The UNC system instructed its member schools to offer in-state tuition to same-sex military spouses, despite North Carolina’s lack of same-sex marriage recognition. The federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 mandates military spouses are eligible for in-state tuition at public universities in the states where they reside or are stationed.
“The term ‘spouse’ is not defined in the federal higher education act, leaving a ques- tion as to whether same-sex spouses of active duty armed forces personnel would be eli- gible for the in-state tuition benefit required by the federal law,” said system spokesman Joni Worthington in an email. “The U.S. Department of Education, pursuant to its higher education act regulatory authority, has determined that a student is considered married if the student was legally married in a jurisdiction that recognizes the relation- ship as a valid marriage, regardless of where the couple resides.”Fayetteville State University asked the UNC system for clarification on the policy in April — the first and only instance a same- sex military spouse requested the in-state tuition benefit from a system school, said Worthington.
N.C. State will debut slogan
N.C. State will phase out its “This is Our State” slogan and launch a new mar- keting campaign for its athletic program.
Athletics director Deborah Yow said in an email the “Our State” theme, as well as another slogan, “Wolfpack Unlimited, Refuse to Accept the Status Quo,” will only be used sporadically in the future, likely for special occasions.
“A new and fresh theme will soon be rolled out by our terrific marketing staff,” Yow said in the email. “It will be geared to social media use since so many of us now rely on our mobile devices for timely information of all kinds.”
The “Our State” campaign was a play on the university’s name, its economic impact on North Carolina and its in- state alumni network, she said in the email.
The “Wolfpack Unlimited” slogan is four years old. Yow said in the email she cannot predict the lifespan of the upcom- ing campaign.
“But, whatever its lifespan for primary use, we will always have it to use as we desire in the years to come,” she said in the email.
UNC-SA program ranked sixth
The Hollywood Reporter polled 60 casting directors and agents, who identi- fied UNC School of the Arts’ pre-profes- sional drama program as sixth best in the world. The School of Drama enrolls 26 pre- professional students every year, out of more than 450 applicants, said Dean Carl Forsman.
The school also offers a high school program, ranked third in the world by The Hollywood Reporter.
“We’re thrilled to be on the list,” he said. “People have said we’re a really well-kept secret and we don’t want to be a well-kept secret anymore. We feel like we’re competi- tive with Juilliard and Carnegie Mellon and the top drama schools in the country, and being on this list shows it.”
Forsman said one reason for the program’s success is a top-notch faculty for whom the average term length is 14 years.
“The UNC-SA begun as and remains the only publicly supported, stand-alone arts conservatory in the country,” he said. “The support for the arts, the radical invention and creativity is still here.”
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