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(12/07/05 5:01am)
Food marketing is the battle between peanut chicken and chicken with creamy peanut sauce.\nThe Nestle Prepared Foods Company turned to the Bloomington Cooking School Tuesday night to help recruit students from the Kelley School of Business to fight these battles.\nRepresentatives from Nestle, the company that owns Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine, invited about 20 Kelley students to the Bloomington Cooking School for the opportunity to meet Nestle representatives, learn more about packaged food marketing and watch a cooking demonstration by Bloomington Cooking School co-owner Matt O'Neill. Following the presentations, they enjoyed a dinner together.\n"We invited the students to give them an idea of the work we do at Nestle," said Jeff Delonis, a representative who earned his MBA from IU in 2003. "We wanted to give them a good deal of background information on what life is like in brand management."\nDelonis said they chose to recruit at IU because of its rich marketing talent.\nKevin Holmes, one of the guests, is not only a second-year MBA student at IU, but also a former Nestle intern.\n"No other company has really done something like this," Holmes said. "It gives the students a different aspect of what the packaged food business is really like. There's more of a social aspect to this."\nThe students began the evening with a lesson on wine from Jack Baker, director of facilities at the IU Chemistry Building. Next, O'Neill taught them how to purchase, cook and present a salmon dinner.\n"We chefs have been forced into the entrepreneurial mode with the way things have developed in the last few years," O'Neill told the students.\nAfter the demonstration, Nestle marketing manager Harry Jones presented a marketing case study, the introduction of Nestle's new packaged food product, Spa Cuisine. He showed the students marketing strategies that Nestle had considered, and explained why they did or did not choose each one. Their challenge, he said, had been determining a marketing strategy that showcased the product's nutritional value as well as its taste.\n"We always have one top standard, and that standard is taste," Jones said. "We can't have anything that makes it look like it doesn't taste good."\nWhile they ate dinner, the students completed exercises on product claims, names of dishes and advertisements. They learned about one of Nestle's market research strategies -- consumer surveys.\n"It was really interesting to see how they went about choosing the different names for the different entrees," said Robert Bozzi, an MBA student.\nJones said Nestle surveyed consumers on preferred names of the Spa Cuisine entrees. In one study, those surveyed said they'd be more likely to buy "Chicken with creamy peanut sauce" than "Peanut chicken," even though they were the same product. Consumers sided with the former by a 3-1 margin.\nThe students said they accepted their invitations because of the possible job opportunities and their interest in the topic.\n"I was interested in the case study," said Minling Chuang, an MBA student. "I wanted to learn more about brand management, and it's good to learn more about Nestle."\nAt the end of his presentation, Jones urged the students to pay more attention to packaged foods marketing.\n"My challenge to you is to look around," Jones told the students. "See what products are saying and see what kind of messages are out there"
(12/06/05 5:18am)
Recruiters from Nestle Prepared Foods Co. will team up with the Bloomington Cooking School to present a food marketing seminar for approximately 20 students from the Kelley School of Business Tuesday.\nThe purpose of this event, according to the invitation sent out by the company, is to teach students techniques for developing and marketing food products. Nestle owns Lean Cuisine, a food program that focuses on nutritionally aware food.\nMatt O'Neill, one of the owners of the Bloomington Cooking School, will prepare a seafood meal for the students, giving them advice on selecting, preparing, cooking and presenting salmon.\n"We're going to prepare a great meal and let them be entertained and educated at the same time," O'Neill said. "The last thing students think about during their time at school is cooking, and normally their nutrition levels go down."\nAfter O'Neill's presentation and the dinner, Lean Cuisine Marketing Manager Harry Jones will present a food marketing case.\nAlong with the Bloomington Cooking School, O'Neill also owns the Bloomington restaurant The Runcible Spoon, as well as a restaurant in Bedford called R Street Bistro.\n"One of the challenges I face is presenting food in a nutritious but tasty manner," O'Neill said. "Whether you are a giant corporation like Nestle, or a little tiny dot like us, we basically face the same challenges."\nO'Neill said representatives from Nestle located his school on the Internet and asked him to help them present their company to students.\n"I guess they're approaching us because they want us to introduce the students to the world of food," O'Neill said. "It's huge now. You can start a restaurant with $20,000, or you can start a restaurant with $20 million. It's a great big crazy business right now."\nThe Bloomington Cooking School is not affiliated with IU, but it does offer some for-credit classes to students at Ivy Tech. However, some IU students do take classes just for fun, O'Neill said.\nResidents of Bloomington can take one-time classes from the school for $37, but nonresidents pay an increased fee of $46. Prices might vary when the menu includes more expensive items, such as wine.\nBloomington Parks and Recreation collaborates with the Bloomington Cooking School to provide these classes to the city's residents.\n"I think people take these classes because it's an opportunity to have not only a class, but also a meal, in a social setting," said Michael Simmons, an employee of Bloomington Parks and Recreation. "It's an opportunity to meet new people and interact with them in a classroom setting"
(12/01/05 6:35pm)
