This post comes from The Chronicle’s Wired Campus. ”

School Administrator Files Lawsuit Over Facebook Profile

A high-school dean of students and a Roman Catholic archdiocese are suing Facebook over a fake profile created with the dean’s name. They are trying to get Facebook to identify the creators of the phony page, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Facebook took down the profile in April but has declined to name its creators. Impersonating someone or using a false name is banned in Facebook’s terms of use.

This is not the first Facebook impersonation case, and some have noticed a rise in the number of Facebook users who are using aliases—either original or borrowed—on their profiles. Know of any cases of hijacked profiles on your campus?” Click here to comment on the original post. —Catherine Rampell

This post is from The Olympian Online.

Called WiMax, it’s the heart of a huge telecommunications industry effort to supplant Wi-Fi, the service that most users rely on for wireless Internet connections at broadband speeds.

If it succeeds, WiMax technology could be as big a change as the mobile phone revolution. An independent technology consulting firm, Boston-based Yankee Group, estimates that 58 million people worldwide will use WiMax by 2012.

Sprint, which invested $5 billion to become the first company to deliver it in the United States, plans to offer WiMax-embedded electronic devices such as laptop computers and digital cameras by 2009 and 2010, said Barry West, the company’s chief technology officer.

Unlike Wi-Fi, which relies on free radio frequencies that suffer from interference, WiMax uses a licensed channel of radio spectrum. It provides clearer, stronger and more secure Internet access. The stronger signal travels farther than Wi-Fi, enabling consumers to get beyond the limits of Wi-Fi “hotspots.”

Instead, they can surf the Web in cars, parks and rural communities unreached by Wi-Fi. Sprint’s system also offers Internet access that’s five times faster than most current devices, according to the company.

The greater speed and stronger signal could enable WiMax-equipped cell phone users at work to operate a washer-dryer or record a TV show at home, said Paul Kirby, a technology writer for TR Daily, a communications industry newsletter. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post is from Career Builder. Though it’s difficult to predict exactly how the year will pan out, weak job growth, a slowing economy and troubled housing markets all point to signs of an economic recession. The good news for job seekers is that employers are still hiring and certain industries will survive (even thrive) during hard times.

 Thirty-two percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in 2008, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. Most employers are cautious, but expect a slower, yet steady hiring environment.

 ”Many job seekers make the mistake of attempting a career change during downturns,” says John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy. “This can be a career-crippling move. It is much better to focus on transferring your current occupation’s skills to industries that remain healthy.”

 While some industries, including retail, manufacturing, finance and technology, are vulnerable during recessions, Challenger says there are always industries that seem “recession-resistant,” based on different trends at the time of the slowdown.

“Do not make the mistake of thinking that only those with industry-specific skills will be in demand. Hospitals not only need nurses and physical therapists, they need administrators and information technology workers,” Challenger says.  “Firms specializing in information security need accountants and marketing professionals in addition to computer programmers. There should be a wide variety of opportunities in the industries that remain strong through the slowdown.”

Are you working in a recession-proof business? Here is a list of industries expected to offer the best opportunities for job seekers during the predicted slump, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Click here to read the list of industries and the rest of this article.

FORT WORTH, Texas – As more and more industries are going high-tech, drafters with a working knowledge of AutoCAD have a clear advantage in the job field. Even the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that AutoCAD-trained professionals will have better prospects in securing a job and can earn more than $74,000 per year.

To provide the necessary skills and increase earning potential, Gatlin Education Services will offer a 150-hour online program starting in August 2008. The new AutoCAD 2009 course will be offered through Gatlin’s partnerships with more than 700 colleges and universities worldwide.

Taking a step-by-step approach to learning, AutoCAD 2009 will teach students the skills needed to create and edit simple drawings and gradually introduce more advanced AutoCAD skills. Upon completion of the course, students will have learned to work with 2D drawing and editing tools, objects on layers, text and basic dimensions. Course lessons instruct students on how to use efficiency tools, complex objects, advanced plotting and external reference/image files as well as how to enhance productivity with simple customizations. Enrolled students will receive the required textbook and a 13-month student license for AutoCAD 2009.

