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Your mother always told you to go to college so you can get a job that pays well. You’ll be able to buy that big house by the beach, that nice car you’ve always wanted, and maybe even a boat. The major that you choose might make or break that dream. This year, a major study by the Georgetown University Center
on Education and the Workforce outlines the general worth of undergraduate majors by their average annual earnings. The study found that the highest paying undergraduate college major is petroleum engineering with a median earning of $120,000 per year. The lowest paying is health and medical preparatory programs, which has average earnings of $40,000 per year.
Unfortunately for those who came to FGCU solely out of hopes for a high-paying career, you are out of luck, unless you have an undying passion for crunching numbers. Out of the top ten majors with the highest median earnings, FGCU only offers one: mathematics, which ranked third with a median salary of $98,000 a year.
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F]]$ZXdglj _flj`e^ jZXiZ\ 9p M\ife`ZX M\cX JkX]] ni`k\i FGCU housing is expanding more every year, which is great for the school, but bad for students looking for more affordable off-campus housing locations. Ever since FGCU’s purchase of College Club, which is now West Lake Village, the options for offcampus student housing seem to be dwindling. “I wanted to live off campus because I didn’t like the restrictions. It’s cheaper and I feel more on my own,” said Emily Tignor, a junior majoring in nursing. “You don’t have RA’s checking up on you.” FGCU purchased College Club for $17 million dollars in 2010. As a result, one major option for students not wanting to live in FGCU housing but still be near school was eliminated. Although it seems like off-campus housing options are limited, there are still several locations for students to choose from that offer amenities that cannot be found through FGCU housing. Coastal Village, one of the most popular options, is only three miles from campus and gives students several alternatives not offered in North Lake or South Village. Students residing in Coastal have their own bathrooms and walk-in closets, and they are allowed to have pets for a reasonable fee. Another selling point with students is that they are allowed to paint their rooms and common areas, as long as the spaces are painted in the original color when it is time to move out.
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“We painted a flower around one of our windows and it looks so much better. With on-campus housing, you can only hang up posters, and that’s no fun,” Tignor said. Many students also rent or even purchase homes in the Three Oaks and San Carlos area, both of which are about five miles from FGCU. Donna Mason, broker associate with Amerivest Realty, has had parents contact her about purchasing homes for their FGCU students. “A lot of the parents call and know
our market prices have gone down, and they want single family homes,” Mason said. “It’s probably not what FGCU wants to hear, but it’s a prime investment.” Mason explained that many parents purchase the home and expenses are usually split between them, their child and other roommates. Then, once a student graduates, parents have several options.
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After more than seven years of use, the many students and faculty members who have hated using the university eLearning Management System ANGEL will finally see the program dismantled. By the summer semester of 2013, ANGEL will be completely phased out, and a new LMS will be in use. Some students may be wondering: Why the change? “ANGEL won’t exist anymore; we have no choice but to change,” said University Provost Ron Toll. ANGEL was bought out by Blackboard, and Blackboard will discontinue the program after 2014. The contract that FGCU has had in place with ANGEL since July of 2004 expires in June of 2012. FGCU will renew the contract for one year while preparations for the implementation of a yet-to-be-determined new program are made. “We will go out and look for more options in the market,” Toll said. In order to accomplish the selection of a new LMS program, a task force has been put together. “The purpose of the task force is to give all the stockholders input into the process,” said Elspeth McCulloch, designer of eLearning. The task force will identify relevant learning management system specifications and requirements as well as criteria for evaluating LMS options. Some of the criteria that the task force will look for include functionality, ability to integrate into existing systems, cost and licensing structure, scalability, technical support, product transition and training issues, and record of product and vendor quality. The ad hoc LMS Task Force will be hosting one online roundtablestyle and two on-campus discussions during October. Sessions will be open to all faculty, staff and students, and no registration or RSVPs are required. The first on-campus feedback session will held on Tuesday, Oct. 18 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Student Union 213. The on-line discussion will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 6-7 p.m. The second on-campus discussion will take place on Monday, Oct. 24 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Lutgert Hall 2202. “The goal is to hopefully get a new system as good as or better than ANGEL,” Toll said. McCulloch is also optimistic about the new program. “We want to have a program that works well for everyone, that is functional and accessible,” she said. Makeda Amadi, a junior majoring in communication, feels that the change will be more difficult for professors than students. “I think that a lot of professors will be more upset than students because it is my understanding that they had to take a few workshops to learn how to use ANGEL, so they were just getting used to it. And I hate to stigmatize, but my generation easily adapts to new technological systems. So, it’s no biggie,” Amadi said. Some students are more wary of the change. “I hate it. To be honest, I do understand that systems are always changing and upgrading to make it ‘easier’ or at least offer more features to students. However, having to adapt to a whole new system when I am almost graduating and am so busy can be hectic,” said Betzabeth Gomez, a senior dual-majoring in psychology and sociology. To participate in the online discussion, go to http://fgcu.adobeconnect.