentives in sexual assault cases because acquitting an accused student carries the threat that OCR could exercise its enforcement authority.152 If found guilty in such an investigation, a college could face losing over half a billion dollars in federal funding.153”(Sarkozi,142)

Colleges position causes them to be biased because of how the outcome can effect them greatly in ways other than just financial. Colleges can receive a lot of public backlash if they mishandle these cases. Campus authorities are often reluctant to refer incidents to the criminal justice system and give up control of the proceedings, because they are afraid that doing so would open them up to public as well as media scrutiny.(American Association of University Professors,95).The negative attention from the media can affect colleges donations and a loss of donations to often very profitable sports programs.(American Association of University Professors,95) and can give them the label of a “rape campus”. To avoid this schools often force students who report to school disciplinary panels to sign confidentiality agreements, barring them from pursuing the case in the criminal or civil courts(Fisher et al, 2000; Lombardi, 2009). This bars victims from being able to take legal action against their attackers and getting proper justice.

What police have that colleges don’t

Sexual assault is crime punishable under the court of law and because of the seriousness of the crime, colleges need to report it to the police so a proper investigation and trial can be done. Colleges don’t have access to the same tools to fully investigate like police and try the case like the criminal justice can. In terms of investigating there are certain things that colleges can’t do that are standard in police investigations such as “issue search warrants, compel students to submit evidence, or subpoena witnesses”(Wilson, 5). Without such tools it’s hard for the college to gather all the evidence needed to perform a full investigation. The college trial process is also inferior to that of the criminal justice system in that “ No one is under oath to give information truthfully. And unlike court proceedings, the campus judicial process wasn’t designed to be an open forum, where an impartial judge or jury hears and decides a case before the public. Instead, campus hearings are closed. Federal privacy rules that protect students mean colleges typically can’t disclose, confirm, or correct the details of a case or its outcome.” (Wilson, 5) . The police and judicial system have been designed to be the most effective and unbiased as possible and part of that means having “separate entities performing various aspects of the case”(Sarkozi,144). However “a university performs the “functions of investigation, prosecution, fact-finding, and appellate review in one office, and . . . that office is itself a Title IX compliance office rather than an entity that could be considered structurally impartial.” 170”(Sarkozi,144). Having one office performing every aspect of the case impartiality is going to be very hard to achieve.

The biggest difference between the criminal justice system handling the case versus the University is punishment. Some argue that since “The Dear Colleague Letter mandates that college campuses use a preponderance of the evidence standard,119 unlike the criminal system which utilizes a beyond a reasonable doubt standard.120”(Sarkozi,137) the school being able to expel a student is too much punishment with that amount of proof. However, another argument against the college being able to administer a punishment without involving the police is that the maximum penalty that can be issued by colleges is expulsion from school, which is insufficient for crimes such as rape. Rape can be punishable by real jail time and having to register as a sex offender, so allowing it to be handled by a system in which the highest punishment colleges can give is expulsion is insufficient. In addition “If the accused is expelled, with no criminal punishment, the accuser lives with the knowledge that the accused could rape other women. Rapists are criminals, not just college students who violate a school’s honor code. They deserve to be prosecuted in criminal court, and if found guilty, punished accordingly, including having to register as convicted sex offenders.” (Von Spakovsky,12).

Why involving the police might lead to less justice

Mandatory Reporting to police has problems and may actually limit victims from reporting crimes on campus. Many students have cited that their reason for not reporting sexual assault to the school is that they don’t want the police involved because they’re scared of being mistreated and lose confidentiality. (Holland and Cortina, 51).

Diversity in college is very important because our society is drastically changing, and our higher education organizations need to expand and reflect this diversity. According to Cambridge Dictionary, “Diversity is the mixture of races and religions that make up a group of people.” Moreover, we can infer that where we come from says a lot about ourselves and how we live day by day. Different cultures make us understand and learn about information we may not be aware off and think outside of our circle. Challenges that enforce diversity should be promoted to maintain in colleges because it enhances social development, encourages creative thinking, and increases self-awareness.

Social Development is considered how people grow social and emotional abilities “across the lifespan, with particular attention to childhood and adolescence.” According to “Alleydog.com’s online glossary.” Social Development permits us humans to unite in a positive and accommodating way with our relatives, friends, professors, and other people that come across in our lives. Sometimes individuals don’t feel comfortable to be able to speak with someone because they are scared to be judged, and that is why social development should be incorporated from a young age. Diversity enforces social development in ways such as communicating with people from different cultures and experiencing their way of living, therefore, helps your social life by getting to know and learn beyond the differences there might be. Associating and developing a relationship with students who are diverse leads to a wider understanding of why people may act the way they do. In Michael’s reading “Practicing Complexity,” we can compare Joel’s emotions to diversity. For instance, “One of the greatest assets of a farm is the sheer ecstasy of life.”(page 225) We can analyze how from Tuesday morning to the end of the reading, Joel changed. Throughout the story we see various actions by which Joel had to find himself to be able to feel like himself and that is why social development plays a big role in diversity. Social development allows you to be confident with who you are and where you are from.

Diversity supports creative thinking and increases the capability of seeing problems from a different point of views. Creative thinking is the way of looking at something in a new way that makes you think outside of the box. Creativity comes with exploring new things and time. Furthermore, it helps society understand and learn how different individuals interact with each other in their own way. When discussing new scenarios and different situations, we start to view the world in someone else’s shoes. Comprehending unlikely contexts expands our way of thinking and viewing problems with different solutions. For example, understanding different cultures and their way of thinking will work to your advantage and open your mind when upcoming circumstances appear. In the article “Why Diversity is the Mother of Creativity,” Jeffrey Baumgartner persuasively explains how one of the most important ingredients for creative thinking is “diversity”. “Diversity is the key to creativity. Not just diversity in your workforce, but in your personal life, the teams you form and the managers whom you hire and promote.” Diversifying our thinking enforces our reasoning to observe details and information related with other ideas, rather than what we our generally accustom to.

Lastly, diversity is promoted by self-awareness. Self-awareness is being aware of one’s own comprehension, emotions, and goals. It increases society to be more open-minded and understanding about our personal conflicts and differences. Learning from other individuals past experiences and surroundings that differ from our own; develops self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is understanding your own self. For instance, in the article “Understanding Diversity and Inclusion,” Purdue University states that “the knowledge of self-awareness relating to diversity is, at the minimum, understanding your own identity, rules, and biases.” When self-awareness is elaborated through diversity, we can conclude the understanding of our own identity. As well as being comfortable and interested with someone else’s diverse perspectives. Having a diverse college allows you to compare and contrast your background and past events that have marked something in your life. Not only learning about other life experiences, but also being able to incorporate new ways that may lead to success. Students in college can benefit from self-awareness and make good decisions that can help in there personal life, academic experience, and professional career.

In conclusion, colleges should promote diversity because it enhances social development that helps students unite with each other and be more social with their families and friends. It encourages creative thinking, as well as making it easier for students to think outside of the box and come out of their comfort zone. College diversity also promotes self-awareness in the community by increasing students opinions about their backgrounds and past experiences creating self-knowledge. I believe diversity in college should be a must and people should never feel ashamed to express their different cultures. As Anthony Rapp once said, “There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.”