Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors, in a single resolution, unanimously struck down the school's affirmative action programs and deleted all references to sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy at a meeting Monday night. Virginia Tech Board members made the decision to end affirmative action based on race and gender in response to April and Nov.
Ambassador Ruth Davis, director of the State Department's Foreign Service, is actively seeking women and minorities to serve as American representatives in foreign countries. Davis, who has worked in the Foreign Service for over 30 years, said she looks forward to the day when the "old boys network" of foreign service officers is broken and over half of all involved in the agency abroad are female. Since 1924, the number of women in the Foreign Service has gradually increased.
The Virginia Quarterly Review soon will be under new leadership following the retirement of Staige D.
The University has received pledges that could allow construction of the new multi-purpose arena to begin within the next 90 days, according to an article in the Richmond Times Dispatch. The article, published yesterday, claims that the University had $60 million in pledges for the arena at the beginning of March, but needs commitments of at least $80 million for construction to begin.
While water rates are down in Charlottesville, other fee increases could be on the way if the City adopts its proposed 2003-2004 budget on April 11. Tax raises.
Four hundred individual candles shone their light on the north side of the Rotunda last night as students, faculty members and local residents gathered to show their condemnation of the recent attack on Student Council President-elect Daisy Lundy and their support for progressive action in race relations at the University. The candlelight vigil and the March Against Racial Hatred that preceded it were sponsored by the Committee for Progress on Race at the Law School. Although plans originated from North Grounds, organizers and attendees stressed that the event was one intended to unite all members of the University community. "We didn't focus [the event] to necessarily highlight law students in particular," said CPR March Coordinator Emily Fan.
University employees receive Jefferson Awards Two University Medical Center employees are among the three area residents being honored for their exemplary community service. Leslie Baruch, an occupational therapist and David Simmons, the clinical director of the University's Kidney Center Clinic have been chosen as recipients of this year's Jefferson Awards.
The debate continues on Grounds over the breadth and urgency of University efforts to pursue and promote greater diversity in the wake of multiple racially-charged incidents over the past year. Two weeks after the attack on Student Council President-elect Daisy Lundy and five months after two fraternity party blackface incidents, University officials contend the school is making progress toward a more racially-sensitive campus. While appreciative of immediate administrative efforts following the assault on Lundy, student groups continue to express concern that University officials lack a commitment to longer-term solutions. Black Student Alliance President Tyler Scriven said the most paramount question to minority students is whether the University makes real, institutional changes in the coming months. Despite several University-sponsored programs in the days immediately following the recent assault, Scriven said student groups have "yet to have a firm commitment" from the administration to help pursue their goals. "At this point, I don't know if the administration has committed the money and resources needed" to address minority concerns, Coalition Chair Ryan McCarthy said.
Yesterday's article "Charlottesville residents join anti-war rally" misspelled the last name of Helena Cobban, the spokesperson for the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice.Also, the article incorrectly identified the author of "The Color Purple" as Alice Waters.
University bus drivers are fighting to increase their wages and incentives to be drivers and remain drivers.
Members of the Asian Student Union met in Maury Hall last night to choose their new executive board in an election lasting for four hours. Second-year College student Huong Huynh will serve as next year's ASU president. Huynh said her experience working with administrators as co-chair of the initiative for Asian-American Studies, a committee of the ASU that coordinates support for an Asian-American Studies major at the University, qualified her for the position. The ASU should continue to work for an Asian-American Studies major and a Multicultural Diversity center in Newcomb Hall, Huynh said. The next year will be a particularly busy one for the ASU's new executive board, as the University will play host to the East Coast Asian Student Union's annual conference.
The University's Center for the Study of Higher Education currently is implementing a $950,000 grant it received from the Lumina Foundation for Education, which was earmarked for conducting research related to nontraditional students in higher education.
Despite the current economic downturn, the University remains on schedule to begin construction of the new basketball arena this summer, said Charlie Fitzgerald, associate vice president and director of development. "We are optimistic that we will be able to overcome timing issues and move on with the project schedule," Fitzgerald said. Although many donors may be reluctant to give money during a time of economic difficulty, the University still is pushing for donations. "We are still being aggressive in moving conversations forward with potential corporate partners," Fitzgerald said. University officials said they expect the entire project to be completed by 2006, including the arena, road adjustments, a parking garage and a practice facility, Fitzgerald added. Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said he does not expect the donor hesitancy to stall the project. "It is just a matter of when donors are going to be in a position to make commitments," Littlepage said.
Student Council passed a bill last night to create an elections reform ad hoc committee. Executive Vice President Ronnie Mayhew sponsored the bill after he said he become concerned about discrepancies in the current election procedures. "The events of the last election in particular show that Council definitely needs to review and maybe even change the system," Mayhew said.
Though most people might associate school buses with bright yellow vehicles transporting rosy-cheeked youngsters to and from elementary school, buses also play a critical role in getting rosy-cheeked college students to and from class. Schools all over the country use bus services as part of their day-to-day operations, and as a result must hire drivers to keep the wheels on the buses going round and round. Different universities have different balances between student and non-student drivers, and also widely disparate pay scales for their drivers.
In one of several organized discussions about diversity occurring on Grounds this week, concerned students gathered last night for a teach-in about the history of racial discrimination at the University and action that can be taken to address racial strife. Organizers said the event, titled "Agenda for Action," aimed to educate others rather than simply to vent student frustrations. "We're taking the time to explain to students what we're doing as student leaders and what they can do as concerned students," Black Student Alliance President Tyler Scriven said. Presentations from a variety of students discussed recent race-related incidents at the University, the issue of "white privilege" and current demands being made to the administration. Anthropology Prof.
A suspect remains at large today after a 23 year-old female Charlottesville resident was sexually assaulted on the 1900 block of Swanson Drive at 6 a.m.
Charlottesville residents joined an estimated 10,000 demonstrators Saturday in an anti-war rally and march on the White House. The march culminated in the arrest of several notable speakers, including Alice Water, author of "The Color Purple," and Albemarle County resident Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America." The demonstration was organized by Code Pink for Peace, a Washington-based non-profit organization that has staged a daily vigil in front of the White House since November 15. Code Pink Co-Founder Jodie Evans said the demonstration began with a gathering at Malcolm X park, where speakers including Nobel Laureate Jodie Williams, Magazine publisher Nina Utne and Code Pink Co-Founder Medea Benjamin, adressed the gathering.
Last Thursday, Gov. Mark R. Warner appointed four new members to the University's Board of Visitors. L.F.
