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(11/23/09 4:14am)
BOONE — Student leaders from across the state resolved this weekend to oppose the state-mandated tuition increases for the 2010-11 school year.The Association of Student Governments passed a resolution at its meeting Saturday at Appalachian State University urging the state legislature to repeal the 8 percent or $200 tuition increase it passed in August.The resolution says that if the tuition increase can’t be repealed, the funds raised should go back to the schools, rather than the state’s budget, as is the plan now.The association is composed of student body presidents and delegations from each of the system schools and is charged with representing the students to the state legislature and the UNC-system Board of Governors.The resolution also stated that the N.C. General Assembly should approve the tuition rates recommended by the Board of Governors, which considers and votes on each of the campuses’ recommendations.Greg Doucette, president of the association, said that in the past three years, the state legislature has accommodated the requests of the Board of Governors.“It lays the groundwork for dealing with the state legislature,” he said of the resolution. “We would really, really appreciate if they defer to the Board of Governors on tuition rates.”At the association’s October 2008 meeting, it passed a resolution recommending specific tuition increases for each campus — a move later criticized by system leadership as being too hasty. Several campuses’ Boards of Trustees had not yet submitted their recommendations to the UNC system.This year, Doucette said, the association has taken a different approach to tackling tuition issues.The multifaceted tactic involves passing resolutions, attending board meetings and gaining feedback from students directly impacted by the tuition increase, he said.“What I want is for them to talk to their students and find out what the students want,” Doucette said of the system student body presidents.UNC-Chapel Hill Student Body President Jasmin Jones said she plans to organize a tuition campaign for the month of January.Jones said she is organizing a petition urging the N.C. General Assembly to return tuition increase funds to the university system.“I think this is a perfect opportunity for student advocacy, and that’s exactly what ASG is doing,” she said.P.A. Rowe, head of the committee that passed the resolution, said he thinks that if the campaign is successful, it will greatly benefit students.“It would be nice to keep that money on our campuses because we all have our own individual needs that we need to satisfy,” he said.The success of the movement depends on multiple factors, Doucette said.“I think unfortunately a lot of it’s going to come down to what the economy is like come April,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic but preparing for the worst.”Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/12/09 5:10am)
While UNC-system leaders urge universities to raise their academic quality, some small schools worry this will conflict with the needs of the populations they serve.The mandate is less problematic for large universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill, but for smaller regionally based schools, raising admission standards could have the unintended result of excluding the students they are meant to serve.“We’re all about access,” said Alan Mabe, UNC-system vice president for academic affairs.“But unless access is translated into student success, it’s limited.”Concerns about academic quality come from some schools admitting unprepared students during periods of rapid growth, UNC-system leaders said last month. State funding for universities is currently tied to enrollment growth.“I think some campuses were so enthusiastic about growth and access that they did not give equal attention to whether all of the students were positioned for success,” stated Board of Governors Chairwoman Hannah Gage in an e-mail.The board is weighing how best to encourage schools to maintain academic quality while growing.UNC-Greensboro serves many first-generation and minority students who have different needs and priorities than typical students, said David Perrin, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.Many have to support themselves financially and come from families that can’t guide them through the educational system.“The targets set by (General Administration) are quite ambitious for any campus,” Perrin said. “It’s a challenge for everyone, but it’s especially a challenge here.”Students who need to pay their way must work and attend class, which could delay their graduation, said Charles Harrington, provost and vice chancellor for student affairs at UNC-Pembroke.Graduation and retention rates are key factors used to measure academic quality.UNC-P primarily serves the American Indian population in eastern North Carolina and first-generation college students who have few academic opportunities, Harrington said.Jon Young, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University, said that in rural and poor communities, students can meet the system’s requirements on paper and still not be ready for college.To prepare these underserved populations for the academic rigors of a university, the schools have launched various programs.FSU is known for its “summer bridge” program, a five-week intensive program designed to help students who did not meet admission requirements but want to enroll. UNC-G has a similar program.“It appears to be quite successful in terms of preparing people who might not have had the greatest preparation,” Mabe said. “They spent a lot of time with these students and give them a jump on their first year.”Several universities are trying to increase their involvement with students’ academics by creating academic support groups, expanding advising and encouraging student involvement on campus. “The more involved students are in the life of the university, the greater the likelihood they’re going to stay at that campus and do better academically,” Harrington said.The focus needs to remain on meeting the students’ needs, the university leaders insist.“We don’t want to increase them to the standard that we preclude the kind of students we pride ourselves on having from coming here,” Perrin said.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/03/09 5:07am)
Editor's note: The original headline on this story mistakenly said that the majority of ASG's budget went to salaries. It is the largest portion, not the majority. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
(08/31/09 4:22am)
Correction: This article has been revised to correct an error that incorrectly stated what action the Association of Student Governments took regarding their budget. The ASG approved only its non-recurring budget, not the whole budget. The recurring portion of the budget, which is funded by student fees, was approved unanimously at the April meeting.
