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Volume: 58 Issue: 25 What’s Inside:
Driftwood
UNO Driftwood @unodriftwood
The community newspaper of the University of New Orleans
@unodriftwood
driftwood.uno.edu
April 29, 2015
Graduating in four years?
UNO librarian wins Career Achievement Award
Connie Phelps recognized by the Women and Gender Studies Section of ACRL page 2
Invasive species taking over Louisiana’s bayous
UNO students research Rio Grande Cichlids and apple snails at the Nekton Lab page 3
Rebekah Bell Driftwood Staff Driftwood’s graduating editors say goodbye
Seniors share their experiences with the newspaper’s future leaders page 4 & 5
International student perspective
International students share what it’s like to acclimate to student life in a new country page 10
Athletics wrap up
The year in sports: volleyball, tennis, golf and basketball page 14
Faced with potentially devastating budget cuts to the education system, many University of New Orleans students are rightfully concerned for their college careers. Tuition expenses, class availability and quality education are all subject to change drastically in the next few years if the budget cuts pass. While state legislators hash out our school’s future, the question on many students’ minds is whether they will be able to graduate on time. UNO junior Kelli Cross said, “If the state’s budget cut passes I think it will definitely hurt, even devastate, students trying to complete their studies in four years. Classes will continue to be cut along with faculty and resources.” Senior Bernell Elzey shares Cross’ concern. “It will impact the students tremendously as it would take them longer to complete a degree and cost more money,” Elzey said, “basically you will be paying more for less.” According to a new report from Complete College America, a nonprofit group based in Indianapolis, IN, the majority of students at American public colleges do not graduate on time. Nationwide, only 50 of roughly 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their fulltime students on time. Statistics available from Complete College America agree that it now takes six years to earn a bachelor’s degree and three years for an associate’s
degree. Dubbed the “Four-Year Myth,” bachelor degree seeking students wanting to make the most of their time and money should assess their academic career with four simple questions: Is it affordable? The expense of higher education impacts a student’s ability to complete his or her degree on time. 69.9 percent of UNO’s full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid, and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $5,438. Taking out loans can be a risky financial burden that leaves students with debt well after graduation. Louisiana ranks among the bottom 10 states with the lowest debt ,where students incur an average of $23,358 in loans. Every extra year tacked on at a public four-year college makes earning a degree even more expensive. Is it worth it to work while in school? Many students work through college for various reasons, but the most common reason is to pay for college tuition. Rather than relying solely on loans, most students prefer to bridge the financial gap by applying for scholarships and earning an income. While employment helps cut down college costs, juggling classes, personal commitments and working long hours off-campus can result in lower grades and inflexibility to taking the right classes when they are offered, as well as delaying higher earnings. Working students should consider that their jobs can
delay careers and cause them to lose out on wages. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary for a bachelor’s degree recipient in the class of 2013 was more than $45,000. The American Institutes for Research found that associate degree earners could expect to earn a starting salary of about $35,000. It makes sense to work less if it will help a student graduate faster. How can I ensure I benefit the most from my class scheduling? Many students prefer to arrange class schedules to fall on certain days or take fewer credits at a time. Classes that meet too early or too late are also commonly avoided. But as universities become forced to reduce classes, class availability is becoming more limited. At UNO, class arrangements are valid concerns for students who commute to school. Cutting down on travel costs and time spent on the road allows students to balance their weeks accordingly. Cross, a commuter from Covington, tries to avoid scheduling classes everyday. “Due to the commute, I try to schedule classes that end before 3 in the afternoon, to avoid rush hour traffic. I also plan my classes this way in order to have as much time possible to devote to homework,” Cross said, “Recently, I’ve noticed there aren’t as many classes being offered, and those that are seem to only offer one section on one day at a certain time. The more classes and sections that are cut, the harder it will be on students like myself to schedule enough courses not
only to keep the minimum 12 hours per semester required by TOPS, but also to graduate on time.” Elzey, who works while attending school, said “I scheduled my classes to fit my job schedule, which was a hassle my final semester. I had to take my Spanish class at another institution because the course did not fit my schedule and it was the only one.” How can I ensure I don’t lose my credits? A common issue at colleges involves students exceeding the amount of credits to graduate with not enough of them counting towards their degree. This is generally a result from changing majors too much (or too late) or from pursuing multiple majors. While multiple majors can be beneficial, they do not necessarily determine a career. A safer plan is to choose a major by the end of the sophomore year, have one reasonable minor, and stick with it. Grad school also allows the opportunity for a shift in focus. Transfer students also face a burden of losing credits. Complete College America reports that 60 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients change colleges, with almost half of them losing some of their credits when they transfer. While some situations such as relocation are unavoidable, many students opt to complete their first two years at a community college in order to lessen tuition expenses. To ensure every credit counts, students should pay attention to which classes will transfer to which four year schools. Illustration by Asia-Vinae Palmer