Posts tagged news
Conference on World Affairs online problems : Twitter let down Grays attend
Apr 9th
A search for Conference on world Affairs lands lookers on dead link for most of the day. The schedule was not there and was only recently put up. That foul-up had to render the first day useless.
The first day of the conference was nearly void of CU students once again. Most of the attendees were grays in their 40s, 50s and 
60s. This again brings into question: is the conference relevant?
The All a Twitter panel discussion in the UMC was attended not by Boulders Twitter SM startup crowd but by mostly older people who were not exactly tweeps. This session was not what one would have expected. It was not start-up Boulder week, not Ignite Boulder and it wasn’t Twitter.
The panelists were an interesting mix too: Mark Frauenfelder Ross Haenfler Andy Ihnatko Sanho Tree . Sociology professor Ross Haenfler said he stopped tweeting and compared it to drug addiction and himself to a recovering addict. He then went on to say that most people on twitter waste enormous amounts of their life on social media. Not a glowing endorsement of TWitter or SM.
Boing Boing founder and Boulderite Ross Haenfler was certainly the biggest web superstar to attend the panel. Though Boing Boing significance and contribution was lost on the audience, it was also lost on the conference. He seemed concerned about the significance of multiple uses of tweets.
Andy Ihnako Chicago Sun times Geek reporter also talked about how twitter wraps around your mind and has the potential to enslave.
Sanho Tree is a leftist Fellow and social activist. He talked about social activism on Twitter.
The tone of this session was politically leftist with continuous barbs thrown at conservatives who use twitter. So much for CU chancellors new policy of fair and balanced. All of the panelists criticized main stream media for not covering the news. None of them could explain the business side of Twitter. They also seemed oblivious to the fact that Television and News papers lost their foothold to online advertisers such as Google and Facebook
The one saving grace of this panel was to point out just what a waste of a persons life Twitter can be. They couldn’t stress how addictive Twitter and Facebook are and impossible to manage. This was a surprise, but not to the gray attendees. Seemed they seen it all before in a younger life. And the young? They were nowhere to be seen. One would have thought the room would have been packed with 18 to 34 year olds. Maybe they were studying or at work. Maybe this panel should have been held at night in a bar or coffee house.
22 Boom – 2011 Denver Auto Show and More – Episode 54
Mar 18th
We go to the 2011 Denver Auto Shows to check out all new cars, trucks, SUV’s, Crossovers, Vans and more this year. Plus Doug Duncan of TTS in Boulder gives us his Auto Tips for Spring and Summer and Jann host a car review of the Ford Thunderbird, then he goes to the Larimer County Goodguys Car Show, and the Forney Museum of Transportation. Lots of cars and fun in this one.
Videos in this Episode
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22 Boom Intro -
Denver Auto Show 2011 Introduction -
2012 Ford Focus Hatchback -
2012 Ford Fiesta and C-MAX -
2012 Kia Rio – Fisher Kia – Colorado Kia Dealer -
2012 Chevy Corvette and Camaro -
2012 Chevy Sonic -
2012 Chevy Volt -
2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sports Wagon -
2012 Honda Civic Review -
2012 Toyota Prius Plugin Hybrid -
Nissan Leaf -
2012 Fiat 500 -
2012 Acura TL -
Party Rock Anthem-Kia Soul Hamster Commercial -
Kia Soul Wagon -
Kia Forte Koup Commercial -
Kia Forte Koup -
2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Commercial -
2011 Honda CR-Z -
2011 Camp Jeep -
Fancy Cars at the 2011 Denver Auto Show -
Denver Auto Show 2011 Preview -
TTS Auto Tips – Spring and Summer Tips -
Auto Review – 2003 Ford Thunderbird -
Good Guys Car Show – Larimer County 2009 -
Forney Museum of Transportation -
TTS Auto Tips – More Summer Tips -
Outro
CU president Bruce Benson cracks back at news media over salary debacle
Mar 11th
Perception and reality
Public universities such as ours are subject to public scrutiny. Even though the state of Colorado provides less than 6 percent of our budget, we have an obligation to be open and accountable to our students, alumni and citizens. The close examination that comes along with that obligation is fair.
