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(09/13/07 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Red runny noses don't go well with Carolina blue.
Flu season begins as early as November and can last until March.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Jeffrey Engel held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the unpredictable nature of flu outbreaks and to emphasize the importance of taking preventative measures this season.
What are the predictions for this year's flu season?
"There is still no way to predict what the season will be like," Engel said, adding that past data cannot accurately project the severity of future flu outbreaks.
What is a flu shot?
A flu shot is a dose of vaccine that generates immunity to certain strains of the virus. It is delivered by a needle to the arm.
Who should get a flu shot?
Those most vulnerable to the illness include young children, pregnant women, the elderly and health care workers. But Engel said flu shots also benefit the general public. "What we're trying to do is encourage everyone to get it."
What is the best time to get a flu shot?
October is the recommended month to receive a shot, Engel said. Antibodies that protect against flu develop about two weeks after a vaccine is given.
How many flu shots are available?
Nationwide 130 million doses are manufactured. Traditionally, large retailers receive their supply before small clinics, but Engel said the state is aiming for more equal distribution this year.
Will UNC offer flu shots?
Yes, Campus Health Services will be offering flu shots. The amount offered will depend on the supply received.
What are the side effects of flu shots?
Reactions including pain and redness at the injection site and mild fevers generally last a day or two. Those experiencing side effects are advised to take Tylenol, Engel said. A reaction signals a good immune system response, he added.
"It's your immune system doing what we want it to do, which is revving up."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
How to prevent the flu
(09/12/07 4:00am)
The much-anticipated progress report to Congress on the War in Iraq provided evidence of modest improvements in the security situation amid deepening skepticism of the Iraqi government's ability to build a national consensus.
The U.S. Congress, which is scheduled to vote on a defense appropriations bill next week, heard hours of testimony from Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the Multinational Forces Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq.
The most concrete proposal Petraeus offered was a recommendation to remove 30,000 U.S. troops from Iraq by mid-July, which would return the force to pre-surge levels.
The Associated Press reports indicate President Bush will announce the troop drawdown during a national address Thursday evening.
Petraeus repeatedly told legislators he could not project the pace of troop pullouts after next summer. He said another assessment would be made in mid-March. "Wherever we can, we want to send troops home."
But when U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked if it was accurate to say there would be at least 130,000 troops in Iraq a year from now, Petraeus replied, "That is probably the case, yes, sir."
The general said an average of 60 to 90 U.S. troops are killed each month in Iraq. In light of that figure and the
$9 billion monthly cost of the war, Graham asked whether Petraeus felt the war effort was worth it.
"I wouldn't be here, and I would not have made the recommendations that I did, if I did not believe that," Petraeus replied.
Abdul Sattar Jawad, a professor who left Iraq in October 2005 and now teaches English at Harvard, said U.S. troops should stay in Iraq until the country stabilizes.
"We need time, and we need to give Gen. Petraeus time," he said. "He is doing well."
Jawad said that the security situation in Iraq is improving but that political progress has stalled. "The core of the problems lie with the Iraqi regime itself."
The Iraqi government lacks the will to reach reconciliation and build national unity, he said.
And neighboring countries are reluctant to recognize the Iraqi regime because of that division, Jawad added. "I don't think there is any neighboring government willing to cooperate with this government."
Crocker said there are ongoing efforts to engage Iraq's neighbors in diplomacy.
The Iraqi government has made modest efforts toward meeting benchmarks, he added, pointing to shared oil revenue and offers of conditional amnesty given to former insurgents who now are fighting al-Qaida.
But Jawad said the central government has ceased to function in Iraq. "There is no government helping the population," he said. "The money goes to their pocket."
The U.S. should work to provide local officials the money they need to improve public services, rebuild infrastructure and decrease unemployment, Jawad said. "This regime is not going to do the job."
Petraeus repeatedly pointed to the Anbar province - in which Sunnis have increasingly cooperated with U.S. troops in the fight against al-Qaida - as an example of success.
Cori Dauber, an associate professor in the UNC Curriculum in Peace, War and Defense, said Anbar is important because the Sunni communities that switched sides are the main groups al-Qaida appeals to for support.
Petraeus said it is in the national interest to continue the fight against al-Qaida in Iraq.
"Failing to achieve our objective there would be a shot of adrenaline for them," he said. "This is their central front in the global war on terror."
Democratic lawmakers expressed skepticism at the general's projections, calling for a change in course. "We must get our combat troops out of the civil war in Iraq," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
But Dauber said Petraeus did demonstrate that the surge has improved the security situation in Iraq, making it difficult for Democrats to win support for a rapid withdrawal.
"Despite the fact that everyone in Congress is fairly short of patience, it's somewhat difficult to pull the plug more rapidly than he is advising," she said.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/10/07 4:00am)
Legislation passed Friday will increase the value of federal grants to low-income students while cutting subsidies to loan providers.
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act was one of the top priorities for Democrats this session and was sent to President Bush's desk with a solid majority of votes.
"Bush has said he's not going to veto it," said Gabe Pendas, president of the U.S Student Association, a national lobbying organization of which the UNC-system Association of Student Governments is a member. "The vote was pretty overwhelming,"
(08/29/07 4:00am)
Many states voiced strong opposition this summer to a federal measure to heighten the security of driver's licenses, yet North Carolina remains among the minority seeking compliance.
The enactment of the REAL ID Act, passed in 2005 to combat terrorism, has a flexible May 2008 deadline and is expected to cost a more than $23 billion nationwide.
During the last legislative session, many states called the act an unfunded federal mandate that intrudes on state authority.
(08/27/07 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Next summer will see the completion of phase one of the largest terminal-construction project in the history of Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Students should know that the remodeling of Terminal C is designed to make the airport more accessible and traveling more convenient, said Mindy Hamlin, marketing communications manager for the airport.
"The main reason we built it is for ease of use and for the passenger experience," she said.
The expansion, priced at $570 million, will nearly triple the size of the terminal.
