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(01/27/10 6:16am)
UNC graduates and soon-to-be graduates could have an easier time paying back student loans with a proposal that would ease up the repayment process.The proposal, which President Barack Obama is expected to talk about today in his first State of the Union address, will lower the amount a student is required to pay toward their loan each month.The proposal will set former students’ minimum payments at 10 percent of their income. The minimum is currently 15 percent.
(01/13/10 5:13am)
North Carolina students, particularly those at UNC-Chapel Hill, graduate with significantly less debt than students nationwide, according to a recent student debt study.A combination of affordable higher education options and multiple sources for financial aid money helps reduce the need for students to take out loans to pay for college, financial aid officials say.The study, produced by the Institute for College Access and Success “Project on Student Debt” and updated this year, found that while the national average for student loan debt for 2008 public college graduates was $20,200. In 2007, North Carolina students graduated with an average of only $18,400 in debt — less than the average in 38 other states.The average 2009 UNC graduate accumulated $14,262 in debt over the course of four years, said Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.The study examines schools’ self-reported average debts against enrollment numbers to calculate states’ averages, so UNC’s low debt made an impact on North Carolina’s relatively low average, said Edie Irons, communications director for the Project on Student Debt. Carolina Covenant, a financial aid program that helps eligible students from low-income families graduate with no student debt, is a major reason that UNC can have such a low debt average, Irons said.Ort credits revenue from trademark licensing, scholarships created from Student Stores profits, alumni and donor contributions, and appropriations in the state budget as key to UNC’s ability to provide financial assistance to students with need.Thirty-five percent of all tuition increases also went toward financial aid in the past, she said.The low cost of higher education in the state also contributes to North Carolina’s low overall debt averages, said Ben Kittner, spokesman for College Foundation, Inc., which provides many of the loans that go to students enrolling in N.C. universities.Kittner said the state provides $600 million in need-based scholarships and grants each year.“Students don’t need to borrow quite as much because the state has kept the cost of public universities low,” Kittner said.According to the study, 67 percent of students nationwide — about 1.4 million — graduated from four-year universities with some student loan debt. In North Carolina, that number was only 55 percent.UNC’s rates fall well below the national average — only about 29 percent of UNC students graduated with student debt in 2008, down from about 35 percent in 2004, Ort said.Students gain advantages from graduating with relatively little or no debt. “It does help them. It gives them a little leg up when they are looking at graduate or professional school,” Ort said.“I think it gives students more flexibility to take advantage of the opportunities that college is supposed to provide,” Irons said. Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(12/07/09 5:28am)
Declaring bankruptcy is not enough to excuse former students from paying back their student loans.But one former student circumvented that law in a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.Now the Supreme Court is taking a look at the case. The loan company appealed the decision because it says the student, Francisco Espinosa, didn’t follow the proper procedures for dismissing his loan.The case, United Student Aid Funds Inc. v. Espinosa, questions the status quo of bankruptcy law, which does not allow people who declare bankruptcy to discharge their student loans unless they prove that the debt causes them an “undue hardship.”According to a Supreme Court report, Espinosa discharged his student loan debts in his bankruptcy plan but never proved undue hardship in a special proceeding.Espinosa received four student loans totaling more than $13,000 between 1988 and 1989 to attend an Arizona trade school.The student loan industry could face problems if the Supreme Court upholds the lower courts’ decision, said Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid at UNC.An affirmative decision could make it easier for debtors to have their student loans excused when they declare bankruptcy. But it is unlikely that the case will generate a major change, Ort said.“It could cost guarantors some money,” she said. Approximately 27 percent of UNC undergraduates have some type of federal loans.According to a College Board annual report for 2008, roughly 49 percent of undergraduate student aid is in the form of loans.Elizabeth Gibson, a law professor at UNC who specializes in bankruptcy law, said that if the Supreme Court also rules in Espinosa’s favor, it would force lenders to more closely examine their repayment plans and policies and put more safeguards in place.But it’s likely the decision will be reversed, she said, reaffirming the status quo in bankruptcy law.“It will make the law more uniform,” Gibson said.Charles Wirken, attorney for the student loan organization in the case, said that the Court of Appeals’ decision was contrary to U.S. Congress’ intent for bankruptcy law.“Mr. Espinosa tried to sneak a discharge. He wasn’t playing by the rules,” Wirken said.If student loan debtors don’t follow the rules, it places additional burdens on the lenders because they don’t get their money back, and on taxpayers to make up the difference, Wirken said.Espinosa’s attorney could not be reached.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(12/01/09 5:36am)
