Faye Fernandes

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N.C. OKs New ID Theft Protections

By Faye Fernandes | January 17

A new initiative designed to deter identity theft by promoting awareness in consumers, businesses and law enforcement agencies was announced Wednesday by N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper. Identity theft is on the rise nationwide. About 20,000 people in North Carolina are victims of identity fraud every year, and it costs businesses in the state an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion per year, according to a statement released by the attorney general's office.

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Economy, Iraq '04 Election Issues

By Faye Fernandes | January 16

The 2004 presidential election hinges primarily on President Bush's ability to restore voter confidence in the economy and to handle conflict in Iraq, not on who emerges as the Democratic candidate, pundits say. But with Bush's approval ratings dropping below 60 percent for the first time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Bush soon may have to answer for the faltering economy.

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Procedure to Play Role In House Speaker Fight

By Faye Fernandes | January 10

The race to become the next speaker of the N.C. House is heating up as legislators begin to take sides concerning the best process to conduct the selection. Some supporters of House Minority Leader Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston, the GOP caucus's nominee, say they support a process that drops the candidate receiving the fewest votes in each round of voting until one of the candidates receives a majority. But other representatives say they think all candidates should remain on the ballot in succeeding votes if a majority is not received in the first vote.

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Multiple Majors Might Not Help in Job Hunts

By Faye Fernandes | December 2

Though the number of students with double, triple or even quadruple majors is on the rise, university administrators say multiple-major students do not have an advantage over their single-major peers. Some students opt for more than one major to make themselves more marketable to potential employers in a slumping economy. But Marcia Harris, director of UNC's University Career Services, said having a double or triple major might not be the key to landing a better job. "Students really have to question why they want to double major," she said.

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UC Officials to Begin Verifying Student Application Materials

By Faye Fernandes | November 26

The University of California system next year will begin performing random checks on the information students provide on their applications. But some university officials -- including those at UNC -- say verification requests should be considered on an individual basis or is not necessary at all. The system was tested this year by UC-San Diego, which randomly checked a total of 437 applicants. Only one student was unable to provide the required information.

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Officials: System Unlikely to Get Full Funds

By Faye Fernandes | November 12

State legislators say the $4 billion, two-year budget request the UNC-system Board of Governors made for its 16 campuses has little chance of being fully funded because of last year's emergency budget measures. The BOG requested the funds Friday to continue normal university operations, to increase faculty salaries and to expand and improve facilities. The request has to be approved by the N.C. General Assembly and Gov. Mike Easley. But legislators said the request is unlikely to be met in full because of the state's budget crisis.

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Election Success Could Aid Bush's Agenda

By Faye Fernandes | November 7

President Bush's success in leading his party to control of the U.S. Senate could help him achieve his political goals when Congress reconvenes in January, policy experts say. The national elections were a success for the party, with the GOP extending its majority in the House and gaining the majority in the Senate. Republicans picked up seven of 13 U.S. congressional districts in North Carolina. Ferrel Guillory, director of UNC's Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life, said that with both houses of the U.S.

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Study: Campuses Underreport Sex Crimes

By Faye Fernandes | October 25

Thirty-seven percent of colleges and universities nationwide do not accurately report sexual crime statistics, according to a study released earlier this month by the Education Development Center Inc. The study states that most institutions severely underreport incidents of sexual crimes. Researchers almost expected the results, said Heather Karjane, the study's principal investigator. "We had an idea that schools weren't complying, so the results weren't shocking," she said.

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Web Site Labels UNC, Others Anti-Semitic

By Faye Fernandes | October 7

A new Web site listing colleges and universities considered to be sympathetic to the Palestinian cause or the Islamic religion has ignited controversy on campuses across the country. The Web site, http://www.campus-watch.org, accuses certain colleges and universities across the country -- including UNC -- of being anti-Semitic. Daniel Pipes, founder of the Web site, said its focus is to "improve the state of Middle East studies." Pipes is a member of the Middle East Forum, a think tank that promotes Israeli interests in that area of study. He said the forum created the site in