Group claims lack of transparency

The Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville-based civil liberties nonprofit organization with conservative leanings, sent a letter to the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle Country Board of Supervisors condemning the governing bodies for holding "closed, secret meetings on matters of public interest." The letter said the meetings violated Virginia's Freedom of Information Act as well as the constitutional principles of democracy, such as "an informed electorate and maximum transparency of government." Members of the governing bodies met to discuss ways to cut costs by combining services provided by each government. The complicated nature of these issues prompted the closed discussions, Dennis Rooker, a member of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors said, because "the meetings have a greater chance of success if people can speak candidly." He also denied the legal validity of the group's accusations.

UNT policy sets quotas for faculty work hours

The College of Public Affairs and Community Service at the University of North Texas has implemented a new policy this fall requiring professors spend four hours per day, four days a week on campus, in addition to the hours they spend teaching in the classroom. There are two major goals of the new policy, said Thomas Evenson, dean of the college. "We are using this policy to promote more collaborative research between both students and faculty as well as across disciplines," he said.

Chang claims self-defense in dad

Former University student Alan Yuan Chang pled not guilty Tuesday to a first-degree murder charge in the killing of his father, Jian Zhang.

Study links social life to suicidal thoughts

A recent study found that lack of a social life, childhood or adolescent exposure to domestic violence and symptoms of depression are major factors that can lead to suicidal thoughts in college students. The study, which was conducted at Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland, College Park, relied on interviews with 1,253 college students starting in 2004 until their graduation in 2008. The results of the study, funded by the National Institute of Health and American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, showed that an estimated 12 percent of those interviewed had thoughts about suicide at some point during their college careers, said Kimberly Caldeira, assistant director in the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Scientists research studying

Recent data suggests that much of what University students know about studying is wrong. Cognitive scientists, including University Prof.

IBM program to help

The "U.Va Bay Game/Analytics," an in-depth simulation of the interactions contributing to the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, has been picked up by IBM's world community grid project.

UVIMCO covers some past losses

The University's endowment regained in fiscal year 2010 more than 50 percent of the value it lost in fiscal year 2009, according to the recently released year-end report by the University of Virginia Investment Management Company. During the 2010 fiscal year, the endowment - which serves as the source of sustainable private support for instruction, service and research - gained $597 million back from the $1.1 billion it lost during the previous fiscal year, according to an e-mail from Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer. In the context of the wider U.S.

Clark remains in district election

Jeffrey Clark announced last Thursday that he has rescinded his offer to withdraw his candidacy from the fifth-district congressional election, in which he is running as an independent. After the press reported Clark's extensive history of personal debt, the Tea Party member announced Aug.

Sullivan to speak at convocation

[caption id="attachment_35446" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="President Teresa A. Sullivan will speak at Fall Convocation in November.

UJC introduces liaison program

The University Judiciary Committee introduced its new liaisons program for incoming first-year students at its Sunday meeting. The program pairs UJC educators with first-year dormitories to extend educational opportunity to first-year students, UJC Chair Will Bane said. The new program, spearheaded by UJC Senior Educator Victoria Marchetti, will foster a personal connection between UJC and first-year students, Bane said. "In the past, when we've tackled education, we've taken a sort of wholesale approach.

Kim Hazelwood, an assistant computer science professor at the University, recently joined the ranks of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Technology Review magazine named Hazelwood to its annual list of "Top 35 Innovators Under 35," which Zuckerberg, Page and Brin have all been honored with in the past, in the magazine's September/October issue.

Alert system fails to perform as planned

[caption id="attachment_35332" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The University's alert system, which uses sirens, texts, e-mails and other means to communicate with students about emergencies, will undergo review after failing to function properly.

Sullivan speaks to Chapel crowd

A small crowd of people gathered this Friday in the pews of the University Chapel to hear President Teresa A.

Streaming video impacts classes

What exactly does technology mean for the modern student? Faster note-taking in class? Sure. More immediate access to information?

City, county debate plan to replace dam

Charlottesville City Council met Thursday to discuss a 50-year water plan for the city and Albemarle County, which includes the construction of a new dam at Ragged Mountain reservoir, along with the replacement of old pipelines in the county. The plan was originally approved in 2006 by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, which includes three members from the city government, three members from the county and one jointly appointed member, Charlottesville Director of Communications Ric Barrick said.

Smoke alerts fire officials

[caption id="attachment_35277" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Firemen and University police respond to smoke from a ceiling ballast on the second floor of Wilsdorf Hall.