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Watch CBS News

3 Columbia University administrators ousted from posts over controversial texts

By Jesse Zanger , Lisa Rozner

Updated on: July 8, 2024 / 10:01 PM EDT / CBS/AP

NEW YORK -- Three administrators have been "permanently removed from their positions" at Columbia College and "remain on leave" over texts they exchanged during an on-campus event about Jewish life at the school, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced Monday.

It happened during the school's reunion weekend at the end of May. The program was called "Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future," and took place a month after university leaders called in police to clear pro-Palestinian protesters out of an occupied administration building and dismantle a tent encampment that had threatened to disrupt graduation ceremonies .

The university identified the administrators as Cristen Kromm, the dean of undergraduate student life; Matthew Patashnick, the associate dean for student and family support; and Susan Chang-Kim, the vice dean and chief administrative officer. They were initially put on leave in June after images of their text exchange were published online by the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news outlet. The content of the texts was additionally released by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce last week.

Among the texts released, Patashnick said of one of the Jewish speakers speaking about antisemitism on campus, "He knows exactly what he's doing and how to take full advantage of this moment. Huge fundraising potential."

In response to a student telling her story of how she was afraid during the protests, and felt more comfortable spending time in the Kraft Center where Hillel is, Cromm wrote, "Amazing what $$$$ can do."

One dean implicated allowed to stay on

Columbia College Dean Josef Sorett, whose text messages were among those published by the Free Beacon, will continue to lead the college after apologizing and committing to work on fixing the damage caused by the text exchanges, Columbia Provost Angela Olinto said. He and his administration will be expected to "deliver concrete change in combating antisemitism and discrimination and creating a fully inclusive environment," Olinto wrote.

"While not intended as such, some of the text messages exchanged may call to mind antisemitic tropes," Sorett said in a letter Monday to the Columbia College community. "Any language that demeans members of our community, or divides us from one another, is simply unacceptable."

"I am deeply sorry that this happened in a community that I lead, and that I was part of any of the exchanges, and I pledge to spearhead the change we need to ensure this never happens again," Sorett continued. He said "the loss of trust and the pain this incident has caused, particularly to the Jewish members of our community, must be fully repaired."

Texts "touched on ancient antisemitic tropes"

In a letter released Monday , Shafik said the comments were "not only unprofessional, but also disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes. Whether intended as such or not, these sentiments are unacceptable and deeply upsetting, conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community that is antithetical to our University's values and the standards we must uphold in our community."

Columbia's president said the school will "launch a vigorous program of antisemitism and antidiscrimination training for faculty and staff this fall." Similar training will also be given to students.

Olinto wrote that the administrators' conduct was "wrong and contrary to the mission and values of our institution. It revealed, at best, an ignorance of the history of antisemitism."

"It's antisemitic tropes that we've heard before and we've seen where that's gone," Columbia rising senior Mikael Rochman said. "We were put in a situation where our safety was at risk and we didn't feel comfortable being Jewish on campus."

• Columbia University
• Antisemitism

Jesse Zanger is managing editor of CBS New York. Jesse has previously worked for the Fox News Channel and Spectrum News NY1. He covers regional news around the Tri-State Area, with a particular focus on breaking news and extreme weather.

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25 Virtual College Tours Worth Taking

Virtual college tours are considered one of the easiest, most accessible ways to learn about a school. While a more typical college tour may still be conducted in-person, the reality of that is changing. With the technological advances of the last 10-15 years, virtual tours have become a new, affordable possibility. Indeed, a virtual college tour can be an excellent way to learn about a school’s campus, programs, student life, clubs and activities, and much more.

You might be curious, how exactly do virtual college tours work? The answer depends on the school. Some virtual tours are live streams or recordings of in-person campus tours. Others are interactive maps where you can click on buildings and see what happens inside. Some will even include Q&A sessions with students. These are just some of the many ways schools show prospective students what life is like on campus. However, not all virtual college tours are created equal.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of virtual college visits, including:

• Benefits of engaging in college tours
• Similarities and differences between in-person and virtual college tours
• Different formats of virtual tours
• Top 25 virtual tours worth taking
• How to plan and make the most of your college visits
• What comes next after a college tour 

Without a doubt, college visits will play an integral role in your college journey. So, let’s dive into why college visits are so important to the application process. 

Why College Visits?

Before we explore virtual college tours in greater detail, let’s discuss why college visits are important to begin with. First and foremost, college tours are a way to learn about schools before you apply or even attend. Attending college is a big commitment. Therefore, taking the time to learn more about each school will allow you to feel more confident in deciding where to attend. 

Secondly, the college admissions process is a time of self-exploration. By engaging in college tours, you can learn more about yourself just as you do about colleges. Maybe you will notice you like smaller campuses that aren’t in bustling cities. Or perhaps you will realize that having a lot of cultural diversity on campus is important. By learning these facts about yourself, you will contribute to your overall personal development as well as create a holistic college list.

Lastly, college visits for juniors help to put together a strong application. Many colleges request that you write a supplemental essay about why you want to attend their school. Through a visit, you can gain knowledge about the school and be able to speak passionately and specifically about why you wish to attend in your essays. This is more critical than ever since the number of applications has skyrocketed at many schools. As such, you’ll need to make sure your application demonstrates why you are a clear fit.

College visits and the admissions process

As you may have already gathered, there are two times when you might find it most valuable to visit colleges:

Before applying

Virtual college tours and in-person campus tours can help you narrow down your college list. In doing so, you will only spend money and time applying to colleges that you would really love to attend. College visits for juniors can also help them write stronger essays.

After admission to make a final matriculation decision

If you are admitted to multiple schools, a campus visit can help you feel more confident in your final decision. As a senior, you also might have more specific questions about certain activities or campus life. Getting to know the campus more can also help ease the transition into your first year. Since you’ll already know where important buildings and resources are located, your first day may not be as overwhelming!

Now that you understand the importance of college visits, let’s explore what goes into planning a college visit.

Planning your college visit

As we shared, college visits are an important part of the admissions process. However, planning in-person campus tours can be time-consuming and expensive. To begin, you and your family will need to explore what times of year are best to travel. Some common times to visit schools are during school breaks or summer vacations. However, if you hope to see more activity on campus, then try to plan your visit when classes are in session. 

Next, we recommend setting up a visit with the admissions office. While you can, in most cases, visit a campus without an appointment, the appointment helps you gain access to a tour. It may even allow you to speak with an admissions officer. Ideally, you will book this appointment a few months before the visit. If you find yourself running short on time, you can also show up on campus and take a self-guided tour. Occidental College , Haverford College , and Claremont McKenna College all offer self-guided tours, whether using a printed map or a downloadable app. 

The cost of college visits

Regardless of whether you pre-schedule your visit, you will need to pay for your travel including transportation, hotels, and meals. Many students try to see multiple schools in one visit to save money and time.

For some students, setting up in-person visits is difficult. Beyond the expensive nature of travel, parents or guardians may not be able to take off work or find childcare. Some high schools organize college visits for juniors, or even sophomores, where adult chaperones take large groups of students to visit schools. However, this may not be an option at your school.

If the cost and logistics required to attend in-person college tours is prohibitive, don’t worry! In the next sections, we’ll discuss the many similarities, as well as the unique benefits, of virtual college tours.

COVID-19’s Impact on College Visits

While virtual tours existed pre-pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic made them a necessity as college campus tours were canceled. Since then, virtual tours have become more advanced and more widely available. In some cases, college virtual tours can offer as much, or more, than an in-person campus visit.

