Goofy "Kaplan" deal nixed

California Community Colleges End Controversial Deal With Kaplan U. (Chronicle of Higher Education)

     California's community-college system has canceled a controversial agreement that would have allowed students at some colleges to earn credit for discounted online courses at Kaplan University.
     The 112-campus community-college system is severely overcrowded, and officials saw the November agreement as a way to make it easier for students to get classes they need. For Kaplan, the agreement promised a boost of credibility and a ready pool of new students, who would be able to take certain online courses at a 42-percent discount.
     But at a time of intense scrutiny of for-profit colleges, the arrangement between the nation's largest public-college system and a prominent for-profit college drew complaints from faculty groups and others. Critics argued the system was endorsing Kaplan, and they said it could be difficult for students who transferred to the state's public universities to receive credit for Kaplan courses.
     The agreement was more an idea than reality: In nine months, few colleges, if any, had cleared Kaplan courses for students to take for credit under the deal. In a letter last week canceling the agreement, a community-college official said the community colleges had failed to secure agreements with California State University and the University of California to automatically accept the Kaplan courses.
. . .
     Some who had criticized the agreement cheered the decision to cancel it, saying that even at a discount, the Kaplan courses were a bad deal for students. Community-college courses in California cost $26 per credit hour, the lowest in the country, while Kaplan's discounted courses would have cost about $216 per credit hour.
     "It certainly is odd that a system that is so proud of its affordability and low fees would encourage students to pay $216 a credit," said Deborah Frankle Cochrane, program director at the Institute for College Access and Success.
     The agreement was a smart business move by Kaplan, said Scott Lay, president of the Community College League of California, a lobbying group for the community-college system. The company intended to use its discounted price for online courses as a loss leader to make students familiar with Kaplan, he said….

Special interests

Community Colleges Want Changes in Proposed 'Gainful Employment' Rule (Chronicle of Higher Education)

The American Association of Community Colleges is urging its members to weigh in on the Education Department's "gainful employment" proposal, warning that the draft rule could "negatively affect some certificate programs." In a letter sent to community-college leaders today, George R. Boggs, the association's president, acknowledged that the proposed rule—which would cut off federal aid to institutions whose students carry high debt-to-income ratios and have low loan-repayment rates—would have a "limited" impact on community colleges, but added: "Our goal in shaping these regulations is not just to ensure that community colleges remain eligible for federal aid, but also that clearing the bar will be simple and straightforward as possible." The letter suggests that colleges ask the department to clarify that the rule would not apply to one-year certificate programs that lead to associate degrees and to exempt from the rule programs in which fewer than 35 percent of students borrow federal loans, among other changes.

300 Million Downloads From iTunes U (Inside Higher Ed)

Apple released data on Tuesday demonstrating the dramatic growth of iTunes U. In three years of operations, downloads have topped 300 million. More than 800 colleges and universities have active sites, with more than 350,000 audio and video files posted.

From the archives

My little brother Ray, who died in 2001, was born in '61. Smart, funny, extremely creative. But wild.

I'll leave it at that.

These old pictures seem to present a perfect little guy, and that's what he was.

Ray was by far the best singer in the family. Kind of a crazy player, though, like me.

Loved kids. We've always suspected that a certain kid of a certain former girlfriend was his, but dunno. But he sure did love playing with that kid. Had lots of serious girlfriends, but he never seemed to drop out of their lives. When he died, lots of 'em came out of the woodwork.

Loved animals. Rescued lots of 'em. Two of 'em--Paco and Max--ended up with my folks. They became beloved family pets, along with all those cats that Ray left.

In the early 80s, he decided to become a Marine. At first, he flourished there. Spent time in the Philippines and "the Rock." Don't know where else.

I think he was always proud of his time with the Corps.

I came across these pins kept in a Manila folder.

I found poetry too.

And crazed essays.

Ray was an avid hang-glider pilot. He once flew above Mount Whitney, which is crazy, of course.
He invented an elegant device that helped fliers determine wind direction for landings, but he could never get his act together to market the idea. Plenty of interest, though.
Once, I went with him to Mt. Laguna down in San Diego County to watch 'em fly. Took this pic.

