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This is the home for a new effort to bring investigative reporting training to college and university students. Our goal is to help student reporters and editors serve as better watchdogs on campus.
You’ll find resources for student journalists, updates on upcoming training and links highlighting some of the great watchdog work being done on campuses around the country.
The stories below were written by student journalists who participated in the Campus Coverage Project workshop.
By Aly Brumback
With Ball State University’s budget shortfall of $15.25 million comes talk of change. There’s been talk of changes to tuition, salaries and programs, along with energy saving initiatives, benefits reductions and layoffs, but nothing has been decided. Perhaps the largest concern for students — apart from possible drastic tuition and fee increases — is whether courses or academic programs will be eliminated.
By Aly Brumback
Crime on or around an urban campus like Marquette’s is a daily reality. But other than the widely distributed notices of robberies and violent crimes posted on buildings across campus, as well as text and e-mail alerts for more serious threats, students are limited in their access to crime reports.
Weber State is pleading for building funding because of cramped classrooms and limited space on their branch campus. They picked a difficult financial year to ask for more money for building projects. WSU ranked 10th out of list of 10 priority projects in the state. The WSU-Davis campus currently has 97 sq. ft. of building space per student compared to the College of Eastern Utah which has more than 400 sq. ft. of building space per student.
By Kari Williams
While Illinois' budget crisis has impacted Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville's spending, a tuition increase for incoming students will help cover the costs of increasing admissions.
By Katie Thisdell
The James Madison University Student Government Association created the 18-question survey in October after members heard complaints from students about the cut to bus hours. The bus — referred to by students as the “drunk bus” — had its schedule cut by 45 minutes at the beginning of fall semester to end at 2:15 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. More than 3,500 students responded to the weeklong survey, with most writing in the optional free-response sections.
By Daniela Werner
By a mandate from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), the University of South Alabama has started transitioning its loan system from private lending to direct lending through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP). Under this new Stafford loan program, which won’t diminish the amount of loan money students can receive, the DOE will process student loan applications and disburse the monies to students, USA Director of Financial Aid Emily Johnston said.
By Tessa Muggeridge
It's 6:48 a.m.and the Tempe campus is still quiet as President Michael Crow walks toward the Fulton Center. He unlocks the building’s main door with his Sun Card in one swift motion. Crow’s personal assistant steps in from her connected office to announce the arrival of his 7 a.m. meeting, and he quickly moves to slide open the door to the adjoining conference room. Crow’s calendar is completely booked, and he usually has 75 to 90 meetings a week.
