April 26, 2008 — Interim Dean of Students Allen Groves, one of three finalists for the permanent dean of students position, gave a presentation in the Dome Room of the Rotunda yesterday, discussing his views about the role of a dean of students in a 21st-century public university.

Groves is a 1982 graduate of Stetson University and a 1990 Law School graduate. In 2006, he returned to the University to serve as student affairs development officer, after working in the field of law.

Among the issues Groves said a dean of students must address are increasing economic diversity, maintaining student safety and helping student organizations work together. He added that the three most fundamental parts of being a dean of students are being calm in a crisis, not being easily rattled and being decisive.

The “first challenge is to make an increasingly large place feel small,” Groves said, noting that perhaps one of the most important roles of the dean of students is working with and listening to students.

“We have one constituency and that’s the students,” Groves said. He pointed to student outreach programs such as “donuts with the deans” and “meet the dean online,” as ways in which he has tried, as interim dean, to foster closer relationships with students and student organizations on Grounds.

Second-year College student Molly Schmalzbach, who said she has worked with Groves on various student issues, noted that Groves has interacted frequently with students during his time at the University.

“I swear he’s at every student event,” she said, also noting “I think that his primary concerns are my primary concerns, especially [related to] economic diversity.”

In addition to citing the work he has done while at the University, Groves said he believes his experience in the legal profession will help him to serve as dean of students.

“Having a legal background is immensely helpful,” Groves said, noting that he has used his legal experience on various occasions as interim dean of students.

In closing, Groves noted that as a graduate of the University and an active member of the University community, he understands the structure of the University and how it works.

“At the end of the day, more than anything else, I genuinely get what makes this place special and I think I’m able to convey that to the students and to my peers and to the parents and other people who stand on this place,” Groves said.

Groves’ presentation was the final in a series of three public speeches given by the finalists for the dean of students position.

Throughout the academic year, both the Honor Committee and the University Judiciary Committee have worked to improve the ways in which they serve the University community. Both groups will continue their efforts to improve both internally and within the University community as they prepare for the upcoming year.

Honor Committee Chair Jess Huang cited flexible exams, which were offered in several courses for the first time this year, as a successful initiative accomplished by the Committee this year.

Efficiency as well as flexibility are some of these exams’ benefits, said Tyler Alexander, Committee vice chair for community relations, adding that he hopes other professors will take interest in providing students the option of flexible exams.

Huang also mentioned the introduction of the online Honor Blog earlier this semester as a positive step for the Committee toward providing a way to increase communication with students.

Huang noted that because the blog was only recently implemented, the Committee has not been able to advertise the option to students as much as it would have liked, which may be contributing to the current lack of student and Committee activity on blog.

Alexander said the blog could improve the Committee’s transparency but added that “we need to go a different avenue and maybe send out a newsletter to different organization leaders” to increase posting.

The issue of disproportional reporting of minority students committing honor offenses, referred to as spotlighting or dimming, was the first issue addressed on the online blog. The Committee will continue to discuss the issue in the upcoming semester with the continuation of Diversity Advisory Board programs such as faculty workshops, Huang noted.

Minority Rights Coalition Co-Chair Wyatt Fore said, however, the Committee should directly educate affected minority groups — such as athletes, international students and black students — who risk being targeted in the existing framework.

The Committee also reinstated the single sanction ad-hoc committee this semester. During Sunday’s meeting, Ad-hoc Committee Chair Adam Trusner emphasized he hopes the ad-hoc committee’s goal will focus on discussion rather than new proposals.

Fore expressed disappointment with this goal, noting there is substantial ongoing discussion of the single sanction outside of the Honor Committee.

“It is the purpose of the ad-hoc is to turn the discussion into positive change,” he said.

UJC has also kept busy this semester, as it experienced an increased case load that Chair Merriam Mikhail attributed to both UJC’s new online system and the University community’s recently heightened trust in UJC.

Educator Sarah Gray Tullidge said UJC will work toward educating new members of the U.Va. community about the judicial system along with the Honor Committee next semester.

Educators from both the Honor Committee and UJC will be assigned to specific dormitories and will present first-year students with basic information about both systems, Tullidge explained, adding that representatives of both bodies will remain active at dormitories throughout the semester.

