ACCOUNTING FINDS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Newswise — Accounting " perhaps not always considered the, well, coolest major on campus " is now officially in demand. Accounting majors jumped 50 percent this year at USC's Leventhal School of Accounting. More importantly, 75 percent of students graduating from USC Leventhal in spring 2009 had one or more job offers by graduation compared to only 20 percent of all graduating students nationally.
So, is it a stretch to say that accounting is sexy these days? "I actually don't think it's a stretch. To be really honest, I never thought we weren't sexy," USC Leventhal Dean Randy Beatty said recently on American Public Media's "Marketplace." "But certainly we've gone through periods where we've been viewed as more important, and periods in which we've been viewed as really a necessary evil."
VIDEO GAME CAREERS LOOKING BRIGHT
A world-class destination for students pursuing a career in video games, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering doubled the number of computer science majors after introducing a new degree in video game development and management two years ago. An article on CNET called USC an "invaluable source of talent and ideas" for the future of video games.
Already, USC's interdisciplinary videogame programs have produced a bonafide star, Jenova Chen, MFA '06, named one of the world's top innovators under 35 by MIT's Technology Review. Industry heavyweight Electronic Arts and USC have teamed up to create the Game Innovation Lab -- a think tank where video game ideas and concepts are nurtured. And this spring, USC Viterbi introduced a new program in which students will work with at-risk LAUSD students to build educational and entertainment video games from scratch.
RENEWED FOCUS ON AGING
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, three of the top ten fastest-growing job markets are in aging services. This fall, USC's Davis School of Gerontology " the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the country " will welcome the first students for a Master's in Aging Services. The graduate program combines training in business and leadership with sensitivity to the needs of an older population. (Think: entrepreneurs working on products that are not only easier to use, but also allow for greater long-term independence.)
COLLEGE PARENTS: HOW TO LET GO
Parents have spent the last 18 years preparing their sons and daughters to be responsible, self-reliant individuals, but it can be hard to let go when the time actually comes to send your child to college. Take a deep breath . . . and trust your students, says USC Associate Dean of Student Affairs Amy Johnson.
"Start a dialogue today with your child about how both of you want to communicate when she goes to college," Johnson says.
By federal law, universities treat students as their primary contacts, and normally don't share information such as report cards and student bills with families unless the student's express consent is given. But Johnson says if you have open lines of communication, chances are you'll get a lot more from your child: "We know from experience that many students call their parents regularly to report progress. When you have good dialogue, sharing this information comes naturally—and it doesn't require a form."
EDUCATION GURUS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT
Lawrence Picus, past-president of the American Education Finance Association, is available to discuss how the financial crisis is impacting infrastructure and classroom learning.
Priscilla Wohlstetter is an expert on charter schools. Wohlstetter, who is director of the Center on Educational Governance at USC, can give an overview on the growing number of charters and other educational reform movements throughout the country.
William Tierney can talk about ways for students to prepare for college. He can provide general tips, as well as advice for students from low-income backgrounds. Tierney has done extensive research into improving financial aid strategies and evaluating college preparation programs for low-income urban youth.
Alicia Dowd, co-director of the Center for Urban Education at USC, can provide tips on how community college students can be better prepared to transfer to four-year universities. She can also provide extensive background on the issue of community college transfer rates.
NEXT CLASS: MONGOLIA
Summer vacation is overrated. Hundreds of USC students get their first taste of a working research group in the summer after their freshman year. This summer, students are chipping at rock formations in Mongolia, digging up ancient artifacts in Turkey and studying ocean life at USC's Wrigley Marine Science Center on Santa Catalina Island. Others are conducting individual research projects in New York City and Washington, D.C., and hundreds more are working in laboratories at USC in specialties ranging from cancer research to biomedical engineering to communication.
Learn more at http://www.usc.edu/programs/ugprograms/ugresearch/ or contact Gene Bickers, vice provost for undergraduate programs, at (213) 740-1114 or [email protected].
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