Rockhurst University Announces Spring 2012 Dean's List

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Rockhurst University has announced the dean's list for the spring 2012 semester. This honor recognizes students who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 or above and includes Gabriella Binion of Davenport.

Miss Binion has also been awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. Congratulations!

Rockhurst University is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit universities in the United States. It seeks to challenge students while providing a supportive environment for intellectual and personal growth.

CARTHAGE ANNOUNCES DEAN'S LIST HONOREES

Kenosha, Wis. - Carthage College has named outstanding scholars to its Dean's List for academic excellence during the spring semester of 2012.  Dean's List honors are accorded Carthage students who achieve a 3.5 grade point average while carrying at least 14 credit hours during a semester.

Erin Holst of Bettendorf, Pace Raymond Bennett and Nathan Andrew Moore, both of Moline.

Local Students Honored at St. Olaf College

NORTHFIELD, MN (06/07/2012)(readMedia)-- The following local residents were among nearly 900 St. Olaf College students who were recognized for academic achievement at the college's annual Honors Day convocation on May 4. Honors Day recognizes students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.60 or higher on a 4.0 scale. The convocation also recognizes students who have been awarded scholarships and fellowships, including Fulbright scholars, Goldwater scholars, and senior members of leadership and academic honor societies.

Joseph Dickens from Bettendorf, is a Mathematics major and a graduate of Bettendorf High School. Joseph is the son of Jayne Rose and Dan Dickens.

Amelia Schoeneman from Rock Island, is an Environmental Studies and Political Science major and a graduate of Rock Island High School. Amelia is the daughter of Megan Quinn.

The ceremony began with a colorful academic procession led by St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74, and was followed by a reception for students, parents, friends of the college, faculty and staff.

St. Olaf College - As one of the nations leading liberal arts colleges, St. Olaf College offers an academically rigorous education with a vibrant faith tradition as a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. St. Olaf prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world by fostering the development of mind, body, and spirit. Widely known for its programs in mathematics, the natural sciences, and music, St. Olaf also provides dynamic opportunities for interdisciplinary study. Committed to global education, more than three-quarters of St. Olaf students participate in off-campus study programs. Over the years, St. Olaf College has been a national leader among liberal arts colleges in producing Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Fellows, and Peace Corps volunteers.

COE COLLEGE (CEDAR RAPIDS) SPRING DEAN'S LIST

Ashley Jipp, Freshman, daughter, Gary and Wendy Jipp of Bettendorf, 2011graduate of Pleasant Valley High School.
Lindsey Jipp, Freshman, daughter, Gary and Wendy Jipp of Bettendorf, 2011graduate of Pleasant Valley High School.

Full-time students who rank in the top 10 percent of the student body are named to the Dean's List at Coe. For the 2012 spring term, students achieving a grade point average of 3.92 or higher earned this high honor.

Clarke University student-athletes named NAIA Scholar-Athletes

(DUBUQUE, Iowa) Twenty-three Clarke University student-athletes have been named Daktronics-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Scholar-Athletes. The following area student was named to the honor list:

Megan Chitty of Davenport.

Truman State University Announces Spring 2012 President's List

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Truman State University has released the Spring 2012 President's List. To qualify for this list, an undergraduate student must attain a semester 4.0 grade point average and must complete 12 semester hours of credit.

Area students include :

Andrew Keith Piotter, Exercise Sciences, of Bettendorf

Andy Wang Yang, Computer Sciences, also of Bettendorf.

Truman State University Announces Spring 2012 Provost and Vice President's List

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Truman State University has released the Spring 2012 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs' List. To qualify for this list, an undergraduate student must attain a semester 3.50-3.99 grade point average and must complete 12 semester hours of credit.

Area students include :

?Aubrey Ann Crowley of Davenport, Health Science

Margaret Alyson Schutte of Davenport, Exercise Science

Chelsea Kathleen Wagschal of Davenport, French Pre-Education/Secondary

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE SPRING DEAN'S LIST

[Cedar Rapids, Iowa] --Kirkwood Community College has released its Dean's List for the Spring Semester. These students have achieved a 3.3 grade point average or higher after completing 12 or more credit hours with the college.