“AutoCAD is an essential tool in many industries, including mechanical and civil engineering, architecture, facilities planning and management,” said Stephen Gatlin, founder and CEO of Fort Worth-based Gatlin Education Services. “Employers seek workers skilled in AutoCAD more than any other CAD system.”

In an effort to boost summer enrollments, Gatlin will be offering a pre-registration discount of $200 for all students who register through July 31st for the new course. To pre-enroll, visit Gatlin’s AutoCAD 2009 course information page. If you represent an education institution and are interested in partnering with Gatlin to offer AutoCAD 2009, please fill out the form at, Partner with Gatlin Education Services and a GES representative will contact you.

Established in 1989 by Stephen Gatlin, Gatlin Education Services is the world’s largest provider of Web-based, instructor-supported online career training courses and programs to community colleges and universities. Gatlin’s courses are open enrollment, allowing interested students to start their desired career training immediately. Gatlin’s online career training courses are designed to provide the skills necessary to acquire professional caliber positions for many in-demand occupations.

This article is from The Chronicle.

More than two years after Education Secretary Margaret Spellings stood on a podium in Washington and announced the formation of her Commission on the Future of Higher Education, some of its most powerful effects so far have been on a belt of community colleges nearly 3,000 miles away.

In the past year, at least 14 California community and junior colleges have been placed on a probationary or warning status by their accreditor, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges’ Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. In many cases, the colleges are being cited for their failure to prove the quality of their performance.

Ms. Spellings’s panel issued an unambiguous call for such accountability, and her department has sought to enforce it by imposing more-rigorous reporting requirements on colleges as a condition for the accreditation that makes them eligible for federal student aid. The burden of that requirement has begun to show most prominently in California, where the cash-strapped system of community colleges is struggling to keep up.

At the College of the Redwoods, in Eureka, for example, leaders acknowledge that, under budgetary pressure, they failed to complete the required self-assessment reports. The college was placed on probation last June by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This great article is from Suburban Journals in St. Louis.

In today’s world, there is a very real link between learning and earning. Your level of education greatly affects what you earn in your job.

An adult with a high school diploma but no further education can expect to earn an annual income of about $27,500. That is certainly more than the $19,400 in annual earnings of the typical worker without a high school education, but not by much.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor, classifies civilian occupations into a series of five “job zones.” They are defined on the basis of preparation typically required along three lines - education, experience and training.The lowest levels, job zones one and two, are filled by occupations that call for a high school diploma or less, with little training or experience. Jobs in these two zones would include such positions as home care aides, customer service representatives, fast-food workers, retail clerks, landscapers or grounds keepers, and hotel desk clerks. Such positions rely more on on-the-job training, but they also pay in the lower ranges.

Zone three jobs, by comparison, usually require vocational training, work-related experience, or formal education beyond high school. They usually pay somewhat more than those in zones one and two, but certainly not as much as the jobs in zones four and five. Zone three jobs might include physical therapist assistants, video equipment technicians, medical equipment repairers and massage therapists. Many positions in zone 3 require at least an associates degree or vocational certification. Click here to read the rest of this article.

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Beyond.com, Inc., the world’s largest network of specialty career communities, today released its First Quarter 2008 Career Trend Analysis and Industry Outlook Reports. Although the top industries for online job postings (IT, Sales and Healthcare) remain strong, the report clearly indicates both job seekers and employers are beginning to feel the impact of the failing economy.

A recent Beyond.com poll of more than 4,500 professionals found that over 49 percent feel that their job could be impacted by the pending economic recession. As a result of these insecurities, there has been a rapid increase in the number of professionals looking for jobs. Over the past quarter, online resume postings to the Beyond.com Network have increased substantially — by more than 50 percent. This trend is causing market saturation due to the overflow of candidates in relation to the number of jobs available, making it more difficult than ever for job seekers to land a job.

The state of the economy is not only affecting the competitiveness of the job market, but it is also causing a decline in jobs across many industries. In Q1 2008, the industries that experienced the largest percentage decrease in online job postings include Management & Business (-1.47%), Travel/Hospitality & Restaurant (-1.01%), and Accounting & Finance (-0.55%), although other industries also showed signs of slowing down.

