President John T. Casteen, III and his Commission on Diversity and Equity made a final presentation to the Board of Visitors at their meeting early Saturday, offering a final report to the Board on its research into issues of diversity at the University. A little over a year ago, Casteen charged Angela M.
Waving signs that read "The University of Enron" and "Kiss Your Benefits Goodbye," members of the University Staff Union rallied outside the steps of the Rotunda in response to the proposed charter legislation Friday. The Staff Union, in conjunction with the Communication Workers of America, the Graduate Labor Union and the Students for a Living Wage Campaign, voiced concerns about how the proposed charter status will affect University employees and students.
Job growth in the area is not up to par, according to a study conducted by a local agency. The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce recently completed a 10-year study of the region including the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson and Louisa Counties.
Members of the Virginia Tech chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are voicing concerns about the administration's response to a reported racially motivated vandalism that occurred at the school last weekend. A hate crime investigation is now underway in Blacksburg.
Tickets went on sale yesterday for the 17th Annual Virginia Film Festival, which begins Oct. 28 and runs through Oct.
The final "Fridays After Five" of the season will take place today on the Downtown Mall, marking the last event to be performed under the direction of the Charlottesville Downtown Foundation and on the current stage at the east end of the Mall. Coran Capshaw, manager of the Dave Matthews Band and a local real estate mogul, will replace the existing stage with a 3,500 seat amphitheatre.
What was supposed to be a Sherlock Holmes-style field trip to an abandoned hospital ended in the unexpected trespassing arrests of 23 University students and Justin Gifford, their graduate instructor. Charges against the class members were dropped Tuesday, but University officials yesterday met to discuss Gifford's role in the incident, and Gifford said his fate at the University still is undecided. "It's still up in the air as to what's going to happen to me," Gifford said. While he is unsure what sanction might be levied against him, Gifford said he was told by his dean that it is unlikely he will be fired. Gifford and his students, members of an American Detective Mystery Fiction class, were detained for trespassing at the abandoned Blue Ridge Hospital last week. The building is a former tuberculosis hospital, owned by the University Foundation, at the base of Monticello Mountain near the intersection of Interstate 64 and Route 20, University Foundation Executive Director Tim Rose said. Gifford said he took his Detective Fiction class to the hospital because the class was studying the meaning of the word "haunting," and discussions eventually led to abandoned buildings. "We heard about it through Web sites where various urban explorer types had gone through and taken pictures," Gifford said.
More than half of all students at the University come from families who earn more than $100,000 a year, according to USA Today.
Debate over the economy is once again at the forefront of the presidential campaign, and college students used to tuning out politicians' promises on jobs and taxes could be affected by the economic policies of whoever occupies the White House in January. President George W.
The Center for Politics held a symposium last night in Minor Hall on finding political jobs and internships as part of its National Symposium on Youth Civic Engagement. Grant Reeher, author of "The Insider's Guide to Political Internships: What to Do Once You're in the Door," an associate professor of political science at Syracuse University, moderated the discussion. The six panelists included campaign staffers, legislative assistants and a political media consultant. Reeher discussed ten points on how to succeed in and learn from internships, one of which included considering the possibility of choosing an internship at a local politician's office. "The experience will be more significant," Reeher said. Reeher also said that interns should expect to do mundane work and be able to do it well.
The Web site for the University's pilot January term is now available with a complete listing of courses, registration instructions and financial details. The term will run from Jan.
The College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences hosted an inaugural undergraduate research presentation and dinner last night in the Rotunda Dome Room. Undergraduate students who spent the entire summer on Grounds doing research on topics ranging from plant aging to the effects of fetal alcohol exposure were gathered to present their research results with other students, faculty and administrators. The joint research presentations between the two schools will be held annually. The dinner was "a celebratory evening for the event," Center for Undergraduate Excellence Director Nicole Hurd said. The presentations included exhibits of different research projects.
About 2,000 University students either registered to vote or requested an absentee ballot for the first time as of yesterday, according to Albemarle County General Registrar Jackie Harris. The voter registration deadline for the Nov.
The rising cost of living in Charlottesville has prompted City Council and local developers to consider options for creating more affordable housing. Council approved a land swap with local developing group Rivanna Collaborative LLC last week that aims to create a mixed-income residential community. The Collaborative -- a group of five local architects and developers currently planning the Rivers Edge residential community -- approached Council with a proposal to obtain City land located in the flood plain in exchange for land owned by the developing group not in the flood plain. "The City expressed interest in providing affordable housing," Collaborative Director Chris Hays said.
What do you get when you cross a philosophy professor and a biology course? The creation of new areas of study that unite multiple disciplines within the University. At a recent Faculty Senate meeting, Senate members discussed the evolution of interdisciplinary collaboration at the University. "It is an opportunity for learning, research and networking," Faculty Senate Chair Marcia Childress said. The concept of interdisciplinary studies centers on providing students and faculty with the freedom to study a plethora of disciplines. "We can work with people in other areas and see our area in a new way, which can lead to enrichment and enlightenment," Childress said. J.
After a suspension of Student Council procedures, two failed motions to delay voting and 90 minutes of contentious debate, Council unanimously passed a resolution last night condemning the reported Sept.
While Iraq dominates the headlines and the presidential campaign foreign policy debate, two speeches yesterday focused attention on the Sept.
Behind closed doors, above colonnades and underneath bustling streets are the University's secret places -- out of sight, but not out of mind.