While many students still prefer in-person visits, virtual tours can be used as a tool to explore colleges earlier in the application journey. Virtual tours can also be useful to prepare for an in-person visit. If a student can spend 15 minutes taking a virtual tour and noting what buildings or parts of campus interest them most, then they can focus their in-person tour on those aspects. 

Overall, virtual tours are an excellent way to visit schools that are completely inaccessible, such as ones that are too far away. Many international students use virtual college tours to explore campuses they wish to attend. Indeed, the fact that virtual tours exploded during the pandemic has raised several questions about accessibility, including the need to make more tours available in multiple languages or geared towards low-income families.

Coming up, we will explore more about the similarities and differences between in-person and virtual college tours. 

In-person vs Virtual College Tours

Luckily, visiting colleges today does not require you to go to a campus. Indeed, the number and quality of virtual campus tours for students have skyrocketed in recent years. Undoubtedly, there are similarities and differences between in-person college campus tours and virtual college tours.

Similarities between In-Person College Campus Tours and Virtual College Tours

• They provide a layout of the campus.
• They allow students to get a sense of the campus architecture, including the inside of academic buildings and dorms. For example, UT San Antonio offers special housing tours for students to see where they might be living.
• Students can learn about specific academic programs. For instance, Harvard offers a specialized in-person tour for engineering and applied sciences students in addition to the Harvard virtual tour.
• They offer insight into student life on campus. Emerson College , for example, offers videos of students talking about their transition to life in Boston and co-curricular activities.
• Tours allow students to explore the available clubs and activities on campus.
• They are opportunities to hear directly from actual students about their experiences. Colgate , Princeton , and Barnard all offer virtual conversations with students.
• Students can get some of their doubts answered. Many tours offer a live Q&A with current students. Pomona ’s live virtual sessions include this offering.

Differences between In-Person College Campus Tours and Virtual College Tours

Note that depending on the school, you may or may not receive information about that school’s admissions process during a tour, whether in-person or virtual. Several schools, like Spelman , encourage students to schedule separate webinars to learn more about the admissions process, as this is not a topic covered in their campus tours. 

Now that we have explored the similarities and differences between in-person college campus tours and virtual college visits, let’s look more deeply into when and how to use virtual college tours.

Understanding Virtual College Tours

When first hearing about virtual college visits, many students and families are skeptical about how useful they can be. However, college virtual tours have advanced so much in recent years that many offer a similar, if not enhanced, experience to an in-person visit. 

As we discussed, there are several obvious reasons why college virtual tours are easier than in-person, including the fact that they are free and require little to no planning. In the following sections, we will discover more of the benefits and uses of virtual college tours. We will also discuss how they work and explore some of the best virtual college tours that exist today.

Are Virtual College Tours Worth It?

Yes—college virtual tours are absolutely worth your time! Indeed, virtual college tours can be a very good investment of time depending on where you are in your college admissions process. Let’s explore some ways that you can use virtual college visits to aid you in your college decision-making process:

Initial exploration of schools

As a freshman or sophomore in high school, you might not know how to prepare for the college process. Using virtual college tours, you can begin to explore schools and learn about what you like and don’t like in a college. This process can help you stay motivated to work hard as you will visualize your goals with greater clarity. You will also begin to learn what types of schools you are drawn to, which can help you build a college list faster in your junior year.

Exploring more and different schools

In the past, many students were limited to only visiting schools they could travel to. In some cases, leaving their state or country was impossible. Virtual college tours offer much more accessibility for students who cannot travel large distances. Also, since they can be completed in much less time than in-person college campus tours, virtual college visits may allow you to explore schools you had never considered. Perhaps you were only considering applying to big public schools. With virtual college visits, you can branch out and easily explore small, liberal arts colleges as well.

Narrowing down the list of schools you might want to visit in person

You might have a long college list. Ideally, you’ll want to cut it down when considering which schools to visit. This is where virtual college visits offer a unique opportunity to make the most of your time and resources. Before you get on the road, you can do a virtual tour to see if you like the campus enough to visit. Or perhaps the virtual tour helps you see which parts of campus you want to explore further, or which buildings you want to enter.

Alternatively, maybe your virtual college visits give you the confidence to know you like the school enough that you don’t need to spend lots of money on a flight in your junior year. Perhaps you will wait and see if you are admitted and visit the school afterward to decide if you want to attend.

Certainly, we can agree there are many benefits to virtual college visits. However, some virtual college tours are more interactive, engaging, and informative than others. Later, we will explore some of the virtual college tours that are worth taking.

While the quality of the tour may depend on the schools you’re interested in, how much you get out of them ultimately depends on you. We will explore how to make the most of your college virtual tours later. 

What Are Virtual College Tours Like?

Now that we have convinced you that college virtual tours are beneficial, let’s look at what you can expect from them. Most virtual college tours for students have some combination of the following offerings:

Guided tour of campus

This can include a combination of interactive maps and pictures, embedded videos, informational text, and voiceovers describing what you are seeing. Some college virtual tours offer 360-degree views that allow you to click around and move through campus as if you were there, such as the University of Tampa ’s tour. Even more advanced tours offer immersive virtual reality (VR) technology which allows you to put on a headset and bring the campus to life in front of your eyes. However, VR campus tours typically require you to have your own equipment at home.

Campus highlights

Most virtual college tours for students will highlight important buildings or landmarks. These can include academic buildings, monuments, libraries, dining halls, residence halls, and the student union. By showing you these buildings, schools hope to give you a sense of what your day-to-day life may look like as a student there.

Student testimonials

Another helpful part of college virtual tours is student testimonials. Sometimes, this looks like students leading a campus tour while sharing their own experiences. Other times, schools will offer webinars for prospective students to ask questions of others. More common these days is the use of social media to share student experiences. Some schools will allow students to “take over” their social media accounts and post about their day so that prospective students can see what a day on campus is like. Consider following schools of interest on social media so you can get an insider’s perspective.

Now that you know what you can generally expect from college virtual tours, let’s explore the differences between college campus tours across schools.

How Do Virtual College Tours Work?

As the name suggests, virtual tours happen via a computer, phone, or other piece of technology. However, that can look very different depending on the school you are investigating. As we shared above, many virtual college tours for students include some kind of guided tour of campus, a list of highlights, and student testimonials. However, these items can come in very different formats.

Here are some of the formats you can expect:

Pre-recorded videos.

These can look like videos of a student giving a tour or a video of activities happening around campus. Since these are the simplest version of virtual college tours for students, they are the most common. Schools like Dartmouth , CalPoly , and Vassar all offer pre-recorded tours. 

Interactive videos

Some videos let you click on buildings or landmarks as you watch to learn more. In some cases, you can even enter buildings. For example, the Harvard virtual tour lets you click through photos of the athletic center, dorms, libraries, labs, and quads. The Harvard virtual tour also includes a voiceover that provides additional information as you scroll through images. 

Interactive map s

Here you’ll have a map of campus, whether flat or 360 degrees, that lets you click on landmarks to gather more information. Cornell , Bucknell , Wesleyan , and Pace all have online maps you can explore.

Live streams

This is a video that is being filmed at the same time you are watching it. Live streams sometimes offer a chance for Q&A with the student hosting. To take advantage of this, you will need to be present at the exact time the live stream is being shared. In some cases, you may need to register ahead of time to receive the link. An example of a live tour is at the University of Pennsylvania , where students register ahead of time for a one-hour, live, student-led virtual campus tour.

Live Virtual Tour vs. Pre-Recorded Tour

Take special note of the distinction between live virtual tours and pre-recorded virtual tours. Live virtual tours are being streamed as you watch them, which means you will get a better sense of what is happening right then and there on campus. Sometimes, live virtual tours include a Q&A section where you can ask questions. Meanwhile, pre-recorded virtual tours are less interactive but offer the flexibility of watching them whenever you can.

