U.VA. IS replete with sensory experiences: the sight of red brick, white marble, and green magnolia trees; the taste of a Bodo's bagel or the Louisiana shortstack at Southern Culture; the smell of the stuff they put on the grass so that it will grow in time for graduation.
U.S. Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), considered to be on the short list of running mates for likely Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, encouraged over 100 Law students to seek careers in public service at a student-organized conference Saturday evening. Bayh was the keynote speaker at the Law School's Conference on Public Service and the Law, a weekend-long event that Law School Dean Robert E.
What does the future hold for sports at the University? Perhaps robots will serve as referees or improved shoe technology will force basketball hoops to be raised to 20 feet. Such changes may be in the cards, but members of the Strategic Planning Task Force for Athletics plan to tackle more realistic issues pertaining to the future of University athletics. The task force, a component of the University's long-term planning initiative, Virginia 2020: The Agenda for the Third Century at the University of Virginia, has been assigned to set long-term goals for the University athletic department in areas ranging from playing fields and other facilities to athletes' academic performance to Title IX compliance. Members of the task force include several directors of the University's Athletics Department, current and former student athletes, and faculty members in several non-athletic departments. The task force already has had two meetings -- one in December and one Monday. Task force members have received background information on the Athletics Department budget, intramural and recreational sports programs and National Collegiate Athletic Association graduation rates, said Amy D.
A 6.5 percent increase in state funding for faculty salaries went into effect Thanksgiving Day, but questions remain over whether this boost will be enough to keep the University on top of its competitors. The increase is the final step in a state plan to bring the average faculty salary up to the 60th percentile of the average salary among its peer group institutions, which include Boston University, Duke University and the University of California at Berkeley, among others (see box). Members of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, who proposed the 60th percentile benchmark in the late 1980s, created the peer institution list. But University and state officials disagree over whether the 60th percentile truly is the best target for which to aim. "I don't think the 60th percentile is an adequate goal.
On any weekend night, within a stone's throw of the Rotunda, one can observe underage drinkers, partygoers walking with open containers of alcohol and underage students using fake IDs to obtain alcohol. Few of these students expect to end up in jail -- and almost none do, say officials familiar with students' interaction with the legal system. Students are probably over represented among those arrested locally for minor alcohol offenses such as holding an open container of alcohol in public, using a fake ID or possessing alcohol underage, Commonwealth's Attorney David Chapman said. There were only 17 arrests on Grounds for alcohol offenses during the '97-'98 school year, University Police Capt.
During the frequent conversations between candidates and voters throughout this General Assembly campaign season, hot-button topics have ranged from health care reform to guns in schools to safer roads, but seldom higher education. Today, elections will be held for every seat in Virginia's bicameral state legislature, races which gain added importance because the partisan distribution of the House is nearly even.
Legislation? Education? A ban on solicitation? A small group of state legislators is debating such options in trying to combat the scourge of student credit card debt at Virginia colleges and universities. "There is an issue of irresponsibility among financial institutions in offering credit to people who are not credit worthy," said Del.
Charlottesville boasts a rich history, beautiful scenery and even celebrity residents -- all of which can make the city of just over 40,000 seem immune to the drug problems which plague large urban areas. Yet some areas of Charlottesville are experiencing problems with marijuana, powder cocaine, crack cocaine and drug-related crime. While there are not many stable, organized groups of drug dealers in Charlottesville, the city is sometimes beset by transient dealers who peddle their wares for a short time before moving on, said Lt.
Budding journalists, filmmakers, television producers and other media buffs at the University soon may find a new home in a proposed interdisciplinary major, media studies, which might be implemented as early as the fall of 2001 or 2002. While the media studies degree still has a few hurdles to clear before it becomes a full-fledged major, it has picked up some momentum from the hiring of Director Johanna Drucker last spring. Plans for the program have been in the works since 1995, and while the major will not be official until 2001 or 2002, the core classes may be available in the fall of 2000. By that timetable, interested students who are currently first and second years will be able to major in media studies.
The University's honor and judiciary systems have experienced a very heavy presence of lawyers and lawsuits in recent months compared to peer schools. The University's honor system has been subject to more recent lawsuits than other colleges and universities, said Rutgers University Prof.
