Those who fall through the cracks

A very interesting letter arrived in the ACHE mail box yesterday. And I don't mean our e-mail inbox. It was a hand written letter from a prison inmate in Michigan asking how he might go about finding a degree program and student financial aid so he could complete a Bachelor's Degree while behind bars.

I spent some time last night doing what he would not be able to. I got on the internet and started researching his question. I also sent a query to the Michigan Department of Corrections asking if inmates there have access to computers (not the internet; inmates are never allowed internet access). The reason for my question is this: increasingly, distance learning programs are almost exclusively offered online. Some offer courses through CD-ROM. But very few offer correspondence courses in the old way: paper-based via surface mail. And those colleges and universities that do offer correspondence courses are even more rarely offering full degree programs.

The response I received from the Michigan Department of Corrections was brief: Prisoners do not have computer access.

As to the issue of student financial aid, I discovered that while inmates are eligible to submit FAFSAs, they are not eligible to recieve Pell Grants. I would be curious to know, then, what other student aid might be available.

I will be gathering what information I can find out for this young man and mailing it back to him soon. Hopefully I will find out something that will help him move forward with the education he seeks.

For the troops...

Many continuing higher educators find themselves serving the men and women who serve our country - the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines of the Armed Forces of the United States. Since this is the case, many of you, our ACHE membership, will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia this week for the 2009 DoD Worldwide Education Symposium.

"Once every three years this exciting event brings together all the major players in voluntary education.

The 2009 theme "Educating America's Patriots" focuses on the mission of providing voluntary education opportunities that measure up to the high quality and value that Service members expect and deserve."

If you're participating in this event, please drop us a line and share your experience!

ACHE South Conference Theme Announcement

The ACHE South Conference planning committee announces the theme for the 2010 Conference: "Blast Off with ACHE South: Exploring New Frontiers in Continuing Education." Conference tracks will include:

• Launching Lives: Transforming Students
• Mission Possible: Transforming Institutions and Ourselves
• One Small Step...One Giant Leap: Transforming Programs
• Defying Gravity: Transforming Services and Policies

When at ACHE in Philadelphia

Walk where Ben Franklin walked. The home of the ACHE Annual Conference and Meeting this year is steeped in history. And that's not a reference to the Boston Tea Party. Take the opportunity to learn more about Ben Franklin during your free time in Philadelphia.

Franklin In Philadelphia http://tinyurl.com/kjwm8w

Benjamin Franklin's presence is everywhere in Philadelphia. Here's a look at some of the many places visited by, founded by, inspired by or named for the city's most famous citizen. More information about many of the following historic sites and cultural attractions is available at www.gophila.com/culturefiles.

Philadelphia Landmarks in Franklin's Life:

Independence Hall - A signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of the framers of the Constitution, Franklin spent many, many days here. Chestnut Street between 5th & 6th Streets, (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde

Franklin Court - Franklin Court, the site of Franklin's home and the printing office of his grandson, also includes an underground museum focused on Franklin's many accomplishments. Because he was postmaster general of the new nation, there is a U.S. Post Office as well. 314-322 Market Street, (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde

Christ Church - Franklin worshipped here on occasion and even had his children baptized in this historic church. He also supervised the lottery that financed the Church's tower and steeple. 2nd & Market Streets, (215) 922-1695, http://www.christchurchphila.org/

Christ Church Burial Ground - Here lie Ben and his wife, Deborah, along with a number of other historic figures. Visitors often toss pennies on Franklin's grave for good luck. Arch Street between 4th & 5th Streets, (215) 922-1695, http://www.christchurchphila.org/

Bartram's Garden - On one of John and William Bartram's many explorations to gather plant specimens, several of which were supported by Franklin, the father-and-son botanist team discovered seeds of a tree that they later propagated and named the Franklinia alatamaha tree in honor of their friend. 54th Street & Lindbergh Boulevard, (215) 729-5281, http://www.bartramsgarden.org/

Stenton - Franklin often visited the 1730 Georgian home of James Logan, his friend and secretary to Pennsylvania founder, William Penn. 460 1 N. 18th Street, (215) 329-7312, http://www.stenton.org/

Free Quaker Meeting House - Franklin supported an individual's right to worship as he or she wished. The Free Quaker Meeting House was one of several places of worship that were made possible through Franklin's financial support. 5th & Arch Streets, (215) 965-2305

Masonic Temple - Like a number of the nation's founding fathers, Franklin was an active member of the Freemasons. 1 N. Broad Street, (215) 988-1900, http://www.pagrandlodge.org/

Carpenters' Hall - The site of the First Continental Congress was once the home of Franklin's Library Company and the American Philosophical Society, two organizations founded by Franklin. 320 Chestnut Street, (215) 925-0167, www.ushistory.org/carpentershall

Sunrise, Surveys, And Sessions at ACHE South

ACHE South planning committee is working away on conference details. While we wish you were here watching the sunrise with us, we are thinking of you while were working/playing in the sun. Expect a survey from ACHE South leadership some time in the coming year. We're also looking to learn more about the kinds of concurrent sessions/presentations you would like to see more of in the program.

ACHE South Planning Meeting

The ACHE South planning committee is meeting this week in Cocoa Beach, Florida. If you are looking for a great beach destination April 2010, the ACHE South Conference will be an ideal spot. The hotel is located just one block from "I Dream of Jeannie" Lane, so if you are hunting for Jeannie or Major Nelson this is the place to be. There is a trolley system (cost $1.25/ride) that will help tote you to destinations like the Brevard Zoo, Port Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center, or the Astronauts Hall of Fame. And if you'd prefer just laying by the beach, the hotel is right on the water and has a tiki bar by the pool. The conference itself will offer (as usual) a program full of networking, best practices, and keynoters. Theme soon to follow.

California cuts

into the muscle of its colleges and universities. The cuts to higher education in California over the past two years exceed the entire higher education budgets of some states. Or so I've been told. True or not, the cuts are devastating. Continuing Education at California universities is often self-supporting, so they might be spared some initial carving. But if they make any money, you can be sure the university will take whatever it can, leaving less for innovation, planning, benchmarking, new initiatives.

Editorial: Short-term cuts, long-term worry for California colleges‎

The budget that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders have wrangled over will cut $2 billion for community colleges and four-year universities on top of cuts last year. If this were a two-year problem, the institutions could still emerge relatively unscathed. But the long-term outlook is equally bleak. And the economy alone isn't to blame; it's a matter of priorities. In 1980, 17 percent of the state budget went to higher education. By 2007, that had fallen to 10 percent — the same as prisons and parole.