Merrill Ewert

The loud noise awakened me with a start; I rushed to the door to see what had happened. As I opened it, I heard a rhythmic shout, “Ali!” “Ali!” “Ali!” “Ali!”  Dawn was just breaking across the small city where we lived in Congo (then called Zaire) but I knew that Muhammad Ali had done the impossible—defeating George Foreman in Kinshasa, in the Rumble in the Jungle.  The fight for the world heavyweight championship belt had started at 4:00 am,

A college degree can make a significant difference to students and their families!  Although success doesn’t come easily, there are specific things that students can do to increase the likelihood that they will succeed in college.  The following presentation, shared with several groups of Arizona parents and their students, looks at the research and suggests specific strategies for finishing college–and doing so in a timely way.   You can click on the following link and download the presentation: What High School Students and Their Parents Should Know About College

In 2013, the Florida state legislature decided it wanted to “help students save money and stay in school.” It passed a law denying public colleges the right to require unprepared high school students to take remedial courses before enrolling in regular and gateway courses. This law was based on an assumption that students were “wasting” their time and money on remedial courses (that don’t count toward degrees) instead of moving directly into courses that do count toward their degrees. Students who spend too much time in remediation, the argument went, are more likely to become discouraged and drop out—thereby burning through their financial aid with nothing to show for it. These remedial (non-credit bearing) courses, it was further assumed, increased

Research and experience show that parents can help their students prepare for (and succeed in) college, in several ways: Establish the expectation of success – Students who plan to enroll in college and expect to succeed, are far more likely to do so than those who don’t. This begins at home with parents who nurture high expectations. Teach time management skills – Average students who manage their time well are usually more successful than strong students who lack these skills. Parents may be the best teachers of time management. Encourage math – The probability of earning a college degree goes up 40% when students take Algebra II and Trigonometry in high school—assuming they do well. It’s even higher with pre-calculus

Getting into college is easy; the hard part is getting out! The research has identified several factors that contribute significantly to student success in higher education: • High expectations – Students who believe they will succeed in college are more likely to do well than those who don’t. Parents, teachers and peers can encourage that belief. • Academically prepared; algebra and calculus – The probabilities of earning a college degree go up by 40% if students take Algebra II and Trigonometry in high school—and do well. This increases to 93% with pre-calculus and calculus.

I wrote the following guest editorial for the Mt. Lake Observer-Advocate, the home-town paper in the Minnesota community where I grew up: College costs too much and students are graduating with too much debt. That’s why some wonder if it’s worth it. Unfortunately, the national debate over cost is obscuring the simple fact that a college degree is still the best investment people can make in their own futures.

College costs too much. That’s why we should support all reasonable attempts to make it more accessible and affordable.   The Tennessee legislature recently passed (and the Governor signed) a bill creating “The Tennessee Promise” making two years of community college free for all the state’s high school graduates. Similar bills are being considered elsewhere. I applaud all efforts that affirm higher education as a “public good” rather than a “personal benefit.” President Obama’s 2020 goal of returning the United States to first in the world in terms of college completion is predicated on increasing access, making higher education more affordable and ensuring that students graduate. While getting into college is easy, the hard part is getting out.

The final buzzer signaling the end to this year’s March Madness left me staring at the TV screen in disgust.  I had hoped that both the Kentucky Wildcats and the UConn Huskies would somehow lose!   A highly unlikely fantasy, I know.  Full disclosure, I earned both my Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin so rooted for the Badgers in their loss to Kentucky in the semi-finals. Before dismissing my reaction to the title game as the whining of a disappointed Wisconsin alumnus, hear me out.  I absolutely love intercollegiate athletics!  However, Kentucky and Connecticut reflect several things that are very wrong with NCAA Division I basketball.

After spending much of November 22, 1963 in the Tabor College library working on some long-forgotten term paper, I went to my freshman Psychology class.   The professor walked in, looking very sad, and asked if anyone had something urgent that needed to be addressed immediately. “Otherwise,” he continued, “in view of what happened today, I just don’t feel like teaching.”  When nobody said anything, he picked up his papers and walked out.  Stunned, I turned to another student and asked what had happened.  He told me that President Kennedy had been shot.  When I asked if the President was going to be okay, my colleague responded, “No, Kennedy is dead.” It felt like the whole world had stopped.  It