As the University’s spring semester comes to a close, Student Council reports it has accomplished many of its goals for the past year, while it also plans to continue its work into the summer months.

Student Council President Matt Schrimper said one of his main goals for this semester was to reach out to as many students as possible in the recruitment process for Student Council committees.

“Our greatest success is we had a record number of applications for Student Council — we broke all records in recent memory.” Schrimper said. “For the first time we have our committees filled five months ahead of schedule.”

He added that Council has not seen this kind of talent in its committees for quite some time.

“We are so far ahead in working on projects,” Schrimper said. “I think it really is a positive sign for how things are going to go next year.”

Former Chief of Staff Ryan McElveen noted that although the current Executive Board has been working toward increasing outreach within the University community through recruitment, there is still room for improvement.

“I think what we’ve seen is, definitely in the beginning, they tried to reach out to different communities in terms of recruiting people for Student Council,” McElveen said. “And I don’t think they did as good of a job of going for diverse communities as they first claimed they would do.”

McElveen explained that he believes Council also should be more open-minded while passing resolutions, suggesting, for example, that representatives from the Office of Residence Life should have been included in discussions of the recently passed bill concerning Safe Space training for resident advisors.

“I can see their hard work,” McElveen said. “But at the same time I think it’s a bit closed-minded in how they’re handling things.”

Schrimper noted that Council recognizes that some members and individuals involved in lesser-known aspects of Council have not felt as engaged by Council.

“One of the things we’ve been doing this year is giving them consulting orientation sessions for new Council members,” he added. “And we teach them about various aspects of Council and what their roles are within the organization.”

Vice President for Organizations Kayla Wherry also expressed a desire to continue outreach goals to CIOs by creating a CIO scholarship fund during the next academic year.

“It would cover whatever is not affordable for individual members,” Wherry said of the fund, adding that this program would ensure students do not face a financial burden while trying to get involved in activities around Grounds.

In an attempt to increase its own involvement within the greater Charlottesville community, Council has also discussed creating a new Council representative role to attend Charlottesville City Council meetings next year.

“One thing that we’re going to be doing next year is have a single Student Council member at the City Council meetings.” Schrimper said. “The representative will be a conduit between us and the Charlottesville community — for them to understand what we’re doing and for us to understand what they’re doing.”

While the spring semester may be winding down for most students, Council members will remain focused on future work and plans throughout the summer, Vice President of Administration John Nelson said.

“The summer will really be a planning phase,” Nelson said. “We want to be able to hit the ground running come fall.”

Having recently approved a budget that will take effect July 1, Charlottesville City Council will now begin discussions, which will continue through the summer, on other financial issues facing the city.

Affordable housing is one issue Council hopes to address this summer, Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris said. Council member David Brown explained that last year Council created a plan to allocate $5 million during the next five years for affordable housing. Last year, he said, Council used surplus funds to invest an initial $2.1 million in affordable housing projects, and this year Council allocated $1.4 million.

“This year’s budget had less money in it [for affordable housing], but [the Council is] not retreating from the commitment,” Brown said, adding that Council increased the affordable housing plan to $7 million in the past year.

He also noted that Council included several other measures in the new budget that will provide relief for low-income homeowners, such as increased limits for the tax rebate program.

Norris said in addition to the $1.4 million set aside in the budget for affordable housing, Council is debating using allocations from the city’s rainy day fund to create a revolving loan fund wherein the Council would partner with the local developers to build more affordable housing units.

“This is a perennial, hot-button issue,” Norris noted. “We still have thousands of families having to make difficult choices for lack of affordable housing. This is encouraging us to keep focusing on affordable housing.”

Council member Holly Edwards noted that Council has a lot of work to do in the area of affordable housing. The Charlottesville area was the worst metropolitan area in the country in terms of racial differences in high-cost home loan rates, according to a report released last fall by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Edwards noted that she hopes this summer Council will have a “chance to talk about all the players in town and how the University impacts housing.”

Despite Council’s plans for confronting issues such as affordable housing during the summer, it also will have to deal with funding cuts in the new commonwealth budget. Earlier this month, the commonwealth informed Council that it would not be able to supply the approximately $500,000 the city has received in past years. Norris said Council will not know exactly how much money the state will be able to provide until August.