West Virginia University settled a class-action lawsuit last week with 5,000 employees regarding potential asbestos exposure, according to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.\nAlthough WVU did not admit fault in its handling and maintenance of the asbestos, it agreed to provide medical monitoring for employees for the next 20 years. Tom Beauchamp, a former employee of IU's Office of Environmental, Health and Safety Management who began work on an asbestos management plan before he was fired from his job in September, said some worker areas at IU, such as steam tunnels and crawl spaces, also provide the potential for asbestos exposure to employees.\n"There's plenty of opportunities for workers to get exposed to asbestos," Beauchamp said. "There are lots of minor areas where, if workers go there, they can be exposed."\nIU staffs 60 employees who are trained in asbestos compliance, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre. He said that as a precaution, they test worker areas for asbestos whenever it is necessary.\n"They test anywhere that there's any type of construction or renovation work that could bring asbestos particles into the atmosphere," \nMacIntyre said. "In fact, whenever they contract with someone for construction work there's very specific contract language regarding how asbestos should be handled."\nAsbestos is an insulation material that was mostly used in buildings before the 1980s, when it was identified as a carcinogen. Undamaged, asbestos poses no health risks. But when it is damaged, exposure to asbestos can pose health risks, including lung cancer.\nMacIntyre said IU inspects areas for asbestos anytime there is a potential for exposure, especially during times of renovation and construction.\n"Normally there would not be a reason to do an asbestos check if there's no work being done in a building," MacIntyre said.\nBeauchamp said he was led on a tour of a steam tunnel by employees of the Utilities Information Group in May 2004. \n"There was plenty of asbestos laying around," Beauchamp said. "The workers said that when it dried, the dust stirred up easily."\nMacIntyre said IU's asbestos maintenance protects both students and employees.\n"I cannot comment on what may or may not have happened (at WVU)," MacIntyre said. "What I do know is that at IU we have an excellent system in place to monitor our buildings for potential exposure to asbestos and other harmful substances."\nMacIntyre also added that IU does not plan to change its system for asbestos management.\n"The administration is confident that IU is taking every reasonable precaution to protect employees and students from potential exposure to asbestos," MacIntyre said. "We see no reason to change what we are currently doing. We will continue to be vigilant in our monitoring inspections."\nMike Jenson, associate director of OEHSM, refused to comment on the potential for asbestos exposure to workers at IU.
(11/29/05 10:54pm)
Seven members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity reported $6,200 worth of electronics stolen from the house early Friday morning.\nThe residents reported two laptops, three iPods, one set of headphones and one cell phone stolen from the house sometime between 2 and 3:15 a.m., said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger, reading from the police report. They also reported an iPod and an FM transmitter cable had been taken from a vehicle parked outside the house.\nOther members of the house said they saw two unfamiliar men walking around the house that morning, but assumed they were friends of other house members, Minger said. They provided descriptions of the men and the case is under investigation by IUPD detectives.\nStudents face drug charges after arrests\nFreshman Lloyd Smith, 19, a resident of Briscoe Quad, was arrested Thursday night on preliminary charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, according to a police report. Brian Davis and Katherine Wissell were also arrested on preliminary charges of possession of marijuana.\nMinger said two officers approached a car in the parking lot of Sembower Field with three occupants inside. They saw what appeared to be marijuana and rolling papers inside and asked the occupants to exit the vehicle.\nThe officers asked Smith to stand by the vehicle, Minger said, and he began running toward Foster Quad. An officer began chasing him, and as other officers joined in, Smith decided to stop, according to the police report.\nThe officers then returned to Sembower Field and arrested the other two individuals and confiscated the marijuana and rolling papers, Minger said.\nThe officers obtained a search warrant for Smith's dorm room and found 11.7 grams of marijuana and scales, as well as a bottle of brandy and a bottle of vodka.\nSmith was not available for comment by press time.
(11/29/05 10:36pm)
The Delegation of the European Commission in Washington, D.C., recently awarded IU $351,000 to establish a European Union Center of Excellence.\nIU was selected as one of 10 U.S. schools to receive the grant, which will fund teaching and research of the European Union, as well as outreach activities. The European Union is a coalition of European countries that was formed after World War II.\nDavid Ransel, who was named co-director of the new European Union Center, said IU won the grant because of its well-developed international studies program and the variety of European languages offered.\n"We teach more languages at IU than any other university in the United States," Ransel said. "We will give some of the money to scholarships for students to study certain languages in connection with their research of the European Union."\nRansel said IU's West European studies program applied for the grant before and was rejected. So the East European studies program collaborated with the West European studies program to apply again, and this time received the grant.\nStudents can now minor in European Union studies, as of this semester. IU is working on establishing a major in European Union studies as well, but that will take a few years to be approved.\nAndrew Satchwell, a graduate student who is studying West European studies, spent some of his undergraduate career at the University of Pittsburgh, which already has a European Union Center of Excellence.\n"I think Europe right now is our closest partner in terms of business and foreign affairs," Satchwell said. "(The European Union Center of Excellence) is an excellent resource to have. We are going to be having scholars from Europe come, and there will be opportunities for students to be exposed to top-level officials."\nRansel and now co-director Fritz Breithaupt both wrote the grant proposal, which outlined their plan for the use of the money.\nBreithaupt said with the grant, the European Union Center will host a series of conferences on topics including the Baltic Sea region and immigration policies in Europe. They will also feature a range of activities, including a workshop for high school and middle school teachers on European Union education, a conference for legal professionals on trans-Atlantic litigation and a workshop for policymakers in Washington, D.C.\n"The grant listed about 40 individual projects," Breithaupt said. "Some are smaller things, but some are very big things."\nBreithaupt also said the center will organize and fund a series of speakers including European politicians.\nThe European Union Center of Excellence won't have its own professors but will act as more of a grant management office, Ransel said.\nBreithaupt believes study of the European Union is important because of their unique integration process.\n"The European Union is a model of peaceful integration," Breithaupt said. "Typically countries have broken apart, not reunited. It is a model for other countries."\nBreithaupt also stressed the importance of European Union study for economic reasons.\n"The European Union is slightly more economically powerful than the United States," Breithaupt said. "Many jobs are trans-Atlantic jobs."\nThe European Union Center of Excellence will consist of a list of specialists employed in other departments and will be located in Ballantine Hall.
