Two universities were forced to suspend campus activities over the weekend after threatening graffiti was found at both campuses, The New York Times reported. According to police, graffiti found in three restrooms at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., warned of violence on Monday, prompting school officials to cancel classes and student activities until Monday, and to send as many students as possible home until the school resumes operation. A similar string of threats, also describing attacks on Monday, caused St. Xavier University in Chicago, Ill., to dismiss students indefinitely. The Times cited the Feb. 14 shooting of students at Northern Illinois University, in which five were killed, as the main reason for caution.
The salary gap between professors teaching at private colleges and universities and their colleagues at public institutions has widened, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The annual report of the American Association of University Professors shows that the disparity is greatest among professors at doctoral institutions, in which professors at private schools earn on average about $35,000 more than professors at public universities. Commissioners attribute the imbalance to reduced support for public education at the state level. The report also revealed a gender gap in pay, with salaries for male full-time professors on average 12.1 percent higher than for women of equal status. Pay for athletic coaches and school administrators was described by the AAUP as excessive and unlikely to bring proportionate returns.
More professors are reporting student behavior that could signify harmful mental illness since the Virginia Tech shooting nearly one year ago, the Los Angeles Times reported. However, the increased vigilance has reduced levels of student privacy and stigmatized students with mental illness, according to the article. Faculty and administrators are concerned that the consequences of a more aggressive stance on mental health could actually cause fewer students to seek help. Although schools have attempted to proactively ensure that students receive treatment, many student mental health services are strained for resources as colleges and universities opt instead to enhance campus police response to violence, according to the article.