The remodeled terminal will accommodate 11 million passengers each year, greatly expanding the airport's capacity - the entire airport will process fewer than 10 million passengers this year, Hamlin said.
The airport's expansion will allow room for the growing area of international travel.
"We continually look at opportunities for more flights," Hamlin said.
She said research has shown that the No. 1 international destination for RDU travelers would be Frankfurt, Germany, a city that offers lots of connections to the rest of Europe and the Middle East.
The federal inspection facility that handles international passengers will be expanded to five times its current size, allowing twice as many travelers to pass through each hour.
The terminal also will feature 50 retail shops and restaurants. The goal is to create a mix of national brands and local stores, Hamlin said. "We know what we're looking for."
Terminal C was built in 1987 as an American Airlines hub. It was designed as a flight-transfer center, since 80 percent of the passengers at the time used the terminal solely to change planes.
"Now, 95 percent of our passengers start their trip by walking through the front door," Hamlin said, adding that the redesigned terminal will include expanded ticketing and security services to meet the needs of those passengers.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Terminal C construction
Phase one
(08/24/07 4:00am)
The shutdown of a controversial counterintelligence database, set for Sept. 17, has civil-liberties groups claiming a victory in their fight against unwarranted government surveillance.
The TALON reporting system was launched in 2003 to pool data on potential threats to military personnel. Since its inception, the database has drawn fire from organizations concerned that it included reports on anti-war protests, including student groups.
"We found it very alarming, since students were targeted simply for their political views and demonstrations," said Steve Ralls, communications director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
The legal aid and advocacy network filed Freedom of Information requests on behalf of more than 15 LGBT student groups that suspected their activities had been monitored after the December 2005 disclosure that the database contained reports of anti-war protests.
But Major Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said the database is being shut down because of the declining quality of reports, not because of civil liberties concerns.
"We need a system that can ensure we're doing our best to protect our resources and our people," he said.
A new system to compile threat information is in the works, but in the meantime all new reports will be channeled through the FBI's Guardian database. After the TALON reporting system is shut down, the information remaining in the database will be kept on file.
But Ralls said the personnel who decide what data to keep on file have demonstrated an inability to focus on credible threats.
One of his organization's clients cited in the TALON reports was a University of California at Santa Cruz group that staged a gay kiss-in.
"There's no reason for the government to believe that two men kissing on a university lawn is a terrorist activity," Ralls said.
The inspector general of the Department of Defense found that no illegal conduct had occurred in the management of the database.
But strict guidelines dictate what sort of information can be gathered on U.S. citizens, and in 2005, improperly collected information was removed.
The department also instituted more rigid guidelines and updated training to prevent future improper collection of data on U.S. citizens.
Ben Carroll, a member of UNC's chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, said that the organization has no official view on the issue but added that he feels the TALON database fits into a pattern of widespread spying on anti-war groups.
The threat of infiltration will not stop anti-war groups from protesting, Carroll said.
"No matter what they do, protesting the war is not illegal, immoral or wrong," he said. "The anti-war movement will continue to grow despite these spying programs."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/22/07 4:00am)
UNC-system universities gained an edge this summer in retaining high-profile faculty when the N.C. General Assembly set aside $6 million for the Distinguished Professors' Endowment Trust Fund.
The budget allocations provide state funds to match the private Challenge-Grant Initiative established by the C.D. Spangler Foundation. This year the foundation will supply funds to create one distinguished professorship at each of the 16 UNC-system universities.
The funds will support endowed professorships in the fields of teacher education, engineering, nursing or arts and sciences.
"That's the needs that we feel are most valid at our universities," said C.D. (Dick) Spangler Jr., director of the foundation.
He said that alumni from law, business and medical schools across the state generate a lot of money for endowed professorships but that the arts and sciences have not generated the same level of support.
The budget formula for the state funds will provide $333,000 to UNC-Chapel Hill, which stands to receive $667, 000 from the foundation, Spangler said. The public and private funds will create a $1 million trust.
Income from that trust, which will generate $50,000 in interest every year, will be used to raise the salary of the professor chosen for the newly endowed chair, he added.
That would be a great increase in yearly salary, Spangler said, because a professor typically earns $125,000 to $150,000.
The distinguished professorship at UNC-CH will be named for Frank Daniels, a graduate of the University who went on become a publisher of The (Raleigh) News & Observer.
It's up to each university's chancellor to designate what discipline will receive the distinguished professorship and which faculty member will receive that honor.
Other than the naming of the chairmen, the process still is in the preliminary stages at most UNC-system universities.
Randal Childs, director of major gifts and institutional advancement at N.C. Central University, said the school's professorship will be named for Chancellor Emeritus Julius L. Chambers.
"That's what has come down to us on the last week - that's what we'll send forth," he said.
No professor has been chosen yet for the endowed chair, he added.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/22/07 4:00am)
In the wake of college ranking releases, including the U.S. News & World Report's list of top national universities, some higher education officials have reinvigorated calls for reform in the college ranking process.
One of the most public signs of the backlash against the school rankings is a petition, now signed by 64 college presidents, that calls for a boycott of the U.S. News surveys and a moratorium on using the rankings in promotional material.
The petition was circulated by Lloyd Thacker, director of The Education Conservancy. Thacker, who has worked in several college admissions offices, said efforts to promote colleges have turned higher education into a horse race.
"The commercialization of college admissions has created a crisis by undermining educational values," he said, adding that rankings are not a meaningful way to distinguish what school is right for a particular student.
The next step for The Education Conservancy is a Sept. 25 meeting at Yale University, where educators will discuss improving methods of making relevant college information accessible to prospective students.
On a similar front, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is developing a system of college profiles designed to link prospective students to information on participating schools' Web sites.
The system, called U-CAN, is set to launch in mid-September at ucan-network.org. About 500 schools will participate, including Stanford, Princeton and Yale.
NAICU spokesman Tony Pals said U-CAN is a response to feedback from students and parents who have said better information is needed to improve the college search process.
"We have not developed U-CAN as something that would replace U.S. News," he added.
U-CAN profiles are generated by participating universities and highlight links to the schools' Web sites in order to give students a better idea of what each college can offer.