“We will probably scale back some of our projects,” he noted. “It’s a $140 million budget, so $500,000 is not going to kill us, but it’s still a big chunk of change.”

The cut will require Council to discuss which areas to cut funding from, especially once it knows how much the state will withhold, Brown said.

Both Norris and Edwards noted that the commonwealth has been increasing its mandates for the city while decreasing the funds it makes available to localities to accomplish these mandates.

Along with implementing changes to the new budget, Council will also begin to think about the 2010 fiscal year budget over the summer, Norris said.

“It’s not long before we start thinking about the next budget,” Norris said. “It will be even tighter next year, so we have to think more strategically about delivering the services our city wants in a more cost-effective manner.”

He added that the city operations will be undergoing a complete efficiency study to find out where the city could save money.

In an effort to improve higher education opportunities throughout the world, the University will invite more than 30 university presidents and vice chancellors from across the world to Charlottesville this fall as a part of the 2008 Charlottesville Consultation. Working alongside St. George’s House, located at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, the University will host the international conference, which will allow participating institutes to continue discussion relating to issues addressed at last year’s Windsor Consultation in Berkshire.

Cameron Howell, University assistant to the president, said this conference will include many of the same participating colleges and universities present at last year’s consultation, including the University of Oxford, Virginia Tech, two universities from the Czech Republic, Stanford University, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Melbourne.

“We want to balance having a very diverse group of university leaders against our need to keep the group of a manageable size so that the discussions can be meaningful and so that we can work toward accomplishing as much as possible,” Howell said.

The 2008 conference will focus on how these international universities can act upon the three major issues drawn up in the 2007 consultation, Howell said. These topics include opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds, technology collaboration and improvements to university infrastructure and higher education opportunities in developing countries, said Sarah Turner, University Education School associate professor of education and economics.

“Based on the discussions last year at St. George’s House, the university presidents and vice chancellors decided to concentrate on opportunities that they thought were doable,” Howell said. “And they elected to concentrate on these three things.”

Since the 2007 meeting, the participating colleges and universities have formed study groups to research the problems discussed during the meeting and formulate recommendations of solutions, Howell explained.

“Our goal for the next meeting is to determine which of these recommendations the universities might act on,” Howell said. “So we are moving from brainstorming to action.”

Although the conference will take place in Charlottesville this year, the exact location is still being determined, Howell said, noting “we hope to have as many of the meetings as possible on the Grounds.”

The conference will be held November 10 to 12.

Meredith Woo, associate dean for social sciences in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts at the University of Michigan, was named the new dean of the College of Arts & Sciences during a small ceremony at Carr’s Hill yesterday afternoon.

Woo will take office at the University June 1, President John T. Casteen, III noted in his opening remarks.

In her remarks yesterday, Woo noted that she was attracted to the University for its Jeffersonain ideals and academic excellence.

“I am deeply honored to be coming to the University,” Woo said.

Woo holds bachelor’s degrees in English literature and history from Bowdoin College and earned master’s degrees in international affairsand Latin American Studies, as well as a doctorate in political science, from Columbia University. She has even produced her own award-winning film, University Provost Arthur Garson said.

“Her ability to span from the humanities through the social sciences and into the hard sciences was unparalleled,” Garson said.

He also noted that it is important to continue strengthening the different areas of study offered through the College and said he was thrilled with Woo’s appointment.

“This dean is up to that task,” Garson said.

The search committee responsible for selecting Woo was comprised of administrators, faculty, graduate and undergraduate student representatives and other members of the University community. The committee was very proud to welcome Woo, who is “a person of vision and great intellect,” committee chair James Galloway said.

Former Arts & Sciences Council President Megan Roberts noted that a search committee last year was unable to appoint a College dean; Roberts noted that she believes this year’s search was successful because — “as in all employment searches” — it was merely a matter of timing.

“We had less time last semester,” said Roberts, who served on the search committee both last year and this year. “This year, we had a full year, and we also switched [outside] search firms. As a result … we were really able to scour all the applicants.”