(12/03/08 5:00am)
On the first day of 2008 North Carolina was in the middle of the worst drought in the state's history. Sixty-seven counties were slated in the most severe level of dryness.This drought which has been affecting the state since early 2007 created a swath of dry counties starting in the west and sweeping through the middle of the state leaving the east in lower — but still serious — drought conditions.Many counties imposed water restrictions which ranged from voluntary efforts to mandatory restrictions like lawn irrigation and car washing.UNC-Chapel Hill contributed to those efforts in Orange County by encouraging reduced water use in the residence halls fixing leaks across campus and installing special water-saving appliances.In mid-August 18 counties were still suffering from severe drought. This number has been steadily decreasing" partially because of the remnants of tropical storms that affected the state.The problem was that those storm-caused rains didn't touch the mountains.""Some of the western counties are going into their third year of drought" which is very unusual" said Ryan Boyles, director of the State Climate Office.They haven't had the recovery in their groundwater and streams and reservoirs.""Boyles said that water management varies by county and community" since most of that responsibility is left to local governments" but that most counties had taken a more aggressive stance on water conservation.He added that people generally have become more conscious about water use and are still saving under voluntary restrictions.""People got used to using less water"" he said. They've decided they don't need as much.""As of Nov. 25" only 11 counties are in the most severe category of drought. Chapel Hill and Carrboro reservoirs are at 86 percent of their capacities.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/24/08 5:00am)
DURHAM — A statewide student government organization struck down without debate this weekend a resolution supporting access to community colleges for undocumented students.Resolution 19 encouraged the N.C. Community College System to admit undocumented students while the system continues to examine the issue.A UNC-system Association of Student Governments committee defeated the resolution by a vote of three to one with more than half of the members abstaining.The bill failed with no debate. Attempts to bring the bill up for reconsideration also failed.The goal of this resolution parallels the mission of the UNC-CH Coalition for College Access which supports universal access to a college education.The community college system has historically had an open door policy for undocumented students which came under review again in May. The NCCCS has since barred the admission of undocumented students until it further studies the legalities of the issue.Resolution 19 falls under the association's mission to advocate for students' access to an education at a reasonable cost.Chazz Clevinger vice president of the committee in which the bill was discussed" said he thinks the reason so few members voted is because they did not fully understand the bill or they weren't sure of their university's stance on the issue.Clevinger said that the matter should have been discussed further regardless.""I believe this is an issue that deserves full and vigorous debate because of the vast majority of people it affects"" he said. Clevinger, as vice president, did not vote.Asha Purohit, a UNC-Asheville delegate and author of the resolution, said the number of abstentions was probably due to committee members' inexperience.A lot of people were new" a lot were alternates and most of them were making it out as an immigration issue" she said.ASG President Greg Doucette did not send a copy of the resolution to delegates until early Friday morning, leaving them with little time to prepare or research the issue.Some members pushed hard to have the resolution heard anyway. But a motion to have the resolution come before the general assembly of delegates failed by a 19 to 10 vote.Some, including Speaker of UNC-CH Student Congress Tim Nichols, argued that the committee's decision should be respected. Nichols was one of three to vote against the resolution in committee. He declined multiple requests for comment.Clevinger said the students were probably driven by their own opinions, not those of their institutions.It's a shame certain individuals cannot differentiate between student interests and their own individual ideological beliefs"" he said.UNC-CH student Ron Bilbao, who, as assistant vice president of the committee, was unable to cast a vote, said the issue's unpopularity can cause people to keep quiet.Bilbao is a member of the UNC-CH Coalition for College Access.I'm not too surprised by the vote"" he said. But I'm very disappointed.""Ashley Timmreck" a UNC-Pembroke delegate who opposed the resolution said those who voted against it probably based their decisions on their personal feelings about the issue" as she did.""The decision we made might not reflect our school" but it most certainly reflects how we feel Timmreck said.Docuette said he expects the resolution to come up again in January.I think it was a learning experience and I made it clear to folks that we have some work to do" Doucette said. I'm fine with that as long as in January we come back strong again.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/21/08 5:00am)
