DOE tests home energy saving program in city, area counties

The U.S. Department of Energy has named Charlottesville and its surrounding areas as the pilot locality for its newly launched Home Energy Score program. Charlottesville and Albemarle County's Local Energy Alliance Program will help administer the program, in which local homes will be assessed to measure energy efficiency using a number scale from 1-10, with 10 representing a home with excellent energy performance.

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EPA rejects bay pollutant plan

The state of Virginia must revise its proposal for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan by Nov. 29 or risk having a plan mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, which could potentially cost Charlottesville and Albemarle County millions of dollars. The watershed implementation plan proposed by Gov.

Honor holds mock trials

[caption id="attachment_38222" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Last night, the Honor Committee held its first of three mock trial sessions, allowing members of the University community to observe and participate as jurors in a dummy case.

University to stop accepting W.Va. Medicaid

The University Health System will cease accepting patients who are covered by West Virginia Medicaid as of Dec.

Student participates in

Second-year Engineering student Amanda Ray will appear in the first round of the Jeopardy College Championship Friday evening.

StudCo promotes athletics

[caption id="attachment_38129" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Student Council hopes to increase interest in coach Tony Bennett's basketball program by holding a mixer with the team.

Va. budget sees growth over decade

The state of Virginia's total budget has increased by 59 percent during the past 10 years, according to a report released Monday by the General Assembly's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Nemergut earns education award

The International Anesthesia Research Society recently named Edward Nemergut, an associate professor of anesthesiology and neurological surgery at the University, as its 2010 Teaching Recognition Award Recipient for Innovation in Education.

UJC translates conduct rules

The University Judiciary Committee announced Sunday that it will translate its Standards of Conduct into Spanish and Mandarin Chinese to accommodate international students and their parents. The Standards of Conduct comprise 12 rules that govern the UJC's disciplinary proceedings and are used to determine guilt, Chair Will Bane said. The decision to translate the Standards of Conduct was not because of any specific past issues involving rules being lost in translation but rather to ensure that no future uncertainties arise, he said.

Most professors revise curricula

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.

Guerrant, Colley receive Jefferson awards

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.

Growth outpaces local ecosystem

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.

Higher ed may face cuts

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.

Institute seeks to merge with state university

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.