A common platform for many of these virtual college tours is YouVisit . YouVisit specializes in making virtual experiences as interactive as possible. For that reason, you may notice that many of the online virtual college tours you discover are similar in format. YouVisit’s tours tend to include interactive 360-degree maps, voiceovers, videos, and photos.

As you can tell, there are many formats and options for virtual tours. Indeed, the menu of options has exploded in recent years, in part due to the necessity created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, we will look more closely at when to take a virtual tour and explore some of the most helpful virtual tours worth taking.

When is the right time to take a Virtual Tour?

Virtual college tours can be useful at any stage, whether you’re already working on applications or just starting to build your college list.  No matter where you are in the college admissions process, remember: it’s never too early to take a virtual tour! However, before you start exploring virtually, it’s useful to know how virtual college tours can benefit you.

Tours for sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Virtual college tours will look different for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a sophomore, a virtual tour might be a way to dip your toes into the world of college admissions. Since you can take virtual college tours from the comfort of your own home, this is a low-stakes way to get a feel for which colleges you’re interested in applying to. 

College visits for juniors are a bit more meaningful. You may be starting to create a college list, so you’ll want to pay close attention to the different parts of the virtual tour. Consider taking notes as you go, so that when you start applying to schools you have observations from your virtual tour to look back on. 

If you’re a senior, there’s another important aspect of virtual college tours to keep in mind: demonstrated interest. When colleges read your application, they often look for “demonstrated interest,” which is a way that you demonstrate that you care about the school. Colleges want to admit students who will ultimately choose that college, and one way to show that you care about a school is to attend a tour. 

What Colleges Offer Virtual Tours?

In general, virtual college tours make tours accessible for people who can’t travel to the school for whatever reason. Most schools understand that not all students can visit in person and will offer some type of virtual tour—whether it’s a recorded tour, a video of the campus, or another interactive option. 

So, how do you decide which ones to take? Up next, you’ll find our list of the best virtual college tours that we think are worth your time.

25 Virtual College Tours Worth Taking!

As we’ve discussed, virtual tours are a great way to get a feel for a school’s campus without having to make the trip to visit. You can take a virtual tour at almost any time—you can even take one more than once!

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 25 great virtual college tours that you can embark on in lieu of a traditional college visit. 

Top 25 Virtual College Tours

1. princeton university.

First on our list of virtual college tours worth taking is Princeton University. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton is ranked #1 in National Universities. Princeton’s virtual tour consists of a live-streamed Zoom webinar, where one of their tour guides will take you along with them on their campus tour. You can even ask your guide questions in the Zoom chat!

2. Harvard University

Next on our list of best virtual college tours is Harvard University, located in Cambridge, MA. The Harvard virtual tour is self-guided, meaning that you can click around the Harvard virtual tour to see panoramic views of Harvard’s classic New England campus at your own pace. Plus, if you’re interested in Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, there’s a separate Harvard virtual tour that goes into even more detail on that school’s offerings.

3. University of Pennsylvania

If you’re interested in UPenn but can’t make it out to Philadelphia, you can explore UPenn’s campus with virtual college visits. You have to sign up online to take one of Upenn’s virtual college tours since they’re led live by Penn’s student tour guides. With these live tours, every tour is different. Since different students give them each time, if you decide to take the tour more than once, you’ll likely learn something new! 

4. Cornell University

The virtual college tours at Cornell are self-guided. This means that you can take yourself around Cornell’s beautiful campus in Ithaca, NY, at your own pace. At each location, Cornell supplies fun facts and details about the campus that can help you get to know the school better. 

5. Dartmouth College

With Dartmouth’s virtual college tours, you can get the best of both worlds: a live-streamed campus tour and a self-guided tour. If you’re just beginning to think about Dartmouth as an option, watch their video of a pre-recorded tour to get a feel. If Dartmouth is your dream school, get to know their campus in bucolic Hanover, NH, by taking a live virtual tour led by a student—that way, you can ask all of your questions and feel more like you’re really there!

6. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) – San Luis Obispo

If you want to know more about Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, they provide a wealth of virtual college tours that you can take. Not only does Cal Poly offer the classic student-led virtual tours and prerecorded tours. They also have virtual tours of their housing and of each academic college. Even if you can’t make it out to this coastal California city, you’ll have a great feel for the Cal Poly campus. 

7. Barnard College

Curious about college in the Big Apple? Take one of Barnard’s virtual college tours. Once you register for Barnard’s virtual tour, you gain access to spaces in Barnard that aren’t even available on the in-person tour. Barnard also offers an audio tour, where you can listen along to a live tour guide.

8. Pomona College

At Pomona, a college located in Pomona, California, you can explore in a multitude of ways. Pomona offers a pre-recorded virtual tour, as well as info sessions and webinars that you can attend from home. 

9. University of Texas – San Antonio

Located in San Antonio, TX, the University of Texas campus at San Antonio offers a self-guided virtual tour. At each location on the virtual tour, UT offers a video accompanied by written information to help you get to know the campus better.

10. Wesleyan University

If you’re looking for an idyllic New England campus, you’ll find one with Wesleyan’s virtual college tours. Wesleyan is a small liberal arts school located in Middletown, Connecticut, and you can follow along with a current student as they “walk” you through different locations on campus. 

11. Colgate University

Located in Hamilton, ME, Colgate’s beautiful campus is just a few clicks away. Colgate’s college virtual tours let students make their way through the campus on their own time, and you can supplement your virtual college visit with webinars and online info sessions. 

12. Washington State University

Though Pullman, Washington would be beautiful to see in person, WSU’s college virtual tours will make you feel like you’re right there without ever leaving your house. WSU offers a personal tour, where you can direct yourself around the Washington State campus. 

13. Bucknell University

At Bucknell University, you can take college virtual tours by navigating through their virtual campus map. Though you might not get a feel of Bucknell’s location in Lewisburg, PA, you’ll come away with a great understanding of their campus—they even have a specialized map for prospective engineering students. 

14. Vassar College

Next on the list of college virtual tours worth doing is Vassar. Vassar is located in scenic upstate New York, but if you don’t want to make the trip, you can easily get a feeling for the campus with their many options for college virtual tours. Vassar offers an interactive campus tour, a 30-minute preview video of the campus, and even sample classes and recordings of past events. 

15. Claremont McKenna College

The second of the Claremont Colleges after Pomona, Claremont McKenna offers recorded video tours and self-guided college virtual tours. Claremont McKenna is also located in Pomona, CA. So, if you’re virtually touring Pomona, you might as well give Claremont McKenna a look as well!

16. Haverford College

If you’re interested in living in Pennsylvania, you can give this lovely campus located just outside of Philly a look. Haverford offers live virtual tours where two students will take you on a “stroll” across campus, giving you advice and answering questions along the way. 

17. Harvey Mudd College

If you love Pomona, CA, but Claremont McKenna and Pomona weren’t your vibe, give Harvey Mudd a try. Harvey Mudd’s college virtual tours consist of separate videos for each stop along the tour that take you through all of the most important buildings on Harvey Mudd’s campus. 

18. Middlebury College

For your Middlebury College virtual tours, you get all the benefits of variety. Middlebury College, located in Middlebury, VT, has a wealth of options for students who don’t choose to do college campus tours in person. This includes virtual tours in English and Spanish, self-guided interactive maps, recorded information sessions, and more. 

19. Pace University

If you want to get to know Pace University, the college offers interactive maps for both of its campuses—one in NYC and one in Westchester, NY. Using Pace’s maps, you can make the most of New York City college campus tours without ever having to navigate the subway. 