Several other education associations are in the process of developing their own online databases, he added. "There's certainly a trend under way for alternative sources."
Steve Farmer, UNC director of undergraduate admissions, said he fills out the U.S. News survey each year, commenting only on schools he has worked at or attended.
He said the fervor about the rankings systems is overblown. "I don't see the ratings as the Great Satan."
UNC placed 28 in U.S. News' recent list of top national universities.
But Farmer said surveys and ratings are only rough approximations of reality. He advises prospective students to read the campus newspaper every day for a month or so.
"If there's a worm at the core of the apple, the student newspaper will find it," Farmer said.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/21/07 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Opponents of a state subsidy that grants in-state tuition rates to out-of-state students on full scholarships won a legislative battle this summer, advancing a bill to cut athletic scholarships from the equation.
"It didn't have any sort of public policy justification for me to subsidize out-of-state athletes when we have so many greater needs in the state," said Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, a co-sponsor.
About 70 percent of the subsidized scholarships systemwide have been granted to out-of-state athletes.
UNC-Chapel Hill is one of the only UNC-system campuses that has used the provision primarily for academic scholarships - UNC-CH officials said the provision has been key in recruiting of out-of-state merit scholars.
The bill to eliminate the athletic subsidy passed the N.C. House of Representatives on July 27, less than a week before members adjourned for the August recess. It faces an uphill battle in the N.C. Senate.
Debbie Richardson, senior associate athletic director at Appalachian State University, said the subsidy enables the athletic programs of smaller N.C. schools to compete against universities from other states.
Olympic sports in particular have benefited, she said, because they can now grant full scholarships comparable to what universities in other states offer.
Fully-funded marquee sports also are benefiting, Richardson added, because they are able to increase their percentage of out-of-state athletes.
"They're still going to recruit the in-state as well, but the pressure is not on as much," she said.
Richardson said a repeal of the provision that didn't grandfather athletes could be devastating.
If the university suddenly was required to pay out-of-state rates for athletes who had been using the subsidy, she said, some sports could lose their ability to afford new scholarships. "It could kill a recruiting class."
Appalachian State currently has 43 out-of-state athletes on subsidized scholarships, Richardson said, adding that about $430,000 in additional funding would be needed to keep those athletes for another year if the subsidy were repealed.
Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, a Cumberland Democrat who supported the subsidy when it was slipped into the 2005 budget, said that many legislators are waiting to see the subsidy's long-term effect.
"I think the support to leave it there still exists."
Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow, originally introduced a bill to repeal the subsidy entirely in May 2006. After that bill failed to gain traction, he joined forces with Harrison in February 2007, but their proposal languished in committee for five months.
"It was clear from the debate in committee that people were supportive of the academic scholarship piece of it," Harrison said.
In order to garner more support, the bill was narrowed to eliminate the subsidy for athletic scholarships, which the bill's sponsors said were harder to justify.
Kyle Serba, an assistant athletic director at N.C. Central University, said the bill to repeal subsidized athletic scholarships ignores one key point.
"The thing that they're missing the boat on there is the first part of student-athlete is student," he said. "They're students first, and that's our whole focus at the university system."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Click here for information on the provision
Click here for the bill
Out-of-state tuition exemption
The provision allows out-of-state students on full scholarships to be counted as N.C. residents for tuition purposes.
(08/21/07 4:00am)
As one of the highlights of the new state budget, UNC Online will kick off this year amidst high expectations for its potential to expand the reach of the UNC system.
The Web site is designed as a central portal that provides links to courses at all 16 UNC-system university campuses. The N.C. General Assembly set aside $4.2 million for the program's inaugural year.
Although the program is meant to be a multi-campus collaboration, each university is responsible for providing faculty and ensuring quality content for their online courses.
"The General Administration does not provide degrees for anyone - we do," said Joseph Templeton, UNC-Chapel Hill faculty chairman.
The marketing of UNC Online is a balancing act, Templeton said, since the UNC name is linked to the flagship university in Chapel Hill, as opposed to the 15 other participating universities.
"There is a branding issue that is important," he said, adding that the distinction between UNC-CH and the UNC system is not necessarily made in the other 49 states. "The Tar Heel logo is an important one, academically and financially."
The UNC-system General Administration is focused on efforts to promote on sites that target working adults, especially those in their 20s and 30s, through banner ads placed on Monster.com and Yahoo.com.
"We're only paying for marketing to reach a target audience that we feel would be most likely to enroll in an online program," said Jim Sadler, UNC-system associate vice president for academic planning.
Funds also will flow through to the 16 university campuses to create new online degree programs and facilitate collaboration between UNC-system schools and the community college system.
One priority is to develop undergraduate degree programs that combine two years of online community college courses and two years of online UNC-system courses.
The focus is on integrating the two systems so that credits from online community college programs will count toward UNC degrees.
Also in the works are pre-major agreements that would create online community college courses to satisfy requirements for specialized UNC majors.
Undergraduate students at UNC-CH are allowed one online course per semester.
About 400 to 500 on-campus UNC-CH students enroll in an online course each semester, along with 600 to 800 off-campus students, said Tim Sanford, associate director for credit programs at the Friday Center.
The Web site will enable students already enrolled in a UNC-system university to take advantage of course offerings at other campuses.
Undergraduate degrees earned solely from online courses aren't on the immediate agenda at UNC-CH.The University has decided to focus its online courses on graduate and professional degrees, and the College of Arts and Sciences is committed to maintaining the traditional undergraduate experience, Templeton said.
"I think within the college that we believe the residential experience of being on-campus is an important part of that."
There is no notation on UNC diplomas to distinguish a degree that consists entirely of online courses, Sadler said, because UNC online courses are carefully quality-controlled.
"We emphasize that it's the same level of difficulty; it's the same level of output."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/20/07 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fifteen months before the general election, the 2008 presidential campaign cycle is in high gear as the summer season draws to a close.
The past months have left the Republican race wide open, as early favorite John McCain has faltered in his attempt to appeal to the party base, University of California at Berkeley political science professor David Karol said.
