Politics Prof. James R. Sofka announced Monday in an e-mail sent to all current Echols Scholars that he would be succeeded as dean and director of the Echols program by Associate Dean Richard Handler. The change is effective as of this semester. "There was a transfer in the Echols program," Sofka said.
Student Council unanimously passed a bill Tuesday night requiring all CIOs that receive money from the Student Activity Fund to conduct annual self-audits.
In a unanimous vote, Student Council passed a bill last night that will overhaul the CIO appropriations process, according to Council President Noah Sullivan. "This is the critical process that Student Council oversees, so it is important that we get it right," Sullivan said.
Student Council announced the launching of an initiative last night to encourage student participation in completing online course evaluations for classes this semester. Under a new plan approved by the Office of the University Provost, six questions about the course formulated by Council will accompany normal course evaluations produced by individual academic departments. The data collected through this system will be made available to students on the Course Offering Directory if 65 percent of students enrolled in a given class fill out evaluations for the class. "This has been a project that's been in the works for about half a decade," said Daniel Young, Council academic affairs chair.
Friends and family of Frank L. Hereford Jr. gathered in Old Cabell Hall Saturday morning to remember the life of the University's fifth president. Hereford died Sept.
Student Council unanimously approved a resolution last night to endorse the implementation of late-night bus routes through the University Transit Service on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Currently, UTS stops bus routes at 12:20 a.m.
Student Council President Noah Sullivan and Council Vice President for Organizations Rebecca Keyworth held a forum with representatives from over a dozen CIOs last night to discuss reforming the appropriations process, an issue a number of Council members have identified as the most important initiative that Council will undertake this year. "I think that a forum [about appropriations reform] is important because it gives us a chance to talk to students about what changes will be taken," Sullivan said.
For the second time in two weeks, Student Council voted last night against requiring the publication of individual voting records on the organization's Web site. Under the bill proposed last Tuesday by Gavin Reddick, a representative from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Council would have to record and publish the votes of members on all legislation, something that is only done now when a roll call vote is taken.
After deciding to forgo any formal debate on the legislation, Student Council on Tuesday night narrowly rejected a bill to amend its bylaws that would have required the publication of individual voting records on the organization's Web site. The bill, which was introduced Oct.
In a vote that almost did not take place last night, Student Council introduced and passed a resolution to support the reinstatement of recently dismissed English Department teaching assistant Justin Gifford. Gifford was relieved from his teaching position Monday in response to an incident in which he and 23 University students in his detective fiction class were arrested for trespassing at a former tuberculosis hospital owned by the University Foundation. Under standard Council procedure, resolutions are introduced, tabled automatically for one week and then voted upon by the representative body at the next Council meeting. Last night, Council initially voted down a motion to suspend its rules, which would have allowed Council to take an immediate vote. "I think it is important for Council to have the opportunity to express our view on this matter in a timely manner," said Executive Vice President Whitney Garrison, who sponsored the resolution. A subsequent motion to suspend the tabling rule passed, which opened debate on the resolution. Garrison and Council President Noah Sullivan were among the most vocal proponents of the resolution. "This is a complicated issue," Sullivan said.