20. Occidental College

Next on our list of virtual college campus tours worth taking is Occidental College. Located in sunny Los Angeles, CA, Occidental offers a self-guided virtual tour, where you can click through 360 views of the campus and hear from Occidental’s student tour guides along the way. 

21. Furman University

Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Furman University also offers stellar options for their virtual college campus tours. Furman gives you the option to explore individual campus buildings with interactive and immersive technology, which includes videos from their tour guides to give you insider knowledge about each location. 

22. Spelman College

If you want to tour Spelman, you don’t have to go all the way to Atlanta, Georgia. You can take one of their virtual college campus tours, where you can take your time looking at each of their buildings. Spelman’s virtual map lets you see inside and outside of many different campus locations, and get a better feel for the vibe of the campus as a whole.

23. Emerson College

Located in Boston, MA, Emerson offers lots of options for students who want to take college virtual tours. Using an interactive map , prospective students can make their way around Emerson’s campus to explore different buildings and facilities. The Emerson campus map also includes some city landmarks, like Boston Common, that are close to campus and part of the Emerson experience.

24. University of Tampa

At the University of Tampa, students can take college virtual tours to get a feel for the beautiful Tampa, FL campus. The University of Tampa offers tour videos, 360 interactive campus tours, as well as virtual visits. If you register for a virtual visit, you’ll also be able to attend a 30-minute info session hosted by an admissions counselor. 

25. Texas State University

For the last school on our list of college virtual tours worth taking, we visit (or more accurately, don’t visit) Texas State. Texas State offers a virtual interactive map, a video tour led by student tour guides, and also provides a presentation where you can learn more about the academics and admissions policies at the school. You can tour both of Texas State’s locations, one in San Marcos and one just north of Austin.

As you can see, not all virtual college visits follow the exact same format. However, there are certainly many opportunities to “visit” a school without ever stepping foot on campus. Next, let’s talk about scheduling and making the most of your college visits.

How To Schedule Virtual College Visits

Now that we’ve gone over some of the best virtual college tours that you can take, let’s talk about some logistics. 

For most virtual college tours, you can take them whenever you want—that’s part of why they’re so great! Whatever your schedule is, you can slide in a college visit on your own time. You could even do a bit of a virtual college visit, take a break, and come back and finish later. It’s totally up to you. 

Schools may ask you for your name and email when you click on their virtual college visits. This is totally fine, and also can work to your advantage. Remember demonstrated interest? You want the college to know that you’ve taken their college campus tours, whether it’s a virtual college visit or in-person. This is especially meaningful in college visits for juniors or seniors.

Even though many virtual college visits can be done on your own schedule, some schools offer live virtual tours. If you want to take one of these college campus tours, you’ll need to sign up in advance. Even though these virtual college tours for students require a little bit more planning, it can be helpful to be in a Zoom with other prospective students and tour guides so that you can ask questions in real time. 

Making the Most of a Virtual College Visit

Even though you might be taking your virtual college tours from your bed, it’s important to still make the most of it. While a virtual tour might not feel the same as in-person college campus tours, there are some things you can do to make the most of the experience. 

Block out dedicated time

At first, virtual college tours for students might not seem very outwardly engaging. However, you should try and make the most of your experience. Don’t multitask, or do college campus tours while you’re watching TV. This is still a college visit, and you want to treat it as such. Immerse yourself in your virtual college visit—you want to get as close as you can to experiencing it in person! 

Consider your priorities

Virtual college visits can serve different purposes for different students. Some students have no idea what they’re looking for from their college campus, and others are already set on what they want their college experience to look like. On the virtual tour, make sure to look at the school’s housing, academic facilities, recreational facilities, and transportation. If there’s a must on your list—for example, if you want a school with a main quad, or a school that’s integrated into a city—see if the school has it! 

Ask questions

If you’re taking a tour on your own, think about the questions you’d have for a tour guide if there was one present. What can you learn from virtual college tours for students, and what do you still have questions about? These are the kinds of things you could ask in an information session or research after your tour.

Next Steps after your Virtual Tour

Once you’ve finished your virtual tour, there are some next steps you can take to make the most of it. 

If you’re just starting to build out your college list, think about what stood out most from your campus tours. Write down some big takeaways from the school, or a list of pros and cons, so you can start comparing schools that you want to put on your college list. These can be informal—something like “huge library,” or “weird vibe” is totally fine—just make sure you write down enough to remember how you felt about the school so you don’t have to take the virtual tour a second time.

If you’re ready to apply, reach out to admissions with any questions you have after the virtual college tours. Explore the application requirements at the schools you’re most excited about. See if the school has any supplemental essays that ask you why you’re interested in the school—these virtual tours can give you great talking points about the school that you might want to include in an essay.

Sometimes after a virtual tour, you might still not know how you feel about a school—that’s okay! Virtual tours are just one way to get to know a college. You can keep doing research, and take advantage of other virtual resources offered by the school. 

Even More Virtual Opportunities

So what are the other ways to learn more about a school from the comfort of your own home?

Along with the virtual campus tour, many schools also offer virtual information sessions. These are Zoom calls with admissions officers who are there to provide information on the school and answer applicants’ questions. Attending information sessions can also be a way to show demonstrated interest to a school that you want to attend. 

Some schools also have student testimonials, or other videos with students who can answer questions about the school. These are a great way to see what actual students think about attending the school. Many colleges also provide a way to reach students at the school with questions—email the admissions office and ask if there are students you can talk to about their experience. 

Virtual College Tours – Final Takeaway

College visits for juniors, seniors, and sophomores are an important part of the college admissions process. Since the pandemic, you can go on amazing virtual college visits from the comfort of your own home. On a virtual college tour, you can get to know the campus, and see what kinds of resources the school has to offer.

There are a few different types of virtual college tours for students. Some are interactive maps, where you can click on different buildings and explore. Others provide a 360 view of various parts of campus. Some are live Zoom meetings led by student tour guides, and some schools provide pre-recorded videos that you can watch. All of these virtual tours are great options to learn more about the school, and if a school provides more than one, they’re all worth doing!

When you’re taking a virtual college tour, make sure to make the most of it. Set aside some time to really focus on the tour, keep your priorities in mind, and take notes on things that stick out to you and questions you have during the tour. 

If at the end of your virtual tour, you’re sure that you’ve found your dream school, don’t hesitate to reach out to CollegeAdvisor for application guidance. Our team of experts is always here to support students in navigating the admissions process. Happy (virtual) exploring!

This article was written by senior advisor Courtney Ng and advisor Rachel Kahn . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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UC's IDD Education Center connects students with in-college employment

The internship to employment pipeline expands tap outcomes within cech operations.

University of Cincinnati’s Transition Access Pathway program — or TAP — is designed to offer an educational experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), providing classroom instruction and preparing students for employment in the outside world after graduation. But with Dana Laster’s recent hiring to an admission coordinator role with the Student Recruitment and Marketing department in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology (CECH), results of the program — which resides in CECH’s School of Education — now hit much closer to home.

This was exactly the point, explains CECH Senior Business Officer John Schwartz, who initially conceived of the pipeline that led to Laster’s employment.

“We have this great program in our college, but I didn’t see any signs aside from background support,” he explains. “I’m like, ‘Why don’t we have a TAP student working for us in our various operations in the college?’”

Schwartz felt that Laster, who graduated in spring 2024, would be the perfect candidate to pilot the pipeline program, having seen her deliver a speech regarding career aspirations at the annual Red & Black Blast event.

“Dana actually got up there and talked in front of everybody about what her hopes and dreams were, what she wanted to do career-wise,” he explains. “She said she wanted to be an administrative assistant. I liked Dana and what she had to say, so I was like, I want her to work for us.”