Experts say McCain's campaign imploded this summer, and it could be difficult for him to recoup.
"Traditionally when a front runner slips they usually don't recover," UNC political science professor Jim Stimson said.
Rudy Giuliani has emerged as the Republican favorite, and Mitt Romney also looks like a serious player, UNC political science professor George Rabinowitz said.
But questions about the social policies of Giuliani and Romney among conservatives have created buzz around Fred Thompson's as-yet-undeclared candidacy.
The true viability of the Thompson campaign should become clear soon, as reports indicate he will enter the race around Labor Day, Karol said.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have dominated the Democratic race so far, but Stimson said it's too early to narrow the field.
"The two of them are the darlings of the media. . But that doesn't mean they're the winners," he said.
Rabinowitz said John Edwards was gaining ground until the news broke of his $400 haircut. "It was really stupid on his part. It really undercut his campaign."
Clinton and Obama have sparred this summer, with Obama attacking Clinton's ties to the Washington establishment and Clinton questioning Obama's inexperience.
Karol said Clinton appears to be strengthening her position. "Right now, if you have to point to one person who is the single most likely next president of the U.S., it's her."
But Stimson cautioned against putting too much stock in early polls.
"In virtually every previous contest, an evaluation that we made at this date would be wrong."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
REPUBLICANS
Rudy Giuliani earned a reputation as a crime fighter as mayor of New York.
Birthdate: May 28, 1944.
Background: The grandson of Italian immigrants, he was raised by a working class family in Brooklyn, New York.
Family: Married to his third wife, Judith Nathan, after divorcing Donna Hanover, mother of Andrew, 21, Caroline, 17.
Education: Graduated from Manhattan College, 1965; earned law degree at New York University Law School, 1968.
Political experience: Associate Deputy Attorney General, 1975-77; Associate Attorney General, 1981-83; New York City Mayor, 1993-2001.
Summer sound bite:
"I think ultimately that decision that has to be made is one that government shouldn't make. Ultimately, a woman should make that with her conscience and ultimately with her doctor."
- Republican debate in Iowa, Aug. 5, 2007.
Mitt Romney served as governor of Massachusetts, a traditionally liberal state.
Birthdate: March 12, 1947
Background: A member of the Mormon church, Romney first broke onto the national scene as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. He previously worked as a management consultant.
Family: Wife, Ann; five sons: Tagg, 37, Matt, 35, Josh, 32, Ben, 29, Craig, 26.
Education: Graduated from Brigham Young University, 1971; earned a master's degree from Harvard Business School and a law degree from Harvard Law School, 1975.
Political experience: U.S. Senate candidate, 1994; Governor of Massachusetts, 2002-06.
Summer sound bite:
"The first time a bill came to my desk that related to the life of an unborn child, I came down on the side of life."
- Republican debate in Iowa, August 5, 2007.
Fred Thompson acted as counsel to numerous Senate
committees.
Birthdate: Aug. 19, 1942.
Background: Famous for his role on "Law & Order," he was the first in his family to go to college, married his first wife while still in high school and worked as a shoe salesman and a truck driver.
Family: Married to second wife, Jeri Kehn, mother of Hayden, 3, Samuel, 7 months old; three children from a 25-year previous marriage: Tony, Betsy (d. 2002) and Daniel.
Education: Graduated from Memphis State University, 1964; earned law degree at Vanderbilt University, 1967.
Political experience: Assistant U.S. attorney 1969-72; minority counsel on U.S. Senate's Watergate Committee, 1973-74; U.S. Senate, 1994-2003.
Summer sound bite:
"From the U.N., we don't even require sanity sometimes."
- June 28 commentary on ABCRadio.com.
DEMOCRATS
Hillary Clinton reshaped the role of first lady through her health care reform efforts.
Birthdate: Oct. 26, 1947.
Background: Raised in suburban, middle-class Illinois, she was twice voted one of the most influential attorneys in America.
Family: Husband, former President Bill Clinton; daughter, Chelsea, 27.
Education: Graduated from Wellesley College, 1969; earned law degree at Yale Law School, 1973.
Political experience: First Lady of Arkansas 1979-81, 1983-93; First Lady of the United States 1993-2001; U.S. Senate, 2001-present.
Summer sound bite:
"Obviously, I'm not running because I'm a woman. I'm running because I think I'm the most qualified and experienced person to hit the ground running in January 2009."
-- CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, July 23.
John Edwards started UNC's Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity.
Birthdate: June 10, 1953.
Background: Raised in small-town North Carolina, he worked with his father in a textile mill and was the first in his family to attend college.
Family: Wife, Elizabeth; three children, Cate, 25, Wade (d. 1996), Emma Claire, 9, and Jack, 6.
Education: Graduated from N.C. State University, 1974; earned law degree at UNC School of Law, 1977.
Political experience: U.S. Senate, 1999-2005; presidential candidate, 2004; vice-presidential candidate on John Kerry's ticket, 2004.
Summer sound bite:
"What we need is somebody who will take these people on, these big banks, these mortgage companies, big insurance companies, big drug companies."
- CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, July 23.
Barack Obama started his career as a community organizer in Chicago.
Birthdate: Aug. 4, 1961.
Background: Grew up in Hawaii with his mother, who is from Kansas, after his father returned to Kenya. Barack Obama also lived in Indonesia.
Family: Wife, Michelle; two daughters, Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6.
Education: Graduated from Columbia University, 1983; earned law degree at Harvard, 1991.
Political experience: community organizer in Chicago; Illinois State Senate, 1997-2004; U.S. Senate, 2005-present.
Summer sound bite:
"We are not going to fix health care; we're not going to fix energy; we are not going to do anything about our education system unless we change how business is done in Washington."
- CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, July 23.
(08/20/07 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>UNC-system officials, who expressed concern this summer that early budget drafts didn't adequately cover funding priorities, couldn't be happier with the final cut.
"It's like what people say about making sausage - you don't want to see that, but the outcome was wonderful," said Jim Phillips, chairman of the UNC-system Board of Governors.