The UNC-system Association of Student Governments will spend its last meeting of the fall semester this weekend preparing for one of next semester's biggest projects.The association which is comprised of student leaders from all the UNC-system schools is trying to revamp the Advocacy Corps a program intended to involve students in lobbying the state government on relevant issues such as tuition.Each school will appoint two students to the corps. However the program is having difficulty recruiting participants. As of Thursday only four schools had submitted any applications.Chazz Clevinger who leads the committee in charge of the program" said the low level of response is due to deadlines placed on the campuses — they were supposed to turn in at least six applications for spots on the corps by Nov. 7. ""Time constraints are the number one thing I'm up against right now"" Clevinger said.The legislative and public affairs committee of the association is continuing to recruit members from each school, he said.Greg Doucette, the ASG president, said the problem is partially one of recruitment efforts and partially one of a lack of resources.A lot of universities aren't in a position to reach out to the students collectively"" he said. We can't paint everything with a one-size-fits-all approach.""Clevinger echoed that sentiment" saying that he and the committee were working with schools and being flexible to help make sure they are all represented in the corps.Because of the time crunch and because of how few students have applied" Clevinger said there will be a motion in the committee this weekend to pass the responsibility of choosing applicants on to the student body presidents.""Although this process isn't as ideal as we would like" it's the best we could come up with in three weeks time" Clevinger said.He said the most important thing is full representation, which means that some universities might have to directly appoint members to the corps.We will provide a customized plan for each campus to make sure they are fully represented in the corps"" he said.David Mofford, Appalachian State University student body president, said students at the university were very enthusiastic about the corps ,and he had several applicants.I think it's going to be an organization that puts a face to the UNC system"" he said.In the past the corps has not been as successful as it could be, Doucette said.Clevinger said that to avoid repeating past problems — such as disrespect toward legislators or uninformed participants — they will host an extensive training session Dec. 12 and 13.The association is organizing a trip for the corps to Washington, D.C. in early January and a students' day in Raleigh on March 17.Mofford also said he thinks the corps is a good opportunity for the schools to work together for a common cause.There seems to be a lot of cooperation between the schools this year in ASG.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/20/08 5:00am)
RALEIGH — A group of about 50 black students protested as the N.C. State University Student Senate passed a resolution Wednesday calling for community service" diversity education and counseling for the students who wrote racist threats to President-elect Barack Obama on campus.The protestors said the resolution was not harsh enough. They support suspension or expulsion for the students — consequences that were recommended in the original resolution last week.""I don't feel like the slap on the hand of making them do community service will change their lives in any way"" said junior Genesis Atkins, who carried a laminated poster with the names of more than 600 students who supported harsher punishment.The resolution — which passed 48-to-1 with three abstentions — was hotly discussed. Maritza Adonis, the single naysayer, said that while the slurs did not personally offend her, she was voting to represent the students.Students elected me here to represent them. That's why I voted no"" she said. I'm embarrassed to be a Wolfpack senator.""Adonis said she felt that many senators were pressured to vote a certain way" and that they did not stand for the voice of the students. She said she talked to students on campus" who mentioned feeling unsafe as a result of the racist comments on the free expression tunnel.""It's hard to be standing for the right thing"" she said.Some senators called on the students crowded in the back of the room to offer their opinions, which overwhelmingly supported harsher punishment.Atkins said the majority of the 600 signatures on the petition for stronger consequences were from white students. Many black students have become nonchalant because they don't think their opinions have weight, she said.They don't feel like their voices are heard. And tonight they weren't"" she said.Senate President Pro Tem Kelli Rogers said that prior to the meeting, the resolution went through an extensive discussion process with students and faculty to ensure all opinions were heard.However, Adonis said university officials are scared to heed demands for harsher punishment because the university is afraid of being sued.I challenge the administration to get up" stop being scared and do the fighting" she said.Greg Doucette, student senate president, said that despite some senators' condemnation of their colleagues, he was glad to see the student body and the senators so involved in the issue.I think this is the most engaged I've seen the student body on any of the issues we've dealt with"" he said.Sarah Lindh, a senator who supported the resolution, said she thought it was well-researched and well-written.I think this was a perfect example of the legislative process in action"" she said.Atkins, however, said she felt misrepresented by the senators.I was disappointed that they were elected"" she said. They voted against the students.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/31/08 4:00am)