A new opportunity

This in-college employment pipeline is a new opportunity for TAP, which has traditionally relied on external employers to hire graduates of the program. “Freshmen do vocational exploration, then sophomores do an on-campus internship,” explains Emily Johnson, TAP vocational coordinator. “Junior year, we try to get students off campus; senior year our goal is to get students off campus and in a paid internship. But in Dana’s case we kept her with the dean’s office.”

Corbin Purdum works with Dana Laster daily as her workplace supervisor. Photo/CECH Marketing

“I remember when they came with the question of like, hey, can we have a student from the TAP program be an intern?” says Corbin Purdum, CECH associate director of student recruitment and Laster’s supervisor. “I had met Dana before; she worked in the Dean’s Office and I’d seen her around. And I was, like, yeah — absolutely. I had never really thought of that before, but I loved the idea of hiring students in the program to be interns.”

The admissions coordinator role is a true extension of her internship, with Laster aiding recruitment efforts by providing front-desk and administrative support to the department. And according to Purdum, the transition from student employee to staff member couldn’t have gone better — thanks in large part to the internship pipeline.

“It’s been pretty seamless, honestly,” he says, explaining that Laster’s employment responsibilities link directly to the work she performed as a student intern through TAP. “Now she’s able to take what she learned and then grow from that. We’re giving her some more leadership roles and have some other things we’re going to be adding to her plate to help her grow. And she continues to have resources to help develop those professional skills.”

TAP application information

Applications for the TAP program will be accepted beginning Sept. 2, 2024, for fall 2025 admissions.  Click here to learn more .

Student to colleague

While the hiring is an excellent way for the college to actively support one of its community-minded programs, at the end of the day Laster’s experience in TAP and her hiring in the Student Recruitment and Marketing office represent a singular employment opportunity for one of the program’s alums.

Dana Laster, right, poses with two friends during her time as a UC student. Photo/CECH Marketing

“The TAP teachers are very kind and supportive,” says Laster of her time in TAP. “I loved going to all my TAP classes.” She points to dorm living and attending university sports events as some of her favorite components of the college experience, adding that TAP’s job coaching and vocational classes were critical services in preparing her for full-time employment in the college. She says she was excited to learn of the internship opportunity in CECH, and now that she’s graduated to full-time employment, she’s enjoying the challenges and opportunities to gain independence in the workplace.

“Dana’s awesome. It’s been really cool to see her on campus,” says Johnson. “The TAP team was really excited that she went from a student to a colleague. That’s something that we would like to continue seeing in the future.

“I would love for that to be a more formalized pipeline. As more people understand what TAP is and understand what our students can do, I think that would be an easier conversation to have. Our students enhance employers and employment places. They’re not extra work — they actually are assets to employers.”

Think differently

Schwartz seconds the notion that hiring people with diverse abilities improves workplaces. Not only does the job opportunity benefit the employee, it also illustrates a range of positives the employment experience can bring. Schwartz shared that this experience has made him a better supervisor in simple ways, like presenting information in a more direct and accessible style.

“Hiring an TAP student challenges those supervisors to be better supervisors,” he explains. “You have to think differently about how you explain things or how you talk to them so that everybody is on the same page. Where I was talking to Dana originally, interviewing her or even explaining different things that I wanted her to do, I had to confirm that she understood … and maybe say things differently so it made more sense. That has made a huge impact on me.”

While the employment pipeline is at the moment limited to Laster’s recent CECH hiring, there’s hope that more units across the university take advantage of TAP’s internship program. As Laster’s current supervisor, Purdum enthusiastically encourages departments to participate in the program, saying, “I think it’s a missed opportunity for those that would not consider it.”

Featured image at top: Dana Laster works at her desk in the CECH Student Recruitment and Marketing department. Photo/CECH Marketing

Next Lives Here

CECH’s School of Education is highly regarded for preparing the next generation of educators. The program is led by a team of experienced and qualified faculty who are dedicated to teaching students to meet the demands of modern classrooms and address the educational needs of diverse student populations. The program offers a variety of courses and experiences that will help students develop their understanding of child development, instructional methods and classroom management.

For more information about the School of Education,  please visit the school’s website.

Contact the College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology . 

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The recent hiring of Dana Laster to the marketing and recruitment office of University of Cincinnati's College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology (CECH) marks a first-ever internship to in-college employment through the college's TAP program. The pipeline from paid student intern to university staff member serves as a pilot case for potential future hirings in the college and university at large.

Some Caribbean islands see almost 'total destruction' after Hurricane Beryl

A more complete picture emerged Wednesday of the extensive damage wrought by Hurricane Beryl's trek across the Windward Islands, revealing destruction and at least seven deaths.

At least three islands report more than 90% of the homes and buildings either destroyed or severely damaged, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday . All three are within the chain of Grenadine Islands, where Beryl roared into the Caribbean on the southern end of the Windwards, between St. Vincent and Grenada.

With 19 participating states across the Caribbean , the agency was helping coordinate disaster response on Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines even as it continued to track Beryl’s movements across Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Belize. The eye of Beryl, still a Category 4 storm, raked Jamaica's coast Wednesday afternoon and was expected to pass near the Cayman Islands Thursday morning, before making landfall in the Yucatan on Friday morning.

The damage estimates for the Windwards – where Beryl made landfall over Carriacou – are only "a very preliminary look," said Elizabeth Riley, the disaster management agency's executive director. Beryl struck the islands with sustained winds of 150 mph and higher gusts on Monday, and the National Hurricane Center had warned that winds could be up to 30% higher on the tops of hills and mountains.

The impacts to the Grenadine Islands are "quite significant," Riley said, leaving residents exposed and vulnerable. Even as recovery efforts began, a tropical wave brought rain and gusty winds Wednesday to the suffering residents.

Grenada prime minister discusses damage on Carriacou

In a briefing late Tuesday after spending more than two hours in a helicopter provided by the government of St. Lucia, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described "total destruction" on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

"There's really nothing that can prepare you to see this level of destruction," Mitchell said. "It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage and destruction of all buildings. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment."

"There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou; the mangroves are totally destroyed, the boats and the marinas significantly damaged," he said. "There is almost complete destruction of the electrical grid system in Carriacou. The entire communication system is completely destroyed."

However, Mitchell added, he'd been heartened by the volunteers "showing true Grenadian spirit" by arriving from other less damaged areas in boats and fishing vessels to begin delivering relief supplies to those affected.

Hurricane Beryl's fearsome seas As Beryl tears through Caribbean, a drone sends back stunning footage

Beryl damage updates

The following are the preliminary assessments Riley listed:

Carriacou, Grenada

• The total population of 6,081 has been affected, so shelter is "a significant consideration."
• Majority of homes and buildings have been extensively damaged
• Communications have been significantly compromised

Petite Martinique, Grenada

• Estimated 80% of the houses and buildings extensively damaged or destroyed
• 900 people affected
• Majority of the island is sheltering in place

Canouan, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• 100% of the island's population (12,600) has been affected
• An estimated 90% of the houses were damaged, either extensively or destroyed
• Police station in Charlestown lost its roof

Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• Full population of 3,000 was affected by extensive damage
• Estimated 98% of buildings, including houses badly damaged or destroyed
• Airport control tower destroyed, hospital roof destroyed
• Power plant received significant damage
• Government assisting people who wish to evacuate

Mayreau, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• Total population of 300 people affected
• 90% of the housing stock and buildings have been damaged or destroyed

Palm Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• Resort and desalination plant significantly damaged
• More than 40 homes with damage, a number expected to rise
• Confirmed significant damage to the fishing sector
• More than 200 boats damaged
• Significant damage to the coastal infrastructure, particularly along the south coast 
• Partial road obstruction
• Significant damage on southern end 

Trinidad and Tobago

• Power outages
• Water disruption on Tobago 
• Roadway blockages on both islands

Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• An estimated 10% of the homes and buildings suffered roof damage
• Airport and runway are usable
• Minimal damages reported

Mitchell, Grenada's prime minister, said the island's northernmost parish, Saint Patrick suffered significant damage. The parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Mark and Saint John also suffered much more damage than the parishes of Saint George and Saint David.