The new state budget, which was approved by the finance committee of the BOG on Aug. 15, includes a $300 million increase in funding for the UNC system.
"The legislature came through for us pretty tremendously. I think it's truly amazing," said Andy Willis, UNC-system vice president for government relations.
The final budget demonstrates the N.C. General Assembly's commitment to higher education, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser stated in an e-mail sent Aug. 3 to campus faculty and staff.
"Public universities in many other states with fiscal difficulties are not faring nearly as well as we just did during the budget-making process. We need to remember that."
Although the final budget has met nearly universal approval, university officials had expressed concern during the summer that freshman legislators were not sufficiently familiar with the needs of the UNC system.
"There was more education that needed to happen with the House because you did have some new folks," Willis said, adding that the new House leadership caught on quickly.
"I thought it worked surprisingly well."
The General Assembly increased the overall operating budget of the UNC system from $2.4 billion to $2.7 billion.
The board had about 200 funding priorities going into the budget session and received allocations for about 85 percent of them, Willis said.
The Board's No. 1 priority, need-based financial aid, was fully funded this year - to the tune of $35.6 million.
Rob Nelson, UNC-system vice president of finance, said eliminating the traditional financial-aid deadline will take up $13.5 million of the $35.6 million.
In the past the fund for need-based financial aid generally was depleted by March, and funds were not available for students who applied late, Nelson said.
The increased funding will ensure that all in-state students who are eligible for need-based financial aid can receive funds, regardless of when they apply, he said. The BOG projects 5,400 students will benefit from eliminating the deadline.
The BOG also gained ground on its second-ranked priority, increasing faculty salaries. The General Assembly funded a 4-percent raise for faculty and other employee salaries.
The UNC system made strides in its drive to make faculty salaries more competitive with peer institutions, a longtime priority, with $12.8 million in new incentive funds.
"It funds about one-third of the board's request to increase faculty salaries to the 80th percentile of their campus peers," Nelson said. "We made great progress there."
Requesting additional funds to reach the goal of boosting faculty salaries to the 80th percentile will be a future priority for the BOG.
The General Assembly also provided more than $614 million in capital funding, enough for one or two priority buildings on each campus, Willis said.
UNC-CH received allocations for a new Genomics Science building, new construction at the School of Dentistry and planning funds for the Biomedical Research Imaging Center at $120 million, $25 million and $8 million, respectively.
Building new research facilities in turn will support the N.C. economy, Nelson said.
To that end, the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis was allocated $16.5 million for the current year.
The General Assembly also set aside money to create an N.C. cancer research fund, a venture that has attracted national attention for bringing state-sponsored funding to a research area dominated by private donations.
"That is truly remarkable - I'm not sure any other state has ever done that," Willis said.
Other budget highlights include $4.2 million to continue marketing and development of UNC Online, a site that provides links to online courses from all 16 UNC-system campuses.
"UNC Online, I think, is one of the most exciting things we're doing," Phillips said.
In an effort to increase academic competitiveness, the budget includes $6 million to help fund 16 new distinguished professorships, one at each UNC-system campus.
Also included is a $3 million competitiveness fund that will support faculty-sponsored research projects designed to meet the needs of a growing North Carolina.
For the first time since 1998, additional budget dollars were allocated for graduate-student recruitment and retention, Nelson said.
The funds will offset tuition costs and allow the system to compete nationwide for talented graduate students, he added.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Click here for full budget allocations
The budget for top UNC-system priorities
Need-based financial aid
Requested: $35.6 million
Received: $35.6 million
Academic salary increases
Requested: $117.5 million
Received: $86.3 million
Of that $86.3 million:
(01/11/07 5:00am)
The much touted relationship between UNC-system President Erskine Bowles and the N.C. General Assembly will come under scrutiny when the legislature comes back into session Jan. 24.
Bowles' most important role is as a liaison between the system and the legislature, said Andy Willis, vice president for government relations for the UNC system.
"He is our chief salesperson and our chief marketer."
Expectations are high among members of the UNC Board of Governors that Bowles will be able to procure a generous level of legislative funding for the system.
"That's his job - that's why we're paying him," BOG member Ray Farris said.
He said that it is necessary for the board to have high hopes for the president but that it remains to be seen whether those expectations can be met.
Former UNC-system president Dick Spangler said Bowles undoubtedly has a special relationship with both parties in the legislature.
"In my opinion he's a godsend for the university."
Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow, said legislators from both parties are willing to work with the system president, although Bowles' relationship with each party isn't equal.
"I would assume on the other side of the aisle it's cordial and friendly - on my side of the aisle it's friendly."
Cleveland said the General Assembly can't expect to fulfill the ever-increasing funding requests of the UNC system and also meet the state's other budgetary needs.
"The university system eats up a tremendous amount of the taxpayers' money."
The board finalized its budget priorities in November, asking the legislature for more than $270 million for additional operating appropriations and $2.57 billion for continuing operations in 2007-08. Continuing operations funds generally are approved without debate.
Spangler said there is a difference between having a good relationship with the legislature and receiving funding for all budget requests.
"You may well be a part of a family that is a very happy family, and not everyone in the family gets a new coat every year."
The amount of funding available for higher education depends on the health of North Carolina's economy, he said.
"It always will be a challenge to get the proper amount of funding for the university."
Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said the UNC-system General Administration traditionally gets along well with the General Assembly.
"The Board of Governors and the Office of the President has always, I think, had a very good relationship with the legislature," he said.
"I can't remember a time when that wasn't true."
That relationship might have grown closer in the last year because the new system president grew up in North Carolina and has long-standing friendships with many state legislators, Rand said.
"Obviously from that standpoint it's different."
But even though members of the legislature have a lot of affection and respect for Bowles, an increase in higher education funding is not guaranteed, he said.
"It's a little early to say right now what the revenue picture will be."
The level of state appropriations given to the UNC system will depend both on the amount of funds available and on Bowles' persuasive abilities, Spangler said.