UNC-system President Erskine Bowles said that the UNC-system Association of Student Governments should not have gotten involved in tuition discussions as early as it did.The group comprised of student leaders from across the state passed a tuition resolution last weekend but its results will remain shelved until early next year.The ASG funded by a $1 fee from every student enrolled in a UNC-system school outlined student-requested percent increases on tuition for each university at its monthly meeting last weekend.The UNC-system Board of Governors informally requested ASG's input following discussion of a tuition freeze at its October meeting.However in an e-mail Tuesday to BOG Chairwoman Hannah Gage" Bowles said he didn't think the BOG should have asked for the ASG's opinion until after tuition request numbers had come in from all the universities. ""That's not the way I think business should be done"" he stated in the e-mail. This University has an orderly process on tuition decisions. I've worked hard to instill this process.""Multiple attempts to contact UNC General Administration were unsuccessful.Leroy Lail" chairman of the BOG budget and finance committee" said the BOG decided to defer the October tuition discussions until individual universities' task forces finish gathering material.""It's not too soon"" he said of the ASG resolution. We decided to wait until we'd had the opportunity to evaluate all the data.""The process will be finished in February. Bowles will then make a formal recommendation to the BOG.Lail said the ASG resolution would still be taken into account when the BOG starts to deliberate.""We like to hear from the students" we really do" he said.ASG President Greg Doucette, who is N.C. State University's Senate President, said that although he understands Bowles's concern, he is glad the association addressed the issue early.His concern was that we're making our decision prior to getting all the facts"" Doucette said of Bowles's reaction. What I conveyed to him was that whether or not students can afford the increase is independent of whether increases are justified and needed.""UNC-Greensboro's delegation voted for a tuition cap different from the one their student body president had lobbied for on the school's tuition task force" whose decision on tuition wasn't final at the time.At the ASG meeting UNC-G passed a 2 percent increase cap rather than the 6.5 percent cap their university recommended" UNC-G Student Body President Michael Tuso said.""They knew that that was going to be on the table" Tuso said. For our specific purposes" the delegation used the 2 percent as a symbolic representation.""Bowles" in the e-mail to Gage" cited that discrepancy as an example of why ASG may have acted too soon. ""I don't think it can be classified as a failure if the association is advocating for what the students want" Tuso said.Doucette said the association was simply fulfilling its duty to represent UNC-system students. I stand by my opinion to the board to the President and to anyone in the association that our product is valid" he said.I have little doubt that what they see now would have been they would have seen had we adopted this in January.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/28/08 4:00am)
Despite limited involvement in a statewide student leader organization UNC-Chapel Hill Student Body President J.J. Raynor plans to implement reforms.However others in the association are reluctant to embrace recommendations from a school they don't think has made a full commitment to the organization.UNC-CH's participation in the UNC-system Association of Student Governments made up of student delegations from every UNC-system school has been sporadic and Raynor has appointed a permanent delegate in her place. The reforms are needed to address prevalent underperformance in the association" she said.""If we're going to be a part of ASG" we might as well make it work. And if it's not going to work well" it's back to the drawing board.""Raynor and her permanent delegate" Logan Liles have been working on their reform agenda since Liles' appointment at the beginning of the school year.ASG President Greg Doucette has backed off of his initial promises of reform Raynor said and she hopes to get them rolling with support from other student body presidents. Unilateral efforts have failed in the past" she said.""It has only been really after the last couple of meetings that we realized we would have to push that ourselves" she said.Doucette said that Raynor hasn't presented her ideas to him and that there is other work to be done.There are certain pressing issues like tuition which the (Board of Governors) has asked us to address" he said. I'm not going to shove the important policy issues of the day in order to address the whim of someone who doesn't even attend my meetings."" Tim Ernst" UNC-Charlotte student body president" said neither Liles nor Raynor have approached him with their plans.""I'd be interested to see what kind of reforms she would want to impose"" he said. I haven't seen her at any of the meetings.""If ASG doesn't make changes" UNC-CH might withdraw Raynor said" adding that some association members have made it difficult for UNC-CH to participate effectively.""We're hopeful that once ASG gets over the fact that we're sending an official delegate" we can get back to conversations about how to make it more effective" she said.It has been really hard for Chapel Hill to take part in the meetings with the atmosphere what it is right now.""ASG might find UNC-CH's withdrawal a relief"" Ernst said.""I think it would be good riddance" he said. Given UNC-CH's limited participation" any drastic action by them wouldn't be taken seriously.""Additionally" ASG is trying to reform itself Doucette said. It hired a consultant this summer to analyze its weaknesses.UNC-CH student Jonathan Tugman a former Daily Tar Heel associate opinion editor also offered consulting services to Doucette as part of a business class project.Tugman one of Raynor's executive assistants decided Monday to scrap the project" which was unrelated to his student government duties. Appalachian State University Student Body President David Mofford said Raynor's fixes might not go over well in the association.""I don't see them approving someone that just swoops in who we haven't seen since July"" he said. For her to send (Liles) and say this is what I want to do … it would mean a lot more if she came herself.""And a UNC-CH withdrawal won't have much of an impact"" Mofford said.""In all honesty"" it's like they've already withdrawn. … We're going to be OK if they pull out.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/27/08 4:00am)
