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(09/27/07 4:00am)
With little debate and no dissension, the UNC Board of Trustees approved concept plans today for Carolina North, a proposed satellite research campus.
The plans include a 50-year footprint for the 250 acres that will be developed, as well as the more- detailed first 15-year phase, which will begin with the construction of the Innovation Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Carolina North is planned to be located about a mile and a half north of the main campus. The site will include various campus groups and research projects, as well as housing and a transit system.
The board's approval represents a major step in the project's development, several officials said.
"The question of whether Carolina North will happen has been replaced with 'how,'" said Chancellor James Moeser at his State of the University address Wednesday. "Questions about how this mixed-use environment will function and how (UNC) will consider the concerns and views of neighborhoods and the larger community."
Trustees said they expect the plans to go before Chapel Hill officials in the coming weeks, though they aren't sure the exact time frame or submission details.
"We need to make sure we do what we need to do to work with the town," trustee Bob Winston said.
Carolina North has been in the works for more than a decade.
In that time, officials have conducted several assessment and impact studies, as well as received feedback from the town, University and consultants.
"Where we are now is the culmination of all of that work," Jack Evans, executive director of Carolina North, said at the full board meeting, where the vote to pass a resolution that approves the concept plans was unanimous.
The plans detail several preliminary locations of facilities ranging from a transit center to a water reclamation site to recreation fields.
And more specifically, the plans include individual five-year increments that have set buildings and projects to be developed.
Among those is the Innovation Center, which officials expect to be the main entrance for Carolina North, representing the research and private partnership missions of the satellite campus.
"The Innovation Center is real," Winston said. "We do want it to go there."
The site for the center originally was planned for south of Estes Drive, but University officials decided the other site would be more ideal for the entrance to Carolina North.
But several of the facilities have not been set to house specific campus groups or projects, some of which could include the School of Law and the School of Public Health. "There is a lot of flexibility," Evans said.
The board showed a sense of urgency in moving the plans forward at their preliminary state because Carolina North has been in the discussion phase for several years.
Trustees said they recognize the plans probably will change as a fiscal and transit study culminate this academic year.
But in the meantime, getting started with Carolina North is essential to UNC's growth, as the master plan of the main campus moves toward its completion.
"We will have filled the main campus with all the plausible construction projects," Evans said. "That means that Carolina North represents both a necessity and an opportunity."
Several buildings have just opened on campus, including Caudill Labs, Chapman Hall and the Student and Academic Services Buildings. The N.C. Cancer Hospital is now under construction, and at the full board meeting Wednesday, Moeser said the School of Medicine will consider a demolition and rebuild this year.
Although Wednesday's approval moves Carolina North to the next step, trustees said they recognize the project still has a long way to go.
"This is just the beginning," said Roger Perry, chairman of the BOT. "I think this is an extraordinary concept plan - that's all it is."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/27/07 4:00am)
A successful performance hits the audience at just the right times.
A steady start, followed by a cacophony of words.
Then a pause.
In a moment, everything falls seamlessly into place.
It was that moment that Chancellor James Moeser took Wednesday to announce he will step down as chancellor to become a professor.
"The principal lesson I learned as a concert artist was always to get off the stage before the applause stopped," Moeser told an audience full of his predecessors and colleagues, as he fought to contain emotions.
(09/26/07 4:00am)
When the UNC Board of Trustees meets Wednesday, members will make decisions that will affect not just students but the rest of the Chapel Hill community.
(09/25/07 4:00am)
As the Board of Trustees preps to make an approval decision about Carolina North conceptual plans, the School of Law is getting feedback about moving to the satellite campus or renovating its current facility.
The school recently received a review, conducted by the architectural consulting firm SmithGroup, that considers the cost and time it would take to renovate the law school building, located near the School of Government on Ridge Road.
The review estimates that the renovation would cost $91 million and take four or five years to complete through four phases.
Because of the costly forecast, several law school officials are expecting to lean toward a move off campus, which could change the school's climate.
"The law school values being on campus - being halfway to Davis Library, Lenoir Hall and the School of Government," said Jack Boger, dean of the law school.
But the building, which was built in 1968, has not been renovated since 1999.
It doesn't have adequate classroom space or up-to-date technology, and it's facing issues of building code noncompliances and asbestos.
"We're bursting at the seams," Boger said.
Already this year many law school sectors have been relocated, and some of the centers will be moving to space near Weaver Street Market.
Jack Evans, executive director of Carolina North, approached Boger last semester about moving the school to the research campus near Estes Drive.
That idea resonates well with students, said Luis Lluberas-Oliver, Student Bar Association president.
"Carolina Law exists wherever students are," he said, noting that many students would rather see a new school completed with the appropriate facilities than wait for a renovation at the current location.
Lluberas-Oliver also said a physical space helps recruitment.