As expected, Travel & Hospitality is one of the first industries to feel the repercussions of an economic downturn. In periods of economic turmoil, many consumers devote a larger portion of their discretionary income to necessary items, leaving less money to spend on vacations, retail and entertainment, resulting in fewer jobs in the hospitality industry.

The looming recession is also causing many companies to tighten their HR budgets, making it harder for job seekers to find a job, especially those with little to no experience such as recent college graduates. Rather than hiring multiple candidates that require additional training, many companies are choosing to hire one standout candidate instead.

“Our nation’s economic condition is a concern for many professionals, including those currently employed and actively looking for a new job,” says Rich Milgram CEO of Beyond.com, Inc. “With an overwhelming amount of professionals rushing to find a new job due to insecurities or recent graduation, and many industries declining as a result of the economy, it is more important than ever for professionals to network, find ways to stand out from other candidates and take initiative to prove themselves to employers to ensure future job security.”

The complete Career Trend Analysis Report and Industry Outlook Reports are available by visiting www.Beyond.com/Media.

About Beyond.com, Inc.

Beyond.com, Inc. is the world’s largest network of online niche career communities, powering more than 15,000 geographic and industry-specific sites. We are dedicated to helping business professionals, corporations and vertical communities connect with each other by providing relevant career search services, networking tools and portal software solutions. The Beyond.com Network attracts a niche audience of job seekers, professionals and corporations and delivers quality, targeted results through a multitude of online media and advertising models, including: recruitment advertising, email marketing, banner advertising and other lead generation vehicles.

Beyond.com is named to Inc. Magazine’s prestigious ‘Inc. 500’ list of the fastest growing private companies in 2007 and is a Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE:SFE) partner company. www.Beyond.com

This post comes from Whitworthian.

The number of students studying abroad in short-term programs has increased both for Whitworth and nationally. 

“Nationally, short-term programs are becoming more and more popular,” said Sue Jackson, director of the International Education Center.

Of the 260 students who participated in off-campus study programs during the 2006-07 school year, 217 participated in Jan Term or May Term trips, 40 in semester-long programs and three in year-long programs, according to data from Jackson.

Jackson said short-term programs can be classified as anything from the one-week trip to China over Spring Break with professor of philosophy Forrest Baird to Jan Term or summer exchanges. 

The number of Whitworth students studying abroad increased from 155 during the 1995-96 school year to 260 during the 2006-07 school year, according to the data from Jackson.

Whitworth’s goal is to have 75 percent of students participate in a study abroad program before they graduate, according to the 2005-2010 strategic plan.

About 50 percent of graduating seniors have gone abroad, said Michael Le Roy, vice president for Academic Affairs, in an e-mail.  

That does not include Whitworth-led study programs in the United States, Jackson said.

“Most of our efforts are focused on semester-long study abroad, by increasing International Exchange Student Program opportunities and also the center we are going to establish overseas by 2010,” Le Roy said in an e-mail. “On a cost-per-day basis, Jan Term programs and traveling study programs are much more expensive than residential programs.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This article is from Financial Planning.com and was written by Greg Kautt.

Much has been written about how it will be more difficult and expensive to find and retain talented people for the financial planning industry. Some have gone so far as to declare this a major sea change. Actually, it’s the inevitable consequence of an industry growing up. Finding and retaining the right professionals is not more difficult, it’s just that fast-growing firms need higher-caliber recruits.

Unfortunately, folks who have written much of what you’ve been reading about hiring difficulties don’t actually hire financial planners. I, on the other hand, do. In this column, I address what’s working well in our firm.

Reality Check

There are three critical trends affecting staff hiring:

Entry-level professionals from Generation Y. Born from 1976 to 1986, Generation Y workers are not nearly as motivated by money as the baby boomers were. They won’t respond to the same hiring tactics as baby boomers or Gen Xers. To recruit, train and motivate these folks requires different techniques. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post comes from Fox Business.

