Daily Debriefing
By Andrew Clay And Casey Hicks, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Tuesday, September 30, 2008
College admissions officials and high school counselors from across the country met to discuss current problems with the college admissions process at the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling in Seattle, Wash., last weekend. Two major issues discussed were the use of standardized tests in the admissions process along with the disclosure of students' disciplinary records. William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard, presented the findings of a study on standardized tests performed by college admissions officials and argued that while standardized tests have many advantages, they are imprecise in measuring a student's academic ability, according to The New York Times. Several college officials were also concerned about the challenges economically disadvantaged students face on standardized tests compared to those who have access to test preparation tools. Other members of the NACAC expressed concern about sharing students' disciplinary records as some secondary schools voluntarily submit the reports while others are more inclined to keep disciplinary data confidential, Inside Higher Education web site reported. Many officials noted that colleges are not looking for small infractions, but rather major incidents or patterns of misbehavior. The NACAC recommends that schools "report any significant change in a candidate's academic status or qualifications."
College President James Wright announced his intention to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030 in a letter released Monday. The Board of Trustees approved a $12.5 million package for the plan. A plan released by the Energy Task Force Committee, a group of faculty and students, entails the renovation of existing energy-inefficient buildings such as Gilman, the incorporation of "green" technologies in the construction of new buildings like Kemeny and McLaughlin and a campaign to encourage individual energy conservation among Dartmouth community members. In an interview with The Dartmouth, Wright addressed the difficulties in changing everyone's personal behavior, such as properly setting their thermostats and turning off the lights. Additionally, the College is beginning a new program called Zipcar, which allows students to rent cars on an hourly basis, to encourage sustainable transportation.