BOONE — Student leaders from across the state took a formal stance on tuition increases at each of the system's constituent universities at its meeting this weekend.The UNC-system Association of Student Governments an organization intended to represent the voices of students within the university system met at Appalachian State University in Boone with a record attendance of almost 70 students.The UNC Board of Governors the body that sets tuition for each of the system universities informally raised at its October meeting the possibility of a tuition freeze. The board asked the ASG — comprising student body presidents and their delegations — to submit a recommendation on tuition.The last time ASG was consulted on an issue of such importance was four years ago said ASG President Greg Doucette.Most delegations requested increases considerably smaller than the caps set by their schools aside from the UNC-Charlotte delegation which requested the same amount. Six universities including UNC-Chapel Hill requested to have no increase for the next year. The resolution itself which outlined the official cap and the student-requested cap for each university passed unanimously.However with three constituent universities missing from the meeting because of homecoming activities there was concern about how to represent the opinions of Winston Salem State University N.C. Central University" and Elizabeth City State University students.Some members were reluctant to allow student body presidents from those schools to weigh in by phone because it could set a precedent for future meetings.""Isn't the point of our meetings to get things done here rather than over the phone and by e-mail?"" ASU delegate Phil Schneider asked of the ASG General Assembly.Others argued that the resolution would be weakened by the absence and that by striking them from the list"" they would be excluded from dialogue on an important issue.""We are all affected by tuition — all 17 institutions"" said N.C. Agricultural and Technical University Student Body President Marcus Bass. We don't want to negatively impact the voices of the institutions who want their voices heard."" Ultimately they took input from presidents of the three universities by phone or e-mail and included them in the resolution.Doucette said he was concerned with the last-minute nature of the requests from WSSU and NCCU.""It exposed some continuing structural weakness that we need to continue to work on"" he said.The association also passed a resolution supporting the creation of a football team at UNC-Charlotte and confirmed two committee vice presidents, including UNC student Chazz Clevinger as the vice president of legislative and public affairs. By default four UNC-CH students were confirmed as his assistants. Doucette said that while he isn't sure what the BOG will decide about tuition, he will present the resolution to the individual members in hopes of persuading them.It basically comes down to trying to talk to folks one-on-one prior to the November meeting to try to convince them to go along.""He said many BOG members are against freezing tuition because of the potential it has for eroding the quality of the education.But Doucette said that" especially with the economic slowdown" the greater problem would be losing students who will eventually need to find a job.""I think it runs a great risk of pushing people out of the university when an education is what they need.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/24/08 4:00am)
This weekend UNC-system student leaders will weigh in on how much of a tuition increase they think their constituents can handle.Tuition will be the key issue on the agenda at the Association of Student Governments monthly meeting this weekend at Appalachian State University.The talk follows informal discussion by the Board of Governors budget and finance committee last weekend on a possible moratorium on 2008-09 tuition hikes.""By and large we need to make sure we have tuition as affordable as possible in good times and bad times"" said board member Craig Souza, who supports a freeze.Greg Doucette, ASG president and ex-officio member of the UNC Board of Governors, said each university delegation will be asked what increase their students are willing to see, if any. That feedback will then be turned over to the BOG.Families are struggling" and I'm a former dropout. I hate seeing tuition increases anytime" Doucette said. I'm going to try and talk with the board to push whatever the students want to push.""Souza said the BOG is reluctant to act hastily and is looking for input from the universities before formally presenting the tuition freeze.""All the Board of Governors is doing now is contemplating what to do" Souza said. Everybody's got to tighten their belts now" and so do our campuses.""Doucette said he was unsure whether a freeze would stand up to future discussion by the board.""I don't know if the votes are there to pass any kind of freeze"" he said.Bunny Sanders, BOG secretary and a member of the budget and finance committee, said the BOG has an obligation to consider how a freeze could alleviate at least some of the financial hardships students face.Kids are going to have an especially hard time" she said. It hasn't happened" but it is something that I think we have the obligation to consider.""Logan Liles" leader of the UNC-CH delegation said that while tuition increases are often not welcomed by students sometimes they are necessary.The UNC-CH tuition and fee advisory task force recommended tuition increases earlier this week for in-state and out-of-state undergraduates" as well as graduate students.""There's always a love-hate kind of relationship"" Liles said. Students want the best education possible while having to pay as little as necessary to have that.""Liles also said the BOG's request for input from ASG is a testament to the improved legitimacy of the association this year.""I think they're going to give it a lot of weight" he said.Souza said students should be an integral part of all decisions regarding tuition.I think that students should always have their voices heard when it comes to the increase of tuition and fees he said.After all" they're the ones who pay it.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/28/08 4:00am)