(11/18/05 3:45pm)
Eleven IU women are hoping to earn financial aid Saturday by excelling in public speaking and evening gown attire.\nParticipants of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha's 13th annual Miss Black and Gold Pageant will be competing for a $1,000 scholarship at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Saturday. They will be judged on an introduction (performed in business attire), a talent, a group performance, a pre-performance interview, their GPAs, their community service, the amount of advertisements they sold and their evening gown attire presentation. The top five finalists will also participate in a question-and-answer session, on which they will also be judged.\nThe winner of the pageant will receive the opportunity to move on to the state competition, and then to the regional and national competitions. The grand prize total has not yet been set for this year since it is based on ad sales, but last year the winner of the national pageant took home a $5,000 scholarship. Although this is the 13th year of the pageant for the IU chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, it is its 30th year nationally. \nThe pageant is named for Alpha Phi Alpha's colors.\n"One of our main objectives as a fraternity is to offer scholarships," said senior Cameron Beatty, the pageant coordinator. "The purpose of this event is to provide young college women with the opportunity to win a scholarship."\nThe participants began preparing for the event eight weeks ago, Beatty said, when more than 30 applications were submitted. Alpha Phi Alpha narrowed those down to the participants they felt could best compete. Since they were selected to participate, the women have been doing community service with the Alpha Phi Alpha members, selling advertisements to raise scholarship funds and developing public speaking skills.\n"Many of them told me they have gotten great experience from it," said sophomore Ellis Dumas, a brother who helps organize the pageant. "One girl told me she has learned to show up for everything on time, and another girl told me that she has learned how to work with others even if she doesn't want to."\nThe women have also been practicing the talents that they will perform, which include a monologue, African dancing, hip-hop dancing, piano, gospel singing and poetry. The participants will also put on a group performance, a dance tribute to Alpha Phi Alpha.\nSophomore Noma Diko, who is participating in this year's pageant, said the pageant serves to empower young women.\n"I think people should be interested because these are all different girls from different backgrounds," Diko said. "They all have the same goals in mind. What we see in the media is not what everyday life is like. Now, young girls are focusing on the fact that they want to better themselves and they want to be educated and become leaders of their community"
(11/14/05 4:48am)
Freshman Tess Agnelneri reported vandalism and theft to her McNutt Quad dorm room Thursday, according to IU Police Department reports. One week earlier, Agnelneri reported her room key had been lost or stolen, said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger, reading from the police report. The lock was scheduled to be changed Nov. 11, according to the report.\nAgnelneri and her roommate left the room Thursday afternoon and returned to the room six hours later, when it appeared to have been ransacked and vandalized, according to the report. Minger said shaving cream had been sprayed around the room, clothes had been thrown around and two beanbag chairs had been slashed. The students' laptop computers and iPods had not been taken, and their DVD player was hanging by its wires. Nothing was missing, but the girls reported someone had entered the room earlier that day and took $40 worth of food.\nAgnelneri was not available for comment by press time.\nPenis painted on fraternity roof\nThe house mother of Phi Kappa Psi reported vandalism to the roof of the fraternity house at 1200 N. Jordan Ave. Thursday morning. A 12-foot image of a penis had been spraypainted with white paint sometime early Wednesday morning, Minger said. Members of the house tried to wash off the paint but were unsuccessful, Minger said. The damage is estimated at $500. \nMembers of the house also reported vandalism to two cars, which occurred sometime between 4:30 and 7:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a police report. The windows of a 1995 Honda Civic that had been parked on the circle of the south side of the house had been smashed. The damage was estimated at $150. The rear window of a 2003 Jeep Liberty parked next to it had also been broken, and the damage was estimated at $550. Nothing was missing from the vehicles.