Here are some odd documents that I came across. First: my grandmother's green card, I guess.

Well, anyway, it is green. And it's a card.

Evidently, I purchased this fishing license in 1970. I would have been 15 years old.

Here's a curious shot of my mother and my grandmother sitting on the hood of my parents' Ford in Niagara Falls, Canada, 1953.

This is my dad, circa 1950.

One of my sister Annie's paintings from the 80s, I think.

That's her sense of humor all right.

"It's a political decision"

     Remember Republican challenger to Rep. Loretta Sanchez Tan Nguyen? Back in 2006, during the campaign, his senior political advisor was our own Tom Fuentes, SOCCCD trustee.
     But then the Nguyen campaign sent that infamous letter. It was kind of a "Fuentes" thing to do.
     After that, Tom got real scarce.
     Well, the case against Nguyen is still in the courts:

Prosecutor calls congressional candidate a liar (OC Register)

     Former congressional candidate Tan Nguyen was behind a controversial campaign letter to Latino voters from start to finish, federal prosecutor Gregory Staples told jurors Tuesday in opening statements during Nguyen's trial for obstruction of justice.
     Nguyen faces charges of lying to investigators about the letter and asking an uninvolved campaign worker to take responsibility for the mailing sent out to support his failed 2006 challenge of Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana.. . .
     The Spanish-language letter, sent on a letterhead that mimicked the name of a prominent immigration reform group, was mailed to 14,000 voters with Spanish last names who'd been born abroad....
     That mailing had warned that "emigrados" could go to prison if they voted. "Emigrado" is ambiguous in Spanish. It can generally mean an emigrant – who may or may not be a U.S. citizen eligible to vote – or specifically a non-citizen in the country with a green card.
     The letter also warned that "a new computerized system" would track new voters and could be accessed by "organizations that oppose immigration.". . .
     During the investigation, Nguyen said he had read an initial draft of the letter in English but had no further involvement with it. He told investigators it was paid for and sent out by a long-time friend and campaign helper, Mark Nguyen, without his knowledge.
     Steward told jurors that the idea for the letter initiated with campaign advisor Roger Rudman.
     But Staples promised jurors he would produce a series of emails showing Tan Nguyen making decisions about the letter and the letterhead, and ordering the database of voters the letter was sent to.
     Staples described a meeting with Rudman, Mark Nguyen and Tan Nguyen, in which Rudman instructed Mark Nguyen on sending out the letter.
     "'Tan doesn't need to know about it,'" Rudman said, according to Staples. "Then both the defendant and Roger Rudman laughed."
     According to prosecutors, Tan Nguyen initially blamed the mailer on 23-year-old office manager Chi Dinh and asked her to take responsibility.
     Dinh was engaged to Mark Nguyen at the time, and they subsequently married. Both are scheduled to testify for the prosecution.
     "Why are you throwing my fiancé under the bus," Mark Nguyen asked Tan Nguyen, according to Staples. "What (Tan Nguyen) said was, 'It's a political decision.'"….

Big, pious apple at the rotten orchard

     Looks like the king of for-profits is claiming that it will be good from now on:

A New Leaf at Phoenix? (Inside Higher Ed)

