Newswise — College visits rank as a crucial factor in a prospective student's college choice, says Mary Beth Kurilko, Temple's campus visit coordinator, but many families arrive on campus with misguided expectations. "You should know exactly what's included in the tour before you come," says Kurilko, who will see approximately 4,500 students tour Temple's Main Campus this summer. "Many people come with the expectation that they'll get to see everything, but certain things need to be prearranged--especially on a large campus. You can't just assume that you'll get there and be able to meet with a biology professor, for instance." Kurilko also suggests that parents and students explore the campus independently for less partial feedback. "If you have the time, walk around campus on your own. Talk to a student about the university to see what he or she likes and dislikes." Preparation is the easiest way to ensure a successful visit, says Kurilko, who dislikes guidebooks that advise parents to ask preset questions that may have little relevance to them. "The worst question to ask is, 'How do you compare to other schools?'" she says. "You need to do that research, because an admissions person will always bring that back to the school they represent." Reach Kurilko through NMR.
'DO NOT CALL' COULD SEND MORE WORKERS TO THE WANT ADS -- The National Do Not Call Registry will mean fewer interruptions at dinnertime, but restrictions on telemarketers could also mean fewer jobs for folks who already don't have full-time employment, says Richard Lancioni, chair of the marketing department in Temple's Fox School of Business & Management. "The registry will have a very negative effect initially on marketing until the firms try to develop alternative strategies," says Lancioni. "It looks like they will turn to the Internet, direct mail, cooperative advertising with other firms, local newspapers and other targeted media in place of direct calls." The telemarketing industry employs nearly 120,000 people and many could lose their jobs in the wake of 'Do Not Call,' says Lancioni. "These jobs are often filled by people who can't find steady work or look for seasonal employment or for part-time positions. The law is a double-edged sword. It will do more economic harm than good." Reach Dr. Lancioni through NMR.
RETURNING TO THE BUSINESS OF WRITING HEADLINES, INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM -- In an effort to push past several weeks of scandal, this week The New York Times appointed Times columnist Bill Keller as its new executive editor. "The naming of Keller as the new editor clearly sets the Times back on course in traditional ways, which is good news for Times reporters and all reporters in general," says Patricia Bradley, chair of the journalism department at Temple's School of Communications and Theater. "Keller, who came up through the reporting ranks, is not likely to set in place unnecessary new levels of oversight that will hinder reportorial work, but instead will rely on the individual professional judgments that reporters make as part of their own sense of ethics," explains Bradley. Keller, a former managing and foreign editor at the Times, succeeds Howell Raines, who resigned last month in the embarrassing aftermath of the Jayson Blair scandal over fabricated and plagiarized stories. "Blair was an aberration," says Bradley, "and the Times, thankfully, is not going to throw the baby out with the bath water but instead is reasserting the value of professional ethics." Reach Dr. Bradley at [email protected] or through NMR.
LEARNING TO SPEAK...AND SPEAK OUT -- Some have never spoken a single word independently. Some want to learn to truly master the complex computer system that enables them to speak. And one speaks so well using assistive technology that he has testified before Congress and addressed the Democratic National Convention. Meet the Class of 2003 in Temple's ACES (Augmentative Communication and Empowerment Supports) program. Ranging from age 17 to 52 and hailing from Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Canada, 10 adults with significant speech disabilities will live for two weeks on Temple's campus, July 21-Aug. 1, attending computer, communication and empowerment courses designed to help them develop their literal, political and social voices. Classes will focus on everything from mastering use of the complex communication systems, a task akin to learning a new language, to techniques for being more effective communicators to courses which focus on issues such as independent living, employment and personal assistance. "For some of our participants, ACES is the first time they realize the rights they have and the future they can hope for," says ACES coordinator Rosangela Boyd, noting that graduates of the program, now in its 16th year, have moved on to careers in business, teaching, public service, and activism. The program culminates with a grand graduation ceremony as participants, clad in caps and gowns, give speeches utilizing the technology they have mastered (11 a.m., Shusterman Hall, 1824 N. Park Mall). For information on ACES or to reach Dr. Boyd, call the Office of News and Media Relations (NMR) at 215-204-7476.
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