Bill Harvey, University vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity, who served on the search committee, said the search process followed standard University procedures, noting he was encouraged by the both the “very energetic” process and results.

“During every step of the process … [our goal] was to be sure we had a very qualified, diverse applicant pool,” Harvey said, adding that he was pleased with the breadth of the finalists for the position.

Roberts said she was pleased with the outcome of the search.

“The new dean is fabulous,” she said. “Meredith is brilliant, she has a strong personality and she’ll fight for the College’s interests.”

Roberts said one of the College’s goals is to improve the core sciences, noting that although Woo was the only finalist without a hard science background, she believes Woo will do an excellent job surrounding herself with scholars knowledgeable in those fields. In this way, Roberts said, Woo will be able to help the College reach its goals.

“I hope that she will increase unity in the College and strengthen interdisciplinary study,” Roberts said, adding that she also hopes Woo also will address internationalization issues and diversity among University students, faculty and staff.

Last year’s College dean search was unable to appoint a permanent dean; however, Politics Department Chair Jeffrey Legro said hiring Woo was an exceptionally strong move on the University’s part. He said it was notable that the University hired an “outside” dean, rather than one culled from its own ranks, and added that since Woo is coming from a different university, she might infuse the College with a burst of new ideas and creativity.

English Department Chair Jahan Ramazani, who also serves as the chair of the Arts & Sciences steering committee, echoed Legro’s enthusiasm regarding Woo’s decision to serve the University. He said Woo stands out among her peers because she has a strong and clear academic vision, thoughtful leadership abilities and a dynamic capacity to mobilize faculty.

“I was very impressed that she didn’t pay lip service to some of the buzzwords of academia, like globalization or interdisciplinary study,” Ramazani said. “Rather, she has a measured understanding of those priorities with a surprisingly strong understanding of U.Va.’s student body.”

Ramazani also noted that he was encouraged by Woo’s appreciation of the need for increased funding for graduate-level education, which is, according to Ramazani, “a huge priority” these days. He added that he similarly was impressed by Woo’s emphasis on clear communication with faculty.

“She understands the need for consultation with faculty, but at the same time, she understands the need to lead,” Ramazani said. “I think she’ll be a strong dean here.”

I should clarify. My grades are fine, I am responsible with alcohol and I maximize my undergraduate experience every day (after all, I did just go to the last Second Year Series Dinner). I keep things in perspective and develop healthy attachments … with the sole exception of Gmail and Alderman Café. My area of fault lies not in the gauge of my character or my intellectual tenacity, but that I, like many women before me, am a terrible packer. In this time of modesty and utility required of the university student, I feel this is an unacceptable trait that must be amended.

I understand excessive packing is one of the largest unofficial components of our genetic makeup, along with bad driving and an obsessive compulsion for handbags. Ever since we’ve been wearing clothes, women have demanded an extraordinary quantity of them. After all, one of Mount Vernon’s favorite Martha Washington displays are the numerous replications of her coach trunks filled with frilly things that look about as useful as a broken umbrella in a torrential downpour.

Ignoring genetic and historical precedence, I believe I am also a victim of circumstances. I am fortunate enough to live alone in a dorm room built for two. While we may complain about the space paradigm in our first year, I assure you dorm rooms are quite nice when you don’t have a roommate to monopolize logistical concerns. With the entire wall of closets provided to me by Alderman dorms, how am I supposed to resist filling them up and giving them the chance to stretch their legs? I feel it is an insult to my residents, who spend countless hours folding and micromanaging their things just so their rooms don’t overflow, to exist with empty drawers and have succumbed to the pressure ever since.

Both history and my room situation may justify my excessive closet and wasteful use of space. As I begin to gather my belongings for the first of several trips of toting stuff to my house, though, the annoyance at my stupidity in what I brought along to college and acquired like a pack rat throughout the year shroud any sentimental nostalgia or pining to stay in Charlottesville.

First of all, if I have not worn an item of clothing in four years, chances are I probably won’t wear it here at school. If it still has fold creases and a thin layer of dust from remaining sedentary for so long, it doesn’t need to come with me. It’s time to say goodbye to those old high school band T-shirts, “what were you thinking” tops that make you question your judgment of right and wrong, jeans covered with holes, and ancient, unravelling sweatshirts that probably belonged to a parent or older brother. This is the stuff I’ve put in opaque trash bags just so no one can see I actually own such monstrosities.

