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(11/20/07 5:00am)
The lawyers-in-training that make up the Student Bar Association aren't sure if their own organization is operating legally.
SBA has been asking students to leave its meetings for private discussions, admittedly keeping "shoddy minutes" that don't include member voting records and refusing to provide copies of funding requests.
SBA President Luis Lluberas-Oliver said that the association has never forced students to leave meetings but that it has asked them to leave to allow the members to converse without fear of being singled out. The organization also doesn't record how each member votes.
And as for funding request copies, Lluberas-Oliver said the SBA typically throws them away.
Now, third-year law student Michael Roessler is demanding more openness in the association.
"This is a public university; this is a law school," he said. "We just have a right to know what our student government is doing and why."
The problems began after the association's fall budget allocation meeting Sept. 26 when the SBA distributed about $7,000 among law student organizations. Because of limited funds, none of the organizations received the full requested amount, Lluberas-Oliver said.
The American Constitution Society, of which Roessler is co-president, received $75 of $400 requested.
Several weeks later, Roessler said he requested copies of the funding proposals each organization submitted to get a better idea of how the SBA made its decisions.
"I thought it was a very unremarkable request to make," he said. "It turned out to be a bit bigger of a deal than I anticipated."
Because the documents contained information about private funding that the student organizations receive, SBA wasn't sure if it should release the papers, Lluberas-Oliver said.
Nevertheless, he said SBA took Roessler's concerns seriously.
"We've never dealt with this issue in 15 years of SBA," Lluberas-Oliver said. "Like typical lawyers, we have to think it through because this has serious implications."
The SBA contacted Associate University Counsel Mary Sechriest, whose preliminary opinion was that SBA was not legally required to have open meetings or release the documents. Still Sechriest said she would investigate further and provide a definitive answer in January.
The SBA also began posting its minutes on the Internet.
But even if Sechriest determines that SBA is not required to operate openly, Roessler said students deserve to know its inner workings.
"At the end of the day, it's not about what the law requires you to do, its about what is the right thing to do."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/15/07 5:00am)
The UNC School of Medicine could get a significant face-lift in the coming years.
Two of the medical school buildings, the Mary Ellen Jones Building and Berryhill Hall, are one step closer to renovation. During a Wednesday meeting, the Board of Trustees buildings and grounds committee approved priority lists of design firms to explore renovation and expansion options.
"Depending on what we can do in getting the proper funding, this would be a very significant enhancement of the medical school from where it is today," said Bob Winston, chairman of the committee.
Leslie Parise, chairwoman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, works in the Mary Ellen Jones Building and said the facility is in dire need of renovations.
"It's a tired, 30-plus-year-old building, and it really needs it," Parise said.
She said the building is ugly and outdated, has plumbing problems sometimes and is "loaded with cockroaches."
On another level, the building's condition makes it difficult to recruit faculty for the medical school, Parise said.
Dr. Bill Roper, dean of the School of Medicine and CEO of UNC Health Care, said he has not noticed a decline in faculty interest because of the outdated buildings but echoed the idea that state-of-the-art buildings do help attract new faculty.
The 11-story Mary Ellen Jones Building was constructed in 1978 at a cost of $18 million. Today it houses offices, conference rooms and laboratories for several medical school departments.
The other building slated for changes, Berryhill Hall, contains classrooms and laboratories. Part of the building already is undergoing renovations and has been closed for at least a year.
When Berryhill was completed in 1970, it came in under budget at $6 million.
The complete renovation and expansion of Berryhill would go hand-in-hand with possible plans to increase medical school enrollment from 160 to 230 students annually, said Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning.
The medical school will negotiate with the design firms to determine the cost of the feasibility studies. Each building has $1 million budgeted for its study, Runberg said.
He said University officials aim to have the studies completed by early 2008. Then, based on the studies' findings, the medical school will decide which renovation plan to take to inject new life into the old buildings.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/30/07 4:00am)
The chancellor search saga continues today as faculty, staff and students will be able to voice their opinions during a three-hour forum at the Carolina Inn.
The 21-member chancellor search committee has designated one hour to hear comments on the qualities and qualifications each constituent group desires in the next chancellor, who should take office July 1. Faculty will begin the forum at 1 p.m., followed by staff and students.
But more than 200 classes will be in session from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. today, preventing many professors from attending the faculty-designated time slot.
Psychology professor Beth Jordan said she was disappointed she won't be able to attend the forum because she has to teach a class at that time.