GREENSBORO — UNC-system student leaders spent their Saturday afternoon allotting funds to encourage voting and registration on campus.At the September meeting of the UNC-system Association of Student Governments the government operations committee allocated $11500 allotted for Get Out to Vote campaigns" which encourages nonpartisan voting activities on campus.""It's going towards a very popular cause"" said Dexter Mullins, vice chairman of the committee. This money's going to be used not just on the campuses"" but to reach out.""Ten universities requested between about $1"000 and $2000 to fund items such as buttons and banners food and guest speakers for events and vans for transporting students to the polls.The committee decided the grants based on how well-organized the applications were and whether the sponsoring delegates followed guidelines. Some universities were granted their full request while others were given partial funds. The committee disqualified two requests because they violated guidelines. Fayetteville State University and N.C. State University both had their proposals thrown out for failing to include a signature page losing out on $2000 and $1000 respectively.Greg Doucette the ASG president said he was sorry to see his own school lose the money but was proud of the committee for adhering strictly to guidelines" which include a balanced budget and the sponsoring delegate's signature.""I'm very ecstatic that they held N.C. State accountable"" he said. Hopefully it will be a sign of things to come.""Doucette also said he was impressed by the number of schools that actually took the initiative to apply for the funds. UNC-Chapel Hill was not one of them.""To have the majority of schools fill out the forms — I was very surprised by that and impressed by it.""The allocations were decided in the span of about two hours"" with considerable debate about the guidelines and about whether universities were qualified.Mullins said the meeting was proof of the drastic improvement the ASG has made from previous years.""I think that sometimes we can get caught up in debate a little too much"" Mullins said. But this is not the ASG from 2006 and 2007.""David Mofford" Appalachian State University student body president said he believes the committee awarded ASU the $1835 they requested because their proposal was strong and organized.ASU student government is planning on spending the money on buttons" T-shirts and banners to distribute on campus. ""This is a very politically active campus" he said. We don't care how you vote" as long as you vote.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/02/08 4:00am)
WILMINGTON - The UNC- system Association of Student Governments started off its 37th session this weekend the way it ended its 36th - with a bang.Last session ended with a controversial presidential election that sowed uneasy feelings among some delegates to the body charged with representing UNC-system students and their interests.However this weekend's bang was a triumphant one. The ASG plowed through a revised constitution" approved a new budget and confirmed nine executive officers - all in one day.""Even today" I'm still absolutely stunned" ASG President Greg Doucette told The Daily Tar Heel on Monday, after the meeting.But the road leading up to the weekend wasn't exactly smooth.The week before the meeting, one committee officer resigned and Doucette withdrew his nomination for another. However, qualified replacements quickly filled the vacancies, Doucette said.I don't want to replace (delegates)" but if they screw up I will" Doucette said.I think that was kind of the implied message that came out this weekend.""The ASG has been widely criticized for inefficiency and corruption in the past" and Doucette has made transparency and accountability a priority for his presidency.The ASG budget has also been a tripping point for the organization in the past - but this year it passed smoothly even with the addition of several new programs.The organization is responsible for allocating a recurring budget of $199000 that comes from student fees and a $99000 surplus from previous years.Jason Smith the ASG chief financial officer" stressed his dedication to financial efficacy.""I think any good budget has to be a little bit flexible"" he said. I think that it will work well with the kind of financial leadership we have this year and the kind of political leadership we have.""Doucette said that he hopes the new programs will put the student fees to good use. In the past" ASG has been accused of being wasteful with student money.The new budget includes funding for the launch of UNC Today an Internet-based survey that will let students give feedback to the ASG and various voter mobilization efforts that will receive a hefty portion of the budget.University campuses can apply for a competitive grant which will be used to encourage voter participation. Constituent high schools UNC School of the Arts and N.C. School of Science and Math will receive money to encourage voter registration among high school seniors.Doucette's message of efficacy appears to already resonate with members. UNC-Asheville Student Body President Nick Ladd whose school stopped participating in ASG business last year was at the meeting Saturday. He said the school plans to resume involvement.Ladd also said that although this meeting was mostly about working out kinks in the budget and constitution" he expects to see more initiatives spurred by the student representatives in upcoming months.""I think things have been off to a really positive start"" Ladd said.Constitutional revisions, which passed unanimously, should encourage increased input, Doucette said.It's not just me as president setting the agenda" it's the students setting the agenda" he said.ASG leader pledges reformContact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/29/08 4:00am)
The UNC-system Association of Student Governments has a packed agenda and a weighty responsibility to turn itself around at its first meeting of the year this weekend.