"It is clear that agriculture has taken quite a battering. It is clear that many persons have lost their roofs," Mitchell said. "It is clear, in some instances, many people have lost their entire homes."

Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or @dinahvp.

LOCAL ALERT: In wake of Trump rally shooting in Pennsylvania, DC-area politicians send condolences and decry political violence.

A popular tour guide’s death leads to more scrutiny of border issues

The Associated Press

July 13, 2024, 1:12 PM

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Kristie Thibodeaux’s gunfire death made headlines first because it happened in the French Quarter — New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood and a place where residents of historic homes and owners of tourist-dependent restaurants and clubs have long worried about recurring violent crime.

Then came the news that one of three suspects in the armed robbery and shooting of the 43-year-old tour guide was a juvenile with an arrest record and an ankle monitor that wasn’t working. And, then, the revelation that another was a 19-year-old Honduran national in the country illegally since at least 2019.

“This man should have never been in Louisiana. Enough is enough,” Gov. Jeff Landry , a Republican, said on X soon after word of the suspect’s immigration status became public.

Republicans in Louisiana have sought to blame President Joe Biden and his immigration policies , but the Honduran charged in the case was first apprehended by U.S. immigration authorities at the border in Texas when Donald Trump was president. And the case exposed other failures in the justice system beyond border policy.

The broken ankle monitor allowed the 15-year-old to be on the streets, and that failure has prompted bipartisan calls for reform of the state juvenile court system. Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican ally of Landry, ordered an investigation into the juvenile court’s ankle monitoring contracts.

One suspect was a 17-year-old juvenile, and the killing came at a time when cities across the U.S. are struggling with underage offenders with easy access to guns carrying out violence and robberies.

Thibodeaux was shot to death as she sat in her car early on the morning of June 30 in the French Quarter. Police say the suspects in her death had carried out a string of robberies.

Brian Cain, owner of the Crawl New Orleans tour business, said Thibodeaux was one of his longest-tenured employees — a vivacious, caring colleague who was beloved by coworkers and the tourists she served.

As the Republican National Convention nears, crimes carried out by immigrants have fed into the political rhetoric of Trump . Trump has argued the influx of immigrants is causing a crime surge in the U.S., although statistics actually show violent crime is on the way down.

Conservatives point to other recent killings in Texas and Georgia to make their point about border failures during the Biden administration. In February, Laken Hope Riley , a 22-year-old nursing student, was attacked and killed near running trails on the University of Georgia campus. The suspect is a Venezuelan citizen who immigration officials say entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was allowed to stay. In Houston, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was strangled and found in a creek last month, and authorities have charged two Venezuelan men who entered the country illegally.

FBI statistics do not separate out crimes by the immigration status of the assailant, nor is there any evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants, either along the U.S.-Mexico border or in cities seeing the greatest influx of migrants, like New York. Studies have found that people living in the country illegally are less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug and property crimes.

Immigration officials in New Orleans say it’s not clear when, where or how Joshua Aviala-Bonifacio entered the country. He is a Honduran national and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office says he was first encountered by the border patrol near Hidalgo, Texas, when he was 15 in May 2019.

He was released on an “on an order of recognizance” on May 14, 2019, according to ICE. He later wound up in the New Orleans area, where he has an arrest record.

“On multiple occasions, Bonifacio has been arrested for theft and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles,” an ICE statement said. “Since February 2024, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has booked Bonifacio for five local violations.”

Now, he faces a murder charge in Thibodeaux’s death.

Cain sees multiple reasons to be dissatisfied with state, local and federal agencies and the circumstances that led to the suspects being on the street.

“If he’s illegally in the country, then he shouldn’t be here. But most importantly, it’s how did the local system fail over and over and over again, not only letting him on the street, but also not detecting that he was, in fact, here illegally.”

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Wimbledon 2024 live updates: Day four updates with Centre Court farewell to Andy Murray amid tearful tributes to British icon

Wimbledon 2024 — Day four live updates

• Emotional tributes to British icon Andy Murray on Centre Court
• Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy beaten in doubles first round
• He lost against Peers/Hijikata alongside brother Jamie at SW19
• Swiatek , Djokovic win; USA's Keys , Shelton , Collins , Fritz progress
• Watch on the BBC in the UK , ESPN and ABC in the US

Subscribe to The Athletic using our latest discount offer here.

Final results

In the men's singles:

• Emil Ruusuvuori stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas (11), 7-6(6), 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3
• Alex Zverev (4) eased past American Marcos Giron, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
• Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard beat Yoshihito Nishioka, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2

In the women's singles:

• As James mentioned, Wozniacki beat Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 2-6, 7-5

Advertisement

Caroline Wozniacki does it!

Getty Images

Caroline Wozniacki is serving for the match on Court One as the clock goes past 22:25, and now she has two match points after Fernandez blasts what looked like a winning return narrowly wide...

40-15. And that's it, as Fernandez sends a ball long. Wozniacki through to the third round of Wimbledon for the first time since 2017.

Did someone mention an exit poll?

Thank you, Andy

From all British fans.

Anyone chopping onions?

Carlos Alcaraz's tribute

Can't disagree, really, can you?

Murray: 'I want to play forever'

The 37-year-old concluded: "It is hard because I would love to keep playing but I can't. Physically it's just too tough now. All of the injuries have added up and like I said they haven't been insignificant.

"I want to play forever. I love this sport. It's given me so much, taught me loads of lessons over the years that I can use for the rest of my life. I don't want to stop so it is hard."

Andy on the support of his family

Speaking after his match, he hailed his parents, saying: "Mum and Dad have been amazing support, still today, but when we were little and allowing us to go and pursue our dreams.

"Jamie left home to go to train when he was 12, then he moved to Paris. I left to go over to Spain.

"I know now having children how, I don't even like them being away for a day so allowing us to go and train abroad and pursue our dreams, we couldn't have done that without their support so thank you mum and dad."

Don't go anywhere

James Hansen/The Athletic

Caroline Wozniacki and Leylah Fernandez were locked at 1-1 and 3-3 when darkness forced their match to stop.

With rain forecast tomorrow, and the tournament just one match — this one! — away from catching up to everybody playing the third round, the match is being finished on Court One. The floodlights are on, the roof is closed, and it's kind of eerie in here.

Wozniacki has saved two match points at 4-5, and has just recovered from a deep and challenging Fernandez return to go on the attack and take the advantage... and she takes the game with a classic one-two punch of serve out wide and forehand cross.

5-5, final set. Don't go anywhere (he says to himself).

Murray on returning to Wimbledon

Wimbledon/X

Murray added: "I'm not never going to come back here!

"It depends who I'm watching. I hate watching my brother. I find it really difficult to watch my brother play. I love tennis. I watch it all the time.

"I would probably be more comfortable sitting up there in a coaching box rather than somewhere else."

How did Murray celebrate winning Wimbledon in 2016?

He said: "2016 was really different. I felt way less pressure and the enjoyment I got out of that win was totally different to 2013. I had an amazing evening that night with my all friends and family, properly went out and enjoyed it with the people closest to me.