Obesity is a major problem nationwide, but at Lincoln University it could actually prevent some seniors from graduating.Lincoln, a historically black university in Pennsylvania, requires students with a body mass index higher than 30 to take an extra health class, called Fitness for Life. The new mandate has drawn fire from students and some health educators.BMI measures a person’s weight against their height to set an acceptable weight range. A person at a healthy weight will have a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
(11/23/09 4:40am)
UNC could reconsider its relationship with Russell Athletic after the company announced plans last week to rehire workers — an action for which several students have advocated since last year.The company is rehiring the 1,200 local workers it displaced when it closed a factory in Honduras in January. The workers had recently unionized.Almost 100 universities, including UNC in March, suspended licensing agreements that allowed Russell Athletic to use their logos on clothing and merchandise.If officials decide to act on the news, UNC’s decision could be reconsidered in March.“It’s not a full-blown conclusion what we would do at that time,” said Dwayne Pinkney, associate vice chancellor for finance and administration at UNC and a member of the licensing labor code advisory committee.The pressure to suspend the agreements, including at UNC, came mostly from student groups, who picketed and wrote letters to their university administrators.UNC students protested at the licensing committee meeting the month before the University ended its contract, citing a lack of compliance with UNC’s labor code.UNC earned $61,274 in 2007-08 from its contract with Russell Athletic. Total revenue from licensing agreements in that time was $3.6 million.Although several calls to Russell Athletic for comment on why the factory opened were unanswered, several people who voiced opposition to the company’s treatment of workers said universities’ suspended agreements prompted the company’s actions.Some are calling Russell Athletic’s decision the biggest student-led labor rights victory so far.“It’s pretty amazing. This has not ever happened before on this scale,” said Dida El-Sourady, a UNC senior on the student board of the Worker Rights Consortium, a national nonprofit agency that monitors factory conditions.El-Sourady and other students urged the UNC system to boycott Russell. UNC-Asheville and N.C. State University also boycotted the company.“Twelve hundred people are getting their jobs back, and these people had been blacklisted for their union activity,” El-Sourady said. “We can really make a huge impact.”In a statement released Tuesday, Russell also said that it plans to cooperate with the workers.Russell originally cited the economic climate as its reason for closing the factory and said it would be financially impossible for them to reopen, said United Students Against Sweatshops national organizer Jack Mahoney.“Actually it was viable, it was just a matter of will,” Mahoney said.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/13/09 5:58am)
A controversial policy governing salaries and paid leave for administrators took a step forward Thursday after months of stalls.The personnel and tenure committee of the UNC-system Board of Governors passed the “retreat rights” policy for chancellors and presidents, which means the full board can discuss it at its next meeting in January.The policy dictates leave time and pay for chancellors and presidents when they resign from their administrative positions and opt to return to their university’s faculty.Committee Chairwoman Gladys Robinson said it was imperative that the policy pass the committee Thursday because it is likely that N.C. State University and UNC-Pembroke will be hiring new chancellors in the next year, and the policy needs to be in place before then.Board members agreed to pass the policy with UNC-system President Erskine Bowles’ recommended changes: cutting paid leave time from one year to six months and awarding a salary comparable to faculty salary, rather than 60 percent of their administrative salary.Committee members also added a provision that would allow Bowles to negotiate a payback of salary if the administrator goes on paid leave then chooses not to return to a faculty position at the university.New programs approvedThe educational planning, policies and programs committee approved a set of programs at several campuses knowing that they might not have funds to implement them. The board approved bachelor’s degree programs in intelligence studies at Fayetteville State University, genetics at N.C. State University and entrepreneurship at UNC-Greensboro — if the funds are there to support them.Bowles said the best option was to approve the programs contingent on the availability of funds, given the economic climate.“The days of absolutely being sure we’re gonna have the enrollment money are over,” Bowles said. “There is a dollar amount attached to each one of them.”The programs comply with the UNC Tomorrow initiative, which focuses on creating programs that address the demands of the state. The committee also approved a motion to begin planning doctoral programs in physical therapy at Western Carolina University and Winston-Salem State University. Elizabeth McDuffie, director of grants, training, and outreach for the UNC system, reported that the N.C. General Assembly has voted to repeal the Future Teachers of N.C. Scholarship Loan Program due to a lack of student interest.Two students at UNC-Chapel Hill were on the scholarship in 2008-09.The scholarship provides loans to students working to become math, science, special education, or English as a second language teachers.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/06/09 4:57am)
