After record-breaking voter turnout and 10 hours of voting at Jackson P. Burley Middle School, officials announced this past weekend the Democratic City Council nominations for the upcoming general election in November.
[caption id="attachment_44187" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Raymond Nelson was a recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award, the University's highest honor.
The University redefined the circumstances under which a student can raise sexual assault charges in July, altering its policy from one of "clear and convincing evidence" to a broader standard in which an incident of sexual misconduct more likely than not occurred. The revised policy emphasizes assistance to victims and broadens the definition of "sexual misconduct" to encompass "an unwelcome sexual behavior that occurs without effective consent." In such a case, sexual harassment in the form of cyberstalking or relationship violence is included in the definition, according to a statement released by the University.
Gov. Bob McDonnell appointed five new members in July to the University's Board of Visitors in addition to naming Helen E.
[caption id="attachment_44140" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The University chapter of Zeta Psi fraternity was shut down in June by administrators as a result of the hospitalization of a pledge who took part in "new member activities" conducted by the fraternal organization.
[caption id="attachment_44147" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Michael Strine succeeds Leonard Sandridge to fulfill the second- highest position at the University.
Students seeking Counseling and Psychological Services will now be subject to a 15-minute screening process on the phone one to two days beforehand to ensure that those who need immediate attention are addressed first. The screening will focus on things such as the student's mood and energy, sleep patterns, thoughts about self-harm or harm to others, ability to attend class, appetite, self-care and substance use patterns. Students facing a crisis are still able to schedule an immediate appointment at CAPS, however. Before implementing this new system, CAPS simply required students to self-report the degree of their distress. "Students aren't always good at assessing the urgency of their situation," CAPS director Russ Federman said.
UPDATE--Following months of speculation, administrators decided to shut down the University chapter of Zeta Psi fraternity Tuesday as a result of the hospitalization of a student this past March. In an email to fraternity and sorority leaders, Assistant Dean of Students Michael Citro announced "the University has decided not to enter into a new Fraternal Organization Agreement" with the Greek organization. A first-year student pledging Zeta Psi was treated at Martha Jefferson Hospital March 1 for an electrolyte imbalance after consuming a bottle of soy sauce at the fraternity's house.
A black University Law student who filed a complaint of police misconduct admitted last week that the incident never occurred. Johnathan Perkins, who claimed he had been a victim of racial profiling in an alleged March 31 encounter, told University Police that he made up the story to "bring attention to the topic of police misconduct," according to a press release. Police Chief Michael Gibson, who completed a full investigation of the alleged incident, said he will not press charges because he does not want to deter other students from coming forward with evidence of police misconduct. "I recognize that police misconduct does occur," Gibson said in a statement.
[caption id="attachment_44047" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Morris said students have been much more involved with RecycleMania this year, showing the school's increasing commitment to sustainability.
Three College professors were awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship Monday to further their research projects.
[caption id="attachment_44050" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="University police said they are investigating a bias incident on Grounds.
Student Council passed a bill Tuesday night which will create a committee to allocate $20,000 of unused programming funds from the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs toward a pilot program to support large-scale green projects around Grounds. The Green Initiative Funding Tomorrow program is Council's answer to a 76 percent majority of voting students who supported a referendum proposing a "green" fund in University-wide elections in February 2010. Although Council already has in place an Environmental Sustainability Committee, which works on sustainable initiatives at the University, Tuesday's bill created a separate committee, which will be responsible for managing funding for extensive projects as well as selecting project submissions. "It makes more sense to give it the due diligence," Council President Dan Morrison said.
[caption id="attachment_43976" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is seeking information on climate research done at the University.
[caption id="attachment_43973" align="alignleft" width="231" caption="Charlottesville received national recognition Tuesday for it's walkability.
[caption id="attachment_43970" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Larry Sabato hosted a panel on economic solutions yesterday, highlighting changes to social security, medical care and the prescription drug industry.
[caption id="attachment_43927" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="At last week's meeting, Student Council formally endorsed the Carbon Reduction Plan put forward by the Presidential Committee on Sustainability.
The Supreme Court refused Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's request to expedite his challenge against the Affordable Care Act Monday. Cuccinelli argued the health care reform is unconstitutional because it mandates citizens purchase something, specifically health insurance from private organizations.
[caption id="attachment_43924" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The endowment will translate the research occurring in University laboratories into products on the marketplace.
Several organizations worked to bring the Moroccan ambassador to the University last night to share the culture and progress of his nation.
