Some at BC seek to uninvite Mukasey from commencement
More than 20 faculty members at Boston College Law School have asked US Attorney General Michael Mukasey to rescind his decision to deliver the commencement address in May because of his refusal to publicly declare that a controversial interrogation technique constitutes torture.
In a March 11 letter to Mukasey, faculty wrote that his "role in the current controversy regarding the legality of waterboarding has made you a symbol of administration policies that conflict with basic principles of international and domestic law, the ideals of Boston College Law School, and the Jesuit principles that underlie Boston College's educational mission."
The faculty members said they would welcome Mukasey as a speaker at another date, but that his presence at commencement would be inconsistent with the school's principles.
Mukasey's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, law school dean John Garvey announced the school would not award Mukasey its highest honor at commencement, but said the decision was made independently of the controversy around his invitation to address the graduating class.
At his confirmation hearings last fall, Mukasey refused to say whether he thought waterboarding - simulated drowning - constituted torture and whether it was legal.
Several professors have also posted explanations of their resistance to Mukasey's role as commencement speaker on an independent, student-run website, eagleionline.com. Professor Kent Greenfield wrote, "Our nation's government has tortured people in our name. And silence in the face of such inhumanity is not something I would have this school congratulate and honor."
In announcing Mukasey's selection as commencement speaker, Garvey said in a written statement that "I cannot imagine a better role model for the Class of 2008."
Virtual fair: Want to visit hundreds of colleges at once? The college fair has gone virtual, and just in time for college admissions season.
This week, students and parents can watch keynote presentations from admissions experts, chat online with admissions counselors, and take part in live video chats with college students in their dormitory.
Welcome to CollegeWeekLive, a two-day virtual college fair that starts Tuesday. From noon to 11 p.m. eastern time, students can cull information from colleges across the country from the comfort of their computer. Organizers, who say the event will be the largest virtual college fair ever assembled, predict that 50,000 students will visit the interactive site - www.collegeweeklive.com - during the two days.
"Everyone clearly recognizes that this is where the students are - online," said Robert Rosenbloom, CEO of CollegeWeekLive, which aggressively marketed the fair on Facebook and YouTube. "You'd never be able to do this physically."
Dozens of presentations will be streamed live onto the Web from studios in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C., while 300-plus admissions officers will field chat questions from students and parents. The fair will also have live video presentations and chat sessions with successful young professionals about their career experiences.
"We're trying to think what the major issues are from a student perspective, and what they're grappling with," Rosenbloom said.
Participating Massachusetts schools include Becker College, Emerson College, Merrimack College, Northeastern University, Suffolk University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Thin-envelope season: It might not ease the sting, but if you weren't accepted at MIT this month, you are assuredly not alone. MIT admitted just 11.6 percent of its more than 13,000 applicants, a record low for the Cambridge university, school officials said. Applications rose 8 percent from last year, particularly among women, minorities, and foreign students, college officials said. Like many colleges, MIT waitlisted a large number of students because of uncertainty over the number of students who will decide to enroll. Many top colleges, including MIT, have announced major expansions of financial aid in the past few months, throwing typical yield calculations into doubt.
Grads to decline: Starting next year, the college-admissions crunch may begin to ease. After 14 consecutive years of rapid growth in the number of high school graduates, their ranks are now projected to decline over the next five years, according to a new study by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The demographic shift is particularly pronounced in the Northeast, where graduate numbers will decline an estimated 13 percent by 2022. The new survey, considered the leading predictor of college-age demographics, also found that the number of white high school graduates will decline, while the number of Hispanic graduates, who attend college at a far lower rate, is expected to rise sharply.
Campus Insider runs on alternate Sundays with Ask the Teacher, an advice column. To submit tips to Campus Insider, e-mail Peter Schworm at schworm@globe.com. 