(11/14/05 4:47am)
The Young Conservatives of Indiana handed out yellow ribbons to students on Veterans Day to honor American veterans and show support for troops currently overseas.\nRepresentatives stood outside Ballantine Hall, Woodburn Hall and the Kelley School of Business Friday, giving away yellow ribbons and papers with a quote about veterans from President Bush. \n"We think it's really important that we pay homage to our veterans," said senior Chase Downham, president of the Young Conservatives of Indiana. "We wanted to make sure that there was at least some representation in support of veterans."\nThe group had planned on handing out the ribbons from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. but ran out shortly before 1 p.m. Downham said almost everyone who was offered a ribbon took one, but a few declined the ribbons because of ideological differences.\n"People can disagree about politics, but the one thing we should all agree on is support for the troops," Downham said.\nAlthough the Young Conservatives of Indiana is not a group formed solely for the purpose of supporting veterans, like the IU Veterans Club, it felt it was an appropriate cause for its organization.\n"We are using this opportunity not only to support veterans but also to support people who are over there right now," said freshman Jessica Walter, who handed out ribbons in front of Ballantine. "We really want to make this not about either party. We just want to make it about them."\nDownham said he believes IU students should observe and care about Veterans Day because some of their fellow students are veterans themselves.\n"A lot of IU students are veterans," Downham said. "You don't always know it or recognize it, but a lot of our peers are veterans."\nThe IU Veterans Group serves as a social group for student veterans. Junior Matt Rybka, president of the IU Veterans Group, said he felt Veterans Day is an important time to honor who he feels are true heroes.\n"All too often in the media you hear about a basketball player or a football player who is portrayed as a hero," Rybka said. "To me, those people aren't heroes. The real heroes are serving overseas now or have in the past."\nDownham and Walter said the group decided to hand out ribbons when it realized no other groups on campus would be doing anything similar.\n"We really recognized that this was overlooked," Walter said. "No other groups on campus were doing anything."\nThe importance of honoring veterans, Downham said, stems from the belief that they are the protectors of American freedom.\n"There's a lot of things as young college students that we take for granted," Downham said. "We've seen a lot of support from the students for the veterans"
(11/10/05 5:26am)
In delaying the chancellor's search process, IU President Adam Herbert has charged interim chancellor Ken Gros Louis with the task of "enhancing admissions requirements" for freshmen at IU.\nGros Louis, who also serves as senior vice president for academic affairs, said he will work on a plan to increase the level of expected excellence that judges applicants on their grade point average, class rank, SAT scores and other standard admissions criteria while he is still in office.\n"We will continue developing a plan with available information to continue this process," Gros Louis said. "Work on this will be done up until I leave office, and I hope it will be carried on by the next chancellor."\nIU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said Herbert has spoken of raising admissions standards, due to improvements in the quality of applicants. \n"Admission standards are going to go up at IU simply because the tests scores of the high school student population that aspires to go to IU are rising," MacIntyre said. "That's a trend that will probably continue."\nGros Louis sets up his own Chancellor's Enrollment Committee, which makes recommendations to him about suggested policy changes. He, in turn, makes recommendations to the Bloomington Faculty Council, who advises Herbert and the board of trustees, who make the ultimate decision. \nHe said he believes raising admissions standards would improve the quality of the freshman profile.\n"The freshman class profile is a fairly large component of many rankings, and an improved profile could improve Bloomington's rankings," Gros Louis said. "I think they do need to be raised, because many faculty are concerned about the issue."\nBut the board of trustees has been presented with a plan for a more drastic change under the recommendation of the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Government Efficiency Commission of Indiana to establish IU as a more elite, research-focused University.\nThe Higher Education Subcommittee proposed that IU-Bloomington seek to transform itself more along the lines of University of Michigan and University of California-Berkeley, MacIntyre said. This change would promote a heavier focus on graduate students and research.\n"I think that one thing that may have gotten lost in this whole discussion is that this is already a research campus," said Charlie Nelms, vice president for institutional development and student affairs. "I don't see a research university as being at odds with being an excellent place for student learning."\nNelms cited IU's membership to the Association of American Universities as evidence that IU has already established itself as a research university. \n"As a public flagship university of the state of Indiana, it seems to me quite appropriate that there be some adjustments in the admissions standards," Nelms said. "But in doing so, we need to balance some things."\nHe said he believes that IUB needs to work to attract the most excellent and well-prepared students but still provide opportunities for the greatest number of students in Indiana as possible, including those who might not have decided to go to college until late into their high school careers.\n"(Herbert) does want IU to become somewhat more selective, but he has never set a standard along the lines of what was recommended by the Higher Education Subcommittee," MacIntyre said.\nTed Miller, president of the Bloomington Faculty Council, said the recommendations by the Higher Education Subcommittee are not under serious consideration right now but could represent the image of the future Bloomington campus. Miller said they are more seriously discussing what he sees as more of a movement to uphold the standards that they have already set rather than raise them.\n"The problem that we have in Bloomington is not so much that our admissions policy is too low," Miller said. "It's just that, in terms of actually admitting students, we are not actually following that policy."\nThe Bloomington Faculty Council is working under a report put out by the Mission Differentiation Project team titled "Eight Campuses, One Shared Destiny." This report stated that each IU campus should have its own separate admissions standards. Miller said the changes, which are being discussed and are expected to be decided on around February, will impose a stricter upholding of the standards that have already been put forth.\n"The current policy says that students admitted to IU should have an SAT score that is higher than the median score of all Indiana students who take the SAT," Miller said. "If you look at the SAT profile, roughly 25 percent of the students we admit to Bloomington do not meet that standard."\nMiller said any changes made will not affect students for several years, because they will involve selection of high school courses, which some students begin planning as early as the seventh grade. He said the Bloomington Faculty Council is trying to align the timing of any changes with the recent legislation passed that set a minimum requirement of a Core 40 diploma for any high school graduate wishing to attend a four-year state university.