According to the review, the law school aims to increase enrollment from its 710 students to 755 students during the next five years.
Matt Marvin, director of communications for the law school, said the school also wants to increase the faculty by several members.
While relocating off campus has its benefits, including starting the building from scratch, several law officials said it would make the already slightly disconnected law school even more disconnected.
"I don't think anybody particularly wants to move off campus," said law professor Elizabeth Gibson, chairwoman of the building committee, which received the SmithGroup's review. "I think the question is, if we wanted to build a new building, where is there space?"
Carolina North, which has been the only physical site publicly suggested, won't begin construction for years, but law school officials said they aren't tied to that location.
The idea of even looking at the school's space came from the law dean search two years ago, when it was cited as a major concern among the candidates, Gibson said.
"That was noted as one of our needs," she said. "I think, just as the law school is realizing, other units are going to realize that there is relatively no space for building on the current campus."
Because a decision hasn't been made yet, securing funding is another issue that will need to be tackled.
Marvin said the school might lobby the General Assembly or seek private donations.
"If someone would be inspired to give a gift - a gift large enough that it would name a new law school . you never rule out that possibility," he said.
The School of Public Health received a $50 million donation last semester, and it will be renamed Dennis and Joan Gillings School of Global Public Health.
The school also is being considered as a potential campus group to move to Carolina North.
Another pressing reason for a decision on the law building is that its brick facade began to crack earlier this month, causing four classrooms to close for construction.
Although those rooms should be opened within the coming months, the cracking brought the building's problems to the forefront.
And even if the building were renovated, Boger said current restrictions of composition and land would create considerable roadblocks.
"There would be significant dislocation," he said, noting that one phase of the renovation would require the law library to be closed for about 15 months.
Also, many parking spaces near the school would be unavailable for several years during construction.
Boger said he will invite faculty and student input in October or November. "We're going to have some internal discussion," he said.
Boger said that the trustees could make a decision about the law school's status at their meeting Wednesday and that once a location decision is made, officials can move forward with construction and timetable planning.
"It's a long road between one's decision to make a move and the completion of it," Boger said.
"The sooner one can reach a decision on where the building should be, the more quickly we can take these long serious steps."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/18/07 4:00am)
An off-campus resident adviser retreat has caused at least five RAs to be fired, as well as brought to light issues of on-campus safety while they were away.
As part of a new training requirement, about 120 first-year RAs attended a retreat about an hour away from campus in Greensboro earlier this month.
Several of the new RAs were assigned to Morrison Residence Hall, and while they were at the retreat, the building was left staffed with far fewer RAs than usual.
"Taking 120 RAs off campus seems like a lot of missing personnel," said senior Bridget McEnaney, one of the Morrison RAs who was fired because of the alleged incident involving alcohol.
The retreat left the dorm of about 900 residents with five or six RAs, two of whom are required to be on call each night. The community director also was at the retreat.
Rick Bradley, assistant director in the Department of Housing and Residential Education, said the smaller staff wasn't a safety worry.
"We have an on-call procedure that links all across campus if needed," he said, adding that the procedure includes an on-call RA, an on-call community director and the police, when necessary.
The retreat was not required for returning RAs, so the dorms were left with about 90 RAs spread throughout campus.
During some long weekends, such as Fall Break, the residence halls are required to be staffed with half the usual amount of RAs, meaning Morrison would be required to have nine of its 18 RAs stay during those days.
RAs are required to be back to their dorms every night by 2 a.m., unless they requested the night off.
Jourdan Cabe, a seventh floor Morrison RA who was fired for the retreat incident, said she received an e-mail and was told in a meeting not to tell residents of her absence.
"It was mentioned in the staff meeting - so that they wouldn't cause mischief," she said, referring to the residents.
"I went ahead and told a bunch of residents . so that if there was an issue, they could go down to another floor and talk to an RA."
RAs also raised concerns that it wasn't necessary to hold the retreat off campus.
But housing officials said the reason for the location was so RAs could avoid the diversions of campus. Bradley also said this isn't the first time a retreat has been held off campus.
"Years ago when I was a community director, we took every RA off campus . for an off-site retreat," he said, adding that his retreat took place before residents moved in.
In light of recent national events, McEnaney said some RAs were concerned with the lack of staff.
"After Virginia Tech, which happened in a dorm, it seems like a really bad idea to leave the dorms that vulnerable."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/18/07 4:00am)
Several resident advisers have been fired by the Department of Housing and Residential Education as a result of an alleged incident involving alcohol.
When reports about the incident - which took place at a weekend retreat earlier this month - were brought to housing officials' attention, 12 RAs were sent home early from the retreat and told their jobs might be in jeopardy.
(09/14/07 4:00am)
When they meet on the field, it's a head-to-head battle.
But now several rugby teams across the state are voicing support for the UNC men's rugby team, which remains suspended from team-sponsored activities because it is under investigation for violating University policies.