In a move that shocked political observers, N.C. Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, announced Wednesday that he will resign from the N.C. Senate, where he is majority leader, to become chairman of the state parole board. Rand has been a North Carolina senator for 22 years. His resignation will fundamentally change the nature of the Senate and state politics as a whole — including UNC’s relationship with the N.C. General Assembly.“He has set a tremendous impact on the state, and on almost every piece of legislation passed since he’s been there,” said Sen. Richard Stevens, R-Wake. Rand and President Pro Tem Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Beaufort, worked together on virtually all major issues within the Senate, said Ferrel Guillory, UNC journalism professor and director of the Program on Public Life.“Senator Rand and Marc Basnight were the duo that ran the Senate,” he said.Rand had an incredible capacity for moving legislation through the Senate, Guillory said. “He was to the state senate what Lyndon B. Johnson was to the U.S. Senate,” he said.Their close friendship was also well-known.“Tony has been as good a friend as I’ve ever had. And all of North Carolina couldn’t have had a better friend than Tony Rand,” Basnight said in a statement. His resignation has raised many questions because of its unexpectedness. Some expressed doubt that it was only to take on the position on the parole board.Minority leader Sen. Phil Berger, R-Guilford, said in a press release that Rand might have resigned because his views contradicted those of his increasingly liberal party.Rand has not given any reason other than an interest in taking on a new role.Rand’s mastery of the legislative process and ability to guide laws through the Senate will be difficult to replace, Guillory said.N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, said that Rand’s resignation will leave a void and that it will be challenging to replace him. In addition to being the majority leader, he was chairman of the rules committee.“He is certainly one of the most brilliant and articulate people we have ever had in the Senate,” she said. “I think it’s going to take a while to right the ship.”UNC will likely regret Rand’s resignation. The alumnus greatly supported the school in the Senate, said Stevens, also an alumnus.“He has been a great friend of UNC-Chapel Hill over his time in the Senate, and the University will miss him,” Stevens said.Rand, who graduated in 1961, has held leadership positions in the General Alumni Association. He used his influence in the Senate to secure state funds for many UNC initiatives, Stevens said. Rand helped Guillory secure state funds to cover the costs of one of his program, Guillory said.“He was a chief advocate and ally of universities, particularly Chapel Hill,” he said. Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/09/09 4:47am)
The UNC system is streamlining its focus on academics in the wake of the financial crisis, a trend made evident at Thursday’s monthly Board of Governor’s meeting. The board discussed revising campus mission statements and revamping Winston Salem State University’s academic system.Budget and finance At the budget and finance committee meeting, WSSU Chancellor Donald Reeves discussed the school’s new strategic plan for academic excellence. The plan involves overhauling university curriculum while tightening admission standards and improving the advising program.Much of the funding for the academic changes was previously intended for upgrading to a Division I athletic program, a plan that WSSU abandoned last month because it was deemed too costly.“We believe that if we are successful we will change the educational outcome at Winston Salem,” Reeves told the committee.The committee also reviewed the possibility of using special obligation bonds, which are cheaper and tax exempt, to fund renovation projects at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University instead of borrowing from banks. Education and planning After extensive discussion, the education and planning committee decided to amend the new mission statements of N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University and the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics. UNC-system mission statements are revised every few years, and each school was required this year to submit an updated statement.“Different campuses think things through and do them in different ways. We respect that as long as it’s a reasonable portrayal,” said Alan Mabe, senior vice president for academic affairs. The new mission statements should be decided at next month’s meeting.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/05/09 4:25am)
“Pig in a blanket” no longer only refers to the croissant-wrapped mini hot dogs found at cocktail parties.It’s now the phrase of choice to describe students quarantined with H1N1 virus at Johns Hopkins University.This is just one example of college students nationwide using pig humor to lighten the attitude about the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, while administrators continue to take serious precautions.Johns Hopkins has taken an unusual approach to swine flu education by compiling a glossary of H1N1 terms, such as “piglet” for infected freshmen and “pig pen” for an infected student’s room.“We put out a tongue-in-cheek glossary that got information out in a humorous way,” said Dennis O’Shea, executive director of communications and public affairs at Johns Hopkins.Even at schools where the administration doesn’t approach H1N1 with humor, students have found ways.At Emory University, the administration reserved a dorm slated for demolition as a quarantine area for infected students. Although it is meant to be a place for recovery, the dorm also has inspired many jokes.Michael Huey, executive director of student health services at Emory, said the students have even made shirts that read, “I survived swine flu hall.” “Students are responding to it extremely positively and with a lot of good humor,” he said.When doctors diagnosed Pennsylvania State University student Sarah Burton with the virus, they warned her against the dangers of H1N1 parties, a popular trend nationwide.The parties are meant to encourage the spread of the flu so that people have less of a chance of getting it later when it might be more dangerous.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn against such parties because the virus can be fatal.Burton found the concept funny, so she advertised a swine flu theme party on Facebook. The idea received a huge amount of feedback on the Web site and in texts and phone calls, she said.“It was completely on Facebook, but everybody knew on campus,” she said.She said “wine flu parties,” a play on the term swine flu, are becoming popular at PSU, as well.“Everything about swine flu is very funny,” Burton said. “It is the normal flu, but you have to stay isolated and wear a painter’s mask.” Popular pig puns