(11/07/05 5:00am)
The IU Student Media Board selected senior Rick Newkirk Friday as the editor in chief of the Indiana Daily Student for the spring 2006 semester.\nNewkirk was selected after an hour-long question and answer session in the Indiana Memorial Union by a panel including representatives from the IDS, the Arbutus, the IU Student Association, the IU School of Journalism, the Bloomington Faculty Council and the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.\nThe IU Student Media Board was formed this year as a combination of the IDS Publications Board and the Arbutus Publications Board.\nNewkirk was the only candidate for the position and has served as a staff writer, senior writer, photographer, columnist and managing editor in past semesters. He is currently an editor of the Campus section.\n"I believe I've made a place for myself in the IDS family," Newkirk said to the panel and those present.\nDuring the session, Newkirk spoke of changes he would like to make, such as staff reorganization, a larger focus on investigative coverage and recruitment of a more diverse staff.\n"I have visions of what I think the newspaper should be, and I want to lead it and make sure it's headed in the right direction," Newkirk said in an interview.\nTo increase staff diversity, Newkirk said he would consider people's backgrounds and viewpoints when reviewing applications, but not seek out people who did not want to apply just to achieve diversity.\n"If we don't have other viewpoints represented in the newsroom, we don't have accurate reporting for the community," Newkirk said during the session.\nElizabeth Beltramini, an IDS alumna and member of the IU Student Media Board, expressed confidence in Newkirk's ability, but believed some of his goals would be difficult to achieve.\n"I thought he was very well spoken and able to think on his feet without missing a beat," Beltramini said. "I think reaching out to some untapped groups and increasing the diversity of the staff will be challenging tasks."\nNewkirk believes some groups on campus have not received enough attention. He said he believes the trend can be reversed by a heavier reliance on the newspaper "beat" system, in which reporters devote themselves to covering a certain topic exclusively.\n"More lower-level organization leads to more time for the editors to spend on things that they really should be doing," Newkirk said in the interview.\nHe also prioritized a sense of community in the newsroom, saying he would try to make staff members feel appreciated, but also let them know about their mistakes.\nSenior Maggie Bozich, editor of the IDS Weekend Features section and member of the Student Media Board, felt confident in Newkirk's qualifications for the position.\n"I think Rick has the enthusiasm and determination that will keep the IDS at the level of excellence that we're at right now," she said.\nDavid Adams, director of Student Media and a professor in the School of Journalism, also expressed confidence in Newkirk.\n"I think he's very intelligent and very respected by his peers," Adams said. "Ever since Rick walked into the newsroom, he's wanted to grow as a journalist and a person, and I think he will make an excellent editor in chief of the paper."\nDuring the question and answer session, Newkirk promised a strong and serious commitment to the IDS.\n"Some people may question my seriousness, and it's something that I've had to combat for the last year or year and a half," he said. "I think everyone knows at this point I'm serious. I'm going to work as hard as they are. If they put in 12 hours, I'll put in 13."\nAnyone interested in speaking to Newkirk is urged to contact him at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(11/03/05 5:25am)
IU is putting together a formal asbestos management plan, said Mike Jenson, associate director of the Office of Environmental, Health and Safety Management.\nA formal plan would make the University comply with the suggested guidelines for asbestos in public buildings published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1990 titled "Managing Asbestos in Place -- A Building Owner's Guide to Operations and Maintenance Programs for Asbestos-Containing Material."\nCeilings in some dorms and common rooms in Forest, Briscoe and McNutt Quads and Tulip Tree Apartments contain asbestos with the potential to be damaged by water leaks and students themselves, Jenson said. IU recently began conducting biannual inspections and repairs on the buildings.\nAsbestos, an insulation material used in most buildings prior to 1980 when it was identified as a carcinogen, is harmless when intact but poses a potential risk of exposure when damaged. Exposure to damaged asbestos has been known to cause lung complications. \nWhile there are no laws governing the management of asbestos at universities, IU is required to comply with laws regarding asbestos abatement, which is the removal or encapsulation of the material.\n"If it's going to be abated, then the University must use licensed people by the state of Indiana to do the work," said John Clevenger, an asbestos inspector for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.\nThe University currently staffs 61 employees with various levels of asbestos licenses, Jenson said, and has spent about $9 million on abatement in the last five years, not including the salaries of the workers.\n"Any one of these 61 people is going to be able to identify when they see asbestos," Jenson said.\nThe staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week but can only be used for small abatement jobs, Jenson said. Large abatement work is contracted.\n"The minute you've damaged it and broken the seal, there's a potential for exposure," said Pat Connor, director of Residential Programs and Services. "But if we have (the) Physical Plant take care of it, then we totally eliminate the risk of it being a problem."\nAs a university, IU is not governed by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986, which required the EPA to form regulations on asbestos maintenance in all nonprofit private and public K-12 schools. These regulations required the development of a formal asbestos management plan for these schools, which the EPA also recommended for all public buildings in 1990.\n"If the state mandated that all offices have to do something differently, we would," Connor said. "This material is in all sorts of other buildings."\nJenson previously told the Indiana Daily Student he didn't see liability for any potential health problems as likely because the difficulty a person would face pinpointing exactly where the exposure came from.\n"There's asbestos in just about every building built before 1980," he said in the Oct. 24 article. "It would be very, very difficult to prove."\nAll four dorms are scheduled for renovation within the next 10 years, during which all asbestos will be removed from the ceilings.