With letters and e-mails of empathy, other rugby teams' officials said they hope to reach out to UNC.
"They conduct themselves with a lot of integrity," said Patrick Kane, director of men's rugby at Wake Forest University, who sent a letter of support Monday to UNC's Division of Student Affairs.
"That sort of attitude of 'rugby first' is something that I've tried to instill in the Wake Forest rugby program."
Kane's letter arrived Thursday for Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, who is helping with the investigation.
Allegations of hazing, alcohol violations and misrepresenting the University were brought against the team last week, and officials from UNC's Sport Club Council and student affairs are in the midst of gathering relevant information.
"I don't know whether any of the allegations against them are true," said Kane, who knows several of UNC's players on a first-name basis. "But my experience with that rugby program has been nothing but positive."
While UNC's rugby team is prohibited from practicing, playing games or using University facilities under the rugby name, Rufaro Sikipa, team president, said the local support is appreciated.
"It almost reflects the camaraderie that rugby has in general," he said. "While these are our competitors . they're willing to support us."
Crisp and Sikipa said they expect the first round of investigative interviews with team officers to be concluded this week. From there, University and Sport Club Council officials will decide whether to move forward with player interviews.
"I don't think the investigation is going to take an extremely long time," Crisp said. "We're doing this as fast as we can do it."
In the meantime, East Carolina University's rugby team is joining Wake Forest in supporting UNC.
Thomas Francisco, president of ECU's rugby team, said he plans to e-mail UNC's team to check on how the players are doing.
"I give them full support," Francisco said. "There are some good guys on that team."
And ECU's rugby team has been in a similar situation to UNC's.
In fall 2005, the team was suspended while an investigation was conducted when some members were caught drinking alcohol in a vehicle on the way back from a trip, Francisco said.
"They put our whole team through it, then they realized it was a few individuals," he said.
The team was suspended from playing rugby during spring 2006 and now is required to travel in the club sport vans, he said.
ECU's investigation came at the end of its season, but it caused disruptions in the game schedule, as the team didn't get to play its final game of the season or plan for the spring semester.
And UNC's investigation just began - at the beginning of the season. So Sikipa said the team canceled the rest of the semester's lineup to avoid scheduling problems with other teams.
Members were placed under suspension Sept. 4, and their first game would have been Sept. 8. This weekend they also had a match lined up against the Raleigh Vipers.
"I want to see the guys get back on track and start playing rugby again full time," said Ben Whysall, Vipers match secretary.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/28/07 4:00am)
It's no accident that the Web and technology committee of student government's executive branch has three leaders.
The committee is undertaking a large portion of Student Body President Eve Carson's platform - much of which deals with technological projects or improvements for UNC's campus.
From an online academic-advising survey to a comprehensive registration Web site, maintaining accessibility and increasing integration online remains the focus of the executive branch.
"Because of the changes that the University is undergoing, maybe that has made our student government more hands-on," Carson said.
As the University draws closer to the implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning software that will update campus computer systems, the need to assess the executive branch's priorities has surfaced.
"As the situation develops . we have had to constantly be creative and continue to evaluate our approach to different ideas," Carson said.
Because the software will be replaced in 2009, a moratorium has been placed on making unnecessary changes to the current system.
The only updates that can be made are maintenance-related. For example, those that deal with disbursing financial aid are required by law.
"I understand the pain of helping to plan a new system but having to wait while we get it implemented," said Robyn East, associate vice chancellor for Information Technology Services. "It's just unfortunately the nature of these systems."
Student government formed a committee last spring that serves as a focus group on issues related to the ERP. The committee met Monday for the first time this semester to start discussions.
The committee aims to serve as a liaison between the administrative and student leaders involved with the ERP.
"All of the students and administrators who come in all have a different perspective and a different set of needs in terms of their representations," Carson said. "Each of us came with very strongly held beliefs about what exactly this program needs to include."
But the ERP task force still has been beneficial in incorporating the executive branch's agenda with plans for the new computer software, she said.
Carson also said student government already has been able to realize a few of this year's technological goals. For example, printers were installed in residence halls, and external appointments applications are available online.
University Registrar Alice Poehls met with student leaders about the ERP as it relates to registration. She said the relationship between student leaders and administrators is headed down the right path.
"We've got some really good communication channels built in."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/27/07 4:00am)
Student Body President Eve Carson wants her first progress report to be accessible to students and administrators alike.
(08/24/07 4:00am)
For the third day in a row, Information Technology Services has experienced technical difficulties, and officials still are working to identify the root of the problem.
The most recent problems occurred Thursday and are related to the Pharos printing system, the UNC One Card printing-queue program.
On Tuesday, the printing system was taken offline for most of the day when a software program caused difficulties with the queueing.
