Watching the Ivies
BROWN: After pressure from an immigrant rights group on campus, Brown University’s financial aid policy for undocumented students is now clearly stated on the Office of Financial Aid’s website. Even though Brown has offered need-aware financial aid to undocumented students since 2006, the related information is still not easily accessible to all students, according to the Brown Daily Herald. Coinciding with immigration reform imminent in Congress and President Barack Obama’s executive order for deferred action for childhood arrivals, the update allows Brown applicants to be more aware of the University’s stance on financial aid.
COLUMBIA: Columbia College’s Student Council passed a resolution that would require first year students to take their first semester classes as pass/D/fail, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator. The resolution seeks to make the transition to college easier and reduce stress for students, the Spectator reported. The College’s Dean and the Committee on Instruction must approve the proposal before it takes effect. Some students object the proposal on the grounds that it would hurt those students who need official grades for graduate school applications or preclude motivation for students who work hard for their grades.
CORNELL: Phi Psi fraternity is the sixth fraternity to be suspended for hazing during the 2012-2013 academic school year at Cornell University. The Cornell Daily Sun reported that the school’s chapter has been placed on interim suspension due to hazing allegations, until an investigation takes place. Two other fraternities have had their recognition revoked, as of January, while six others have been on interim suspension. The Office of Fraternities, Sororities and Independent Living expects to complete two more recent investigations next week, according to the Daily Sun.
Twenty-four members of Harvard University’s Class of 2014 were inducted into the university’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter on Thursday. The so called ‘Junior 24’ are selected for the nation’s oldest honor society based on GPA, difficulty of coursework and two letters of recommendation, The Harvard Crimson reported. Three of the twenty-four new PBK members were roommates, according to The Crimson. Some concentrations saw greater representation in this year’s PBK class, such as Social Studies, Molecular and Cell Biology and Physics.
Princeton University’s Office of Information Technology has identified the students who sent a housing prank email on April Fool’s Day, but their names have not been released, according to the Daily Princetonian. The prank email was sent to 1,000 to 2,000 recipients, and falsely claimed that room draw times would be reassigned. In addition, the undergraduates who carried out the prank sent out another email in the name of a student who joked on Facebook that he was responsible for the prank email. The OIT investigation has forwarded its results to the Dean of Students, who will determine appropriate disciplinary action, the Princetonian reported.
The Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement is increasing its presence on the University of Pennsylvania campus, beginning during this past weekend’s Spring Fling, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian. As part of a new campus initiative, there will be undercover officers at open off-campus parties and block parties, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. In an effort to advocate a zero tolerance policy, the BLCE seeks to publicize the increased police presence in order to deter underage students from drinking.
YALE: Yale University is considering new requirements for its BA/MA program in political science. The current program, which admits only a couple of students each year, requires students to write a proposal, provide one professor recommendation and take one graduate-level statistics course upon admittance. The new program would require students to maintain at least an A- in every political science course, submit two letters of recommendation, and complete two graduate-level statistics courses as well as two core graduate classes. The Yale Daily News reported that this proposal seeks to make the distinction between the BA and MA clearer.