    When it comes to marketing and recruiting, the University of Phoenix is turning over a new leaf, or so its executives said at a briefing here Monday.
    “We’re doing what we think is right,” said Gregory W. Cappelli, the co-chief executive officer of Apollo Group, which owns Phoenix and other for-profit colleges and schools. The company, he said, is shifting “from a recruiting mentality and culture into one of a long-term relationship” between potential students and recruiters, who’ve been renamed "counselors.”
    The briefing was framed as a discussion about Apollo’s position paper,“Higher Education at a Crossroads,” which touts the for-profit sector as playing an essential role in President Obama’s access and completion goals. But the scrutiny facing the sector, and Apollo’s attempts to push back, dominated the hour or so that Capelli, his co-CEO Chas Edelstein and Joseph L. D’Amico, president and chief operating officer – along with a cache of public relations people – spent with a few reporters.
    In the debate over the role of for-profit higher education, where the good apples/bad apples dichotomy has come to dominate discussion (though some Congressional Democrats have said they see something resembling a rotten orchard), Apollo is actively working to brand itself as an organization chastened and determined to do better, especially after being identified in the Government Accountability Office's "secret shopper" investigation of recruiting practices.
. . .
    In September, Phoenix will stop compensating recruiters based on the number of students they enroll and whether those numbers are on an upward trajectory, criteria that accounted for 32 percent of their evaluations. Instead, performance will be judged entirely on factors such as teamwork and attitude when interacting with students.
    “The purpose of marketing is to inform,” Cappelli said. Edelstein chimed in: “We feel there is an imperative … [in] reaching as many as we can who can benefit” from higher education.
. . .
    Though the executives wouldn’t say quite say that they were trying to frame the company as the good in a sea of bad, that was very much the subtext of what Edelstein and other Apollo executives told a small group of reporters. Going forward, Apollo seemed to be pledging, we’re going to do our best to be honest with you, our students, Congress, everyone. “Transparency is very important,” Edelstein said. “We’re trying to lead the industry.”….

Don Wagner (not) in the news!

     Earlier today, our pal Vern Nelson reported on a recent Prop 19 rally (BOTH candidates for the 70th Assembly District show up to Prop 19 Rally!) in the mysteriously popular Orange Juice Blog.
     The wacky Mr. Nelson emphasizes that “both candidates” for the 70th Assembly District showed up for the rally. According to Vern, those candidates are:

• Melissa Fox, a small-business attorney and moderate Democrat
• Debbie Tharp …, a “Freedom Republican” in the mold of Ron Paul, with “compassionate libertarian” leanings

     Vern takes care to present each candidate’s views.
     But what about Republican Don Wagner? Isn’t he running, too? He sure is!
     Evidently, in Vern’s mind, Don’s not a major candidate.
     Curiously, Vern’s post ends with cryptic remarks, in paranthases, about “fringe candidate” Don Warner:

I would like to take the opportunity to dispel rumors that a fringe candidate & “social conservative” named “Don Warner” is being secretly funded by the Democrats to take Republican votes away from Debbie Tharp. The DPOC and Melissa deny this and Debbie is satisfied it’s not the case. Mr. Warner has no candidate statement, has less than $500 in his treasury and does not seem to be running a serious campaign or pose a real challenge to either Melissa or Debbie.

     If you’ve been reading DtB, you’ll know that Vern’s description of Warner is curiously similar to the facts about our own Don Wagner.

* * *

     Here’s the scene today at Irvine Valley College, which was buzzing with activity. Man, enrollments are way up and virtually all classes in our School (Humanities and Languages) are closed. Finding parking today was next to impossible.

     Rebel Girl has returned, of course, from her role as Big Cheese at the "Community of Writers" Writer’s Workshop in Squaw Valley. She comes bearing gifts. Some received a fine loaf of Schatt's bread, purchased in Bishop (ever been to that shop?). I, on the other hand, received a fine bumper sticker, which I immediately pasted to my door, where it can be appreciated by all. Below is Dean Feldhus admiring the thing earlier today.

     As we left campus today, the Reb and I came across two brand spankin' new faculty. We said hello and took a pic.

     English instructors, natch. They seemed very pleasant. I tried to tell 'em that the college was a great place to work, but the Reb kept bein' negative. That's us, boy. Heckle and Jeckle, Good Cop/Bad Cop. And, as usual, I was the Good Cop.

     It's a great start to what promises to be a great semester.

An outrageous conflict of interest at Southwestern College

     Our old friend “100 Miles Down the Road” (aka “Miles”) sent us an article about Southwestern College administrators and trustees. It’s a real hair-raiser.
     You’ll recall that, last Spring, Southwestern College President Raj Chopra placed several faculty on leave, banning them from campus, after they participated in a student rally voicing objections to the board and administration’s massive cuts in course offerings. After considerable media attention and criticism, Raj and his Bullies essentially backed down. The faculty are back to work.
     But these thugs are still in power. And they’re still rotten.
     Now, some of these people are engaging in (or benefiting from or defending) outrageous campaign activities that feature a flashing neon sign that says, “conflict of interest.”
     And they aren’t in the slightest bit apologetic about it.