"But he has persuasive abilities, so it goes back down to the economy of the state," he added.
Willis said the president already has a proven track record.
He said the last session was a positive step for Bowles, by far the best session in recent years regarding higher education funding. "He was successful in that bout."
Last session the General Assembly granted money for capital projects on every system campus and passed a 6 percent faculty pay raise.
Cleveland said the General Assembly cannot continue to funnel taxpayer dollars into higher education without assurances that the money is well-spent.
"I personally think the entire university system should be gone through and the deadwood tossed aside."
He said he hopes the president's study on efficiency will help achieve that objective.
Rand also said Bowles' efforts to streamline the system are worthwhile.
"Any time you can achieve efficiency without sacrificing quality, I think you're obligated to do it."
Farris said he thinks the system will be successful in gaining legislative funding because the board has demonstrated that it is serious about economizing and that all the budget requests are important to the missions of the institutions.
He said that Bowles does have a lot on his plate but that his agenda is manageable.
The budget request this year is only 32 pages long, as opposed to the 200- to 300-page documents from previous years, Willis said.
"We have to clarify and make sure we know what we're asking for."
Need-based financial aid is Bowles' No. 1 budget priority for the next session, and increasing money for faculty salaries also will continue to be a priority, Willis said.
He said the budget requests are deliberate, consisting of priorities put forth by each chancellor.
"It is the legislature's prerogative to determine if those priorities are correct or not," he added.
Willis said the system would need an increase in state appropriations of 10 percent to 11 percent to fully fund all of its budget requests, an increase that he said is unlikely to occur.
"I would be blowing smoke if I told you we'd get all of the $300 million we're asking for - that never happens."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/21/06 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students flying home for break should be prepared for longer airport security lines.
This Thanksgiving is the first major holiday travelers must face new security regulations regarding liquids on planes.
How popular is flying this Thanksgiving?
Officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport expect 35,000 people to pass through on the peak travel days, which are Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Saturday and Sunday after the holiday. The airport sees 8,000 to 15,000 passengers on a typical day.
How early should I arrive at the airport?
Passengers should arrive at least two hours before their flights are scheduled to depart.
"The biggest tip we can give is to arrive early," said Mindy Hamlin, marketing communications manager at RDU.
Where can I park at RDU?
There are 11,000 spaces between the terminals at RDU, as well as park-and-ride lots that run shuttles to the terminals every 15 minutes. Electronic signs will point travelers to the closest available spaces.
What items are allowed?
Check out www.tsa.gov for a complete list of prohibited items and an official explanation of all new security procedures from the Transportation Security Administration. Officials can unwrap your gifts for security checks, so it's suggested that you don't bother with the bows.
What are the restrictions?
Travel-sized liquids, gels and aerosols that are in containers of three ounces or less are permitted in carry-on luggage. All such materials must be carried in a clear, quart-sized Ziploc bag. Each passenger is allowed one such bag, which must be taken out of carry-on luggage and screened separately.
Solid cosmetics and personal hygiene items, such as lipstick or solid deodorant, are allowed in carry-on luggage. Liquids, gels and aerosols, in any size container, are permitted in checked luggage. "When in doubt, put it in your checked luggage," Hamlin said.
What if I forget a bag?
Volunteers at RDU will have Ziploc bags available for passengers who are unaware of the new regulations. But passengers are encouraged to pack their liquids in Ziploc bags before coming to the airport to save time in the screening process.
Are there exemptions?
Medicine and infant formula are exempt from the regulations. Passengers must declare those items to TSA security officers who will be stationed at tables before the security checkpoints.
Are beverages permitted?
Yes, after passengers pass through the security checkpoint they are permitted to purchase beverages on the concourse and to bring those drinks onto the plane.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/14/06 5:00am)
A study commissioned by UNC-system President Erskine Bowles to identify sources of bureaucratic inefficiency suggests the system could benefit from more collaboration.
But recommendations from the President's Advisory Committee on Efficiency and Effectiveness, released Friday, did not meet with unanimous approval from the system's 16 campuses.
Elizabeth Hardin, vice chancellor for business affairs at UNC-Charlotte, said that all of the study's recommendations are worth considering but that all the proposals are not equally feasible.
"They're good in concept, but they might not be workable."
She said many states have successfully centralized personnel operations, and North Carolina should be able to follow their lead.
"Yes, I do think it's possible to create a university personnel system."
Such a system could improve service, but that conclusion is not definite, Hardin said. "'Could' is a different verb than 'would.'"
Fred Hinson, senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at Western Carolina University, said he is skeptical that a centralized personnel system would be effective.
He said the sheer number of system staff and the high rate of turnover among university employees would make it difficult to keep a centralized database updated.
"It would be a lot of work on somebody's part at each one of these institutions to keep that current."
He said centralization also would be ineffective with regard to student records because it would be too cumbersome to require students to go through a central office for commonly used services such as transcript requests.
"I just don't think that we can provide services for a whole system like this unless someone's really thought it out and knows something I don't know."
David Perry, UNC-Chapel Hill interim vice chancellor for finance and administration, said a centralized system might not be adequate to support the needs of large research institutions such as UNC-CH and N.C. State University.
"It's questionable whether a one-size-fits-all system would achieve any good results," he said.
"That's my jaundiced view of it."
But he also said that UNC-CH is open to collaboration with other campuses and that the University has developed advanced automated systems that could benefit smaller schools.
UNC-Pembroke, whose total enrollment of less than 6,000 makes it one of the system's smallest schools, is in the process of weighing the study's recommendations regarding consolidation, said Neil Hawk, the school's vice chancellor for business affairs.
"We're certainly willing to discuss centralization of some functions."
Cindy Lawson, assistant to the chancellor for marketing and communications at UNC-Wilmington, said consolidating services could help the UNC system take advantage of its overall size to increase efficiency.
"I don't think at the end of the day that anyone could object to that."
But Lawson said that the system must reassess any administrative changes after a few years and that officials should be willing to return services to individual campuses if centralization proves ineffective.