(10/31/05 5:56am)
Residential Programs and Services is looking to implement more effective ways of warning students against damaging the asbestos contained in the ceilings of some dorms, RPS Director Pat Connor said.\nDorms and common rooms in Forest, Briscoe and McNutt quads and Tulip Tree Apartments contain asbestos in the ceilings that, when damaged, can lead to exposure, which sometimes results in complications of the lungs.\nUpon moving in, students receive a guide to residential living titled, "Your Neighborhood from A to Z," which contains an asbestos warning on page three. Although students are expected to have read all the material given to them on move-in day, many students didn't even know of the presence of the asbestos until last week.\n"It's kind of scary," said freshman Cassie Ziegler, a resident of Briscoe. "I had never even heard anything about it before."\nTo raise awareness, RPS is looking for more effective ways of communicating the risks to students next year.\n"Our goal is really to try to put in place for next year a different approach with additional communications beyond what we put in those (move-in) materials to make students aware of the existence of (the asbestos)," Connor said.\nConnor previously said RPS policies regarding asbestos prevention provided students with enough information to consider them responsible for keeping the asbestos in their rooms intact and reporting any problems. After reading the move-in material, Connor said, students should know not to damage the asbestos.\n"I believe we're making students aware of the issue," Connor said in the Oct. 24 interview.\nConnor said the new policies haven't been decided upon yet, but he sees the possibility of giving resident assistants scripted warnings to read at floor meetings during Welcome Week as one of the most promising solutions.\nThe current communication policy was developed by RPS and IUSA about five years ago, said Bruce Jacobs, vice chancellor for auxiliary services and programs.\n"The last thing that any of us want is for dangerous situations for our residents," Jacobs said. "We thought we were doing enough, but if folks say we're not, then let's figure something out. If putting it in the handbook is not enough, with all the technology there is today, there's probably a lot more we could do."\nAlthough laws have been passed regulating the removal of asbestos and the maintenance of asbestos in K-12 schools, IU is not governed by any acts regarding asbestos maintenance.\n"There are no laws governing damaged material, but I would suggest the University notifies students that the ceilings do contain asbestos," said Dan Stamatkin, an environmental engineer from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. "Small amounts of material, although they are significant and should not be taken lightly, are probably not going to cause serious damage."\nFreshman Jennifer Stutz, a Briscoe resident, was unaware of the presence of the asbestos until last week, but is not concerned.\n"It hasn't really affected me yet, so I'm not worried," Stutz said.\nMark Farber, acting director of the IU Occupational Lung Center, argued that small doses of asbestos exposure have been proven harmful, and that the effects of asbestos exposure aren't apparent for many years.\n"It is true that the risk is not great, but nobody can tell you that there is a safe exposure level. Any asbestos product that is being disturbed is a potential risk," Farber said. "It may not affect them in any way until 20 years later. People aren't going to have symptoms. It gets down into their lungs, and 20 years later they'll come in with diseases."\nFreshman Brittney McPheeters, a resident of Forest, was unaware of the asbestos until last week, and is concerned about the health risk. \n"It actually does worry me," she said. "I just had a college adviser from high school die from asbestos exposure." \nAsbestos, an insulation material used in buildings built before 1980 when it was officially recognized as a carcinogen, is harmless when intact. But exposure to damaged asbestos can lead to lung complications and cancer. The damage to the asbestos in these dorms is most often due to water leaks and student-induced damage, whether intentional or accidental.\n"As long as the ceilings are undisturbed, and students aren't messing with the ceilings, then there's not a problem," Connor said. "If they've damaged something, they should report it."\nConnor said in a previous interview he believes IU provides students with enough information to consider them responsible for keeping the asbestos in their rooms intact and reporting any problems. Upon moving in, students are given a guide to residence living and are told they are responsible for the information it contains. After reading the material, students should know not to damage the asbestos, he said.\n"I believe we're making students aware of the issue," Connor said in the interview.
(10/26/05 4:50am)
Students are responsible for keeping asbestos in their own dorms intact and reporting any problems they notice because they are given information upon moving in, said Pat Connor, director of Residential Programs and Services.\nEvery dorm room and common room in Forest, McNutt and Briscoe Quads and Tulip Tree Apartments is beginning to receive biannual asbestos inspections and repairs because of damage. Connor said the damage is caused by water leaks and students damaging the ceilings themselves.\n"As long as students do not engage in an act that would cause them to come into contact with the ceilings, there's not a problem," he said.\nUpon renovation, asbestos is removed from dorms. All four dorms are up for renovation in the next 10 years. Connor said they hope to begin work on Briscoe in the next three or four years.\nConnor said the asbestos is harmless unless damaged, but most students said they had no idea asbestos was in the buildings.\nAsbestos was used in most buildings built before 1980. It was commonly used as an insulation material but since then has been officially recognized as a carcinogen. When intact, the material is not considered hazardous, but damaged asbestos can cause the fibers to break off, opening the possibility of inhalation. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause damage to the lungs.\nMike Jenson, the associate director for the Office of Environmental, Health and Safety Management, said the exposure to students is unlikely to cause serious health problems because a significant amount is needed to cause serious problems. But Mark Farber, acting director of the IU Occupational Lung \nCenter, disagreed.\n"Nobody really knows what the minimum safe exposure to asbestos particles is," Farber said. "You don't know what somebody's susceptibility is. If it's getting damaged, then it should be removed. In theory, there's a potential risk, and people should be concerned about it."