Kirkwood students from the area earning this distinction are:

Lenora Caruso, Quinn Claussen, Abigail Donohoe, Matthew Gasser, Kyle Kuehl, Kaytlyn Sheffler, and Alyssa Wellman, all from Bettendorf.

Nick Bakeris, Tony Bakeris, Collin Belk, Grant Bushman, Justin Day, Anthony Faison, Kayla Holst, Michael Leal, Ashley Stichter and Elizabeth Teichler, all from Davenport.

Mitchel Trouten of Moline.

DRURY UNIVERSITY DAY SCHOOL DEAN'S LIST

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., June 7, 2012 - Olivia Thompson of Moline has earned a spot on Drury University's Dean's List. This is a significant accomplishment; it means a student earned a grade point average of 3.6 or greater (on a 4-point scale) while carrying a full-time course load of 12 or more semester hours at Drury, a top 10 midwestern university, according to US News & World Report.

All children deserve equitable access to a free, public education. Yet, each day, countless students across the country and right here in Iowa are denied that access because they are bullied. In some cases, the bullying does not end after they leave school, but instead, continues via social media or on the web.

This is a growing problem that we must not ignore.

Studies have shown that students are often bullied because they seem 'different' than their peers. Some 85 percent of LGBT students and 85 percent of students with disabilities (including 94 percent of children with Asperger's Syndrome) are bullied, compared to approximately 20 percent of all students.

Victims of bullying have also demonstrated impairment on mental health, concentration, and academic outcomes. Of course, far too many cases end in tragedy. Northwest Iowa has been particularly hard-hit: Primghar high school student Kenneth Weishuhn took his own life after terrible bullying on social networks and at school and Alex Libby, who was featured in the movie Bully, was forced to move after bullying became unbearable.

Communities have got to come together if we want to put an end to bullying. That starts with a conversation about what is going on in our schools and how policies on all levels can protect kids. No one - certainly not our children - should face bullying and harassment simply for being who they are.

One way to do this is by exploring bullying prevention policies at the local, state, and federal level. That is the goal of a hearing I will convene of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which I chair, in Des Moines on Friday, June 8th. The hearing will bring together local students and their teachers as well as federal officials who will discuss this problem more broadly. During the hearing I will also discuss legislation I have cosponsored that will help protect children so they are able to attend school and learn, free from bullying and harassment. The event is open to the public and I encourage area residents to attend.

Together, we can start a conversation; shine the light on this problem, and change the dynamic in schools.

For more information about my efforts to combat bullying in schools, please visit my website at harkin.senate.gov, visit my Facebook or Twitter pages, or call any of my offices in Washington, D.C. or across Iowa.

New graduates have good reason to celebrate their academic achievements.  After all, on average, a college degree remains a good indicator for boosting one's lifetime earning potential.  For many Americans, a college education is a lasting investment in future economic mobility.

After the gilded glow of the cap and gown and the pomp and circumstance of the commencement ceremony fade into memory, reality sets in.  The soaring costs of higher education and growing student debt are climbing to unprecedented levels.

College debt creates a significant financial burden on many new graduates.  For those fortunate to land a job in the still struggling economy, many will discover how hard it is to stretch a paycheck to cover the bills.  Making ends meet - let alone trying to get ahead - is that much harder with more than $1 trillion in outstanding student loans in the United States.

The lion's share of four-year degree recipients borrows money to attend college.  The percentage has increased from 45 percent to about 66 percent in the last decade.  After these graduates rejoice in flipping their tassels to the other side of the mortarboard, they not only walk away with a diploma, but they also walk away with an average debt of $23,000.  That figure jumps to nearly $50,000 for less affluent students who choose to attend private colleges and receive less need-based financial aid.

So, what factors are causing the explosion in college tuition?  And, does the student's debt burden square with his or her earning potential post-graduation?

In the U.S. Senate, I've led efforts to make it easier for families to save for college.  In the landmark 2001 federal tax laws, I secured a provision to make tax-free savings plans for college a permanent part of the tax code.  Encouraging families to save for college rather than relying on student loans can help many future graduates get off to a stronger start after graduation.  As then-Chairman of the Senate tax-writing committee, I also helped secure the tax deduction for college tuition and the tax deductibility of interest on student loans.