"The issues that we've encountered are not related to the problems we had on Tuesday - to the best that we can tell right now," said Joe Schuch, manager for ITS's next-generation education infrastructure.
Thursday's issue - which affected most print labs, including ones recently installed in residence halls - involves intermittent print-job losses and an inability to connect computers and printers. But Schuch said that because the problems weren't consistent, ITS officials have not been able to determine what is wrong.
The one factor they've been able to consider is that the busiest labs - in the Student Union, School of Public Health, and Davis and the Undergraduate libraries - experience the problem during the peak hours of 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
"This is the only trend that we've been able to establish so far," Schuch said.
Only one variable has been identified as a possible cause - the influx of students since the last configuration change in early summer.
But Schuch said there's more to investigate.
"We may be actually looking at a variety of things that are contributing to this independently," he said.
ITS assembled a team of about 10 people, who tested an exact replica of an ITS print lab Thursday night. The results of the test will be discussed at a meeting today with Hewlett-Packard and ITS officials.
In addition, ITS is monitoring all activity across the network.
But in the meantime, the printing problems have caused hassle for students - many of whom said they've been spending excessive amounts of time in the labs.
"I've had to make so many visits up here from South Campus," said freshman Nicholas Ruiz.
Senior Megan Garrett waited until after her classes to print to avoid the problems. "I didn't do my reading for class today because I knew I couldn't print," she said, adding that the printers were slow even after the rush.
The Pharos system has been in operation since last fall, and this is the first major technical difficulty ITS has experienced.
"This is a place where we've never been," Schuch said.
"It's very frustrating. . I don't feel that we've been able to get our hands around the problem as quickly as we would have liked."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/22/07 4:00am)
Almost 2,000 UNC diplomas have been distributed with incorrect information on them, and the University has agreed to reprint them, absorbing the cost.
Those undergraduate students who received a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences in May have been sent letters informing them that their diplomas contain inaccurate information about the dean of their college.
Instead of the title "Dean," under Madeline Levine's name, the diplomas are printed with "Dean of the Professional School" - a school that doesn't exist at the University.
"This was a fairly small mistake, but it was a large error," said University Registrar Alice Poehls, whose department coordinates diplomas.
Former Student Body Treasurer Anisa Mohanty alerted Poehls to the error by e-mail last week, and the registrar's office sent letters Friday to all 1,896 graduates who have diplomas with errors.
The letter states that UNC will reprint the diplomas for free and asks that the incorrect diplomas be sent back.
"Initially I'm sure that they sort of didn't know exactly how to respond," Mohanty said. "And the fact that she e-mailed me back with a finalized plan that evening - that was a really appropriate and timely response."
According to the registrar's Web site, 4,756 UNC students graduated in May, giving the college the largest percentage of graduates.
The diplomas should be ready within about two weeks, Poehls said, noting that UNC paid to rush the new order.
"That's really all we can do," she said. "The University is simply going to try to get the right ones to them."
When graduates request their diplomas to be reprinted because of an error on the students' part, the University usually charges a $25 fee.
The new order will cost UNC between $3,000 and $4,000 - which the registrar's office will foot.
"It's expensive, but it's got to be fixed," Poehls said.
Levine's title was overlooked because of a combination of reasons, she said.
When the diplomas were being proofed, the registrar's office was packing to move to the new Student and Academic Services Buildings, making the already understaffed office busier. Additionally, Levine was an interim dean, while most schools had permanent deans.
Despite the University's move to alert students to the error, some graduates weren't even aware that the documents were inaccurate.
"I just looked at it briefly," said Kellie Cutshaw, who graduated in May with a degree in psychology. "I would like it to be right, but it's not a major issue for me."
But for others, the diploma represents more than a document.
"It might not be something that bothers the average student, Mohanty said. "But it was something that was going to stand out to me if I had to keep that document. . It cheapens it a little bit."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/21/07 4:00am)
A dispute between the UNC Employee Forum and the University is brewing.
After more than a month of debate, the forum is calling a University Relations' decision not to publish an article an act of censorship. But UNC officials say the decision was within their editorial realm.
As the forum drafts a resolution officially asking for action from Chancellor James Moeser, a greater debate about employee rights and University policy is coming to the forefront.
The issue is muddled with technicalities and interpretation of the First Amendment and the UNC system's protocol on recommending legislative agendas.
It all started in June with a routine submission of articles for the forum's monthly InTouch newsletter, which is published each July in the University Gazette - a weekly print publication mailed to all permanent UNC faculty and staff.
The forum planned to publish an article that they consider objective about collective bargaining - a hot topic that has caused some tension between the forum and the chancellor in the past.
Last year Moeser warned employees that their resolution supporting the repeal of North Carolina's prohibition on collective bargaining for state employees might be overstepping their role by attempting to directly influence legislation.
Forum members said they consider the act censorship mainly because the InTouch insert is published under its own masthead.
