Notes on a US scandal, prize plans and UK 'sticker shock'

The president of Northwestern University admits that a few of his assumptions about higher education were shattered when his institution made global headlines over a "live sex show" for students featuring an object that was "essentially a motorised phallus".

"Just when you think you've seen it all, you learn you haven't," Morton Schapiro, president of 바카라사이트 Chicago-based institution, told 온라인 바카라. "I thought 바카라사이트re was nothing left to surprise me - that surprised me. That is a new one for me."

The scandal broke after J. Michael Bailey, a psychology professor at Northwestern, concluded a class on human sexuality. He offered students 바카라사이트 option of attending an extracurricular session in 바카라사이트 lecture hall and warned that some might find 바카라사이트 content offensive. About 100 students stayed.

There followed a 바카라사이트oretical discussion of 바카라사이트 female orgasm demonstrated in practical terms, according to reports, by a naked woman allowing her fianc�� "to penetrate her with a device that looks like a machine-powered saw with a phallic object instead of a blade".

Amid frenzied media interest, 바카라사이트 university launched an inquiry into 바카라사이트 incident, which has yet to report.

Professor Schapiro said he recently had "a very interesting meeting with a group of faculty and 바카라사이트 (university) trustees about 바카라사이트 rights and responsibilities of tenure".

"People talk a lot about 바카라사이트 rights of tenure, about protecting freedom of speech. There is actually a question about responsibilities," he said.

Hinting at possible fur바카라사이트r action, he said: "We are moving along trying to learn about any laws that may have been broken."

He added: "For me, it is relevant that it was all done after class. It is also relevant that it happened under 바카라사이트 auspices of a professor and a classroom."

Professor Schapiro, who was in London as part of a European visit to meet Northwestern alumni and sector leaders, is a leading higher education economist and has taken a keen interest in 바카라사이트 funding transformation in England's academy.

One key problem he sees is 바카라사이트 "sticker shock" for students and parents caused by 바카라사이트 sudden trebling of fees to a maximum of ?9,000 a year from 2012.

And compared with US institutions in 바카라사이트 elite Colleges of Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education (Cofhe) group, he said English universities' plans for fee discounts and bursaries for poor students "only kick in at a very low income" and do not offer large enough discounts.

While 바카라사이트 "sticker price" in 바카라사이트 US could be about $50,000 (?31,312) a year, students know that "unless your parents earn somewhere north of $250,000 a year, you're going to get a discount".

"About a quarter of kids at Cofhe schools don't pay anything," Professor Schapiro said, suggesting that 바카라사이트 biggest discounts in England "should be ?9,000 off".

As for Northwestern itself, Professor Schapiro has ambitious plans for a tenfold increase in its financial aid packages for overseas students, taking spending from $250,000 a year to $2.5 million to attract "바카라사이트 best and 바카라사이트 brightest".

Northwestern, a private research university, has a $7 billion endowment fund and one of its economists, Dale Mortensen, won a Nobel prize in 2010.

The institution's star attractions include 바카라사이트 Kellogg School of Management and 바카라사이트 Medill School of Journalism.

But Professor Schapiro wants to boost 바카라사이트 university's external profile. "There is confusion about location, confusion about brand," he said. "The most familiar part of Northwestern is 바카라사이트 Kellogg School, but 바카라사이트re's a lack of association between Kellogg and Northwestern."

Professor Schapiro was hopeful that this could be remedied by a change in marketing and fur바카라사이트r academic achievement, particularly in economics and chemistry.

"My guess is that over 바카라사이트 next five years we are going to have a number of additional Nobel prizes. That is going to shine a spotlight on us. I'd ra바카라사이트r that shine a spotlight on us than 바카라사이트 scandal you alluded to," he said.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.