COLLEGE SHORTS

Author: Jason F. Siegel and Ben Salkowe

MIT students have 'Sex' on their minds

In an unusual departure from their highly scientific courses, some 24 lucky MIT students are analyzing a cultural phenomenon equally as complex: "Sex and the City."

In an upper-level Women's Studies seminar called "Sex and the Institute," students spend their Tuesday nights watching the award-winning HBO sitcom and discussing the social mores manifested in the lives of four trendy, assertive New York City single women.

A variety of philosophical and sociological topics come up, especially marriage, as the show revolves around the dating world. In the course, students debate whether or not marriage is still desirable for women as well as men, and how the reactions to proposals, positive and negative, vary from character to character.

There is a balance of men and women in the course, and some male students have lauded the usefulness of the course to their lives. Said senior Jason Atkins, "It's helping me form a sense of what a relationship should be. It's a show for women, so it's like studying the opposite sex, indirectly."

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eBay founder gives Tufts $100 million

In a show of philanthropy, eBay founder and Tufts trustee Pierre Omidyar gave Tufts University $100 million, which must be invested in firms that give loans to the poor in developing countries.

The process is known as "microfinance," and according to Omidyar, it is a highly unusual practice for a University. Not only will the initial investment go to microfinance, but no less than half of all returns from the initial investment will be reinvested in the same or similar firms as well.

Tufts President Lawrence Bacow said the gift would allow the university to do "well by doing good." He was also very excited by the possibilities of Tufts making a real difference around the globe.

Omidyar said that his company is proof that independent people who are self-reliant can make a business profitable, and therefore would positively benefit Tufts' endowment.

Since eBay went public in 1998, Omidyar has invested more and more of his wealth in philanthropic causes such as this.



Study shows transfers affect quality of life

The most recent annual report from the National Survey of Student Engagement has found that it is now common for college students to transfer or take classes at multiple schools during their undergraduate careers, but that these students tend to be less engaged in their campuses' academic and social scenes. The report revealed that students who transferred or "hopped" from one college to another were less likely to work with professors on research projects, to involve themselves in community service or participate in other academic opportunities.

Some 237,000 students representing 528 four-year colleges and universities were surveyed for this, the sixth year of the "Nessie" survey. The survey assembles its data in both a general survey and college specific reports, which are meant to help administrators identify and address shortcomings in their curriculum and campus life.

The researchers behind this year's Nessie survey hope that their findings, which suggest troubles for undergraduate transfer programs, will encourage colleges to re-evaluate the orientation programs by which they integrate transfer students into their campuses.