Serving the University Community Since 1890
Students planning to attend the Foxfield Races this year should expect harsher consequences for alcohol-related offenses than those from prior years. Authorities plan to treat Foxfield-related cases this year in exactly the same manner as offenses committed any other day of the year, Albemarle County Commonwealth Attorney Denise Lunsford said. "What in the past has been sometimes loosely referred to as 'the Foxfields discount' will not be the case anymore," Lunsford said. To support this effort, some policies have changed, primarily to cut down on excessive alcohol consumption, Foxfield Races Marketing Director Anne Susen said. For this year's races, all alcohol brought into the event must be contained within a 30-by-17-by-18-inch, "regular-sized" cooler.
After a selection process involving tests, seminars and interviews, 47 prospective University students were offered admission to the University as Jefferson Scholars Monday. The Jefferson Scholars Foundation is designed "to identify, attract, and nurture individuals of extraordinary intellectual range and depth who possess the highest qualities of leadership, scholarship, and citizenship" according to the Foundation's Web site. Prospective scholars received notice of their acceptance via e-mail Monday afternoon, following a weekend at the University, Jefferson Scholars Foundation President James H.
The Charlottesville Police Department took a suspect into custody following a robbery yesterday afternoon at the University Avenue branch of Bank of America.
Student Council discussed implementing a new CIO Consultant program and the possibility of increasing funding for the Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group at last night's meeting. President Matt Schrimper said Council has set a desirable precedent with the proposal of the CIO Consultant program. "This is exactly what Student Council should be doing; it's an example of Council fulfilling a very real need for University CIOs," Schrimper said.
Starting this fall, incoming first-year University students will no longer be able to show a preference between the McCormick Road and Alderman Road areas when applying for on-Grounds housing. In its present state, the housing process can result in "artificial separation by area,"said Angela Davis, associate dean of students and director of resident life.
A judge recently ruled in favor of The Cavalier Daily, Inc. and Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., publisher of Virginia Tech's Collegiate Times, regarding their publications' right to sell advertisements promoting alcoholic beverages. The American Civil Liberties Union represented the publications in the lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Thanks to the University's Supreme Court clinic, a group of Law School students recently had the opportunity to prepare an argument heard by the U.S.
The Honor Committee introduced its newly appointed Executive Committee at its meeting Sunday night, also discussing a bylaw amendment and announcing two scheduled open trials. Outgoing Vice Chair for Trials Brian O'Neill said that while two open trials are scheduled, the possibility exists for the accused students to change their minds and close their trials. "Basically, [accused] students have the right to open or closed trials," he said.
When sophomore Kelly Haller, a first baseman on the Virginia softball team, discussed the rigorous schedule of being both an athlete and a University student, a friend suggested she take a semester off. "There are no semesters off," Haller said. How about taking fewer credits? "No, I have to take at least 12 credits," Haller responded.
Following the shootings at Virginia Tech last April, Education Prof. Dewey Cornell found that Virginia high school students have become more likely to report a threat of violence in their schools. In the Virginia High School Safety Study conducted last April, about 7,400 freshmen from 296 high schools across the commonwealth were surveyed about the atmosphere of their school, the amounts of structure and support offered, and their willingness to report a threat of violence, Cornell said. In comparing survey responses, "we found students surveyed after the Virginia Tech shooting showed an increase in willingness to seek help," Cornell said, adding that about 75 percent or more of students surveyed said they were likely to seek help if a fellow student talked about killing someone. According to a summary of the study, 85 percent of students agreed that they would tell a teacher if a student brought a gun to school.
If slithering snakes make you cringe, you are not alone: Recent studies conducted by a University professor and a University alumna suggest fear of snakes is a trait present in people from birth. Developmental Psychology Prof.
Survey data recently released by the Honor Committee suggests an increase in positive student opinion of honor and polarization in terms of the single sanction, said Josh Hess, vice chair for community relations. When asked "In general, how do you feel about the honor system at the University of Virginia?" there was an increase in the "very positive" responses, from 21.6 percent to 42.3 percent since 2002, Hess said. Although this seemed to be a positive indication for the Committee, Hess said, data showed student opinion of the system can decline over time. "Generally students are more likely not to change their opinion," he explained, "but those that change are more likely to have their opinion decline rather than improve." Opinions of the single sanction also differed from previous surveys, Hess said, noting "students seem to be more polarized in the issue since 2002 and 2000." Answers to "I fully support the single sanction" and "I do not support the single sanction" rose from 19.5 percent to 29.4 percent and 17.7 percent to 27.5 percent, respectively, since 2000, Hess said. Vice Chair for Trials Brian O'Neill said the data also indicated statistically significant differences among ethnic groups on certain questions. Minority students are more likely to feel the honor system treats students unfairly based on race, origin and athletic status, he said, while white students do not. For the first time, Hess said, the survey asked University students what issues they would like the Committee to focus on in the future. "Minority students think the Honor Committee should focus on increasing diversity of the Committee and support officers," O'Neill said, noting black students' disproportionate interest in the Committee focusing on "the disproportional rate at which minority students and/or athletes are reported for honor offenses" was also statistically significant. Chair Ben Cooper said the statistics should not be overly extrapolated for generalizations but also acknowledged their importance. "I think these numbers are very useful in providing where the student body stands," Cooper said.
Two teenage suspects have been charged with multiple felonies in the shootings on Interstate 64, which occurred early Thursday morning.
In an effort to promote community engagement courses, the office of the executive vice president and provost recently created three types of grants available to members of the University community for the 2008-09 academic year. The grants, created in response to recommendations from the Commission on the Future of the University and the President's Commission on Diversity and Equity, will benefit community engagement courses, which are designed to "create meaningful experiences and also a difference in the community" by combining both traditional study and community service projects, according to Megan Raymond, acting director of University outreach for the office. A current example of such a course is the ecoMOD Project, which is a partnership between the Architecture School, the Engineering School and organizations such as the Piedmont Housing Alliance to create modular and ecological home prototypes within the community. The provost's office hopes that by having these grants available, similar courses containing aspects of both curriculum and community engagement will be created, said Milton Adams, vice provost for academic programs.
The University Library recently announced it has acquired approximately 47,000 civil rights movement documents from History Prof.
More than three decades ago, a Student Council president named Larry J. Sabato, along with other University students, began calling for the creation of a student position on the Board of Visitors.