(09/28/09 4:48am)
East Carolina University’s student government now denies planning a protest at the school’s Board of Trustees meeting Friday that drew little participation, despite a trail of e-mails documenting their efforts to make the event one of the largest student protests in school history.The students initially said they were protesting the fact that ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard has ignored student opinions during the process of appointing a new vice provost of student affairs. Student Government Association leaders promoted the sit-in as a way to force administrators to listen to the students’ voice.But ECU spokesman John Durham said Thursday that a decision on the position, which has been vacant since July, is not coming anytime soon.“It sounds to me like the students are jumping the gun,” Durham said about the planned sit-in. ECU’s student government contacted several media outlets earlier in the week to publicize the sit-in, including The Daily Tar Heel, local television stations and The Greenville Daily Reflector. Campus police officers are also believed to have been present at the trustee meeting.In an e-mail sent Tuesday, ECU Student Body President Brad Congleton told his cabinet to rally students to attend the event and suggested that they use Facebook and Twitter to gather support from other student organizations. “I know we may not win this battle, but I can promise you that after this week everyone around here will know who SGA is!” Congleton stated in the e-mail. Congleton declined to comment on the situation.But only eight students attended the sit-in, and the issue the students were protesting was not even discussed while the students were there, according to Student Government Association official Steven Kresch, who later denied representing the SGA. After the meeting, Kresch denied that student government organized a sit-in, although he used the term repeatedly in an interview with The Daily Tar Heel on Thursday.Despite contacting the media prior to the event, student government officers are now either denying that a protest was ever planned or refusing to speak to the media about the issue.According to an e-mail written by Student Body Chief of Staff Josh Martinkovic, the student presence at the meeting was meant to show support for one particular candidate for the vacant position, Lynn Roeder, who is now the associate vice chancellor and dean of students.Kresch said student government is now circulating a letter with signatures from various student groups, which endorses Roeder. Carlton Purvis, news editor of The East Carolinian, said the student government might be stepping out their role by publicly endorsing a candidate for the vice provost position.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/18/09 3:20am)
UNC graduate students established personal connections with local governments this summer while helping them cut costs and improve efficiency.Students and faculty involved with the Community Campus Partnership program, designed to help rural counties, described their work and outlined future plans during a presentation in Wilson Library on Thursday.“CCP is intended to establish effective and valued partnerships between the University and the community,” said Lynn Blanchard, director of the Carolina Center for Public Service.The success of the program has encouraged expansion to other counties in the state. About 40 people associated with the program discussed their accomplishments working with government officials in Lenoir and Caswell counties. Will Lambe, director of the project, said the organization has raised an estimated $1 million, mostly through grants. The focus now is deciding how best to apply resources to make a lasting impact in N.C. communities.During summer 2009, students interned full time, aiding community directors with various local projects — the first step in a two-year pilot phase of the program.“We have an opportunity to be successful here in doing something collaborative,” said Jesse White, associate director of the Office of Economic and Business Development. Students who completed internships in the two counties agreed that their role led to a better relationship between the University and communities. “We feel like we have a really great base of support there,” said Kate Pearce, a second-year masters student in city and regional planning. Pearce said she felt like she was truly integrated in the Yanceyville community in Caswell County. She said the personal connections she made will form a basis for the program’s future. Adam Parker, a second-year masters student in public administration, worked in Lenoir County. “I really describe my role in two ways — utility player and matchmaker,” Parker said. Parker worked on projects such as improvements in street lamp efficiency and helping with the science and technology-related education. A major part of his job was bringing the right people together to accomplish initiatives, he said. Ten graduate students are still directly involved in the program, and a number of faculty and staff members also play major roles. Undergraduate students might be getting involved with the program as well, Lambe said. “The future is to demonstrate what a concerted effort can accomplish,” he said.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/11/09 1:29am)
Since the infamous college gossip Web site Juicy Campus closed in February 2009, two alternative Web sites have sprung up to fill the gap.