"We all have an obligation to be good stewards of the state's resources."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/13/06 5:00am)
Judging by his willingness to accept challenge, Stanley Battle carries a particularly appropriate last name.
On Friday the UNC-system Board of Governors elected Battle as the next chancellor of N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University.
Battle, president of Coppin State University in Baltimore since 2003, will take his new position July 1, and will make $255,000 annually.
Battle said he told the search committee he has a clear vision for the future of the university.
"My only goal was to make it the finest institution in the country, and I'm dead serious about that."
He stressed that N.C. A&T should not be pigeonholed as a historically black institution. "It will always be historically black, but it is a university first and foremost."
Likewise Battle said his qualifications for academic leadership go beyond what meets the eye. "There's more to me than being bald-headed and black."
To which system President Erskine Bowles responded, "That's why I hired this guy."
Coppin State has an enrollment of just more than 4,000, while N.C. A&T has about 11,000 students.
Bowles said Battle is tough enough to do the job. "You can't sense any fear in this man."
He also said Battle's efforts to collaborate with Baltimore public schools are impressive. "Stanley Battle is absolutely passionate about the power of higher education to change the lives of young people."
Battle said personal experience has shown him the power of education to overcome hardship.
"My daddy could barely read or write," he said, adding that he and all his siblings earned advanced degrees. "Something must have happened in that house."
Battle said his mission at N.C. A&T is to harness the power of education without forgetting the history that has shaped the university.
That history was brought to life for Battle when he saw bullet holes in the floor of an N.C. A&T building, an event he said conjured memories of a former gang member who lived with him and his wife for a year.
"His expression of love was to say, 'Dr. B, I'll take a bullet for you.' I said, 'That's not necessary.'"
Because of the closed nature of the search process, Battle said he only had one opportunity to see the university's Greensboro campus.
"The board knows more about me than I know about the institution."
Velma Speight-Buford, chairwoman of the search committee, said the group sought a leader who will participate in the community and increase fundraising efforts.
The search committee brought four candidates to the N.C. A&T campus; two candidates then were approved and passed on to Bowles.
Speight-Buford said, "The search committee has done a great job, and is more than ready to cease and desist."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/10/06 5:00am)
Carolina's basketball games will be a little more contentious than normal if Student Action with Workers gets its way.
The group plans to protest at all home basketball games in opposition to the three-year endorsement deal between UNC and Continental Tire signed in early September.
Charlotte, N.C., and Mayfield, Ky., are the sites of Continental Tire plants that have seen massive layoffs in recent months.
SAW is planning a large protest against the Continental endorsement deal for Dec. 2 during the UNC-Kentucky basketball game.
More than 100 members of the United Steelworkers union will come to Chapel Hill to join that protest, said Salma Mirza, UNC sophomore and SAW member.
"We're not letting this thing drop," said Mark Cieslikowski, president of Local Union 850.
"We think it's a slap in the face to the workers of North Carolina."
SAW held a "teach-in" Thursday night so members could hear firsthand stories from former Continental employees.
Seven SAW members and two unaffiliated students showed up to the event.
"It's really, really difficult - as you can see - to get people motivated about things that don't directly affect them," said Sam Giffin, UNC freshman and SAW member.
But Mark West, who was laid off July 7 after 28 years with Continental, said it was heartening to see young people interested in union issues.
"With your help I'm sure we can do our best to make sure UNC does the right thing."
Leslie Strohm, vice chancellor and general counsel for UNC, crafted the University's official response to the union's request that UNC drop the Continental endorsement.
Strohm, writing on behalf of Chancellor James Moeser and Director of Athletics Dick Baddour, wrote that the University would monitor the complaint pending before the National Labor Relations Board against Continental.
A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22 in that case, which alleges the company did not use good-faith bargaining methods when negotiating with the workers in Charlotte, West said.
"If the final agency determination of the National Labor Relations Board is that Continental Tire is engaged in illegal conduct, then the University will work closely with Learfield Sports Marketing to reexamine our relationship with Continental Tire," Strohm wrote Oct. 12.
Representatives from the union met with UNC-system President Erskine Bowles on Oct. 11 but have not received a response since, said Patrick Young, a United Steelworkers representative.
SAW's protests began Oct. 28 when about 10 representatives from the group passed out close to 2,000 fliers at the UNC-Wake Forest football game.
A couple of students also came to the game dressed as skeletons to allude to the skeletal crew that Continental has kept at the Charlotte plant, Mirza said.
West said dropping the endorsement would send a message that the University is serious about its moral obligations to the state's workers, and that such an action could spur the company to take better care of its retirees.
"We hope that Continental will maybe grow a conscience."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/27/06 4:00am)
As North Carolina gears up for the start of the basketball season, former UNC Provost Robert Shelton said he eagerly is awaiting Jan. 27 - the day the Tar Heels travel to Arizona to take on the Wildcats.
Shelton, who officially assumed his role as president of the University of Arizona during a ceremony Thursday, said his new job has changed his perspective.
"I've got to root for Arizona."
Shelton began his work with the University of Arizona in July. During the first few months he kept busy, meeting with students and community groups and acclimating to his new role.
"It's different as a president as opposed to a provost," he said.
Shelton reports directly to the Arizona Board of Regents. He is working on several broad goals, including expanding Arizona's flagship university.
"Enrollment management is a big thing," he said, adding that the university is seeking to add 300 students a year to the current population of 37,000.
Before Shelton arrived the University of Arizona had no plans to grow its enrollment, but the new president convinced the state of the need for expansion, Arizona Student Regent Edward Hermes said.
"It's a very important step for UA."
Hermes is one of the 11 voting members on the Arizona Board of Regents.
Two students are appointed to the board. Students spend one year as a nonvoting member and then another as a voting member.
"It's a very clever way of getting the student educated and oriented so that he or she can be effective," Shelton said.
Board members agree that Shelton is effective in his new post.
Hermes said that Shelton takes different approaches to old problems, and that he has streamlined the bureaucracy to divert funds to new educational projects.
"He's been very refreshing."
