Serving the University Community Since 1890
Having recently approved a budget that will take effect July 1, Charlottesville City Council will now begin discussions, which will continue through the summer, on other financial issues facing the city. Affordable housing is one issue Council hopes to address this summer, Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris said.
The Board of Visitors recently approved an undergraduate in-state tuition increase of 9.9 percent and a 6.6-percent increase for out-of-state students for the 2008-09 school year in order to compensate for state budget cuts and support the funding needs of AccessUVa, according to Melody Bianchetto, assistant vice president for budget and financial planning. A Virginia resident will now pay $7,498 for tuition, which includes educational and general fees, but excludes student activity and auxiliary fees.
In an effort to improve higher education opportunities throughout the world, the University will invite more than 30 university presidents and vice chancellors from across the world to Charlottesville this fall as a part of the 2008 Charlottesville Consultation.
In an effort to jump-start the University's future, the Board of Visitors may soon elect to reach a little deeper into the pockets of the institution's endowment next year. "There was a very lively conversation about the pros and cons of whether we should increase the conservative endowment spending or not," University spokesperson Carol Wood said about the Board's April meeting.
Charlottesville City Council met Tuesday night for a workshop to discuss proposals for affordable housing within the city.
Though Lawn pavilions see a lower turnover rate than the student rooms on the Lawn, in the next two years a number of residency changes will alter the faculty and administration profile on the Lawn. Of the 10 Lawn pavilions, nine are currently occupied by faculty members and administrators.
Along with impending but as of yet undecided general tuition increases, University students will see a rise in auxiliary fees -- money set aside specifically for University Transit Service, Safe Ride, athletics, Newcomb Hall, Student Health and other University programs -- for the 2008-09 academic year.
The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently released a report claiming students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the nation would like to see a stronger focus on social and personal responsibility within their schools. Debra Humphreys, AACU communication vice president for communications and public affairs, said the AACU conducted a campus climate survey of students, faculty and academic administrators about whether issues such as "striving for excellence, academic and personal integrity; developing competence in ethical and moral reasoning; and taking seriously the perspective of others" are, and should be, an emphasis at their school.
University Architecture students enrolled in PLAC 555, "Community Food Systems," presented their findings on local and global food sources within Charlottesville to city residents and vendors at City Hall yesterday.
Fees for international student and exchange visitor visas will most likely double to $200 by this fall in an effort to upgrade a federal Homeland Security surveillance program that monitors these students' and visitors' statuses and whereabouts once they enter the United States. Brandon Montgomery, spokesperson for the U.S.
As spring flowers blossom across Grounds, a recent University study examined the impact of air pollution on the scent trail of flowers, an effect that could negatively impact bee populations -- and eventually the food supply. "We wanted to figure out if pollution can destroy floral scent trails," Graduate Arts & Sciences student Quinn McFrederick said about his 2007 study, published earlier this year with fellow Graduate Arts & Sciences student James Chacko Kathilankal and Environmental Science Prof.
Waynesboro authorities have filed two additional felony charges against Slade Woodson, the 19-year-old suspect in the March 27 Interstate 64 shootings, according to Waynesboro Police Sergeant Kelly Walker. "The reason for [filing two additional charges] was that we found a secondary bullet hole," Walker said, explaining that Woodson is receiving two charges for this bullet hole because he not only fired from a vehicle, which counts as one charge, but also shot into a house, which is a separate charge. The second bullet hole, which had not been observed during previous investigations, was uncovered during "a reexamination of the scene, which was corroborated by other parts of the investigation," Walker said.
Last night Student Council passed bills confirming office space allocations for contracted independent organizations and offering resident advisors summer training regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Vice President for Organizations Kayla Wherry said the office allocation process was conducted more smoothly this year because of recent changes in Council's bylaws. "There was never a set process in place, but now there is a ranking system," she said.
In just a few years, students strolling on Grounds -- and not just those on the Lawn -- may notice themselves literally stepping on or passing by history as a result of a project recently approved by the Board of Visitors. The Demolished Building Recognition Program -- an idea of President John T.
College and Commerce Honor Committee representatives addressed the need to maintain relationships with their schools' faculty Sunday evening, while the entire Committee also discussed the future goals of various subcommittees, which seek to address community concerns. Vice Chair for Investigations Blaire Hawkins, a College representative, noted during the newly approved weekly report that College representatives hope to develop strong relationships within school departments and various College-related organizations.
Gov. Timothy Kaine spoke to Politics Prof. Larry Sabato's PLAP 101 "Introduction to American Politics" class yesterday, discussing his experiences in politics and urging students to become more involved in the political world. "I never thought I would be in politics," Kaine said.
As part of a new Department of Defense initiative, Assoc. Plastic Surgery Prof. Adam Katz will expand his research to include wound-healing and scar prevention therapies for soldiers, specifically, he said, to work on "fat-derived therapies" for the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Katz said his lab currently focuses on using fat-derived therapies for chronic wounds. "I will use the same type of platform to address military wounds," Katz said, adding that he will focus on traumatic wounds soldiers often face. In addition to what Katz called the honor and privilege of being able to help soldiers fighting in wars around the globe, he said the opportunity to collaborate with prominent scientists in tissue engineering encouraged him to participate in this research. According to a Department of Defense press release, the research will focus on five areas: burn repair, wound healing without scarring, craniofacial reconstruction, limb reconstruction, regeneration or transplantation, and compartment syndrome.