"I can't just cancel class to go to something like this, even though I think the forum is important," Jordan said.
She said she thought the forum will be a good opportunity to learn what other faculty are thinking about the chancellor search.
But some professors are unfazed that teaching will prevent them from attending.
Jean DeSaix, a lecturer in the Department of Biology, said she also teaches class during the hour designated for faculty comments.
But DeSaix said she isn't worried because faculty will be able to speak at any time during the forum, not just during the allotted time slot.
DeSaix also said the forum is just one of many ways for faculty to express opinions about the next chancellor, adding that she e-mailed her thoughts directly to the chancellor search committee.
"I would guess that any concerned person could contact any member of the search committee and expect that their thoughts would be heard," DeSaix said. "I don't think its a one-shot deal."
Students also will have more than one shot to share input before the next chancellor is chosen.
The student advisory board to the chancellor search committee hosted a forum Monday night in Manning Hall to gather additional input from the student body.
At the forum, the committee presented a 17-page document summarizing student wishes about a variety of topics including honor, athletics and UNC admission standards.
The student board recently was created by Student Body President Eve Carson to collect student opinion about the next chancellor.
The committee members gathered the information through interviews with more than 100 students during the past six days, committee chairman Matt Hendren said.
The forum drew only 15 students, most of whom were committee members, but Hendren said he was not concerned.
"Having a huge turnout tonight is not essential for us doing our jobs, because we've already collected so much input," Hendren said.
The official search committee also held a forum Friday afternoon, and only seven people spoke at that forum.
After a few revisions, copies of the document will be given to members of the chancellor search committee before the forum today, vice-chairman Chazz Clevinger said.
As the official committee searches for a chancellor in the coming months, this tangible document will help express the voice of students throughout the search process.
ATTEND THE FORUM
Time: Today: 1 p.m. UNC faculty members; 2 p.m. UNC staff; 3 p.m. UNC students
Location: Chancellor's Ballroom at the Carolina Inn
Info: www.unc.edu/chan/search
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/25/07 4:00am)
The time has come for Student Body President Eve Carson to put the money where her mouth is.
When the October Report was released Tuesday, it updated students on the progress of many Carson administration initiatives - and where the projects stand in terms of funding.
In her platform, Carson proposed three "Big Ideas": an annual music festival, two scholarships for juniors and an endowment to fund a big-name speaker series.
But big ideas require big money. And though Carson's term is halfway done, financial backing for these planks isn't finalized.
(09/25/07 4:00am)
A new television station on UNC's campus is working to capture the student audience - mtvU.
The music and entertainment station began broadcasting last week on Channel 11 in residence halls and common areas on campus.
"I think that mtvU is a really unique experience in that it's a campus network created by and for the college audience," said senior Rachel Moss, UNC's student representative for mtvU. "It's a creative outlet for students."
Several campus organizations have worked for more than a year and a half to bring the station to campus, and at no cost, Moss said.
Student Body President Eve Carson also included the station in her platform.
And though UNC already has its own student-run television station, STV, Toria Jones, producer of the STV sketch-comedy show "Off the Cuff," said STV did not feel threatened by the addition of mtvU.
"The type of programming is completely different," Jones said.
Typically mtvU features music videos, news and on-campus video segments. Universities also generate one minute of advertisements per hour.
Moss also said other groups can submit ads to the network.
"It's a way that University student organizations can publicize their events and activities on the network," she said.
Each week mtvU awards a $1,000 grant to a student-run community service group at one of the more than 730 campuses nationwide that broadcast the station.
The station also provides information about current issues, such as global warming and the Darfur region of Sudan, in an effort to increase student activism, according to its Web site.
Regular segments are filmed on-location at different campuses.
"Because we are a large, prominent school, we have a good chance of having something filmed here," Moss said, adding that no definite plans have been made.
The station also includes shows featuring celebrities in college settings. "Stand In" brings cultural icons such as Bill Gates, Kanye West, Madonna and Jesse Jackson to campuses to teach for a day.
But mtvU's main component is still music. The station focuses on lesser-known artists and college musicians, and aspiring musicians can upload their music and videos via the mtvU Web site.
"This is not your regular MTV channel," Moss said. "It's really about students and a lot of the underground music we listen to today."
Freshman Seth Guge said that he has never watched mtvU but that he used to watch channels like MTV and VH1 frequently.
"I think I'd be interested to see lesser-known bands," Guge said.
But some aren't as interested. Freshman Julianne Goodpaster said that she doesn't watch the station often but that has seen it in a dorm.