President-elect of the Arizona Board of Regents Fred Boice said Shelton is still in his honeymoon period.
Boice said Shelton did well to eliminate a structural deficit in the university's operating budget, an action he said demonstrated Shelton's decisive leadership.
"He gets the facts and makes a decision and moves on."
The University of Arizona has taken on several large projects, including a downtown renovation that features a university science center.
The university also is working on a bioscience center. The college now operates a bioscience park that is five miles away from campus, but the school has acquired land closer in so that the facility can expand, Shelton said.
"It's sort of like Carolina North, but I think the difference here is that people really want it to happen."
A new college of medicine opened in Phoenix on Oct. 10. Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the United States, and Arizona hopes to capitalize on the city's resources, Shelton said.
The school is a joint venture with Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University.
Shelton said life in Arizona offers new challenges, including the adjustment of living in the wilderness.
"I can look out my window here and see a 9,000-foot mountain," he said, adding that he recently spotted a mountain lion outside his home.
Despite the majestic scenery, Shelton said his new home is missing some familiar North Carolina comforts.
"I miss all the people. I miss my daughter who's a medical student there."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/26/06 4:00am)
Muhammad Ali unequivocally can call himself the greatest. President George Bush, on the other hand, needs to earn the title.
About 120 students showed up to watch the UNC Young Democrats and the UNC College Republicans debate the Bush legacy Wednesday night.
Political science professor Terry Sullivan began the event by discussing the criteria for presidential greatness.
"We can agree on standards, we just don't see the facts the same way," he said.
The night's debate proved Sullivan's point, as students from both sides of the aisle tried to use the same issues to portray Bush in very different lights.
The College Republicans showed Bush as a strong leader who courageously overcame adversity and made America safer through his aggressive pursuit of terrorists.
The Young Democrats painted Bush as a failed leader who has reneged on campaign promises and worsened global instability.
Bush showed strong leadership after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, said Quentin Ruiz-Esparza, a sophomore economics and Spanish double-major who represented the College Republicans.
"The fact is he was overwhelmingly supported in his handling of that crisis."
Ruiz-Esparza also defended the Bush doctrine, saying the president is right to reject moral relativism because terrorism is absolutely evil.
The potential catastrophic effects of another terrorist attack justify American actions at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, he said.
"Terrorists are not innocent people."
Chris Sopher, a freshman journalism and political science double-major who represented the Young Democrats, disputed the claim that the war on terror has achieved success.
He said the Bush doctrine has destabilized Iraq.
"You can call them by name in a seven-word answer and say we've had free elections in Iraq, but that doesn't mean they're actually successful."
Sopher said congressional Democrats are right to set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"We need a timetable so we know when we have to succeed."
Mike Radionchenko, a sophomore economics and political science double-major who represented the Young Democrats, also challenged the assertion that the Iraq War has been successful.
He said the country has descended into anarchy, citing recent estimates that 600,000 civilians have perished.
On the home front, Bush put tax money back where it belongs - in the pockets of the people, said Derek Belcher, a sophomore business major who represented the College Republicans.
But Cindy Plante, a sophomore political science and communications double-major who represented the Young Democrats, said the next administration would need divine help to deal with the deficits Bush has accumulated.
The Young Democrats said the president's partisan politics have poisoned the nation's civic atmosphere.
"Today the only way Americans are united is in their distrust of the American government and their dislike for President Bush," Sopher said.
But the College Republicans claimed opinion polls are a flawed measure of greatness.
"History does not judge on the basis of popular opinion," said Jenny Stevens, a senior political science major who represented the College Republicans.
"We are asking you to forget what popular culture tells you about President Bush."
Sullivan, an admitted Democrat, said judging Bush's legacy comes down to the difference between intention and results.
"He gets an 'A' for effort and a 'D' for missing the point."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
N.C. State University expects a lot out of its newly-minted relationship with China.
The university announced Tuesday that it will partner with six Chinese institutions in an attempt to further international education, help graduates compete globally and expand economic development.
N.C. State Chancellor James Oblinger said his university is focused on expanding the state's role in the global economy.
"Economic development is part of our core mission."
Research Triangle Park makes the state a leader in the high-tech global economy, he said.
"We don't want to lose that leadership."
Charles Hayes, president and CEO of Research Triangle Regional Partnership, said economic developers in the state traditionally focused on recruiting manufacturers.
"We were very good at that and somebody moved our cheese," he said, adding that after manufacturing opportunities dried up, the state largely remade itself into a hub for high-tech industry.
"This program will give our region and our state a competitive advantage," he added.
The potential economic benefits of the partnership make it more than just another study abroad outlet.
The partnership will create an exchange of students and faculty between North Carolina and China.
"We hope for a truly workable two-way street," Oblinger said.
Undergraduate students and N.C. State faculty will attend Chinese universities while N.C. State will host Chinese professors and graduate students.
N.C. State undergraduates will continue to pay in-state tuition rates while studying abroad, said N.C. State Provost Larry Nielsen.
"If you're taking 12 hours there, it's the same as taking 12 hours here."
The partnership aims to increase the number of international undergraduate students at the school, Oblinger said.
Bailian Li, interim vice provost for international affairs at the university, said 99 percent of the university's international students are graduate students.
Those international students constitute 25 percent of the school's total graduate student population, he said.
Many Chinese students who receive graduate degrees from N.C. State go on to become government officials and industry leaders, he said.
"Most likely they will bring the business back," Li said.
Studying in China offers American students a unique opportunity to observe international issues firsthand, he said.
For example, the growing Chinese economy places the country at the forefront of the emerging climate crisis, he said.
"We can learn a lot from what's happening there," he said.
N.C. State undergraduates studying in China will be taught mainly by professors from their home university until the courses are established enough that local professors can take over, Li said.
The programs in China are designed to allow students in scientific disciplines to study abroad without delaying graduation, he added.
Shaozhong You, who works in the education office of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., said he is impressed by Oblinger's commitment to international education.
"No one can no longer ignore the benefits of international collaboration," he said.
"It is not only good for N.C. State, it is good for Chinese universities."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.