Should students be allowed back in class after they have been kicked out for disruptive behavior pending a hearing? That is the question Dean Dad asks in his blog today. He says, "Learning to manage difficult students is part of teaching. But some students are really far beyond what a reasonable person should have to deal with, even if they aren’t technically criminal. They need to be removed if the class is going to work." The call for proposals for the 2011 Social Media Conference at Tarleton State is now available. The conference will occur on December 2 and the proposals are due by October 14. The event is being coordinated by the Texas Social Media Research Institute. The next opportunity to join the LU journaling group is October 24. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher seminar will be held at 3:00 PM in room 622 MJGL. You can indicate your attendance now by contacting CT+LE or calling 8426. One of the main reasons that millennial students are dropping out of college is related to economic factors. Many say that the lack of need-based financial support leads them to take a break from college in order to work and build up their reserves. Stephen DesJardins and Brian McCall have written an interesting article, Stimulating the Effects of Financial Aid Packages on College Student Stopout, Reenrollment Spells, and Graduation Chances, which appeared in the Review of Higher Education in the summer of 2010. DesJardins and McCall discovered that students "who experience a stopout are more likely to experience subsequent spells of non-enrollment and that this pattern of enrollment behavior is very detrimental to a student's chances of graduation." They suggest that institutions should consider strategies that reduce stopouts to increase their graduation rates. If you are still interested in joining a FLC for AY 2011-12, you should contact the CT+LE now. Take a look at the four FLC and see if you are interested in becoming a member of what promises to be a very exciting and stimulating experience.