CU President Bruce Benson
Public universities such as ours are subject to public scrutiny. Even though the state of Colorado provides less than 6 percent of our budget, we have an obligation to be open and accountable to our students, alumni and citizens. The close examination that comes along with that obligation is fair.
The university has had its share of scrutiny from Colorado media recently. In the past month, stories and editorials have covered everything from salaries to proposed tuition increases. Suffice it to say that most have been negative. Many CU alumni and friends have shared with me that they feel the coverage paints an unfair picture of our university. I agree in some cases but not all. Regardless, I want to take this opportunity to address some common perceptions (and misperceptions) in recent reports about CU and provide context that may not always make headlines or sound bites.
Perception: CU makes important decisions about tuition and salaries out of the public eye.
Reality: The Board of Regents every year sets tuition and compensation pools in public meetings that occur over many months. For instance, the regents began discussing compensation for fiscal year 2011-12 in February 2011, furthered the conversation in early April and established a 3 percent merit salary pool at their public meeting in late April, at the same time they approved tuition rates. The media was at the meeting and reported the story. The merit pool was contingent upon campuses meeting established budget targets, which they did in October.
For fiscal year 2012-13 tuition setting, the discussion began at the board retreat last July (with media present), continued with two meetings in September, another in November and a budget retreat in January. All are public meetings. We will have another one on Wednesday.
Perception: Tuition and fees at CU are too high.
Reality: We know the pressures facing students and families in a down economy. But a CU education is a considerable value. Tuition on all our campuses is at or below peer averages. Many similar universities charge thousands more than we do, even though their state support is also thousands more per student. Colorado ranks 48th nationally in state funding per resident student. And the quality of a CU education is a great investment, perhaps the best a person will make. It leads to more income, greater opportunities, increased civic and community engagement and better health.
Perception: Middle-income families are being priced out of an education at CU.
Reality: We have made considerable investments in financial aid, increasing our pool of internally generated aid (apart from state and federal financial aid) from $38 million in 2002 to $120 million today. Student debt and default rates at CU ($23,125 and 3.4 percent) are below the national average ($25,250 and 8.8 percent). We believe a factor in the low default rate is that our students are getting jobs after graduation.
Perception: CU is an inefficient bureaucracy.
Reality: We have made operating efficiently one of our guiding principles. CU’s administrative overhead is 44 percent below our national peer average. We have streamlined bureaucracy, made strategic cuts and instituted better business practices. We have cut millions in the past four years but are always looking for more efficiencies. The result of all this can be seen in our outcomes. CU produces the most degrees for one of the lowest costs in the nation.
Perception: Salaries at CU are out of control, as evidenced by raises for “top administrators.”
Reality: We are in a market economy and are a people-intensive enterprise. Some three quarters of our expenditures are for people. Delivering a quality education at CU means investing in people. Additionally, our business has increased substantially during the recession, with an 11.5 percent increase in enrollment the past decade and record enrollment on our campuses. Degrees awarded over the same period increased 34 percent.
Top administrative raises accounted for a small percentage of the total salary pool. The vast majority went to faculty, who are critical to the quality of a CU education. More than 85 percent of those who received merit raises received less than $4,000.
Perception: Our faculty members are underworked and overpaid.
Reality: While some believe faculty only teach a couple of courses, the reality is our world-class faculty teach many courses, advise and mentor students, conduct scholarly activity, generate research funding, and are active in community and university service. They have stepped up during difficult times. For example, at CU-Boulder, some 400 faculty members taught more than the standard course load. CU has a great faculty whose prime imperative is to deliver a quality education. And they deliver.
CU is a complex place with many moving parts. We understand that standing on the outside looking in at just one of those parts may not show the whole picture of who we are. But the sum of those parts is a university that operates openly and efficiently, delivers to our students a world-class education and advances the economy, health and culture of Colorado and beyond.
For feedback, contact officeofthepresident@cu.edu
Sincerely,
Bruce Benson
President
Bruce Benson
President
