Four colleges to provide aid for drug off enders • Michael A. Kazanjian staff writer
Four colleges across the country have opted to provide their own financial aid to students who are denied federal funding due to drug convictions. At the moment, Cabrini has no plans of adopting this policy. Myra Smith, director of financial aid at Yale University, said that Yale adopted the plan "out of concern that the student not have their education interrupted because they could not receive federal aid." The other colleges involved are: Swarthmore ColJege, Western Washington University and Hampshire College. These four colleges did not work together to establish the additional funding; it is up to each individual institution whether or not a program gets set up. The need for this type of funding is due to an amendment issued in 1998 to the Higher Education Act. The Higher Education Act was originally set up over 30 years ago to offer students financial aid funded by the government. photo by Katie Reing
See DRUG OFFENDERS,page 3
Four colleges have opted to give financial aid to students who have a drug offense on their record. Cabrini has not adopted such a policy because drug offenses are not as big an issue on this campus.
Ax falls on RAs again, TAcademiclines of another fired in past excellence blur with week grade inflation by Renee Di Pietro staff writer
Matt Holmes was next to feel the smash of the Residence Life hammer with his dismissal on Tuesday, April 18. "They told me I was fired Tuesday morning and then told me I had to be out by Thursday," Holmes said. Holmes is a senior English/communications major and was an RA in Xavier Halls. When asked about why he was let go from his position, he stated that he "did something stupid," but did not think it warranted him "to be necessarily fired."
by Renee Tomcanin
"It didn't affect me as much because I had an apartment and a job lined up already for when I graduate," Holmes said. "But I can only imagine how hard it would be for someone who didn't have anywhere to go." Holmes refers to the handful of RAs who have been dismissed from their duties during these last weeks of the semester. "There have been reasons for people to be fired though," Holmes said, "But firing everyone does not make things any better. I think it's realJy unfair to do this to the current RAs because they now have to do all their work plus our See RA, page 4
compresses all grades at the top, making it difficult to discriminate the best from the very good, the The next A on your report card very good from the good and the might not be reflective of your good from the mediocre." A's and success as a student. B's no longer show above average Grade inflation, the trend of work, since they are becoming the many higher educational institu- average at many ·schools. At tions to give out more higher level Harvard, 50 percent of the grades grades, has many at Cabrini and. were A's. other colleges and universities May compared grade inflation questioning what is the best way of to price inflation. They are similar assessing students. in that they both keep rising. According to Chad May, However, in price inflation there is records and data coordinator in the no upper limit whereas the highest registrar's office, grade inflation is grade that can be achieved -isan A, "the blurring of the lines between or sometimes an A+. good and outstanding students." The Chronicle of Higher Education said, "Grade inflation See GRADE INFLATION, page 4 staff writer
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