Another major problem is my excessive pillow use. While they look wonderful, the pillows are only tossed off my bed each night and put back on when I (sometimes) make my bed in the morning. If I could take back all of the time I spent this year fluffing and arranging these damned decorative items, then I would easily have earned enough time to watch an episode of “The Office” or take a leisurely shower. Shame.

This may sound ironic, but one of my biggest self-annoyances comes from my storage containers, which don’t actually have anything of importance in them or are completely empty. I literally brought these boxes, bags and everything in-between to school just to counter the junk I knew I’d acquire while at school. In one of my boxes of generous proportions I found nothing except CIO cups, Frisbees and other propaganda amid a year of old magazines. At least these items are light.

Other items of irrelevance found: two wall fans, three coolers, four bottles of laundry detergent, a broom, a dozen pairs of shoes in an unopened box (meaning I never wore them), a drawer full of hideous socks to complement the unworn shoes, a fold-up chair I never used, all of the previous year’s notes and exams, an entire shopping bag devoted to postage material, four throw blankets, returns I forgot to make at Fashion Square, Jimmy Hoffa and more.

My advice? Please throw useless stuff out (preferably in an environmentally sound manner) so you don’t have to waste additional gas money to take it home in vain. Also, if your parents are anything like mine they might just love you a little bit less when they hear they’ll have to face traffic twice because you’ll also be going to beach week.

Bailee’s column ran biweekly Fridays. She can be reached at bab8u@virginia.edu.

I have yet to create a masterpiece, and my 19th birthday just passed in January, but I am not worried because I know that after graduating from U.Va. in three years I will be … well, I honestly don’t know what I will be. I want to be happy, but I don’t know where happiness will come from or how I will obtain it. I want to be successful, but I’m not sure if that will come from having an amazing job, having strong friendships or having a fulfilling family life.

I went for an extended run this past Wednesday. I ran past O-Hill, up the mountain and around the trails. I got caked in mud and was drenched in sweat when I finished, but I was in complete bliss (and the tiniest amount of pain) the entire time. I took a short hiatus during the run to do what I like to refer to as music therapy. Music therapy is when I go to a desolate area of the woods and crank my music up to something I can sing to — today it started with a little bit of Mariah Carey, then progressed to Josh Groban and ended with Stacie Orrico. I sing as loud as I can (like that quote that everyone knows), and sometimes I dance as well. It normally works, and I usually don’t have to deal with seeing anyone else. This exercise is so therapeutic that I have used it when I feel stressed or angry or anything, really. I just schedule an extended run into my day, and it makes me feel better, without fail. You may think it is just the endorphins kicking it, but I know that while they play a part, the fact that I am alone and able to sing is also important. I find it is very hard to ever be alone on Grounds, so the woods act as a sort of isolated sanctuary for me. Being outside makes me happy.

I often question my happiness, wondering if it is only a temporary feeling and if there is such a thing as never-ending happiness. If there is, is that what heaven is supposed to be? Running makes me happy, as does being outside. Writing also makes me happy, as well as eating, and the list goes on and on — so if there are an infinite number of things for me to be happy about, why do I continue to doubt myself?

There is always this dichotomy rushing through my veins here at school — should I stay or should I go? I love being here, but sometimes I feel trapped and in need of a quick escape. Summer is just around the corner and will serve as a much-needed break, but I am going to miss my new friends and the autonomy that comes with being away from home. It is hard to believe that my first year is coming to an end; it feels like I just got here. I remember sitting in the Amphitheater on a Sunday evening during my first semester, and for four solid minutes I could not see another human being or hear any sounds that would indicate a human presence. It was wonderful. Most Fridays and Saturdays mesh together in my memory, and right now I am struggling to name the classes I took last semester. My favorite part of the week used to be Friday afternoon; now it’s Monday night because being a better person and a better Christian have always been goals of mine, and I am finally gaining some perspective on how to achieve these things. I feel like I have changed between first semester and now — I know less than a year has passed, but I feel more mature and secure.

