Notes in the Margins: Journals, tweeting and outdoor orientation

Internet Ruffles Pricey Scholarly Journals After decades of healthy profits, the scholarly publishing industry now finds itself in the throes of a revolt led by the most unlikely campus revolutionaries: the librarians. Universities from Britain to California are refusing to renew their expensive subscriptions, turning instead to “open access” publishing, an arrangement whereby material is made available free on the Internet with few or no restrictions except for the obligation to cite it. (The New York Times)

International students ‘do not use Facebook to choose their university’ Only 4 per cent of international students use social media to select a foreign university, according to a worldwide survey of undergraduates. Results from a poll of 150,000 international students suggested the importance of interaction via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube was overestimated by universities. (Times Higher Education via NAICU)

Student tweets causing controversy for universities Universities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to publicity scandals caused by the increasing number of students turning to Twitter to broadcast their thoughts. (USA Today)

College outdoor orientation programs on the rise Since Dartmouth pioneered the concept in 1935, outdoor orientation programs have spread to colleges and universities across the country, grown in size and changed in scope. But the wilderness programs all share the same goal: to help freshmen adjust to college life even before they enter a classroom. (Associated Press via NAICU)

Don't Pay College Athletes College athletes will never be paid a salary to play for their school. There are far too many logistical, economic and legal hurdles that would have to disappear before paying students could even become a reality. The numbers from ESPN can be deceiving. It's true that big time sports like football and basketball can rake in millions of dollars in revenue, but for most universities that money still isn't enough to cover department costs. (The Huffington Post)

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