Consumer confidence up

According to a mid-April survey by the MTSU Office of Consumer Research, the MT consumer confidence index surged to 342, compared to 191 in February. The present situation index rose to 28 from 4, reflecting a sense that the economy is starting to turn around. The future situation index rose to 156 from 69; the purchasing index increased to 158 from 118. "The psychology of consumers can have dramatic effects on the future of the economy ... and since consumer spending makes up about two-thirds of the American economy, increases in consumer spending can provide a real boost to economic recovery."

Contact Dr. Tim Graeff, director of MTSU's Office of Consumer Research, at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

Reporting campus crime

A recent AP story talks about the fact that safety on a college campus is more and more becoming a consideration when a family is choosing a college--and that schools need to fully disclose their crime statistics. Jack Drugmand, chief of MTSU's police department couldn't agree more. "When I came here in 1983, I started immediately informing students [about crime statistics]--I've always been one to tell people on the front end." Drugmand adds that prior to the Clery Act of 1990, some universities were suppressing incidents of crime. Freshman Jeanne Clery was murdered in her dorm room at Lehigh University in 1986. The Clery Act requires all schools that receive federal funds to disclose crime history.

Contact Drugmand at 615-898-2424.
jdrugmand@mtsu.edu

Let's talk about it

A University of Denver researcher studied 168 middle-schoolers, 60 of their parents and 480 college students. Findings suggest that, while adults seemed to benefit from talking about 9-11 following the attack, kids seemed to profit more from getting involved in fund-raisers or wearing patriotic T-shirts. That doesn't surprise Dr. Susan Sobel, licensed clinical and school psychologist. "Some children will talk, but most are more comfortable with action of some kind as a means of communicating and coping. ... That's why play therapy is recommended with children 12 & under ... many children and adolescents communicate better through play, drawing or acting."

Contact Sobel at 615-898-5288.
ssobel@mtsu.edu