As the school year ends, I feel internally conflicted but must decide which emotion I will take up and let the world see. Should I be ecstatic that school is almost over and that work will be absent from my life for three months? Or should I be worried that I have yet to become somebody?

Contemplating my decision and checking things off of my list, I look forward to spending an extra week with my friends at the beach and I am reminded that leaving is probably best because if I continue to only get four hours of sleep a night, I could end up seriously hurting myself. I don’t want to be afraid of what’s ahead, although I cannot help but realize how far I have to go. I am thankful that my parents prepared me for college and thankful that the University is preparing me for what better be a bright future. I know I’m nervous, I think I’m willing and I may be ready.

Ian’s column ran biweekly Fridays. He can be reached at ismith@cavalierdaily.com.

In my very first column for The Cavalier Daily, I wrote about the time I fell down the stairs behind Bryan Hall and ripped a hole in my pants. I recalled my embarrassment and described how my fellow students’ reactions to my mangled, bloodied form at the bottom of the stairway was less than empathetic. I said there was no right way to recover from tripping in public, because even laughing it off makes you look like a crazy weirdo giggling to yourself.

It is funny how little has changed 2.5 years later — and by that I mean I am still just as spastic.

Several weeks ago, I was running on the indoor track. As I mentioned in a recent column, I’m more of an elliptical girl myself. But because I am a fourth-year, and therefore only have so many free gym days left, I’ve been trying to take advantage of them. Also, I discovered that running in circles for 10 minutes is slightly more satisfying than running nowhere on a treadmill.

So I was rocking the track in my favorite pink sneakers, proud that I forced myself to run at all, jamming to Miley Cyrus, when suddenly as I turned the corner, landed funny on my ankle, heard something snap and completely wiped out.

Dazed, I sprawled out on the stubbly blue track turf, watching 10 or so runners charge toward me, no doubt jealous they had been trailing me thus far. I felt like Mufasa in “The Lion King” when he is about to be trampled by a hoard of wildebeests, except that an evil, scheming lion was not to blame for my face plant.

I struggled to my feet and hugged the railing for physical and moral support. One runner slowed down to ask if I was OK and assured me that it was no big deal, that I should have seen him when he fell down a flight of stairs. I laughed weakly in response. Nice try with the sympathy, but that happens to me at least once a month. No comfort there. I limped off the track, full of shame and the small thrill that I had an excuse for skipping the gym for the next couple days.

My objective in revealing this embarrassing story is first that it may serve as a cautionary tale to people who are not graceful when they run. My right ankle still kills every time I stretch it a certain way and it swelled up so much that I had one huge cankle for about a week and had to keep icing it with bags of frozen edamame.

Tripping dramatically in public again made me wonder how much we change at the end of four years of college and how much we’ve really learned. It is apparent that I am not any more graceful than I was at 19, nor am I any better at recovering from a spill in public. Sure, in general we’re all a heck of a lot sketchier, practiced at the art of avoiding awkward hookups. Maybe even better at beer pong, although I can’t include myself in this assumption because I only make the first — and, once in a while, the last — cup.

Maybe we are more intelligent about subjects we never knew would interest us, and although despite the University forcing me to fulfill the science requirements, I still couldn’t tell you anything about sediment, the ecology of coastlines, photosynthesis or the digestive system.

But if college has taught us anything, it is that the experiences, rather than facts or memorization, are the most valuable after we’ve moved on from the world of undergraduate academia.

If anything, falling on your face prepares you for embarrassing situations in the real world: If you can get up from a fall, you can definitely handle corporate America. I’m not exactly sure how, because no one has hired me yet, but it sounds right. At least you’ll know how to react if your suave reputation is compromised and you can improve on how to prevent future humiliating situations from happening or maximize your coolness potential when the situation arises again. For example, I still run on the indoor track at the gym, admittedly more fearful than I was before of turning corners at top speed. And now I know to make sure my legs aren’t flailing crazily when I run. I still brave concrete stairs around Grounds, although when there is a banister, I clutch it for safekeeping. Embarrassing myself in public has made me more aware of myself, if nothing else, and I have the University to thank for teaching me.

Mary’s column ran biweekly Fridays. She can be reached at mbaroch@cavalierdaily.com.