"I think the idea is good, but I don't really like the music."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/18/07 4:00am)
As National Pan-Hellenic Council Week kicks off, the next few days will mark the only open part of the organization's recruitment process.
And after this week, not much more will be disclosed about the secret induction processes of the NPHC and Greek Alliance Council.
Although other Greek organizations broadcast their recruitment efforts across campus, UNC's multicultural, religious-based and historically black fraternities and sororities take a hushed approach to recruiting new members.
These fraternities and sororities do not divulge who is rushing or even if they are accepting new members this semester. And what happens during recruitment is kept under wraps.
"Basically, when the members are going through the process, nobody is supposed to know," said Crystal Baldwin, NPHC president. "You're not supposed to tell your friends or anything like that."
Students accustomed to the festivities of the Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils' recruitment processes might wonder why other Greeks don't walk the same path.
"It's about tradition," said Denaa Hayes, GAC president. "If everybody on campus knew the secrets of the process, it takes away some of the specialness of the organization."
NPHC Week began Monday, allowing UNC's eight historically black fraternities and sororities to make themselves visible on campus. The groups set up in the Pit, playing games and answering questions about their organizations.
"It's a good way for people outside of the organizations to get more information on what our organizations are about," said senior Nicole Murphy, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Inc.
The week also includes a racial stereotypes forum, a bone marrow drive and a party in the Student Union Cabaret.
The GAC, which oversees UNC's 13 multicultural and religious-based fraternities and sororities, will sponsor a similar week Oct. 1 to Oct. 5.
Students can express interest in a GAC or NPHC group by attending its events, getting to know its members and learning its history, Baldwin said.
And beyond these first steps, each chapter differs in how it conducts rush. Potential members should not expect a week of recruitment culminating with a dramatic unveiling of bid offers.
"It's a longer process," said Pharen Bowman, president of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority Inc., an NPHC sorority. "It usually takes the entire semester to complete."
Jenny Levering, assistant dean of students for fraternity and sorority life, said the individual chapters decide when to hold recruitment and how many new members to accept. She added that most GAC groups recruit new members once a year and that most NPHC groups have membership intake every two years.
"Generally, there's not a timeline for it," Bowman said. "It's whenever we feel that we have an adequate number of women who deserve to be a part of the organization, who uphold the standards of the organization."
Delta Sigma Iota South Asian Cultural fraternity and Delta Phi Omega South Asian Interest sorority are the only two organizations announcing their rush week activities this year.
"We try not to keep it private because . the South Asian student population is small," said Neel Patel, Delta Sigma Iota rush chairman.
This year there are 111 students involved in GAC organizations and 98 in NPHC groups. Most chapters have fewer than 20 members, Levering said.
Hayes said that because the chapters are so small, sisterhood and brotherhood are important ideals for the organizations.
"It's not just an ideal that we're aiming for," she said. "It's what we live day by day."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/28/07 4:00am)
To students, Whitehead Residence Hall is a small dormitory with a location near many classes. But from the Carolina Inn's perspective, Whitehead looks like an opportunity for expansion.
Officials in the Department of Housing and Residential Education and Campus Services are discussing the Carolina Inn's possible purchase of Whitehead.
This purchase is more than a year in the making, having already been approved by the Board of Trustees and the town of Chapel Hill.
"We're in the midst of gathering various pieces of information right now," said Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for campus services. "For example, we would have to figure out how much Campus Services would compensate housing."
She said it will probably be a couple of months before final decisions are made regarding the fate of Whitehead. The cost of the renovations and expansion has not been determined, either.
Rick Bradley, assistant director of housing, said no specific timeline exists.
If the Carolina Inn purchases the building, Whitehead would undergo complete renovations to create additional suites for the hotel, located on Pittsboro Street.
"At this point we're pretty much bursting at the seams with people wanting to stay at the inn," Elfland said.
The Carolina Inn is owned by the University and run by a private hotel company. It houses 184 guest rooms, as well as meeting and event space and a full-service restaurant.
Housing officials said Whitehead is a sought-after choice for students vying for campus housing.
"It has value because the students who do live there find it a good place to live," Bradley said. "Any time we have a building that's popular to students, we take very seriously the decision to retain that or have it used for other purposes."
Sophomore Veronica Oro said she likes living in Whitehead because it is close to the science classrooms and Franklin Street. "It's prime real estate for a dorm, really."
With a maximum capacity of 100 students, Whitehead is one of the smaller residence halls on campus. Morrison Residence Hall on South Campus, by contrast, houses closer to 1,000 students.
