The Virginia Senate passed an ethics reform bill in a 39-1 vote Monday. The bill will limit donations and increase oversight of lobbyists and special interest groups. The bill comes in the wake of a national scandal surrounding former Gov. Bob McDonnell, who was indicted on federal corruption charges Jan. 21.
Charlottesville City Council adopted a “complete streets” resolution earlier this month to ensure future roads will accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and tree-lined roadways. “[The new policy will] ensure that transportation infrastructure investments support the making of an attractive, healthy, and safe, walkable and bike-able Charlottesville,” according to Council’s agenda.
The Virginia Senate unanimously passed a bill titled SB 260 Monday which will reform the mental health system in Virginia. The bill was introduced last month by Senator Creigh Deeds following the tragic incident in which his son, Gus Deeds, attacked and stabbed the senator, before taking his own life.
President Barack Obama visited Charlottesville Monday, touring Monticello with French President Francois Hollande.
The Lawn Selection Committee extended offers Friday to 47 students selected to live on the Lawn for the 2014-2015 academic year. Selections for endowed and reserved rooms have not yet to be decided.
As President Barack Obama announced the formation of a task force in January to address the recent increase in sexual assaults on campuses, the University was already in the final stretch of planning the conference, “Dialogue at UVA: Sexual Misconduct Among College Students,” through the efforts of President Teresa Sullivan and Patricia Lampkin, vice president and chief student affairs officer.
Third-year College student Elizabeth Minneman, the former chair of the University College Republicans, was elected state chair of the College Republican Federation of Virginia at a convention last Saturday.
The debate about legalizing marijuana divides activists and legislators across the nation. At the University, marijuana usage is low, but increasing, in keeping with national trends. As the drug remains strictly illegal in Virginia, the University Police and University Judiciary Committee continue to enforce the law. For many, marijuana remains a taboo subject as the debate progresses.
The Honor Committee voted 18-3 Sunday evening to place a non-binding resolution on the student elections ballot asking whether students would prefer non-proctored exams. Five members of the Committee were absent and the Chair did not vote.
U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education awarded the Curry School a $1 million dollar grant for their program “Leaders for Tomorrow’s Children.” The program looks to improve graduate-level education in early childhood education and development.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Meredith Woo addressed an audience of students, faculty and administrators about the state of the College on Friday in Old Cabell Hall.
The American Institutes for Research published a report this month which found that student services and employee benefits, rather than full-time faculty salaries, are the primary causes of tuition increases.
University officials have established search committees to find replacements for Dean Meredith Woo of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Dean Harry Harding of the Batten School for Public Policy and Dean Kim Tanzer of the Architecture School. All three deans will not seek reappointment when their terms end in the next several months.
The Virginia state senate voted 21 to 19 this week to table a bill allowing electrocution to be used for executions in the event that lethal injection is not available.
The Virginia House Higher Education subcommittee tabled a bill last Tuesday which would give students attending public institutions the right to legal counsel when appearing before student-run judicial panels.
Charlottesville Fire Department Spokesperson Richard Jones said the Department responded to a call about a fire in Little Johns on The Corner at 2:18 PM on Friday.
The University Library’s $27,097,307 total budget is 79 percent comprised of student tuition and state general funds. StatLab Head Michelle Claibourn said the technological and software services the Library offers with part of that budget are helpful to researchers in the University.
The University Medical Center announced at the end of last month the appointment of an interim Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chris A. Ghaemmaghami.
Housing and Residence Life chose two new candidates, Gaia Read and Katie Somers, on Wednesday night for the position of Co-Chairs for next school year. The Co-Chair position is the highest position in Housing and Residence Life available to University students. Fourth year College student Taylor Locks and fourth year Engineering student Andrew Foltermann currently hold the position.
HackCville, a Charlottesville-based entrepreneurial “clubhouse,” launched a new student-run online publication Monday called HackCville Media.