Last year proved to be a messy and controversial one for ASG. The year saw the resignation of President Cole Jones after he was convicted of assault in August 2007. The association never quite regrouped before the year ended.
Current ASG President Greg Doucette, a senior at N.C. State University, said that he has high hopes for the year and that he has extensive plans for the budget, something ASG has struggled to handle in past years.
The Association receives $199,000 each year in student fees, and currently has about $99,000 in surpluses from the last four years.
"I think ASG was a little too concerned with its internal politics," he said, explaining that initiatives got lost in the shuffle so money wasn't spent effectively.
Doucette said he has plans for the money this year, including UNC Today, a program which would allow students to communicate their wishes for ASG action directly to the Board of Governors.
Doucette said that the initial draft of the new budget was approved by the Council of Student Body Presidents, a body of the ASG, and it will go up for approval at the meeting this weekend.
"I've tried to treat it like an honest-to-God budget," Doucette said. "We more or less started from scratch."
A habit of unproductive budget debates could get worse this year when working with such a large sum, said J.J. Raynor, UNC-Chapel Hill student body president.
"It's almost too much money for that organization to handle," she said.
Raynor said she wants the ASG to be less concerned with internal politics and more concerned with UNC-system students - she criticized the ASG for getting involved in issues that have few benefits for students.
"ASG is two steps removed from students, but is charged with representing them," she said. "What I want to see is an organization that becomes more representative of its students."
Andrew Griffin, student body president at East Carolina University, said that he wants to see the organization focus on projects that are easily implemented and completed.
"You need to focus on a couple of initiatives that you can get done instead of stretching yourself too far," Griffin said.
There's been a lot of talk about doing things, but this year there seems like there's going to be a lot more accountability."
Handling the budget and increasing accountability are both key to the greater goal of restoring the ASG's integrity.
Ethical scandals and ineffectiveness have undermined faith in the ASG's abilities for many years.
"Following through isn't difficult. You just have to make a mental commitment and do it," Doucette said. "We have to show that we can responsibly handle the money."
It could be an uphill battle for the beleaguered organization, but Doucette said that past struggles make any move a step up.
"It's been mediocre for so long that looking excellent isn't that hard."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/25/08 4:00am)
Universities in western North Carolina are stepping up efforts to help their counties weather the drought - an increasingly imperative collaboration as dry conditions worsen.
(08/19/08 4:00am)
Tuberculosis cases are growing in prevalence in North Carolina and the disease is showing up disproportionately often among the state's immigrant population.
"We had 54 cases of TB in 2007. Sixty-five percent of those were foreign-born," said Gibbie Harris, Wake County community health director.
There were 52 cases in Wake County in 2006 and 34 in 2005.
TB cases are decreasing overall, said Maureen O'Rourke, TB program manager at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
She said cases among immigrants are showing up in such high percentages because prevalence of the disease among the general population is declining.
TB treatment requires that a health care professional be present to monitor the patient when they take their medicine, said Carol Hamilton, medical director for the Health and Human Services TB Control Program.
"The treatment has been the same for 20 or 30 years, requiring anywhere from two to four different medications that are taken over six to nine months," she said.
That means that a TB patient is required to keep coming in to take multiple medicines, and that he must continue treatment even when he begins to feel better.
A new crop of obstacles arises when dealing with the immigrant community - difficulties on top of the ones already associated with treating TB.
The language barrier can complicate treatment, particularly for TB, which requires significant communication between the patient and the health care professional to follow the treatment schedule.
Hamilton said that because the Center for Disease Control and Prevention doesn't provide enough money to support full-time translators, some community health departments must dip into their own funds. Some counties cannot afford to hire a translator.