Although Bradley said the number of rooms available on campus exceeds the number of students requesting housing this year, that difference is small. Residence halls are now at 99 percent capacity.
Housing recently converted 200 double rooms in Hinton James Residence Hall to single occupancy as a result of student demand.
But that net loss of beds combined with the loss of Whitehead will not be problematic, Bradley said.
"If and when Whitehead wouldn't be available, we could convert those rooms back into doubles if needed," he said.
Still, some students said they prefer to stay in a smaller dormitory.
"Because it's a smaller community, you get to know people a lot better than if you lived in Hinton James or something," Oro said.
Contact the University editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/23/07 4:00am)
According to most campus maps, Chapman Hall does not exist.
The building - located adjacent to Phillips Hall - is not named on the maps mounted throughout campus or maps available at UNC's Web site and Student Stores.
A relatively new building on campus, Chapman Hall's location has stymied freshmen and upperclassmen alike.
Some students said they went to great lengths to find the building.
"I e-mailed the teacher, and I searched the interactive campus map," senior Shasta Smith said.
"When you type the name, it says 'Does Not Exist.' Finally, a girl in Student Stores tipped me off."
Chapman Hall, completed last fall, contains lecture halls and labs for physical science classes. Although the building is pictured on the map, it is labeled "Phillips Addition."
Nancy Davis, associate vice chancellor for University relations, said the error probably occurred because the maps were installed before Chapman Hall's Nov. 18 dedication last year.
Although it can't be found on the permanent campus maps, Chapman Hall is pictured on the temporary detour maps near construction zones by the building.
The first mounted campus maps were installed on last year's University Day, Oct. 12. Chancellor James Moeser commissioned the maps to help visitors and newcomers become better oriented with the campus.
More of the large maps were posted throughout campus during March.
Maps are located in various places across campus - from the Student Union to Battle Hall on Franklin Street.
Jill Coleman, landscape architect for Facilities Planning & Construction, said there is no set schedule for replacing outdated campus maps.
Because there is no time frame, officials have not yet evaluated the cost of the changes.
Coleman said she did not know how much it cost to install the existing maps.
"It may be that at some point we have so many changes to the map, it's just time to update all of the maps, and that's likely what will happen," Coleman said.
Besides the omission of Chapman Hall, Coleman said few corrections have been necessary to the campus maps.
"We've mostly just had very positive comments on being happy to have the maps," she said.
Some students said they didn't need to consult the maps to find Chapman because they are familiar with the building.
"I came to a lecture here last year," junior Sarah McHugh said, noting that the construction near Chapman was more aggravating.
With other construction projects nearing completion- such as the 4,300-square-foot music building slated to open December of next year- students likely will have more difficulties locating their classes.
In the meantime, confusion and detours are causing problems for students attending classes in construction-ridden areas of campus.
"I got really lost," said Rebecca Knight, a junior who has Geography 111 in Chapman Hall.
"I walked, and I walked. The construction didn't allow me to go the way I knew. I'm finally here."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/25/07 4:00am)
With last week's Virginia Tech shootings still fresh in the minds of many, UNC officials are looking to evaluate residence hall safety as one area of emphasis.
With about 7,700 students living on campus, resident advisers often are the first line of defense in emergencies.
At Va. Tech, Ryan Clark, an RA in West Ambler Johnston Hall, was one of the first of 32 victims killed in last week's shooting rampage. He was investigating a loud noise when he met the gunman in a hallway.
Kyle Jordan, coordinator for student leadership and programming and a member of the committee responsible for training RAs to deal with emergencies, said that while the training RAs receive is extensive, it deals only with situations within the confines of everyday life.
"We don't train them to deal with any type of assailant that might have a weapon," Jordan said.
At UNC, RAs are responsible for a section of a residence hall, and they are placed throughout 14 campus communities.
Training is held two weeks before the semester starts, and it includes preparation for emergencies such as fires, medical accidents and sexual assault, among others.
RAs also are instructed how to deal with roommate conflicts and how to approach students who they suspect might be experiencing emotional problems.
"Really, it is a top-down process from the highest administrators living in a building down to the RAs," Jordan said.
"Everybody is a part of crisis management, and we do it very well."
But despite his confidence in those guidelines, Jordan said there has been talk about UNC reviewing safety procedures more.
"There's no time that we're going to say our policies are 100 percent," Jordan said.
Kareemah Lewis, a former RA in the Olde Campus Upper Quad Community, said the training she received came in handy.