"It's always been treated as an independent publication - even by the Gazette," said Brenda Denzler, the forum's communications chairwoman, who served as the liaison between employees and the Gazette during conversations about the article.
In addition to its annual printed version in the Gazette, the newsletter is published on the forum's Web site every month.
David Brannigan, vice chairman of the forum, said that he hasn't seen the Gazette exercise this kind of editorial control in the past but that he thinks it's because the forum has recently shifted to more serious content in its newsletter.
"As the forum becomes more responsive to employees' concerns, the topics we've covered reflect that," he said.
Patty Courtright, Gazette editor and director of internal communications for University Relations, said the article was not published because the department considers it an opinion piece about legislation.
According to the UNC-system Board of Governors' policy, legislative priorities should come from the system as a whole, not individual schools or groups.
"The Gazette is a University publication," Courtright said. "Anything that is published under the Gazette is seen as part of the University."
It's the Gazette's mission, Courtright said, both to communicate University news and to help support the University's overall goals.
She said the forum has other outlets for publishing the article.
"They have the freedom to publish this if that's what they want to do," she said. "It's just that it wasn't appropriate to be part of the Gazette."
The forum's next step will be to review a tweaked version of the resolution and vote on it at the Sept. 5 meeting.
If it's approved, the resolution will be delivered to Moeser, who has a history of responding to the forum's recommendations.
Although he will make an official move once the resolution gets to his desk, Moeser has offered an opinion on the matter.
"In my view, there's no censorship here," he said. "It's a question of what the editor chooses to publish."
In years past, Moeser has voiced his advocacy for free speech, and Denzler said forum members think that will apply in this case.
"We hope the chancellor will be able to see it in that light."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/21/07 4:00am)
As students roam campus putting final touches on their schedules and paying tuition bills, many are finding themselves gravitating to one location.
The new Student and Academic Services Buildings, which officially opened in July, now houses many academic and student activity departments.
The buildings are one of the University's final initiatives that aim to tie North and South campuses together - bringing a mix of residential, academic and administrative buildings to one location.
"The vision for this particular area of South Campus was to include all of those components," said Christopher Payne, associate vice chancellor for student affairs.
The buildings' departments range from Disability Services to Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Most building visitors have sought the services of the University Registrar and Student Accounts and University Receivables, as students are still hacking out their class schedules and paying tuition bills.
Despite officials' efforts to alert the campus of the location changes, some students were still a little unsure where to go.
Sophomore Raj Naik, who lives in Morrison Residence Hall, needed to visit Student Accounts to pay off his account balance.
He saved himself a trip to North Campus - where most of the departments previously were located - by double-checking the location before he left.
"That would have been a bummer," he said, as he waited in line with about 15 other students.
Although this year's freshmen weren't aware of the departments' previous locations, some still had trouble figuring it out.
"I wasn't exactly sure, so I had to ask, and somebody in Student Stores told me," said freshman Jordan Oakes, who lives in Granville Towers.
To help with the confusion, the north building usually staffs an information desk with two student workers.
But before the desk opened, the Department of Housing and Residential Education, which is located at the main entrance, acted as the building's information center.
"We're happy to be almost like an information desk for South Campus," said Jill Rodriguez, marketing manager for the housing department.
Although it can be a headache for students and parents to search for the relocated departments, SASB Operations Coordinator Renee Cadena said most are finding a silver lining in the situation.
"The positive has been if they come for accounts receivable, they also need to go to the registrar," she said. "It's much better when it's housed in the same building."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/20/07 4:00am)
It's a new office but a familiar job for Allen O'Barr.
The new director of Counseling and Wellness Services officially took office three weeks ago, but his 10 years as associate director and his role planning new programs this summer have prepared him for the responsibilities of the new title.
"Even from the first day, things were so well set up for me already," said O'Barr, who recently changed his name from Hamrick. "If anything, it's almost like a custom fit."
Along with the interim director, Mary Covington, O'Barr has been working on several changes to wellness services, some of which came to fruition this summer.
Beginning in July, three professionals were made available every day to see all students who walk in without an appointment.
There's also a new internship program for students majoring in psychology. So far, two students are enrolled, and O'Barr said he expects that number to increase once the program is accredited. The interns' work has been key to giving the professional staff time for other projects, such as resident-adviser training.
O'Barr also helped create unique ways to raise awareness about social and health issues.
The new Interactive Theatre Program will incorporate audience participation to teach the community about issues ranging from racism to health and wellness.
The idea for the theater program came from O'Barr's predecessor, Kathy Hotelling.
When she stepped down May 14, many of her plans still were in the making, and O'Barr worked with Covington to prepare for students' return this semester.
At the same time, a five-member search committee was formed to find her replacement. Larry Hicks, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education, was committee chairman.
The search began locally, reaching nearby universities and counseling centers, though applicants came from as far away as California.
