Before his unexpected death in June, Mark Fletcher frequented the very basketball courts now named after him. Photo by Mallory Noe-Payne.

The Board of Visitors announced Friday that the Aquatic and Fitness Center’s three-court gym will be named the Mark E. Fletcher Gymnasium in honor of former Intramural Sports Executive Director Mark Fletcher, who passed away unexpectedly in June.

Athletic Director Craig Littlepage cited “the desire for many here at the University to find an appropriate way to recognize Mark Fletcher and what he did for the University and the University Community” as the reason for the Board’s decision to rename the gymnasium.

The re-naming of the basketball court in Fletcher’s honor is especially significant. Though he loved all sports, he especially loved basketball and could be found frequently playing the sport in the AFC, IM Sports Interim Director Ed Rivers said.

Fletcher came to the University in 1985 and served as IM Sports director before becoming associate director for facilities. He accepted his most recent position as executive director just two years ago, Littlepage said.

Rivers, who worked with Fletcher for 23 years, said the gymnasium’s new name will help memorialize its namesake.

“[It will] designate a space in memory of someone who loved this place as much as any graduate ever,” he said. “It recognizes the contributions of his professional career and the way he changed the landscape of the athletic facilities.”

Fletcher was committed to creating a community in which students and faculty could develop relationships removed from the University’s classrooms, Rivers said. He also noted that Fletcher took a new spin on the Jeffersonian idea of student and faculty interaction, expanding it outside of the academic sphere to reach into recreational facilities, such as the AFC.

Fletcher also made significant contributions to the expansion of Scott Stadium and renovations to Memorial Gym and North Grounds Recreation Center, as well as the creation of the AFC, the Carl Smith Center, Klöckner Stadium, Carr’s Hill Field and the Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center, Littlepage said.

“His goal was to help people learn how to stay fit while they were here as students so that they could graduate and have that [healthy lifestyle] for the rest of their lives,” Rivers said.

Starting tomorrow, the U.S. Congress will begin analyzing the Student Aid Fiscal Responsibility Act, a bill that hopes to simplify federal financial aid processes, consolidate universities under the Department of Education’s direct lender program and include measures to make college more affordable for students. If passed, the bill could change University financial aid processes.

Rep. Tim Bishop, D-New York, a supporter of the bill, said the bill was drafted to remedy the United States’ declining college entrance and graduation rates.

“It makes college access more achievable and provides students with the resources they need to graduate,” Bishop said.

In a press conference yesterday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said under the bill’s provisions, $10 billion will be invested in early childhood education, $12 billion in community colleges and $2.5 billion in college accessibility and completion.

The U.S. has “flat-lined,” Duncan said. “Many other countries have passed us.”

Duncan added that he hopes the bill’s measures will meet the Obama administration’s goal of becoming the world leader in college graduates by 2020.

Universities can also expect to see significant changes in the federal government’s student loan programs if the SAFRA is passed. Under the bill’s provisions, all colleges and universities in the U.S. will only be able to offer loans through the Department of Education’s direct lender program, which will eliminate the Federal Family Education Loan Program many universities currently use.

These potential changes could create immediate difficulties for the University, which currently operates under the FFEL Program.

Scott Miller, assistant director of student financial aid services, said while the bill would make processing loans easier, it also eliminates choice between lenders, which could in turn hinder innovation among lenders that arises from competition.

The bill will also introduce changes to the federal government’s loan programs. If the bill is passed, the Federal Pell Grant program will adjust according to the cost of living starting in 2011. Additionally, the Federal Perkins Loan will expand to cover more college campuses, and will no longer be treated as a need-based loan, and schools will be given more money to fund it.

While Miller applauded the bill’s efforts to improve the Federal Pell Grant Program, he expressed reservations about the possible switch of the Federal Perkins Loan to a non-need-based program.
“It would change 180 degrees from what the Perkins Loan is today,” he said. “We’re going to have to sit down and look at our processes. It’s going to change the way we do some things around here.”

Bishop also said the bill could simplify the financial aid application process, making the Free Application for Federal Student Aid easier to fill out. The bill would also allow parents to provide answers on FAFSA forms using their 1040 Federal Income Tax Return, simplifying the process of verifying information on FAFSA forms.

Rep. George Miller, D-California,, who introduced the bill, said he hopes “to see it on [the President’s] desk before the holidays.”

Council Members met last night to discuss its new CIO consulting program. Though it only recently launched the program, Council already sees signs of its success. Cavalier Daily file photo.

Student Council presented an executive report last night outlining its recently launched Contracted Independent Organization consultant program.

Sponsored by Vice President of Organizations Colin Hood, the program aims to help new student leaders learn to fundraise, balance a budget and navigate the often confusing appropriations process. In the past, some organizations requested more appropriations than actually needed to counteract funding cuts, resulting in across-the-board budgetary problems. The consultant program, therefore, serves as one of Council’s first steps aimed at rectifying its maligned financial structure and process.

“Our plan is to … make sure each CIO has all the resources,” Vice President of Administration Nikhil Panda said. “They need as a student organization to [execute] any initiative they want to complete during the term.”

Hood said Council will work with 23 consultants, who will each mange 30 to 40 CIOs. Council representatives will assist CIO consultants reach out to student organizations on Grounds, Executive Vice President Steven Reilly said.

Hood emphasized the importance of communication between CIO consultants and Council representatives, as well as between the consultants and the CIOs.

Although the program is still in its early stages, Council members already have seen early signs of its success.

“Groups are reporting revenue now,” Hood said. “And a lot of groups have found really good alternative funding options.”

For student groups interested in participating in the new program, CIO consultants hold office hours on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Student Activities Center on the first floor of Newcomb Hall.