"We were prepared because we had specific training in that area, in dealing with a crisis - not specifically somebody coming to shoot, but students hurting themselves," she said.
Lewis also said the training informed her of resources that most residents are not aware of, especially how to contact public safety officials directly. But she said there still is room to tweak the training.
"I think we could improve on communication. . Maybe creating new technology-savvy ways to communicate other than e-mail," she said.
One focus of the training is explaining that RAs should be aware of their surroundings and report anything out of the ordinary.
"I think Virginia Tech was a wake-up call to a lot of RAs that when we do see suspicious people . to take it more seriously and that unexpected things can happen," said Laura Lilly, an RA in Kenan Community.
Gay Perez, associate director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education, said methods used to respond to emergencies vary.
"Sometimes you might stay in place; sometimes you might evacuate. Housing will take its cues from first responders, police or whoever is in charge," she said.
"Everyone thinks they're prepared until something like Virginia Tech happens. . You can only plan so much."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
When UNC students already strapped for cash face emergency situations, the financial burden can be unbearable.
To help these students, officials have created a Student Emergency Fund, designed to help students in emergency situations by providing funds that do not have to be repaid.
"We have students that have emergency situations where they need money fast, and it's not always easy to give money," said Melinda Manning, assistant dean of students. "Not all students can ask their parents for funds, and sometimes these situations could make a student drop out of school."
Manning said situations such as a death in the family, illness, accident or fire could cause unexpected expenses, which the fund would help alleviate.
The fund began with a $5,000 grant from the Parents Council and was built up through a silent and live auction held in February, said Sheila Hrdlicka, assistant director of parent programs.
"I believe right now we have about $27,000 in the fund, all from generous contributions from Carolina parents," Manning said.
Both undergraduate and graduate students facing hardships can receive grants ranging from $250 to $500 on average, but more is available in extenuating circumstances.
To receive funds, students must submit applications to the Office of the Dean of Students. A committee will review the applications to decide whether to award funds.
"Our goal is to have the student get a yes or no response within 24 to 48 hours," Manning said, adding that getting a check to the student would take another day or two.
Freshman Rebecca Merrick said although she hasn't experienced a situation of that type, she approves of the program's goals.
"I think that would definitely be a good program because it would take away the material concerns while you have emotional concerns to deal with as well," she said.
The new fund is similar to emergency student loans available from the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
Tabatha Turner, associate director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, said students can apply for emergency loans of up to $500, which must be repaid within two months or the end of the semester, whichever comes first.
She said she doesn't expect that the new fund will decrease applicants. "Our emergency loan program is more for students who are short on cash, and most of the reasons aren't true emergencies," she said.
"We would be happy to recommend them to go get free money instead of having to borrow a loan."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/31/07 5:00am)
Almost 40 elementary school children were all smiles Tuesday afternoon as they learned about different cultures at the Around the World Carnival.
"We thought it would be important for these children to have some way to experience different cultures and appreciate and be aware of them," said Deepti Panjabi, co-chairwoman of the Campus Y committee Helping Youth by Providing Enrichment.
The carnival was the fifth event of Children's Rights Week, a campaign sponsored by HYPE that teaches about children's rights, child abuse.
Children attending the carnival made crafts related to five areas of the world. And though quiet at first, the children at the carnival quickly became excited and talkative.
Joanne Williamson, after-school coordinator at the Dobbins Hill community, described the kids she works with as "very active and curious."
At one station, children learned to write their names in Hindi, one of the official languages of India.
Community-based after-school groups were present from Trinity Court Family Resource Center, South Estes Family Resource Center, Airport Gardens and Dobbins Hill Family Resource Center.
"We're always looking for opportunities that teach the children about the world and make learning fun," said Kathy Glosson, after-school coordinator at Trinity Court community.
With more than 50 tutors, HYPE provides social, cultural, and educational experiences for children living in Chapel Hill and Carrboro housing communities.
Panjabi stressed the importance of teaching children about diversity. "It will stay with them longer if they start learning about it as early as elementary school years."
The carnival, which was the brainchild of junior Chandni Patel and members of the Delta Phi Omega sorority, was based on Tuesday's theme, "Education and Diversity."
Children's Rights Week continues today with a forum on children's health featuring speakers from the Ronald McDonald House, UNC Hospitals and the Chrysalis Foundation, a nonprofit mental health group.
The week concludes Friday with a lecture by Don Keenan, a lawyer and noted children's rights advocate.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.