[caption id="attachment_38073" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Police officers will survey West Main Street during the coming weeks as part of "Operation Share the Road," a campaign to increase education and enforcement regarding traffic laws for both motorists and bicyclists.
The vast majority of educators at the college level make semesterly adjustments to their course curricula, according to a study recently conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The study interviewed 1,068 professors from 20 public and private institutions of higher learning across the nation. About 86.6 percent of educators make some sort of revision to their syllabi, including new readings and assignments, according to the study.
President Teresa A. Sullivan presented the Thomas Jefferson Award - the highest honor bestowed upon University faculty members - to its 59th and 60th recipients during Friday's Fall Convocation. The awards were given to Richard Guerrant, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Global Health, and Darden Prof.
Although the University pays one of the highest entry-level wages in Charlottesville, living wage campaign organizers have said the administration is not doing its part to halt the United States' steadily worsening class inequality.
The Honor Committee debated three aspects of how juries in honor trials deliberate at last night's meeting, as it works to improve the trial process and maintain healthier relations with the University community. Committee Chair Charles Harris said the majority of the debate centered on proposals to increase, clarify and direct jury participation. The first proposal, put forth by Law School representative Barlow Mann, involved presenting jurors with a list of specific questions to direct their deliberations and help them render a more objective verdict.
The population growth of the Charlottesville-Albemarle region is outpacing what the local ecosystem can withstand, according to research from Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population. The local nonprofit organization recently finished the first phase of its Optimal Sustainable Population Size Project, which aims to determine how many people the region can support sustainably.
After the Republican Party rode a wave of anti-incumbency fervor to take the House of Representatives last week, colleges and universities are trying to determine how the change will affect higher education at a time when many institutions are facing financial hardship. Although major changes to funding and policy are unlikely, Pell Grants, which provide need-based awards to students, could face cuts in the coming session, as the program currently faces a $6 billion shortfall. "The Pell Grant could be impacted, but we're not sure what the new Education and Labor Committee is going to do," said Scott Miller, associate director of Student Financial Services.
The New College Institute in Martinsville, Va. is looking to become a branch campus of an existing state university, Director Barry Dorsey said. NCI, which currently offers degree-completion programs in conjunction with the University and eight other institutions, was founded in 2006, when the Virginia General Assembly approved $2.5 million in initial appropriations, which was matched by the nonprofit Harvest Foundation. "The New College Institute is one thing that the Harvest Foundation hoped would transform Martinsville," Dorsey said. Virginia lawmakers created NCI with the intention of offering programs from other schools only for its first six years of existence, Dorsey said.
After being flagged as a "red light" college for issues related to freedom of speech last year, the University has reformed its speech codes to ensure that it does not abridge students' constitutional rights. The "red light" rating - one notch above "red alert" - came from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which began critiquing the state of free speech at the top 25 universities in the country last year.
The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority is considering changing the system that regulates the waiting list for access to public housing. The Housing Authority is a public agency that, among other services, provides public housing to Charlottesville residents.
[caption id="attachment_37974" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="New code changes affect punishments for littering, disorderly conduct, drinking and possessing alcohol on public school grounds.
In-state tuition and fees at public four-year universities increased by an average of $7,605 for the 2010-11 academic year, 7.9 percent higher than in 2009-10, according to the College Board's 2010 annual "Trends in College Pricing." Average published tuition and fees have increased by about 24 percent at public four-year college and universities since 2005-06.
The campaign office of Congressman Tom Perriello, D-Charlottesville, was broken into the morning of Election Day, said Jessica Barba, communications director for the Perriello campaign. Door hangers labeled with local polling locations had been stolen and passed out to the wrong houses, Barba said.
In Tuesday's midterm elections, 55 percent of voters registered in the Fifth District cast their ballots, the highest percentage of any congressional district in the state, according to the Virginia Board of Elections.
The United States has seen the most significant decline in giving to nonprofit organizations since 1991, according to a recent report from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The report, which ranked the top 400 nonprofit fundraising organizations, found that there was an 11 percent decrease in philanthropic donations nationwide.
[caption id="attachment_37906" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Student Council honored Leonard Sandridge with an award in his name.
[caption id="attachment_37857" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Congressman-elect Robert Hurt held his viewing party in Chatham, Va.
[caption id="attachment_37855" align="alignleft" width="226" caption="Although Congressman Tom Perriello earned nearly 80 percent of the votes in Charlottesville, he fell short of securing a win by a margin of about 9,000 votes.
After four years of Democratic gains, the Republican Party took several seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate yesterday, ultimately retaking control of the House.
Three constitutional amendments regarding state tax and budgeting policies won the approval of voters across Virginia yesterday. The first initiative gives localities the authority to rule on property tax relief for elderly and disabled residents.