\nTomas Beauchamp, a former employee of the Office of Environmental, Health and Safety Management, inspected about 100 dorms in each building. \n"I know that I wouldn't want to be exposed to that," Beauchamp said. "I know that I wouldn't want my daughter to be exposed to that. I wouldn't want any of my friends to be exposed to that."\nFreshman Maggie Switzer, who lives in Forest, is concerned about the issue but not surprised.\n"It sounds dangerous, but I don't know if I'm really that surprised since they're older buildings," said Switzer, who was unaware of the asbestos's presence.\nConnor believes IU provides students with enough information to consider them responsible for keeping the asbestos in their rooms intact and reporting any problems. Upon moving in, students are given a guide to residence living and are told they are responsible for the information it contains. After reading the material, students should know not to damage the asbestos, he said.\n"Puncturing these materials could cause a release of harmful fibers. Please don't insert nails, hooks, bottle caps or do anything that would damage the material even slightly. If you notice any damage, please report it to your center desk," states page three of "Your Neighborhood from A to Z," the booklet given to students when they move in.\nFreshman Jennifer Faulk, who lives in Forest, was unaware of the presence of the asbestos until this week.\n"I probably wouldn't have lived there if I had known about it," Faulk said. "They said they'd get rid of it all in 10 years, but 10 years is a long time. They need to get on it really soon."\nBeauchamp, who contacted lawyers on the issue, said a warning isn't enough to pass away liability. As long as the asbestos is within reach of the top bunk, the responsibility lies with the University, he said.\n"As long as the students can reach this and damage it, IU is responsible," Beauchamp said. "Something so accessible is a legal issue."\nIU has known about the presence and state of the asbestos in these dorms since 1987, after they teamed up with Hall-Kimbrell to develop a report documenting all existing asbestos on campus. \nIU staffs an around-the-clock abatement crew. For large problems that take extended periods of time to repair, students have to be \nrelocated.\nIf the damage appears to be intentional, such as from nails or decorations in the ceiling, students are fined. But if the damage was accidental or the result of a water leak, no fine is charged.
(10/24/05 5:26am)
Extensive damage to asbestos in some dorms at IU is likely exposing students to the hazardous material, said Tomas Beauchamp, a former employee of the Office of Environmental, Health and Safety Management.\nCeilings of some dorms and common rooms in Briscoe, McNutt and Forest Quads and Tulip Tree Apartments contain damaged asbestos, Beauchamp said, leaving open the possibility of inhalation of the substance's fibers by the public.\nAsbestos is a material used for insulation, mostly in buildings built before 1980. The material poses no health risks while intact, but when damaged, inhaling the fibers can harm the lungs. It has been recognized as a carcinogen and is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and, in cases of worker exposure, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.\n"In some cases, I am sure that people's health is being compromised," Beauchamp said. "This is legally, ethically and morally unacceptable."\nMike Jenson, associate director of IU's OEHSM, confirmed the presence of the damaged asbestos but said the office is taking appropriate precautionary measures. For years, the four dorms have been inspected and repaired annually, he said, and last month the office created a new policy of inspecting and repairing them biannually.\n"Asbestos fibers are hazardous if you get a significant dose," Jenson said. "The combination of the warning and the checking is probably good enough to keep students form getting a significant dose."\nIn the past five years, the University has spent $9 million on asbestos abatement, not including the salaries of the abatement crew, who are available 24 hours a day.\nBeauchamp said the damage to the asbestos is due to students' habits of carving and poking sharp objects into the ceiling and flaking off pieces of the ceiling, most likely while lying in the top bunks of their beds.\nUpon moving in, students are given literature containing warnings about the asbestos in the room. But the accessibility of the asbestos to students makes the University liable for the hazard, Beauchamp said.\n"When you're talking about the public, even if you bury some warning in a brochure, that wouldn't be enough legal protection," Beauchamp said. "As long as the students can reach this and damage it, IU is responsible. Something so accessible is a legal issue."\nBut liability isn't likely, Jenson said, because if somebody's health was compromised, it would be difficult to pinpoint exactly which building exposed a person to the asbestos that caused the damage.\n"If they had a lung condition that they could specifically link to asbestos exposure here at the University, then (IU could be liable)," Jenson said. "But there's asbestos in just about every building built before 1980. It would be very, very difficult to prove."\nIn May 2004, the Musical Arts Center closed for asbestos removal. That damage, which was potentially exposing the public to asbestos fibers, was caused by vibrations from the musical instruments. Renovating all four dorms to this extent, Jenson said, would cost about $10 million.\nWhenever a dorm is renovated, all asbestos is removed, Jenson said. All four of the dorms are scheduled for renovation in the next 10 years.\nLegally, universities are not required to have an asbestos management plan. The EPA put out a standard guideline in 1990 regarding asbestos management, but the University is not legally held to that standard. Jenson said IU is currently working on developing a formal asbestos management plan.\nThe OEHSM has known about the presence of the asbestos since the 1987 Hall-Kimbrell report, which catalogued all asbestos on the campus. \n"Considering we've had since 1987 to do something, we could have at least made progress," Beauchamp said. "It might not have been perfect, but we could have at least done something. Every day that goes by that we know about this and we don't do something is a real problem." \nBeauchamp was fired from the OEHSM Sept. 12, days after issuing a news release about asbestos exposure in the dorms. \nHe was dismissed on the grounds of sexual harassment and missing two days of work. Beauchamp believes those reasons were invented and has filed a grievance with IU and a complaint with the Department of Labor. He believes his dismissal was a result of making the asbestos issue public.\n"I didn't want to do this," Beauchamp said. "I didn't want to be a public whistle-blower. I didn't. I wanted to work internally." \nJenson declined to comment on Beauchamp's grievance.\nBeauchamp's first meeting about his complaint with the Federal Department of Labor took place Thursday. He has a meeting regarding his grievance scheduled with IU for Nov. 2, he said.