After reviewing about 20 applications, the committee elected to interview O'Barr, a candidate in the original search.
"We decided to start with our own backyard and see how that would work," Hicks said. "Allen's credentials on campus bubbled to the top."
Because Hotelling had been hired just one year earlier, the committee already had an updated position description and could work more quickly than usual.
"This type of search process doesn't happen with all of the positions," said Christopher Payne, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, who received the committee's recommendation.
And though the first search lasted about a year and racked up numerous bills - flying in applicants for on-campus interviews, using a consulting firm as a resource and advertising the position - the second search lasted only about a month and saw far fewer expenses.
"When the obvious is kind of staring you in the face - it was a pretty easy recommendation," Hicks said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Counseling and Wellness Services changes
Walk-in appointments: Health officials can see any student for an abbreviated meeting on a walk-in basis.
Interactive theater program: A new theater group is recruiting students for its program, which focuses on audience participation and social issues.
Internship program: Students majoring in psychology can participate in this program for internship credit.
Don't cancel that class: Wellness Services plans to give presentations about wellness and health in place of classes that are canceled.
(08/20/07 4:00am)
After setting yet another fundraising record this year, UNC administrators are nowhere near slowing down their quest for donations and pledges.
The University raised $250.8 million during the past fiscal year, making it the fourth consecutive year that UNC surpassed its previous record. This year the University received about $12 million more in gifts.
With those donations and other pledges, the Carolina First Campaign, UNC's capital fundraising program, continues to boom even as it approaches its final months.
"It is, we think, fairly unusual at the end of a long capital campaign to have such incredible momentum," said Elizabeth Dunn, senior associate vice chancellor for development. "Campaigns often follow a bell curve, but we just haven't seen any slowing down."
Carolina First began its silent fundraising phase in 1999, then officially kicked off in October 2002, with a $1.8 billion goal. In 2005, that goal was raised to $2 billion.
This February the campaign exceeded $2 billion with the largest-ever single commitment to UNC - a $50 million pledge from Dennis and Joan Gillings to the School of Public Health.
"Each year we have high expectations and high goals," said Scott Ragland, director of development communications in the Office of University Development. "Donors see the great work that's being done here, and it's something that they want to support."
With the Gillings' pledge, officials announced an additional $100 million to the $400 million goal for faculty benefits and salaries. So far, about $379 million has been donated and pledged.
Faculty salaries and benefits have been at the top of the University's agenda, and they will continue to be a focus this year.
Other commitments to faculty salaries include about $3.8 million of the $5.9 million of this year's tuition hikes, as well as a 5-percent raise of faculty salaries from the state.
Besides faculty salaries and benefits, this year will see individual schools and departments working on meeting their needs.
"We're focusing as much on the specific goals and needs as we are on the overall dollar amount," Dunn said.
The campaign is set to end in December, and officials said they expect strong final months, though added goals might not be met.
"It's going to be close," Ragland said. "We're certainly going to push for that."
Gifts and pledges - both of which are part of the campaign - are essential for public universities to keep up with private peer institutions.
"Private money can . provide us a margin of excellence, and our donors understand that," Ragland said.
Bringing in another record pledge could be in the University's future, but whether it'll be part of Carolina First is another story.
"We're probably in discussions about gifts of that magnitude," Dunn said. "But they could be two years down the line or 10 years down the line."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/20/07 4:00am)
It takes a lot to turn a good university into a great one.
Chancellor James Moeser knew that when he made his State of the University address last year, announcing a goal to secure $1 billion in external research funds by 2015.
And this past fiscal year, UNC administrators and department heads worked together, securing $610 million in grants and contracts for research, to make strides on the ambitious plan.
Several of the University's schools joined forces to offer positions and projects to "high-profile faculty" - bringing in $17 million more in research revenue than the previous year.
"UNC has long been known as a place that does interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research better than most places," said Dr. William Roper, CEO of UNC Health Care and dean of the School of Medicine.
Moeser said this year's progress shows that University administrators have "made a profound impact on research on this campus."
Although competition for funding from the National Institutes of Health increased this year, UNC managed to pull in a large chunk of money from that sector.
The School of Medicine alone received $298 million - about $200 million of which came from the NIH.
And though Moeser himself has called his goal extremely ambitious, many UNC administrators have voiced dedication to accomplishing it.
"The way we see it, each of the components of the campus needs to have a similar goal," said Dr. Dhiren Thakker, professor and associate dean for research and graduate education in the School of Pharmacy. "So we as a school have really done the same thing."
Many of the schools are using the University's already known dedication to research to attract more revenue, citing the fact that some efforts are being put in a tangible context or are moving forward with tangible plans this year.
Next semester, the Genetic Medicine Building is slated to open after two years of construction. The building represents the collaboration of the medical school, the pharmacy school and various departments on campus.
