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News

Minority office wins accolades from President Clinton

By Carter Lloyd | October 12, 1999

The Engineering School's Office of Minority Programs has been attracting national attention -- and now a Presidential Award -- with its efforts to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation rate of minority students. The Office uses a variety of recruitment methods and mentorship programs, including a weeklong residential program for rising high school juniors and seniors, a summer bridge academy for first years, professional internships and research projects with University faculty. Carolyn Vallas, director of the Office for Minority Programs, said such efforts are necessary because minorities are underrepresented in engineering programs at the University and across the nation. President Clinton recently honored Vallas and the Office of Minority Programs with the 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

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UJC expands list of possible trial chairs, clarifies bylaws

By Edward Hock | October 12, 1999

In an effort to clarify procedural questions which arose during the Kory v. Smith, Kintz and Tigrett case last spring, the University Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a bylaw Sunday night which allows any Committee representative to chair a trial. Before the change, nothing in the bylaws specified who could or could not chair trials, but traditionally only vice chairpersons and the Committee chairman have served as trial chairs. "The bylaws are sort of vague in this area," UJC Chairman Brian Hudak said.

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Admissions to use new system

By Rakesh Gopalan | October 11, 1999

As the University's Office of Admissions prepares to begin reviewing prospective students' applications in the next few days, officials no longer will be using a weighted scoring system to rate applicants.

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Alumnus gives students consulting tips

By Stacy McCown | October 11, 1999

Chris Bierly, vice president of Bain & Company and 1986 University alumnus, spoke to students enrolled in "Strategic Management Consulting," COMM 460a, Friday about what they could expect from the consulting field. Boston-based Bain & Company is one of the world's leading global strategy consulting firms. Bierly told students he recognizes that management consulting is an ambiguous term and he defined it simply as one company giving advice to another company. "There are two parts to management consulting -- the first is expertise providers who take information from company to company and the second, strategy consulting, helps top management in companies decide where they would like their companies to go and designs initiatives to help companies get from point A to point B," he said. Bain & Company now employs more people with bachelor's degrees than MBA's.

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Honor completes self-evaluation

By Edward Hock | October 11, 1999

The Honor Committee completed a nearly year-long, self review last night by completing four reports on 11 issues facing the honor system.

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Lambeth stairs will be redone

By Katie Dalton | October 11, 1999

Students living at Lambeth Field Apartments will be on more stable ground in upcoming years when the Housing Division completes its plans to rebuild all exterior staircases in the complex. Officials plan to replace the weather-worn structures in two phases over the next two summers.

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Report outlines methods to curb teen pregnancy

By Christine Buurma | October 11, 1999

Nearly every day a girl between the ages of 10 and 19 in Charlottesville and Albermarle County gets pregnant, according to the local Council on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. In response to such statistics, the Task Force on Teen Pregnancy Prevention issued a report Friday recommending cost-effective, preventative programs for families, churches, schools, businesses, service groups and health care professionals. The task force was created two years ago as the result of a Charlottesville-Albermarle County town meeting entitled "Partners in Teen Pregnancy and STD Prevention." The task force includes six University faculty members, and other professionals from a wide range of community groups in the area. The task force also is addressing a compilation of studies that show teenage mothers are more likely to have complications with childbirth, depend on public welfare, never complete high school, have fewer employment skills and raise a family in poverty. One of the task force's primary recommendations is to expand existing programs that have proved effective in preventing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Although there are some effective programs out there, they are not being used enough, said Jack Marshall, task force chairman and a retired international consultant on family planning.

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Cavs fall 24-17 in devastating loss to previously winless Blue Devils

By Jed Williams | October 11, 1999

Critical offensive mistakes and coverage breakdowns once again plagued the Virginia football team, which dropped its first-ever, overtime game Saturday in a 24-17 loss to previously winless Duke. The defeat in double overtime was the Cavs' first loss to the Blue Devils since 1994. Virginia (3-3, 2-2 ACC) grabbed a 17-10 edge late in the fourth quarter on a three-yard touchdown run by Thomas Jones.

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Students assist national

By Clark Williams | October 8, 1999

As presidential primary campaigns heat up and the General Assembly elections draw near, student political groups are keying up to support their candidates through grass roots activities. Yesterday, Students for Bill Bradley offered literature and sign-up lists for passers-by at a table on the Lawn. Adam Green, Students for Bill Bradley lead organizer and first-year Law student, said he hoped to use sign-up lists to build momentum for the Democratic presidential candidate.

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Poe memorial service addresses poet's legacy

By Clark Williams | October 8, 1999

Fans of Edgar Allan Poe packed the University Chapel yesterday to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his death and to remember his time as a student at the University.

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Education School earns grants

By Meg Scheu | October 8, 1999

The Curry School of Education now has $5.5 million more to use toward the instruction and training of current and future teachers in classroom technology because of three different grants they received this week. The first two grants came from the U.S.

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Obese risk chance of short life

By Margaret Chipowsky | October 8, 1999

According to a study released yesterday, researchers have confirmed that overweight people have a higher chance of premature death, but University students have multiple options to keep their figures slim, Student Health officials said. The study of more than one million healthy Americans was performed by the American Cancer Society and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers found a direct correlation between obesity, as measured by Body Mass Index, and higher rates of cancer and heart disease. Biology Prof.

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Admissions race policy draws fire

By Katie Dalton | October 8, 1999

As part of an ongoing University-wide debate about the use of race in admissions, some students are starting to speak out against the policy of using race as a factor in admissions.

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Suspect's fingerprints match rape evidence

By Margaret Chipowsky | October 8, 1999

Charlottesville City Police announced yesterday that fingerprints taken from the scene of the Aug.

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Council to weigh two competing resolutions on admissions policy

By Jaime Levi | October 7, 1999

Student Council is facing an impending vote on two competing resolutions -- one of which voices support for continuing to use race as a factor in University admissions, and one which requests that the administration adopt an alternative admissions policy which would "not specifically involve race." The first resolution calls on the Board of Visitors to defend the University's current admissions policies and would create an ad hoc committee of Council representatives and community members to help maintain "a healthy dialogue" about the issue.

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ITC, Microsoft sign deal for significant software rebate

By Margaret Chipowsky | October 7, 1999

The University, along with several other Virginia schools, has signed a deal with Microsoft Corp.

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ADE kicks off diversity rally

By Abby Curran | October 7, 1999

Advocates for Diversity in Education kicked off their "October Camp" yesterday with a highly visible display of their support for maintaining race as a factor in admission to the University. Organizers set up about 15 tents on the lower Lawn for participants of the group's "teach-in," which was scheduled to continue overnight and conclude early this afternoon.

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Plaintiffs withdraw balcony lawsuits

By Lindsay Wise | October 7, 1999

Three lawsuits filed following the fatal collapse of a balcony during the University's May 1997 graduation ceremonies have been withdrawn because the parties involved have agreed to try to reach out-of-court settlements. The trial for one of the cases was scheduled to go to court Nov.

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Average tuition costs rise at lowest rate in four years

By Emily Turner | October 7, 1999

The cost of college still is on the rise, but tuition increases around the country are the lowest in four years, according to a recent report by the College Board. College tuition and fees rose less than 5 percent from 1998-99 to 1999-2000, the study found. At private four-year institutions, prices rose by 4.6 percent, while their public counterparts increased tuition and fees by 3.4 percent.

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Student loan default rate drops across nation

By Jessie Kokrda | October 7, 1999

Students are paying back college debts successfully at the University and at schools nationwide, according to U.S.