College VP raised money from contractors he oversees (San
Diego Union Tribune)

     The vice president of Southwestern College hosted a political wine-and-cheese fundraiser at his home, at which many of the invited guests represented companies that do business with the college under contracts he oversees.
. . .
     The fundraiser was to support two incumbents on the college district board who are facing a robust challenge from union-supported candidates displeased with the current administration.
     Nicholas Alioto, the vice president for business and financial affairs, said he invited a broad range of contacts to the May 20 fundraiser for trustees Yolanda Salcido and Terri Valladolid in an effort to get them re-elected.
. . .
     “I think it’s highly unethical for Vice President Alioto to host a fundraiser for contractors who are doing business with the college,” said trustee Nick Aguilar, who has clashed with the other board members and is supporting one of the union-backed challengers.
     “The incumbents have either approved or are going to approve contracts.”
     Donors included Seville Construction Service, which has been awarded $2.7 million in construction management services for a $55 million Southwestern bond project. Seville contributed $2,500 to each candidate.
     Christopher Rowe, who owns Echo Pacific Construction and attended the Chula Vista fundraiser, donated $1,000 each to Salcido and Valladolid. A month later, the two joined a unanimous board vote to approve a $4 million contract with his firm.
     Both trustees raised the same amount from Jan. 1 through June 30: $17,550. All of the contributions landed on May 20, May 21 and June 2 and included the same donors. Of 24 donors, at least seven have or had contracts with Southwestern College, according to a review of campaign forms and district documents by The Watchdog.
. . .

     Alioto and his boss, college president Raj Chopra, said they see nothing wrong with the fundraiser. Alioto said it was important because there is so much at stake in the upcoming election, in which union-friendly candidates are trying to unseat those who support Chopra and Alito.
     “If they take over the board, they will fire Chopra and me,” Alioto said. “I did something on my time on my dime to support candidates that I feel are good for the college.
. . .
     Alioto said he did not see a conflict with the fact that he oversees the business contracts donors have with the college because the board has the final say on those contracts.
. . .
     Anyone bidding on construction jobs funded by the bond proposition must go through a competitive bid process and must be vetted and interviewed, Valladolid said. Then Alioto and Chopra make a recommendation to the board for final consideration.
     Both Valladolid and Salcido said they did not base their votes on who contributed to their campaigns.
. . .
     Calls to contributors at Seville and Echo were not returned.
     Both Salcido and Alioto said they are more concerned with an incident on campus Monday, when teacher’s union members promoted their slate of candidates before a mandatory back-to-school event on a day they were paid to work.

     Andy MacNeil, president of the Southwestern College Education Association, said union members handed out T-shirts and other items promoting candidates Norma Hernandez, Tim Nader and Jesseca Saenz-Gonzalez, but that it was before the official work day started so they were not interfering with college business.
     MacNeil said it was inappropriate for Alioto to host the fundraiser.
     “When the person who is vetting all of the bids and the vendors here on campus is throwing a fundraiser and inviting them to support the candidates who will be voting on those bids, I find it a huge conflict of interest.”
. . .
     “I think any time you deal in government, you have to be concerned about the appearance of impropriety,” said Jeffrey Joseph, associate dean and general counsel for Thomas Jefferson School of Law. “It might appear to some people as pay-to-play. Even if your actions are innocent, they are susceptible of being misinterpreted.”
     Joseph previously ran the San Diego legal office for Caltrans, where he advised officials who work on millions of dollars of transportation contracts every day. He said inviting contractors to a political fundraiser could suggest a future payback.

     “The appearance is that if they contributed that perhaps they will be granted a favor that perhaps someone who didn’t contribute would not,” he said.
     Robert Fellmeth, a professor of public interest law at University of San Diego School of Law, said Alioto’s situation is a symptom of pervasive problem.
     “It’s a regrettable offshoot of our campaign finance system,” Fellmeth said. “I’ve been lobbying in Sacramento for 35 years. We don’t get in to see the members. The campaign contributors do. The agenda is being set by access, and access is determined by campaign contributions.”….

Southwestern College board policies, including "conflict of interest."