"Of my Slams, 2016 was my favourite one. I don't remember much of that night. I had a few drinks and I did unfortunately vomit in the cab on the way home."

We've all been there.

Murray on how tough it was winning Wimbledon in 2013

He said: "When I got off the court, I didn't remember any of what had happened but I have watched that game back a few times and some of the stuff he was coming up with on the match points was incredible.

"If I had lost that game, it would have been very hard to go on to win. Amazing last game. With my tennis, it's always been a bit of a struggle so that last game was always going to be a bit of a struggle."

With your tennis? Your tennis is incredible, Andrew.

Now let's hear from Andy talking about his career

Talking about playing the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, he said: "They were alright weren't they?

"They weren't the easiest guys to get past. I was obviously incredibly fortunate to play in this time and I think all tennis fans have been incredibly lucky to witness what they've obviously gone on to achieve.

"It's been incredible to watch what they've done. It's been incredible to be a part of some of the matches in major championships with them over the years. I was fortunate to manage to get through them a couple of time in big moments but what a time to be on the tour."

Andy wipes away tears

As we all are after that montage.

Here's that montage...

Isn't it beautiful.

Murray opens up on 2012 heartbreak

Looking back on his loss against Roger Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final, he said: "It's always really difficult to speak after a loss, particularly after a Grand Slam final and being at Wimbledon.

"That's the closest I had been and it was obviously difficult. It was quite an important moment in my career. I'm not saying I'm the most outgoing or bubbly personality, but I think people probably saw how much I cared about the sport for the first time maybe.

"Obviously it was an important match and an important moment in my career."

He goes on to say he can imagine himself being more comfortable in the coaches box at Wimbledon rather than the Royal Box, hinting at a future in coaching.

Interesting!

Watch out kids!

He drew laughs from the crowd, characteristically, as he added: "Two of my kids are up there and it's way past their bedtime."

Better wrap things up sharpish then!

Andy: 'Special' playing alongside Jamie today

Andy Murray opened up to Sue Barker on how special it was playing alongside brother Jamie today.

He said: "Yeah, it was obviously really special. We never got the chance to do it before. There was a chance this year.

"Jamie's usual partner was playing with Neal Skupski so he asked me. Obviously it was a bit of a race against time to try to get out here and physically it wasn't easy today but I'm glad we were able to get out there and do this one last time."

A picture of brotherly love

Jamie, left, embracing Andy, right.

Get the hankies out

This is emotional all right.

Murray is wiping away the tears.

Players giving Murray tributes

A video montage of Andy Murray's career is playing, with voiceovers from the likes of Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic.

Plenty of tennis royalty is in attendance too: Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Djokovic, plus Brits Dan Evans, Jack Draper, Cam Norrie, Barker, and more.

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The academics, the facilities, the campus life. So much to see! This checklist can help you decide if the college is right for you.

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Politics latest: 'Emergency' prisons plan revealed - as government urged to decriminalise drug possession

The new government is expanding the early release scheme to ease pressure on prisons amid a lack of spaces - amid calls to go further and decriminalise drug posession.

Sunday 14 July 2024 07:15, UK

• General Election 2024
• Justice secretary announces 'emergency measures' to tackle prison population 'crisis'
• Listen to Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts
• New data shows just 708 places left in adult male prison estate last week
• Decriminalise drug possession, government urged
• Starmer hits out at 'gross irresponsibility' of previous government
• Beth Rigby: A whirlwind of international diplomacy for the new PM - but it will only get harder from here
• Live reporting by Jennifer Scott and (earlier)  Ben Bloch

We are signing off now after a big week in Westminster that saw Labour making its first moves as the new government, and the Conservatives trying to work out what their future in opposition looks like.

But don't worry, we will be back on Sunday morning to cover all the political news from the weekend and bring you the latest with Trevor Phillips. 

See you then!

Friday marks the end of the first full week for hundreds of new MPs who came to Westminster after the general election.

But for some of the newbies, there was an even bigger task coming their way - being promoted to ministers.

Our political reporter Alix Culbertson takes at look at the new Labour politicians who have already found themselves on Sir Keir Starmer's frontbench.

Jess Phillips says there are "still things that I worry about" after the government confirmed it would be letting prisoners out of jail early to help with overcrowding. 

The Labour MP and now minister in the Home Office tells Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast that "by no means is any of this perfect" and the situation was a "terrible, terrible thing". 

She adds: "It's still not something that you would ever want to be doing. And there are still things that I worry about."

But Ms Phillips defends the decision too, especially around the exclusion of domestic abusers and stalkers from the policy, saying it is "a shift from what it was... when the Tories were doing it".

She says: "You do what you can in the initial hours that you have to do it, and that isn't the end.

"We will now work on exactly how to make sure that as many possible safeguards can be put in place for potential victims whose perpetrators are being released."

The full episode of Electoral Dysfunction will be released here later this evening, so keep an eye on your feeds.

The victims' commissioner for England and Wales has welcomed the government's decision to exclude domestic abusers and stalkers from its new early release scheme for prisoners. 

Baroness Newlove called the move a "welcome and necessary step, reflecting the concerns raised by victims and those who advocate for them".

In a statement, she said there needs to be "clear communication with victims" during the process to ensure the government has their trust, including informing them if release dates are brought forward and allowing them to request protection measures. 

She demanded the probation service is "properly resourced to effectively manage licensing conditions and exclusion zones, which are vital for public safety and victim reassurance".

Baroness Newlove added: "Public safety must remain the top priority as these changes are implemented. 

"We must acknowledge these exclusions have limitations and cannot address every potential risk."

The chief inspector of prisons is warning the move by the government to tackle overcrowding in jails will "inevitably lead to the early release of some risky offenders". 

In a statement, Charlie Taylor welcomed the decision by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to release prisoners who had completed 40% of their sentences to free up space, saying the "recognition of the seriousness of the situation, and swift action to manage the prison populations to relieve the immediate strain many jails are under" was positive. 

However, he added: "This latest measure will inevitably lead to the early release of some risky offenders, and will add to the workload of already stretched prison OMUs (offender management units) and probation services.

"How these men are prepared for release and how prisons and probation are supported in managing them will be vital."

Mr Taylor said his organisation will be "watching this very closely - as well as any plans that are developed once the immediate pressure is relieved that seek to make prisons places of genuine purpose, help people to break the cycle of reoffending and protect the public from future harm".

Former home secretary and likely Conservative leadership contender Suella Braverman has blasted the government in a somewhat odd way - namely for "picking up Tory ideas".

As we have just reported, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to release prisoners who have served 40% of their sentences to help alleviate overcrowding in jails, subject to some exemptions. 

A similar plan was said to have been proposed by the now former justice secretary Alex Chalk last year, but was understood to have been blocked by Number 10 over fears of a backbench rebellion from Tory MPs. 

Tweeting after the government announcement was made, Ms Braverman said: "I opposed this, both inside & outside government.

"With 40 MPs, I tabled amendments to the Sentencing Bill to stop the early release of criminals and put public safety first.

"We managed to stop the government doing it."

She added: "Labour is picking up Tory ideas and putting the public at risk."

Ms Braverman also claimed "everyone and his mother should run to be leader" of her party when the contest kicks off. 

But she said all contenders have "got to start taking responsibility for what we did, and for the things we shamefully left undone - such as not building enough prisons".

The justice secretary has announced that the government will conduct a review into how the "crisis" in prisons was "allowed to happen".

Shabana Mahmood explained: "It will look at how and why necessary decisions were not taken at critical moments. And the lessons that must be learned by future governments, from the failures of the last."

She added: "The legacy of those who last occupied 10 Downing Street is prisons in crisis, moments from catastrophic disaster.

