Charlottesville City Council held its second and final public hearing last night regarding its plans for the 2008-09 city budget.
The athletic department is a leading player in meeting fundraising goals for the University's Capital Campaign, while academic departments report they are satisfied with their progress toward similar fundraising goals. Each part of the University is responsible for a portion of the Capital Campaign, which intends to raise $3 billion by Dec.
During last night's Honor Committee meeting, Committee members voted against a proposal to change the transcript status of students who leave the University admitting guilt from "Enrollment Discontinued" to "Withdrawn" and adopted two other proposals regarding investigation interviews and trial schedules. Josh Hess, outgoing vice chair for community relations, explained the transcript status proposal aimed to tackle several issues the Committee currently faces. "First there is a moral hazard that provides a powerful incentive to postpone trial, and it is irrational to LAG [leave admitting guilt] because you have some chance to be acquitted and gain more credits," he said. An incentive, however, does not exist for students to LAG, according to Brian O'Neill, outgoing vice chair for trials, because the notation of "Enrollment Discontinued" is noted on transcripts of students who LAG and of students found guilty at trial. O'Neill noted the cost of delaying trials is very minimal, saying the status change of "Withdrawn" would balance the costs, as it is the status given to University students leaving because of other circumstances, including medical, financial or psychological reasons. Graduate College Rep.
A University student was hit by a car Friday morning at 12:21 on Gordon Avenue. The student, first-year College student Jacob Hallman, suffered only minor injuries. According to Charlottesville Police Sgt.
As about 3,000 admitted students prepare to swarm the University for Days on the Lawn, the University is reflecting on the impact of eliminating early decision admissions. Associate Dean of Admissions Gregory Roberts said the elimination of early decision admissions significantly changed the admissions process compared to last year, when of 6,273 admissions offers given, 965 -- or about one-third -- were awarded to early decision applicants.
Two University students were among 321 students nationwide to receive the Goldwater Scholarship last week, an honor that recognizes undergraduate excellence and potential in mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences.
A recent national study suggests racial diversity of high school graduating classes across the country is on the rise, indicating a projected increase in the number of Latino students graduating from high school while the overall number of high school graduates decreases.
The new executive officers of the University's National Pan-Hellenic Council chapter were announced at a transition ceremony yesterday evening. Third-year College student Sabrina Mendez will serve as president of the University's NPHC chapter for the 2008-09 term, along with second-year College student Isaac Bawuah as executive vice president, second-year College student Brittany Collins as assistant vice president, third-year College student Lisa Allen as secretary and third-year College student Leslie Lambert as treasurer.
The two suspects charged with the recent Interstate 64 shooting are now facing five additional charges related to other shooting incidents in Albemarle County.
As the University of Maryland prepares to implement a gender-neutral housing program for the upcoming fall semester, the University is unable to consider the implementation of such a program because of state law constraints, University Director of Accommodations John Evans said. Gender-neutral housing is defined as "an inclusive dormitory policy providing the option for two students to room together, in mutual agreement, without restriction based on sex or gender" by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition's Web site. The University of Maryland will launch a pilot program, Apartment Living for Students of Different Genders, in the fall, said Kathleen Blankenship, University of Maryland coordinator of administrative operations for public/private partnerships. The program is open to any student in good standing at the university, Blankenship said. "We did not want gender to be an obstacle for students to live with the people they choose," Blankenship said. In this program, 40 students will live in apartments with four single bedrooms and two full bathrooms.
Focused on the tools needed to teach students to become global citizens, James Banks, director of multicultural education at the University of Washington, Seattle, spoke at the University yesterday about the challenges and opportunities diversity presents for the U.S.
US News and World Report recently released national graduate school rankings for 2009, naming the University's Law School ninth and the Darden School 14th in their classes.
While students are perhaps more familiar with current construction projects on Grounds such as the South Lawn Project and the new dormitories on Observatory Hill, University Facilities Management is also busy with maintenance and restoration efforts. Mark Webb, associate director for work management, said 79 maintenance reserve projects are currently in progress.
Former second-year Engineering students Guanyu Lu and Baichuan Shu pled guilty yesterday morning to abduction with the intent to extort money, according to attorneys involved in the case. The students were arrested in November in Fairfax County for kidnapping Fairfax County resident Paul Wang and holding him against his will in a Falls Church motel. Shu's attorney Daniel Krisky said Shu and Lu had separate hearings, and both pled guilty to the charges to avoid causing further pain to their victim. "The reason they pled guilty is they are guilty of the offense," he said.
Following the elimination of its early decision admissions program, the University saw an increase in both the number of applications for admission for the Class of 2012 and the number of acceptance letters issued. Dean of Admissions John Blackburn noted the University received a record 18,758 applications, compared to last year's 18,046.
Plans for the University's Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center are nearly set in stone, and construction will begin following a ground-breaking ceremony April 12. University Health System spokesperson Peter Jump said the center will be home to the latest technologies and will offer patients state-of-the-art therapies for cancer treatment.
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors' proposed three-cent tax increase from 68 cents to 71 cents for real estate property taxes dominated discussion at a public hearing last night regarding the Board's recommended fiscal year budget for 2008-09.