Travel agents used to be the go-to people for booking flights and mapping driving directions. But those days are long gone.

Instant access to travel Web sites like Orbitz and Expedia coupled with the popularity of GPS devices have led some to question whether technology has replaced the travel agent. But industry experts believe just the opposite: Technology has given travel agents the opportunity to excel in ways they weren’t able to before.

Travel is On Topic at FOXBusiness.com in April. From tips on booking cheap vacations to flying with your pets, we explore your top travel ideas. Check back throughout the month to find out what you need to know.

For travel agents, being able to communicate with clients at every hour of the day while having access to quick and timely research has become essential, said Joanie Ogg, senior vice president of global sales at Travel Counsellors, an independent travel agency based in the United Kingdom.

“The Internet has actually been the best tool to a travel agent that we could ever ask for,” she said.

Much has changed since the industry’s early days, when airlines relied on travel agents to book reservations and paid them commissions for doing so. In the mid-1990s, airlines began cutting those commissions, forcing agencies to adapt.

“Travel agents recognized they were going to have to move the pendulum and find a way to be important to our industry and still be a profitable business,” Ogg said.

While some agencies sank under the loss of commissions, others swam. The simultaneous rise of online ticket Web sites allowed agencies to focus less on reservations and more on providing the consumer with quality advice and information. Agents across the country began to close their storefront offices, choosing to work from home to avoid overhead costs and capitalize on emerging online capabilities, said Ogg.

Today, travel agencies account for nearly $110 billion in sales, or 41% of all travel booked in the U.S., according to a recent survey released by travel market research firm PhoCusWright. And that’s not including online travel agencies, which might bring that to 60% or 70%, said William Maloney, executive vice president and COO at the American Society of Travel Agents [ASTA].

“Travel agents are still a vibrant force in the industry,” said Maloney, who believes a resurgence in the travel agent market is likely, given that small businesses–especially those so technologically integrated–are primed for job growth.

So, if it’s not airline bookings, what’s generating sales in this market? According to the experts, a shift into niche and specialty markets has proved very profitable for travel agents. There are certain kinds of travel excursions that people aren’t going to plan without consulting someone with experience, said Mike Pina, director of public relations at AAA. Some of these specialty travel areas include adoption travel, health travel, volunteer travel and grandparent travel–all of which require detailed itinerary planning and instruction, he said.

Some web sites are starting to catch on. Visitors to Tripology.com, for example, submit information about the kind of trip they’d like to go on and are then matched up with three real travel agents who specialize in that specific kind of trip (considering budget, destination, special needs, etc). After talking to the agents via phone or e-mail and viewing customer feedback, the consumer can then decide who she/he feels can best help them, and arrange the trip with that agent at the agent’s own price. The site costs nothing for the consumers requesting its services, its merely a matchmaking site for travelers and travel agents.

Since its launch in June 2007, more than 28,000 requests have been submitted to Tripology, said Brett Krasnove, the company’s vice president of product development. The secret to its success? Being able to hook consumers up with the information and advice that only a person with experience can provide.

“With the decline in the economy, if [people] are going to spend money on a vacation, they want to make sure that it’s spent right,” Krasnove said.

Another reason to work with a travel agent: security. A good travel agent will be reliable and able to guide you through any delays or mishaps on your trip. The agent can make changes to your reservation without you having to spend hours on the phone trying to fix your online booking, said Jo Dubiel, a certified travel consultant.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expecting little to no job growth in the travel agent sector through 2016. But for those on the front lines, like Dubiel, who serves as the online facilitator for Gatlin Education’s travel course offered in colleges across the globe, that’s just not true.

Dubiel has said the number of students she sees in any given course has doubled because of the flexibility a travel agent career offers. She has seen it open doors for foreign students who “know the problems of international travel and are looking to specialize within their own built-in market,” as well as retirees, those looking for a second income, and those who are bilingual.

“There will always be a need for knowledgeable, professional assistance in planning a business trip or long dreamed about vacation,” she said. “The agencies and their agents who have found their niche market and specializations will be sought out by people seeking their own rewarding experience.”