Strategies for Student-Parent Success at the University of Alabama
AACU.org – May 9
Walking around the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, one could get the impression that the institution serves only “traditional” students—young, single, and childless. There are few children to be seen, even though about 10 percent of the university’s students are parents. “Student parents are an invisible minority on campus,” says Andrew Goodliffe, assistant dean of the graduate school. “Faculty say, ‘What do you mean there are students with kids? We don’t see them.’ And we don’t—because they’re off working very hard.” In fact, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimates that almost 25 percent of undergraduate students in the United States have dependent children. Raising children and taking classes full time, or even part time, can present enormous challenges, and many university services are oriented toward younger, childless students. The Graduate Parents Support program (GPS) at the University of Alabama serves as an advocate for student parents—both graduate and undergraduate—and offers programs and services to help these students balance academic and family obligations. The program has steadily expanded since its launch in 2009, and in January the American Council on Education named GPS as the 2014 recipient of its State Network Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education. Being attentive to the needs of parents and to other diverse groups of students is essential to creating a campus climate that allows all students to flourish.
UA holds emergency response training exercise
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – May 8
Even though administrators sometimes deal with empty threats, they have to be prepared for the “what-ifs”. CBS 42’s Leigh Garner has the drill to handle the what-ifs today on the University of Alabama campus. It’s a nightmare scenario, “one suspect is still at large. Continue to shelter in place.” A mass shooting on the University of Alabama campus. Classes have been cancelled. Bystanders stop in their tracks. “I just came out the building over there and just saw, like 20 fire trucks, cop cars, and I was like, ‘uh, I had no clue what was going on.’” But as gurneys wheel away the wounded, on-lookers find out what’s really going on. “This is a test.” It’s all just a drill. “Had I not come over here and figured out it was fake, it would have been pretty intense.” The victims’ injuries: all made-up. The gunshots? If you go to any track event, you’ll hear a starter pistol, okay? Same concept. The first responders know it’s a drill, but not the specific scenario. They do one, maybe not this elaborate-every year. “We’ve done severe weather events, we’ve done chemical spills. We try to look at potential scenarios that may happen or have happened on other campuses, create it within our own environment, and then try and test those procedures. It actually makes me feel really good. I’m glad they’re coming in, May-mester. The opportunity, they’re coming in and actually practicing and rehearsing. So if something does happen, they’re more prepared.”
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – May 8
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – May 8
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 8
To see all the clips: http://67.214.100.182//PublicNewsroom.aspx?PortalId=33D07503-BE47-42B6-9AD0-306656F7CE73&FolderId=B2AEC13B-1C90-4DE0-BD0E-11A39BD1CBEC