"Our legacy will be different.

"A prisons system brought under control. A probation service that keeps the public safe. Enough prison places to meet our needs. And prisons that break the cycle of reoffending - and create better citizens, not better criminals."

The justice secretary has set out what would happen if the government does not implement these "emergency measures" to reduce the prison population.

Shabana Mahmood said: "Soon, the courts would grind to a halt, unable to hold trials.

"The police would have to stop carrying out arrests. With officers unable to act, criminals could do whatever they want, without consequence.

"We could see looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight.

"In short, if we fail to act now, we face the collapse of the criminal justice system. And a total breakdown of law and order."

She declared this "the legacy of the last Conservative government" and the consequences of their "failure" to address the issue.

The new justice secretary has placed the blame for the "crisis" in prisons firmly at the door of the previous government.

Shabana Mahmood said of the Conservative Party: "Time and again, they ducked the difficult decisions that could have addressed this challenge.

"Instead, they kept the public in the dark about the state they had left this country in. They were too weak to heed the warning signs that were flashing. They chose instead to put the country at risk."

There have been reports that her predecessor, Alex Chalk, tried to implement the emergency measures she is announcing today in order to ease the crisis, but former PM Rishi Sunak blocked it.

"But, instead of taking responsibility, she said, "Rishi Sunak called an election. He tried to hoodwink the electorate. And he was punished at the ballot box."

Echoing language used to describe the people who appeased the Nazis in the 1930s, Ms Mahmood said: "Those responsible – Sunak and his gang in No 10 – should go down in history as the guilty men.

"The guilty men who put their political careers ahead of the safety and security of our country. It was the most disgraceful dereliction of duty I have ever known."

By Mollie Malone, news correspondent

These measures from the justice secretary will be seen among the prison and probation sector as a proper attempt to reset and alleviate the immediate prisons crisis (see previous post).

But it doesn’t solve everything. Far from it.

The justice secretary admits today that the core announcement to lower the automatic release point from 50% to 40% is in itself an emergency measure.

At the moment, we are lurching from one emergency measure to the next.

There are safeguards in place that didn't exist under the previous controversial scheme launched by the Conservative government in October - allowing eligible offenders to be released up to 70 days before the end of their sentence.

Those safeguards might help offset some fears expressed by victims groups.

But it certainly doesn't offer a long term solution.

"Although it will be a law, it still does not resolve how we use prison in the long term," said one prison source.

"If we carry on with court backlogs and send more people to prison, we will be in the same position all over again," they said.

The government are committing to building more prison places.

But their prisons minister James Timpson fundamentally disagrees with that approach and thinks a third of people that are in prison shouldn't be there

There are lots of questions yet to answer about what meaningful reform looks like.

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Court ruling seeks test to decide if athletes are employees

• Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- College athletes whose efforts primarily benefit their schools may qualify as employees deserving of pay under federal wage-and-hour laws, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday in a setback to the NCAA.

The court, in the latest challenge to the NCAA's long-held notion of "amateurism" in college sports, said a test should be developed to differentiate between students who play college sports for fun and those whose effort "crosses the legal line into work."

"With professional athletes as the clearest indicators, playing sports can certainly constitute compensable work," U.S. Circuit Judge L. Felipe Restrepo wrote. "Ultimately, the touchstone remains whether the cumulative circumstances of the relationship between the athlete and college or NCAA reveal an economic reality that is that of an employee-employer."

A colleague, in a concurring opinion, questioned the difficulty of such a process, noting that nearly 200,000 students compete on nearly 6,700 Division I teams. The NCAA had hoped to have the case dismissed, but it will instead go back to the trial judge for fact-finding.

The ruling follows a 2021 Supreme Court decision that led the NCAA to amend its rules to allow athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. In May, the NCAA announced a nearly $2.8 billion revenue-sharing plan that could steer millions of dollars directly to athletes by next year.

The Division I athletes and former athletes behind the suit in Philadelphia are seeking more modest hourly wages similar to those earned by their peers in work-study programs. They argue that colleges are violating fair labor practices by failing to pay them for the time they dedicate to their sports, which they say can average 30 or more hours per week.

Lawyer Paul McDonald, representing the plaintiffs, has suggested that athletes might make $2,000 per month or $10,000 per year for participating in NCAA sports. He said many students need the money for everyday expenses.

"This notion that college athletes cannot be both students and employees is just not accurate when you have student employees on campuses," McDonald said Thursday. "It's just beyond belief, the idea that the athletes would not meet the same criteria as employees."

A district judge had refused to throw out the case, prompting the Indianapolis-based NCAA to ask the appeals court to stop it from going to trial.

Defendants include the NCAA and member schools including Duke University, Villanova University and the University of Oregon.

The NCAA, in a statement, said it has been expanding core benefits for athletes, from health care to career preparation, and wants to help schools steer more direct financial benefits to their athletes.

However, it noted what it called student concerns that the employment model could "harm their experiences and needlessly cost countless student-athletes opportunities in women's sports, Olympic sports, and sports at the HBCU and Division II and Division III levels." The statement was issued by NCAA spokesperson Meghan Durham Wright.

The unanimous Supreme Court decision that spawned the NIL payments lifted the ban on college compensation beyond full-ride scholarships. Schools recruiting top athletes now can offer tens of thousands of dollars in education-related benefits such as study-abroad programs, computers and graduate scholarships.

"Traditions alone cannot justify the NCAA's decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a concurring opinion. "The NCAA is not above the law."

But that case did not resolve whether college athletes are employees entitled to direct pay -- the key issue before the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court panel.

Baylor University president Linda Livingstone, speaking at the NCAA convention last year, said that model would turn coaches into their players' bosses.

"Turning student-athletes into employees will have a sprawling, staggering and potentially catastrophic impact on college sports broadly," said Livingstone, chairperson of the NCAA's board of governors. "We need Congress to affirm student-athletes' unique relationship with their universities."

But the relationship has faced increasing scrutiny.

In 2021, a top lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board said in a memo that college athletes should be treated as school employees.

And players have taken to social media to argue for a cut of some of the hundreds of millions of dollars that NCAA schools earn on sports, including a campaign on the eve of the 2021 NCAA basketball tournament that carried the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty.

The NCAA, at its convention, compared the athletes to students who perform in theater groups, orchestras and other campus activities without pay.

McDonald has said those types of campus groups are student-led, while athletes have their time controlled by their coaches in a way that resembles employment.

"The most controlled kids on any campus are the student-athletes," he said earlier this year.

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Elementary Education, B.S.

Career information is not specific to degree level. Some career options may require an advanced degree.

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To be successful as a teacher in elementary education. You should also be creative, energetic and enthusiastic. When considering a career in education, ask yourself these questions: 

• Do you enjoy and get energized working with children?
• Are you a good communicator?
• Have you mastered the basic reading, writing and critical thinking skills required to interest and inspire students?
• Do you enjoy learning and helping young people learn?
• Do you want to work hard, be challenged and receive rich emotional rewards?
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To review coursework for a B.S. in Elementary Education please review the General Catalog.  

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Completion of the program will make you eligible to sit for the Standard Instructional Certificate  with All Subjects K/8 endorsement and at least one secondary (5-9 or 6-12) endorsements.

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Responsibility in Education

Learn to teach basic subject areas to diverse groups of children in kindergarten through eighth grade and gain on-the-job skills with three practicum experiences in elementary classrooms and one semester of student teaching under the supervision of experienced teachers. Upon graduation you are eligible to take certification exams for the state in which you want to work. 

• Degree is offered on the Moscow and Coeur d'Alene campuses.
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