TIFFANY BLANCHETTE | DAILY EGYPTIAN
Center for Inclusive Excellence director Dr. Sapphire Cureg, left, discusses improving the university’s social and academic atmosphere Tuesday during a Faculty House event. Cureg said the event, which was sponsored by Carbondale’s branch of the American Association of University Women, emphasized the importance of providing students with more enhanced opportunities and identifying community resources. “It’s all about retention and making students feel satisfied and integrated,” she said. “By becoming more sensitive to their needs, we can help secure they become successful.”
While it is common for students to leave home when they attend college, recent data shows many Illinois students are not only leaving their homes — they are leaving the state. Nearly 25 percent of Illinois’ firsttime students left the state for college in 2010, according to U.S. Department of Education data. Statistics show the state exported 30,000 first-time freshmen to out-of-state schools that year, which is a 17-percent increase from data the department compiled in 2000, and imported 17,000 students during the same year. Illinois exports the third-most U.S.
college students annually, according to a 2008 National Center for Education Statistics study. “The Illinois Board of Higher Education is very concerned about students leaving the state in favor of other schools,” said Alan Phillips, IBHE planning and budgeting deputy director. “If we are to have a strong economy in Illinois, it is imperative that we close this skills gap and as students leave the state for other schools, that gap becomes more difficult to close.” Katharine Suski, university undergraduate admissions director, said the university is concerned about the trend as well. Nearly 16,000 SIU students are from within Illinois, according to the university’s Office of
Institutional Research and Studies. Suski said the growing student export rate could be caused by several factors. “There are a ton of options for students out there, and Illinois students are very aware of their options,” she said. Chicago is one of the country’s biggest markets, she said, and the area is recruited by schools nationwide. Suski said numbers will be down throughout the state if Illinois institutions lose Chicago market students. Illinois’ central location makes student departure easier, she said, and the state’s unique midAmerica location allows students to easily access other states. Please see ENROLLMENT | 3
Some students would say a college degree means less than it once did, but several new studies contradict such notions. According to 2011 United States Census Bureau research, 30.4 percent of U.S. adults have a bachelor’s degree. That percentage was 26.2 in 2001, and an average 30.3 percent of citizens had a bachelor’s degree Between 2005 and 2009, according to the Illlinois Educational Attainment website. Marcelyn Love, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity public contact, said it is hard to prove whether or not job attainment without a degree is more difficult than it used to be. “I know that Illinois has one of the most educated workforces in the country,” Love said. Michelle Garrett, university career services coordinator, said employers who contact university career services specifically want students with degrees. The major change in employers’ needs, she said, is their desire for applicants to have specific skills or experience, she said. Garrett said more people have been obtaining college educations in her time with career services. However, a degree’s value often depends on what career field a student enters, Garrett said. For example, to major in elementary education, the need for a degree is constant because every state requires specific certifications as well as a degree, she said. “Once (students) meet the minimal degree requirement, then (employers) look at the level of experience,” she said. Garret said employers value experience now more than ever. “College students typically will get hired when they start the job search earlier and have one or more internships under their belt,” she said. Competition for many jobs is fierce because of the ongoing economic crisis, she said. “Not only do you need a degree, but you need to be able to market yourself,” Garrett said. “Degrees may not be as affordable as before, but they are more accessible.” Reginald Whiten, a graduate student in computer science from Chicago, said he still thinks it is essential to have a degree. “I believe jobs do require more degrees than they have in the past because, due to the economy, they are trying to be more selective,” Whiten said. Please see DEGREE | 2
The class of 2012 student survey report Plans after graduation
65.4% expect to enter work immediately 27.7% would like to go to grad school right away 4 out of 5 of these had started looking for a job
Southern Illinois area students now have another way to pay for books and school supplies. 710 Bookstore and Old National Bank have partnered to offer the Saluki Community Scholarship, which will award $500 for up to four semesters excluding summer to two southern Illinois-area incoming students, according to the scholarship’s information pamphlet. High school seniors and transfer students
who have already obtained 56 credit hours before attending the university are eligible for the scholarship. The award covers only 710 Bookstore books and supplies. Randy Johnson, the bookstore’s general manager, said this is not the first time the bookstore has offered students a scholarship opportunity. 710 and the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce co-sponsor the Saluki Stay Scholarship, he said. The scholarship is available to university juniors or seniors who maintain a 2.8 or higher grade
point average and are employed by a Carbondale Chamber of Commerce member business, according to the chamber’s website. The scholarship provides money for books, food, housing and other benefits. Johnson said enrollment issues and area students’ inability to afford university costs sparked the idea for the scholarship. He said offering the scholarship helps the community do its part in helping the university. Please see SCHOLARSHIP | 3
Respondents to job outlook 2013 survey are reporting that they plan to hire 13% more new college graduates in 2012-2013 compared to 2011-2012
Illinois 2011 statistics 67% of jobs will require a career certificate or college degree by 2020 43% Illinois adults who currently have an associate degree or higher 24% of surveyed were underqualified SOURCES | NACE AND WWW.COMPLETECOLLEGE.ORG