I just came across this article...

...from almost a year ago, but I thought it was worth posting.  This article, from the Chicago Sun-Times, details the Jordan Hall of Science and everything it offers to our undergraduates.  It might be helpful to review this piece before going to college fairs as it gives you a good understanding of the new building!

Even with economy, students still OK with loans

Even as the economy has taken a turn for the worst in the past few months, Notre Dame is still able to offer loans to most of our undergraduate students (when necessary), and those students are more than able to repay those loans on time.  

As this article explains, it is still Notre Dame's policy to make the University as affordable as possible for anyone who is accepted.  And, because of our high retention and on-time graduation rates, student are able to receive and pay back their loans with little complications.

Update on the ACE lawsuit

Students who participate in Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program teach in Catholic schools (usually underprivileged Catholic schools) around the country for two years, while completing their Masters in Education at Notre Dame over the summer.

In 2000, the ACE program received a $462,500 federal grant for it's program--an issue at the center of a recent lawsuit.

In a case regarding the separation of church and state, a three judge panel ruled that Notre Dame does not have to repay the grant money. The full article is here.

Picture of the Day - October 15

100 years of the ND Victory March

The University does a good job of regularly updating www.nd.edu with new videos and news. The featured clip today commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Notre Dame Victory March. You can check it out at www.nd.edu or here.

Notre Dame Irish Green to open

The not-so-creatively named Notre Dame Irish Green is set to open to the public this Friday.  The Irish Green is the area just south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and is one step of the overall campus expansion, which includes the Innovation Park and Eddy Street Commons.

The article about the Irish Green is here, and when I can get down there with my camera, I'll be sure to take some pictures to post on this blog.  

More SAT/ACT debate

Standardized tests in the admissions process are always a hot topic. While some schools have started to make the SAT and ACT optional parts of the application, we will require students to take at least one, if not both, of the exams. These exams, while stressful and daunting, serve as the only standardized part of the process. And, as we tell students, they are not used as "cut-offs"--a student will not be admitted or denied because of his or her exam score alone.

The link here is to a New York Times article discussing the merits of standardized exams and how they're viewed by some schools.

Thanks to Sheila O'Brien for the link!

It's been a while...

Please excuse the lack of posts over the past three weeks. I have been traveling through Asia and did not have a chance to post anything to the blog. But, now that I'm back, I'll be posting a few things here and there as I catch up on e-mails and get ready for my next trip!

Matt