"It will be a truly multidisciplinary center," Thakker said.
And Carolina North, UNC's proposed satellite campus that will embody the University's research mission, also is moving forward this year.
Some of the construction for Carolina North might begin as early as 2009, but plans still must be approved by UNC's Board of Trustees and the Chapel Hill Town Council.
While the University has improved its collaboration among schools and departments, officials said there are other kinds of partnerships that could be addressed.
"One thing we have done poorly is securing funding from the corporate sector," said Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and development, noting that he hopes to see more interest from that area.
Working with corporations provides faculty the opportunity to see their research applied in practice. That in turn benefits the community, another part of UNC's mission.
"We are not doing research just for the sake of research," Thakker said. "We're doing research so that the School of Pharmacy and the UNC campus can really contribute to real-life patient problems."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/27/07 4:00am)
Leaders in the executive and legislative branches of this year's student government have become familiar with a few fighting terms - namely "head-butt."
"We've disagreed on our philosophies," said former Student Body President James Allred.
The two branches clashed on many issues this year, leading to four vetoes and several passionate speeches in Student Congress.
Some of the issues Allred and former Congress Speaker Luke Farley have quarreled about include student fees and spending, as well as each branch's authority.
In February, Farley introduced a three-part Cap Act, which aimed to lessen student-group spending on speakers, concerts and campus publications. The act was split into three parts so that each issue could be considered individually.
Allred vetoed all three bills.
He said he holds a different perspective than Farley on how student fees should be used.
"A lot of our disagreements hinged on that debate," Allred said.
And Farley said many of his disagreements with Allred were a result of differing ideologies.
"I think I did kind of catch a label for being an extreme conservative," Farley said. "But James is also very far left."
Those differences became a roadblock for constructive conversation, Farley said.
But though the two spent hours and days fighting about legislation this year, both said their differences were beneficial to a successful system of checks and balances.
"I think that now student government is better because Congress was assertive for the past year," Farley said, noting that in his two years as speaker, he pushed for Congress to be more involved in student government conversations.
And that's one area where Farley and Allred did hold the same principles - student involvement with its governing body.
Allred said he met with student organizations throughout the fall semester to keep them up-to-date on the progress of the tuition and fee advisory task force, which Allred led with Provost Bernadette Gray-Little.
"I think he is someone who tries to keep a diverse group of students in mind," Gray-Little said in October - the height of the task force's meetings.
Even though tuition hikes of $1,250 for nonresident students, $250 for residents and $500 for graduate students passed at January's Board of Trustees meeting, more than 200 students showed up in protest.
Still, Allred said he realized in December that his efforts for small increases would be in vain.
"It didn't matter what we walked into that room and said. Tuition was going to go up," he said. "The fight isn't day-to-day - it's year-to-year."
That fight will be one that Student Body President Eve Carson now must bear the burden of tackling.
Carson already has faced contention with administrators in her opposition of a new grading system, called the Achievement Index, which weighs students' performance against their classmates.
In line with her campaign goals of involving more average students, Carson has helped promote forums for students to ask questions about the system.
"I want to do what the students want to do," she said.
Congress Speaker Tyler Younts also co-sponsored a bill with Carson earlier this month that simplifies Title VII of the Student Code, which deals with the Carolina Athletic Association. The joint effort, Farley said, shows the two's dedication to representing the student body.
Allred said that philosophy of exchanging ideas should be Carson's aim throughout her term.
"The way to get positive change for students is not through stonewalling and ultimatums but conversations and negotiations."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/16/07 4:00am)
Numerous power outages were reported across Chapel Hill and Carrboro on Monday morning, and officials do not yet know when power will be restored.
Duke Power officials said power might not be back to parts of Franklin Street until about midnight - though they said the number of outages is making it difficult to say for certain.
"When we called the power company, they had no idea when it would be back on," said Amy Delp, who works at the Optometric Eye Care Center, located in University Square. The eye care center is one of several businesses in University Square that closed because of power outages.
As a result of strong winds, several thousand Duke Power customers in Orange County are without power, with more than 200,000 total customers affected in North and South Carolina.
Areas affected in Orange County include the south side of West Franklin Street, East Franklin Street between Estes Drive and Boundary Street, Hillsborough Street, Pittsboro Street, University Square, Smith Level Road and sections of Carrboro.
The Chapel Hill Police Department has dispatched all units to direct traffic at affected intersections across the town. Jane Cousins, spokeswoman for the police department, said she didn't know how many locations are affected.
On UNC's campus various intersections are being directed by University police, but there have not been any reports of building power outages - though Granville Towers does not have power.
University officials have been working to restore power to traffic lights since 8 a.m.
"I cannot guarantee that we will have power," said Randy Young, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.
North Campus residence halls also are experiencing a hot water outage, and officials do not know when it will be restored.