The uncertain nature of many immigrants' legal status can lead to reluctance to obtain adequate treatment.
"People distrust the medical profession in their new country, and many times people don't have insurance," Hamilton said.
Some patients' fears of deportation present obstacles for health care professionals, Hamilton said.
"If they're here illegally, at the public health clinics we've had a long-standing practice of just not asking," Hamilton said. "They don't always know that or trust that."
Harris said that individuals can carry tuberculosis for a long time before the disease actually becomes active, so the cases may originate in immigrants' home countries.
"They've been exposed back in their country," she said. "But most people never get sick with it."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/19/08 4:00am)
All the tables, percentages and jumpy red lines presented at a meeting last week on the state drought led to one conclusion: The drought is far from over, and it is worsening in several parts of the state.
The N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council convened in Raleigh to discuss the increasingly arid region of Western North Carolina. An overview of drought severity across the state classified broad swaths of the western counties as severely, extremely or exceptionally dry, the worst of five categories.
(04/25/08 4:00am)
The UNC-system Association of Student Governments wrapped up the already controversial 2007-08 school year with yet another bang.
By a margin of one vote, Greg Doucette and Ashley Yopp claimed victory last Saturday as the newest ASG president and vice president.
The vote, which was originally 22-21 in favor of the Doucette-Yopp ticket, was brought to a tie when East Carolina University Student Body President Keri Brockett successfully challenged the legality of one of ECU's own delegates.
An N.C. State University delegate was also questioned, but chairman Thomas Brigman of Appalachian State University didn't uphold the challenge. Brigman's vote broke the tie.
Chase Matson, a UNC-Chapel Hill ASG delegate who ran against Doucette in the recent election, said he thinks the process was just.
"I think it was fair, handled in the best manner possible," he said.
But Yopp said she thought Brockett challenged the ECU delegate in an attempt to keep her from gaining the vice presidency - leaving questions about how unified the organization will be.
The last elected ASG president, Cole Jones, was nearly unanimously elected in 2007 despite his pending assault charge.
"He assured everybody that it would be dealt with very quickly," said Cody Grasty, Jones' vice president who assumed the presidency last October.
After Jones' Aug. 1 conviction, many assumed that he would quietly vacate his post. However, he chose to appeal the decision.
The two-month waiting game was ended only when Jones submitted his resignation letter in October.
"It was like we slammed into a ditch," Grasty said. "A lot of our skeletons in the closet came out at that time."
Grasty, who said he never wanted to be president in the first place, was faced with picking up the pieces of a fragmented organization.
"There was a lot of confusion and miscommunication," he said. "There were angry people; there were a lot of bad vibes."
Grasty said that he took some time off after being sworn in as president and that in retrospect he feels that he dropped the ball.
"I'm not calling the rest of the year a success," he said. "In fact, I'm saying that I failed miserably."
But Grasty did say he was proud that he kept the organization together. "We came from the worst possible situation ever to at least a level of maintaining."
Doucette said his plans for the association involve repairing its damaged reputation and increasing communication.
"There's going to be a focus on empowering students in a way that the association hasn't in the past three years," he said.
He said that he has talked with students from UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Asheville and that he thinks they will return delegates to the ASG next year.
UNC-C withdrew in September after the organization passed a vote of no confidence in Jones and failed to pass an interim budget, and Asheville withdrew in spring 2007, citing inefficiency.
Doucette also said he wants to work with UNC-system General Administration to hold down tuition, adding that it affected him personally when he had to drop out of N.C. State in 2000 for financial reasons.
"I'm in a position finally to hopefully help those people."
The budget, which cost UNC-system students $190,000 in fees last year, is arguably the most contested aspect of ASG.
The General Administration implemented in January a screening process for the organization's spending.
To remedy budget ailments, Doucette said he plans on establishing a Web site at which students can offer creative ideas about how ASG should spend the money.
"I want it to be a straight-up feedback thing."
Despite the rocky year, Grasty said he is confident that the organization will succeed. "The organization has no where to go but up."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(04/23/08 4:00am)
Sean Astin does not in fact have large, hairy feet. Or if he does, his sneakers hide them well.
Wearing blue jeans and a blazer, Astin couldn't have looked less like a hobbit when he appeared in the Student Union Tuesday evening.
The actor, who is most known as the character Samwise Gamgee in the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, stopped by UNC as part of his N.C. tour this week, endorsing Sen. Hillary Clinton.