News

University to replace Instructional Toolkit

Over the course of the next three semesters, the University will replace the Instructional Toolkit with Sakai, a new research and classroom forum. The program, highly specialized for the University's academic program, will give students and faculty new class management opportunities, according to James Hilton, vice president and chief information officer at the Information Technology and Communication Office. "A system like Sakai provides a much broader group of tools than Toolkit did," he said. According to Michael Korcuska, executive director of the Sakai Foundation, the program has a number of standard functions such as blogs, more syllabus functionality and assignment submission that Toolkit did not support, and the University can further specialize the program once it is adopted. "The system will, at minimum, include all the features of Toolkit, but it will be a single environment that supports course content and course administration and [will] provide collaboration tools for researchers, thus helping to blur the distinction between the laboratory and the classroom, and between knowledge creation and digestion," Hilton said, adding that Sakai was also a good choice for the University over other new technology because of its innovative design. "The unique thing about Sakai is how it's built," Korcuska said.

NCAA collects grad rate data

Academics and athletics can go hand in hand, according to recently released data by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The NCAA reports a 77-percent national graduation rate among student-athletes.

Va. authorities aim to reduce traffic fatalities

While University students prepare to hit the highways for Fall Break, Virginia authorities are intensifying efforts to ensure drivers stay safe on the road.

Run-in with electric pole on Rugby Road results in power outages

A truck driver's run-in with an electric pole on Rugby Road yesterday caused power outages for many homes in Charlottesville. A truck traveling south on Rugby Road caught a power line next to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Church around noon, causing an electric pole to snap.

stand up

Faculty offer response to Commission

The Faculty Senate's Committee on Planning and Development presented its response regarding the University's Commission on the Future's draft reports to faculty members yesterday.

Study suggests more carbs correlate with lower weight

Devotees of the Atkins diet may be surprised to learn that pasta won't necessarily increase their weight, according to research by a University professor who instead found such foods could make them healthier.

Prof. studies UV ray damage

A mechanism enabling cells to repair UV ray damage to DNA has been unexpectedly discovered during cell research conducted by Microbiology Prof.

SINGING THEIR HEARTS OUT

Alumna creates fund for nursing initiatives

In recognition of nearly two decades of Nursing School Dean Jeanette Lancaster's dedicated service, Nursing alumna Rebecca Ruegger donated $500,000 to the school for faculty research.

Retired Army Col. discusses problems facing Iraqi state

The real problem in Iraq is more anthropological than political, according to retired U.S. Army Col.

Hispanic heritage

County real estate market leads to budget shortfall

The Albemarle County government recently announced a $3.3 million budget shortfall, caused largely by a downturn in the housing market, will result in funding cuts for education and general government spending. "Our cuts are related to a slowdown in the housing market," said Laura Vinzant, senior budget analyst for Albemarle County.

A Solid Foundation

When a local energy corporation wanted to make a real estate contribution to the University valued at more than $5 million, it decided not to give the property directly to the University.

State seeks relief through federal designation as drought disaster area

Gov. Tim Kaine asked the federal government Monday to declare the Commonwealth of Virginia an official disaster area because of drought. According to Kaine's spokesperson Kevin Hall, about 70 of Virginia's 130 jurisdictions asked the governor to request disaster status. "This has been pretty much statewide all through 2007 and it has prompted a lot of local governments to seek federal drought disaster status," Hall said. Hall said the Governor's Office is still waiting for the federal government to reply to the request. "We are hoping for a response as quickly as possible," Hall said. If statewide agricultural disaster status were granted to Virginia, farmers who have suffered crop losses from recent heat and drought may be eligible for "some very favorable" federal loans, Hall said, adding that "similar requests for statewide status have been granted to Delaware, Maryland and Tennessee." University Utilities Director Cheryl Gomez said there are three phases in declaring an area as 'at risk.' "The first phase is a drought watch, when the conditions look good for us moving into a drought situation," Gomez said, noting that Albemarle County and Charlottesville were placed under a drought watch July 23.

Budget forces U.Va. to cut back spending

Commonwealth colleges and universities received a bit of a reprieve on Saturday after Gov. Tim Kaine announced state spending reductions of 6.25 percent as opposed to earlier requests of 7.5 percent for state institutions of higher education.

StudCo constitution to be reviewed

Student Council created an ad hoc committee last night that will review the organization's constitution in an effort to reduce confusion and design more concise bylaws that effectively correspond with the constitution. Council's previous executive board drew up and gained Council approval of the current constitution last semester.

Minor detained afterattempted theft at SPE

A 16-year-old male was caught while attempting to steal a backpack from the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house at approximately 3 a.m.

Visix to provide software for U.Va. alerts

The University recently selected a company that will provide communications software necessary to implement recent communications initiatives, including the text alert system and notifications on LCD screens. Visix, Inc. will aim to provide emergency alerts and relevant news updates to the University community, according to Visix President Sean Matthews.

Students to revive village water project

Students from both the Engineering School and the College are applying knowledge from the classroom to help a village in Cameroon obtain clean water. Samantha Rowell, a fourth-year Engineering student and project leader, said she became interested in the cause when a guest speaker visited one of her classes last year.