DePaul is a Private University…not on Loop Campus!

When people think of Universities in Chicago, DePaul University is usually one to come to mind, so there’s no doubt that the university would have a few connections with some Chicago-related events, and representatives.  The mayor has donated tons of money to the school, and the university is one of the first to be included in holiday parades that march down Michigan Ave.  But why is DePaul so “plugged” into the city?

DePaul University is split into two campuses; one beautiful, and one that barely passes as a campus.  On any given day, the Loop campus is filled with not only students, but a number of pedestrians, including many loiters.  How does this constant flow of random pedestrians throughout the Loop campus affect the quality of the university?  Furthermore, how does it affect the experience of the students?  The same building that holds the school’s student center, is the same building that holds Chicago’s Water Department, as well as many eateries open to the public, so the pedestrians will always be there.  It seems there should be a set standard on how open a “Private University” should be to the public. 

Students spend tons of money each quarter paying for classes without knowing exactly where there money is going, or how it will benefit them.  Since entering four years ago, I have seen a few improvements on the Lincoln Park campus with the addition of the new library, and a few other buildings.  But what is the University spending to improve the Loop campus?

I have always imagined that DePaul would do something to privatize some part of the campus to make students feel more comfortable, or at least match the quality of the Loop campus with that of the beautiful Lincoln Park campus.  So what does the university do to help the Loop?  Add new dorms for DePaul students only?  Add a 24-hour library that can only be accessed by students? No, and no; the university invested $70 million dollars to build an arena by McCormick Place, open to the public!  Even more shocking, a former Cook County representative has consistently gotten paid $80,000 annually, by DePaul, for representing the university.  Being only a student, I cannot explain the university’s logic in these decisions, but it does make me feel like the system of the school’s budget could use some improvement.

Outside of the very few basketball games that the Blue Demons will have in this arena, it will be open to Chicago events, including Public Schools and Community Colleges.  This is great for Chicago, but how is this a benefit to the students of the university?

Hopefully this big investment will give the Loop campus a higher-quality feel.  Maybe the university wants to keep an open reputation to the city. 

Do you think this was a good investment?  What can the university invest in to improve the quality of the loop campus?  What are some of the standards a Private University campus should have?

Sources: Chicago Sun Times –

http://www.suntimes.com/20134943-761/navy-pier-revamp-depaul-arena-part-of-emanuel-tourism-and-tradeshow-plan.html

http://www.suntimes.com/20155858-761/depauls-man-at-city-hall-not-involved-in-arena-deal-officials-say.html

Quality of Work is Affected by Stress! What Triggers Your Stress, and How Can Employers Help?

 

Like many Americans, it is natural to be bothered by a few things in your work environment.  Some people are bothered by a coworker, their salary, or even their fear of being fired.  These, and other factors, are categories of stress in one’s work environment. 

We all know that the higher we are stressed at our jobs, the higher the chances that the quality of our work can progressively decrease.  So where does this leave the quality of America’s output, as the stress levels of the workers are progressively increasing?

Harrison Interactive, of Everest College, conducted a study of stress factors at work and how much individuals are bothered by it.  This study was conducted by phone, using 100 adults, between February 21st, and March 3rd.  This study was conducted last year, also, and according to their sample size, 73% of American workers were stressed by some factor of their jobs last year.  It is no surprise that this year’s study (released earlier this week) shows that, at a number of 83%, even more American workers are stressed at their jobs.

Below is the data from the study:

 

Percentage of Stress Factors at Work for American Workers by Year
              Stress Factor Year 2012     Year 2013
Low Pay 11%     14%
Unreasonable Workload 9%     14%
Commuting 9%     11%
Annoying Co-Workers 10%     11%
Working Outside Chosen Career 8%     8%
Work-Life Balance 5%     7%
Lack of Advancement Oportunity 5%     6%
Boss 4%     N/A
Fear of Being Fired N/A     4%


Since last year, each individual factor that didn’t remain constant, increased. The top two stress factors this year are pay and an unreasonable workload. Last year pay was still one of the top two stress factors along with annoying co-workers, which increased this year, also, just not as much as the stress of an unreasonable workload.

With the quality of American output at risk, what can companies do to keep the stress level of American workers down?  My personal opinion is to start by creating a comfortable work environment.  Some companies, such as Google, do many things to keep their work environments as stress-less as possible.  Google offers many perks to its staff, such as relaxation rooms, giant slides, free meals via gourmet chefs, motorized scooters to move through the offices, the option to bring pets to work, prayer rooms, company outings, and many more!  There are also some days where the employees have to stop the work their doing, to do something fun that they enjoy.

 

 

If all companies headed towards creating a relaxed environment, the stress levels of employees would decrease, increasing the quality of their work. Because pay has consistently been the number one stress factor of American workers, employers should consider giving raises to the well-deserving employees. Keeping employees as stress-less as possible can be considered as an investment in the increased quality of the employees’ work.

Because commuting is another high factor, companies should also consider parking perks for employees, where they can park for free in a company parking lot. Businesses can also consider a program with their city’s transit services, where the employees can receive discounts on bus and train passes.

 

 

 

Sources:

Forbes- http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/04/09/stressed-out-at-work-its-getting-worse-study-shows/

Chicago Tribune- http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-26/business/ct-biz-0827-workplace-stress-20120827_1_workplace-stress-annoying-co-workers-everest-college

Global Staff- http://globolstaff.com/the-perks-of-working-at-google.html