SPIKING INTO VOLLEYBALL SEASON
CAMPUS VIOLATIONS BECOME EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FEATURES 7
SPORTS 5
videtteonline
MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015
Vol. 128 / No. 03
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSIT Y’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1888
ISU receives full reaccreditation The Higher Learning Commission has no concerns. Extra monitoring is not necessary until the 2024-2025 school year. EMA SASIC News Reporter
Illinois State University received big news Thursday when it was fully reaccredited by the Higher Learning Commission at its highest level, meaning that no extra monitoring is necessary. The reaccreditation is valid Larry until 2024-2025. Dietz President Larry Dietz described to the Pantagraph that the reaccreditation is vital to the University. “A full reaccreditation is a big deal for us,” Dietz said. “My hat’s off to the steering committee.” To be fully reaccredited without any concern is something many schools do not accomplish, according to Associate Provost Jim Jawahar, who led the steering committee. “It’s very rare that a university is not reaccredited, but it’s not unusual to be reaccredited with concerns,” Jawahar said. Many factors played a part in getting through the process with no concerns. ISU was praised for its quality of academic programs and procedures and how it exceeds
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Illinois State University is reaccredited through the 2024-2025 school year. nationally endorsed higher education standards. Jawahar explained that the Commission team that visited in April “really appreciated our shared governance and the transparency of our policies and procedures.” High quality faculty and attention
to students’ learning outcomes left a positive mark on the Commission as well. The Higher Learning Commission has established new procedures that will undergo a comprehensive review, but will not require a visit to ISU in four years. This new procedure, according to Jawahar,
“keeps every university trying to improve.” Ema Sasic is a news reporter for The Vidette and can be reached at vidette_esasic@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @ ema_sasic.
Grant to assist former foster youth
Man shot in downtown Bloomington
BRENT BADER News Reporter
The Bloomington Police Department is investigating multiple reports of shots fired at approximately 6:50 p.m. on Saturday near the intersection of Mason and Olive streets. According to a press release, an adult male was located and found to have a single gunshot wound. Bloomington Fire and Rescue took the man to a local hospital and police say the injury is considered non-life threatening. No arrests have been made and no further information was released.
ISU’s Center for Adoption Studies received a $50,000 grant to study former foster youths and better understand their needs as they navigate college The grant received from the Spencer Foundation will fund a survey of nearly 350 former foster youths currently attending colleges throughout Illinois. The study will be run by Doris Houston, director of the Center for Adoption Studies, and Christopher Gjesfjeld, assistant professor of social work, in association with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. “This is very much needed,” DCFS Permanency Enhancement Administrator Michael Burns said. “This is new research, specifically when it comes to college, and hopefully the results will lead to better success.” The study, which started in July, involves an online survey students will take to determine which factors are more predictive. The results will be used to determine how they can better prepare those students for higher education. “The number of students who come from foster care who actually graduate from college is less than 10 percent or 11 percent and in some locations may be as low as 1 percent or 2 percent,” Houston said. “So we’re looking at, in general, about 90 percent of young adults who come out of foster care [and] never complete a college program. This is something that certainly lends itself to that group of young adults continuing on a path of poverty and not having access to economic resources. We just feel like we want to do what we can to change that.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
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Director of the Center for Adoption Studies, Doris Houston, received a grant to help former foster youth. Students will be asked about their experiences with campus resources such as counseling and financial aid as well as their individual grades. DCFS will be reaching out to the students, who will answer anonymously, and will receive incentives such as gift cards after completing the survey. The team hopes to better understand their needs as they work their way through college. “Students who have grown up in foster care are underrepresented in higher education.” Gjesfjeld said. “We hope this survey will aid in the development of partnerships between child welfare, institutions of higher education and foster parents to support the success of these students in higher education.” The group is expecting to produce a preliminary
report for the Spencer Foundation in spring 2016 and will disseminate the findings through publication of the material and presentations at education conferences. The team hopes the study improves former foster youths’ chances at excelling in higher education and also improves the communities they are a part of. “When we have young adults who can become productive members of society, feel good about themselves, be able to be productive in the job force and raise families it improves our entire society and is a benefit to us all,” Houston said. Brent Bader is a news reporter for The Vidette and can be reached at vidette_babader@ilstu. edu. Follow him on Twitter @baderwrites.
EMA SASIC VIDETTE
Mosquitoes positive for West Nile Virus Eight mosquito pools and two birds have tested positive for West Nile Virus in the Bloomington-Normal area. According to the McLean County Health Department, the first bird to test positive for WNV in the county was found in early July. The virus is a mosquitoborne disease that can cause inflammation of the brain. People should limit time spent outdoors from the time of dusk to dawn to limit exposure. SUSANNA DOEHLER VIDETTE