2008 Woodie Awards
Ujima validity, coverage debated
Julie Balise
Issue date: 5/9/07 Section: News
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The program used to provide financial and academic assistance to about 60 students who had academic potential, but fell short of the traditional criteria for admission to the university.
The article, by editor in chief of The Patriot Dave Moberg, "Scholarship Raises Equality Issues," discussed the program by outlining its services, which include financial aid, course advising and assistance in reading, writing and study skills; and explained recent changes to the program along with a student response.
An accompanying editorial, "Ujima Scholarship Program Unraveled," challenged the program with questions that referenced its admission criteria, like: "Why would 'bright, hardworking students' need massive amounts of personal help to pass freshman year?"
The pieces provided fodder for discussion at the Student Government Association Joint Senate meeting April 11, the same day the issue was released. Senator Devin Philip, a senior African-American studies major who was quoted in the article, expressed disappointment.
"My big issue with the paper is that [Moberg] interviewed me knowing that I was a Ujima Scholar and then turned around and had one of his people do an editorial, and he did an article, both of them bashing the program," Philip said. "If he wanted to get a rise from the university, he did that."
The Ujima Scholars program was founded in 1972 as a way for first-generation and urban students to attend Northeastern. It features a scholarship component for students requiring financial aid and academic services.
Moberg said he became interested in the program after hearing Philip was discouraged with its recent cuts, which reduced the number of students accepted into the program to a maximum of 40 per year.
"I was looking for something as a focus of the next issue," Moberg said. "It was something that piqued my interest. So then I wondered what qualifications and requirements for the scholarship were."
Moberg said several attempts to acquire grade point average (GPA) and SAT statistics from the university about students accepted into the program were unsuccessful.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Moberg
posted 5/09/07 @ 10:33 AM EST
Pretty well-written and fair, Julie.
Thanks.
Scott
posted 5/09/07 @ 8:31 PM EST
The University should release the average SATs and average GPAs for Ujima scholars. Or maybe release a list without names. That way student privacy is protected. (Continued…)
Libia
posted 5/10/07 @ 1:29 AM EST
I think there is a certain amount of ignorance involved in the writing of those Ujima bashing articles. They don't seem to "get it." Since they are questioning the merit of the scholarship especially (it seems) for the purpose of suggesting how to properly allocate the University's budget they need to be informed of what makes the scholarship justified. (Continued…)
S
posted 5/11/07 @ 12:09 PM EST
Um excuse me Dave, but no one is looking for your approval!!! Of course the article is good, Julie is an awesome reporter and the News is not a biased newspaper!
adam
posted 5/12/07 @ 12:53 AM EST
If the news is not a biased newspaper, call me Al Franken as I do believe I saw Barack Obama and Ted Kennedy BOTH on the front page a couple months back. (Continued…)
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posted 5/14/07 @ 9:04 AM EST
Releasing the SAT scores and GPAs would be extremely foolish on NEU's end. Just because some campus newspaper writes an article calling for them to do so doesn't mean that they should, if anything it means exactly the opposite. (Continued…)
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