News

East Asia department opens in response to increased interest

Students and faculty studying the languages of East Asian nations now have a department to call their own. The Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures and Cultures opened its doors this semester after splitting from the former Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, department Chair Anne Kinney said. "The reasons for the split were both because of practicality and to really have a more focused mission," Kinney said.

StudCo leaders react to concerns about VPO performance

Members of Student Council's executive committee met in late August to discuss how to address various concerns stemming from the performance of Vice President for Organizations Catherine Tobin, according to Victoria Ingenito, director of University relations for Council.

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Honor education targets new students

At its first meeting of the semester, the Honor Committee discussed its work during the summer and its plans to better involve first-years and faculty in the upcoming year. One such initiative, a dorm talks program, began yesterday and aims at facilitating conversations about Honor among new students.

Students to face additional types of test questions on November GRE

Students planning to take the Graduate Record Examinations in November will be faced with two new additional question types, one math and one verbal; however, there is no need for them to panic.

Job market continues to blossom in Charlottesville

Charlottesville has seen a significant increase in the size of its work force, largely due to the University's presence, according to the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.

State aims to sober up roads

Television viewers can expect to see more alcohol safety commercials while channel surfing after the Virginia Attorney General's Office launched a new ad campaign this week designed to better educate Virginia citizens about the dangers of drinking and driving. The ad campaign is the next phase of Checkpoint Strikeforce, a six-month statewide effort initiated in July to crack down on drunk drivers through education and increased enforcement, according to David Clementson, deputy director of communications in the Virginia Attorney General's Office. "Intense programs like Checkpoint Strikeforce are aimed at bringing the rising figure of DUI arrests and convictions down as much as possible," Clementson said. With Virginia DUI arrests reaching almost 30,000 a year, the state attorney general's office and the Albemarle Police Department are looking at various ways to address the issue.

Report criticizes Va. Tech response time to shootings

The Virginia Tech Review Panel identified oversights by the state's mental health system and slow response time as factors that contributed to the occurrence and extent of the April shootings at Virginia Tech. The report, released yesterday and compiled by a panel formed by Gov.

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Va. schools to grow unevenly

Grade schools in Virginia counties will see record growth during the next five years, according to a study released Tuesday by the University's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

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Gov. requests university budget cuts

Following a $234 million budget shortfall during the 2006 fiscal year, Gov. Tim Kaine asked the University and several other institutes of higher education Thursday to submit proposals to cut spending by up to 7.5 percent, according to Kaine's spokesperson Kevin Hall.

Greek groups create anti-hazing hotline

In an effort to decrease the occurrence of hazing in fraternities and sororities, 21 national Greek organizations have banded together to create an anti-hazing hotline. The hotline, 1-800-NOT-HAZE, will allow students to anonymously report incidents of hazing within chapters. According to Norval Stephens, chairman of the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation, reports will be recorded on an answering machine in the office of Cincinnati attorney Manley Burke. "It took a lot of research and planning, but one of the things we've learned is that if you are trying to prevent a crime -- and hazing is a crime -- then you have to report it directly to an attorney," Stephens said.

Community reflects on impact of Katrina

Two years and a day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the storm's devastating wake still weighs heavily on the minds of several University students and faculty members. Fourth-year College student Lauren Tilton, whose family lives in New Orleans, experienced the devastation firsthand and said the aftermath of Katrina still presents her and her family with several difficulties. "It's been hard because many of my friends haven't moved back to the city," Tilton said.

Search engine to aid diagnoses

For doctors at the University's hospital, one flesh-eating parasite has changed the face of medical diagnoses. Doctors are now using a diagnostic system called "Isabel" that allows doctors to enter symptoms and retrieve possible diagnoses.

Virginia SAT scores mirror national trend

Virginia high schoolers' average verbal and math SAT scores declined in the last year, according to a report released this week by the College Board.

U.S. grad schools gain in popularity abroad

Efforts to create an international community at institutions of higher education have resulted in an increased number of students who travel from abroad to attend U.S.

U.Va. installs new heart defibrillators

Twenty new heart defibrillators were installed around Grounds last week in an effort to provide rapid responses to sudden cardiac arrests. "Sudden cardiac death is a very significant public problem," said Dr. William Brady, associate professor of pediatric medicine.

GOP looks to put brakes on driver fees

In reaction to wavering public support for the recently implemented abusive-driver fees, Republican leaders in the Virginia General Assembly announced a plan last week to hold out-of-state motorists to the new legislation and more selectively apply the harsher penalty.

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