Amid constitutional controversy and issues surrounding efficiency and effectiveness within the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Honor System, former Associate Chief Justice Amanda Beringer was promoted to the position of chief justice, through what some have said is an unconstitutional action, following the resignation of former Chief Justice Greg Sagstetter.
The Honor Committee voted last night to place a proposal on the spring ballot that would amend its constitution by adding two representatives from the College of Arts & Sciences to the Committee. The goal of the reapportionment proposal is to increase representation of students from the College so it is proportionate to increases in the College's enrollment.
The Inter-Sorority Council and the University's Women's Center joined efforts to sponsor a sexual assault education program which was held this weekend.
The Board of Visitors announced a gift of $25 million granted to the University by Philip Morris USA in a press conference Friday. The gift will support tobacco research at the University on addiction and disease and represents "a significant deepening of the partnership" between the two institutions, according to Mike Szymanczyk, chairman and CEO of Philip Morris USA. Philip Morris USA gave the donation at the University's request, according to Brendan McCormick, senior director of corporate communications at Philip Morris USA. "Approximately $20 million will support research and projects at the University," Szymanczyk said.
University Human Resources will institute a new 13-week employee development program beginning Feb.
Despite student protests and a tumultuous change of leadership at Gallaudet University, the internationally known school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing recently received an improved rating of "adequate" performance from the Department of Education. The higher ranking has had a positive effect on the student body, according to Gallaudet spokesperson Mercy Coogan, who said students are "proud to be Gallaudet students." In October, Gallaudet students protested the selection of former Gallaudet Provost Jane K.
First-time enrollment of international graduate students in the Engineering School has risen four percent above the 2005-06 academic year level.
President John T. Casteen, III presented a speech outlining the role of the new Commission on the Future of the University during the Board of Visitors' first meeting of the semester yesterday afternoon. The commission, which is the third of its kind at the University, is an addition to the work already underway for the 10-year academic plan, according to University spokesperson Carol Wood. "The 10-year plan is really strong on nuts and bolts, but the Commission on the Future of the University will add a layer of aspiration," Wood said. The five committees of the proposed commission will use that aspiration to help improve various aspects of the University, according to Casteen. "It is the start of a plan that will carry us through six to eight months of intense work," Casteen said. According to Wood, Casteen hopes to finalize the commission by fall 2007. In its current state, the commission includes of Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Tim Garson, vice president and Medical School dean, who will serve as co-chairs. The committee on programmatic initiatives will work to analyze the "University's competitive posture," according to the draft of the commission presented by Casteen.
The state budget, student safety and a look at the University's accomplishments and plans for improvement were main topics in University President John T.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke before Politics Prof. Larry Sabato's Introduction to American Politics class Wednesday.
Jacqueline Irvine, professor of urban education at Emory University, spoke about the white-black achievement gap in education yesterday at the second annual Dr. Walter Ridley Distinguished Lecturer Series. Chief Diversity Officer William Harvey introduced Irvine, expressing his enthusiasm about her visit during Black History Month. Irvine, a graduate of Howard University, said she thinks the two most important issues to address are school segregation and the gap in test scores. She said 48 percent of schoolchildren today are from a diverse background, but noted that "growing diversity does not entail growing integration." Irvine attributed a lack of integration in public schools to the enrollment of white children in private schools. "Private school enrollment by white students today is comparable to white private school enrollment in 1968," Irvine said. The achievement gap that exists between black and white students affects every student at the University, Irvine said, because these students are the future. The disparity in test scores cannot be explained solely by a socioeconomic dynamic between whites and blacks.
The Virginia House of Delegates Higher Education Subcommittee recently proposed withholding funding from state colleges and universities unless they agree to keep tuition increases low. According to Colette Sheehy, University vice president for management and budget, the University created a six-year plan last year that lays out the optimal scenario for cost-sharing between the state government and students. "Every institution has a different rate of cost-sharing," Sheehy said.
James Garrison -- the father of 2006 College graduate Stephanie Garrison, who was acquitted in an open honor trial in September -- was charged Tuesday with the assault and battery of Gavin Reddick, University Judiciary Committee vice chair for sanctions, according to Patrice Winston, deputy clerk of Albemarle General District Court. According to the case report, the altercation occurred last Sept.
Student Council introduced and discussed four new resolutions last night, including the proposals include a bill to amend the Student Council Constitution, a resolution to support the Curriculum Internationalization Survey and a bill to create a committee in charge of a peer support program.
Approximately eight miles north of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia on Route 29, near the Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport, there are signs that read 'University of Virginia.' Past these signs, expansive tracts of land spread out in all directions, and a burgeoning, "masterplanned," state-of-the-art community rises amidst the natural beauty of the Virginia landscape.
The Virginia State Senate passed two bills Monday, one that would prohibit smoking in public areas and another that would increase the minimum wage. Senate Bill 1161, sponsored by Sen.
A study recently conducted in the University's psychology department shows that disruptive behavior in children may have genetic origins rather than simply stemming from exposure to factors such as familial interactions. The study analyzed the connection between conflict within a marriage and children's conduct disorder, said Paige Harden, a psychology graduate student leading the research. Specifically, the purpose of the study was "to find out... whether it was the marital conflict itself that caused the problem" or whether it was the result of "parents with genetic liabilities" who then pass these genes on to their children," Harden said. What the researchers found was that behavioral problems do have a genetic component, she said. The study describes this specific relationship in genetic terms, and examines the effects of marital friction on children's development. According to the study, "there are not genes 'for' arguing with a spouse, but the process of selecting, shaping, and perceiving social environments involves genetically-influenced behaviors and personality attributes." The research was conducted by observing samples of identical twins "who differed in their marital conflict," Harden said.
Approximately eight miles north of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia on Route 29, near the Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport, there are signs that read 'University of Virginia.' Past these signs, expansive tracts of land spread out in all directions, and a burgeoning, "masterplanned," state-of-the-art community rises amidst the natural beauty of the Virginia landscape.
For over 20 years, researchers in the University's Center for Research in Contraceptive and Reproductive Health have been working toward developing a male contraceptive drug, and thanks to recent advances in the center's research, this goal continues to be promising. John Herr, director of the Center for Research in Contraceptive and Reproductive Health, explained that his research focuses on targeting certain sperm proteins. "We've been working for many years to identify proteins that are unique to the process of spermiogenesis," said John Herr, director of the Center for Research in Contraceptive and Reproductive Health.