Now, even the longstanding sky-high rate of medical spending in the United States is less than the exploding growth of college tuition and fees.  Public policy needs to find a better way to expose the true costs of paying for a higher education and educate consumers.  That's why I'm working to give American families better tools to make informed decisions when sending their students off to college.  More useful information is necessary to help students check the value and earning potential of various college degrees.  Not all degrees are created equal.  Congress should have a serious debate about helping members of the next generation find the best path for their own personal pursuit of happiness as productive members of society.  Those pathways ought to be as broad and diverse as the next generation, from military and public service to vocational training, college, and post-graduate degrees.

My efforts to address escalating tuition hikes and student debt include my crusade to shine a bright light on public and non-profit private colleges with well-funded endowments that park their assets in tax-preferred vehicles.  Hoarding exorbitant assets in tax-preferred "rainy day funds" ought to be redirected towards lowering tuition for students and their families.  Through my rigorous oversight of the tax-exempt sector, including universities, hospitals and media-based ministries, I'm working to make sure non-profits are holding up their end of the bargain for the public good.  Tax-exempt colleges bear a unique responsibility to leverage their tax-advantaged resources to educate the public.  That's why I spearhead efforts to bring greater transparency to college revenues and expenses.  The public has a right to know how tax-advantaged dollars at tax-exempt higher education institutions square with their mission.  My review of soaring growth at college endowment funds a few years ago prompted several prominent schools to offer more generous student aid assistance.  As public awareness builds, let's hope the trend continues.  Whereas attending college is not an entitlement, colleges that benefit from tax-advantaged vehicles and tax-exempt status do bear a social contract to make higher education more affordable and accessible to the public.

Congress can take steps aimed at reining in college costs.  In May, I joined bipartisan forces in the U.S. Senate to try to bring greater transparency to the true cost of college tuition and fees.  The bill we proposed would cut through the clutter of financial aid letters that families receive from prospective colleges.  Decoding these letters to understand what is actually given, borrowed and owed can be next to impossible.  By having a clear picture in standardized language what students' debt burden will be after graduation, families would have an apples-to-apples cost-comparison to make with other colleges.  This ought to help students avoid taking on excessive debt and become more discriminating shoppers.  That alone could help control the soaring costs of college.  Colleges are increasingly competing to one-up each other to attract students, either through apartment-style housing, gourmet food services or amazing amenities that other institutions cannot match.  Empowering students and their families with better information about the cost and worth of a degree would help spark a race among colleges to provide a high-quality education at a good price.

Diplomas tied down with overwhelming student debt make it harder for the next generation to scale the ladder of opportunity.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (06/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Donald Morrison, Rock Island, Ill., was honored by Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill., at the college's annual alumni association awards banquet on May 19, 2012.

Morrison received the Honorary Alumni Award. The Honorary Alumni Award is presented to friends of Augustana who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the college. Recipients are considered honorary alumni of Augustana and members of the Alumni Association. This is not an honorary degree.

Morrison, director of the Augustana Choir from 1966-1993, taught choir members about music and about life. In rehearsals, he introduced different music styles and composers, as he shaped the group into a unified choral ensemble. He shared the history and contexts in which pieces were written, as he helped students to discover the relevance of the pieces in their own lives. Morrison also allowed choir members to experience the unexpected emotional and spiritual elements that could bring them to tears in their performances. And whether they were music majors, business majors or biology majors, Morrison taught everyone that each of them had a voice-and their voice mattered.

When the choir stepped on the risers for a performance, whether in a rural church in Iowa or on the stage of Chicago's Orchestra Hall, the students were poised, polished and professional. When they went on tour and performed the same program for several weeks in a row, Morrison would remind his vocalists that "this" performance was the only one that "this" audience would hear, so the choir owed their guests its best effort. He taught students the invaluable lesson of striving for excellence in all they did, whether it was for themselves or others.

Morrison received his B.M. degree from Drake University in 1953 and an M.S.M. degree from Union Theological Seminary in 1957. He also studied at the University of Southern California, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Oakbrook University. He received the Phi Mu Alpha Sinphonia Fraternity Orpheus Award in 1993.

Augustana honors Morrison for his extraordinary achievements and national recognition in choral conducting and his role as a 27-year ambassador for the college.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 182 full-time faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.