Officials estimate that about 20 trees have fallen, one of which hit a car in Nash parking lot.
"I've been answering calls about trees all morning," said John Harris, a processing assistant in the grounds department. He added that he had heard about 30 reports of trees falling.
There have been no reports of injuries or car accidents.
Trees are blocking Franklin Street, between Estes Drive and Boundary Street.
Chapel Hill Transit is working with the Chapel Hill Police Department and the Chapel Hill Fire Department to determine if any bus lines need to be rerouted. So far, no buses have been affected by the power outages or fallen trees.
Officials will be updating the transit Web site, www.townofchapelhill.org/transit, with any route changes.
Check back for more updates.
(04/13/07 4:00am)
Rising juniors and seniors no longer are required to take two physical education classes.
After evaluating senior registration, University officials decided to halve the requirement because of a lack of available seats.
"There are some space considerations that we must take into account," said Carolyn Cannon, associate dean for academic advising programs.
Almost 70 sections of physical education classes are offered next semester, and each of those enrolls 15 to 40 students, with the exception of downhill skiing.
Though there are about 170 open spaces, only about 50 of those are in courses that do not require additional fees.
"It takes off a little stress because P.E.s are so hard to get into," said junior Caitlin Corkery, who already had taken one physical education class.
Cannon said she doesn't think the lack of available seats is anything new because many students have had trouble registering for physical education classes in the past, and about the same number of classes are being offered.
'There are some students in this University who may have taken four or five P.E.s, while others have waited - that's where we're feeling the crunch," she said.
UNC implemented a new curriculum with the class of 2010, requiring one physical education class, called a lifetime fitness class.
University officials, in creating the new curriculum, determined that one physical education class is "pedagogically sound," said Bobbi Owen, senior associate dean for undergraduate education.
Officials also used feedback from departments and students because this semester's registration showed that not enough courses were being offered to meet demand.
But in their most recent discussions, officials did not consult the Department of Exercise and Sport Science, which offers the courses.
"Quite frankly, I wish there had been more discussion involving more people - because I think that to change a general education requirement in midstream has the potential to create more problems than it ultimately solves," department chairman Kevin Guskiewicz said.
Owen said officials decided to make the change now to avoid a problem similar to last semester's registration - when many students were unable to sign up for courses that were required for graduation.
Officials then were forced to increase the maximum enrollment and ask students who didn't need the classes to graduate to drop them.
"We wanted to be sure that we had this in place when the juniors began to register this weekend," Owen said.
But some graduating seniors who missed the exemption said they wish they had reaped the benefit.
And senior Charlsey Rutan said the ultimate problem is in the number of classes offered - not in the course requirement.
"There should be more for the people who just want to take it for their own leisure."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/26/07 4:00am)
Batman and Robin have got it down pat.
The leader and second-in-command know who's better at driving the Batmobile and who can handle the trapeze.
They understand each other's strengths and weaknesses and play off of them to form a strong team.
And teamwork is something Eve Carson and Mike Tarrant said they want to employ when they take office April 3 as student body president and vice president, respectively.
In past years, student body president and vice president teams have had more of an advantage than Carson and Tarrant because the vice president has served as the campaign manager or the two have spent a lot of time working together before they take office.
Carson's campaign manager, LeVelton Thomas, applied to be student body secretary but was not chosen for the post.
Tarrant and Carson both had worked in the executive branch, but they only met in August, and their most frequent contact has been just this month when Cabinet applications were made available.
"I think that's beneficial - I wasn't part of her campaign team," Tarrant said. "I stayed very neutral during the campaign."
Tarrant also was not part of student government last year, though he was on the Freshman Focus Council and the academic affairs committee during his first two years. "The two years that I was in student government, I was heavily committed."
Tarrant's experience will come in handy throughout Carson's term because she does not have extensive student government experience.
"The vice president is supposed to be a supplement to the executive branch Cabinet, to accomplishing the student body president's platform," Student Body Vice President Brian Phelps said. "Mike will be able to supplement her in those ways."
Carson picked Tarrant over Caroline Spencer, who has served in Congress since her freshman year.
"I think that I have a good institutional knowledge of student government that would have balanced Eve's nicely," said Spencer, who also ran for student body president this year. "Eve hasn't had much experience with Congress."
The third of the four applicants for vice president was Jon Kite, another former student body president candidate.
Carson based her decision on the applicants' experience and understanding of the student body.
"I wasn't trying to say they weren't qualified," she said. "Mike just stood out as so qualified."
One of the key responsibilities of the vice president is serving as a second opinion on any major or minor decisions the president must make.
"Having someone that can provide that check - that's so valuable," Student Body President James Allred said.
Carson said she thinks Tarrant's background will provide a more thorough check on her.
"It's always good to have someone to bounce ideas off of," she said.
"In the case of really big decisions, that decision better have been the most careful and analyzed decision."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.