(10/21/05 6:08am)
Walter Bradley, a professor at Baylor University, gave evidence that a higher power created the universe using mathematics, physics, quantum mechanics and chemistry.\nBradley spoke to a crowd of more than 500 at Alumni Hall Thursday night about the merits of the "intelligent design" theory. Although he did not speak about the intelligent design of the evolution of life, he discussed his theory as it applied to the formation of the universe, the order of nature and the origin of life.\n"For me, evolution isn't the major question," Bradley said in an interview. "The major question is the nature of nature."\nThe theory of intelligent design states that the creation and evolution of the universe and life is too complicated to have occurred without the planning of a higher power. It differs from creationism in that it acknowledges that life has evolved over time and can be explained scientifically, but it differs from the theory of evolution because it states that the universe and life were planned and coordinated by a supernatural power. \nThis theory has gained national publicity with the recent push to incorporate the intelligent design theory as applied to evolution into public school science curriculums in states, such as Kansas and Pennsylvania.\nQuoting professors and famous scientists, such as Stephen Hawking, Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton, he described the complexity of the universe and life. The conclusion, he said, is that such a complicated universe could not have occurred without planning.\n"I think his argument would have been stronger if a lot of the information had come from him instead of different people," said freshman James Hall.\nUsing his experience as an engineering professor to explain the general process of design, Bradley, who has visited every Big Ten University at least once, described the universe as mathematically perfect. The odds of the formation of a working universe and functional life, he said, are small.\n"An orderly universe is one described by mathematics," Bradley said.\nBradley has spoken to more than 70,000 people while touring the country to speak about intelligent design. This was his third visit to IU.\nHe feels that this subject can be helpful to students in finding a purpose to life and a reason to follow God.\n"If in fact the universe were fully explainable in a self-contained way, maybe it would be rational to simply to an atheist," Bradley said. "If in fact the universe doesn't seem self-explainable, that gives a rational basis for belief that there is a God."\nFreshman Allyson West attended the lecture with her Bible study group.\n"I thought his strongest point was his conclusion," West said. "He said that it takes more faith to be an atheist than to believe in God."\nBradley stated that with the new evidence supporting intelligent design, a person doesn't have to choose between science and religion.\n"You can actually be both," Bradley said. "They can be synergistic"
(10/18/05 5:18am)
It was not the Residence Halls Association which initiated the push for the academic support centers in the dorms. The IU Student Association didn't research the need for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services. It wasn't even the Bloomington Faculty Council which jump-started these ideas.\nThese advancements were the result of the suggestions of the Board of Aeons, a group of 12 student representatives who research and report on issues affecting campus. The board predates IUSA and historically works behind closed doors, according to an IU report on the board's history.\nThe purpose of the group, said IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, is not only to serve as a link between the students and the administration, but to focus on three issues each year, researching them to make suggestions for solutions.\nThe Board of Aeons, in addition to researching the GLBTSSS and academic support centers, has looked at issues of racism, student scholarships and loans, student government, international students and grade point averages in the past.\nThe group wields no actual power at IU, but its recommendations go to the chancellor, who sends them straight to the appropriate department. Gros Louis said the recommendations are taken very seriously and many have led to campus initiatives that have lasted for years.\n"While doing research, we have to call and contact individuals all over the campus," said graduate student D'Andre May, president of the Board of Aeons. "Because we're part of the organization, everyone is extremely willing to cooperate."\nThe board has always operated with closed meetings. Though it does not consider itself a secret society, it tries to keep its research from gaining publicity for fear of interference with its ability to gather information, according to the report.\nThe board is made up of appointed, involved students with diverse backgrounds and interests and will hold its first real meeting of the year later this month. \n"Over the years, they have made some very big recommendations that have made a significant difference for undergraduates on campus," Gros Louis said.\nThe board, founded in 1921 by then-IU President William Lowe Bryan, serves as a link between the students and the administration. The name makes reference to the Biblical Aeons, a group that occupied a position between heaven and earth, serving as a link between men and angels.\nHistorically, the board consists of 12 appointed members. This year only 11 students represent the board, after the April 2005 death of Ashley Crouse in a car crash.\nAppointment to the board is achieved by nomination and selection after an application and interview. The board looks for students who are highly successful in academics and leadership, but most importantly, it selects students with a wide range of involvement. From greek organizations to the Student Alumni Association to IUSA to the National Association of Black Accountants, this year's Board of Aeons provides representation for a diverse cross-section of IU students.\n"The board does a good job of picking people that have experience in a wide variety of organizations," said John Connell, a member of the board. "You learn so much about the campus when you're around all these people from other organizations."\nAt the first meeting of each year, the students identify between nine and 12 topics that interest them. After meeting with the chancellor and hearing his comments, they narrow the list down to three topics. The group then breaks into committees and researches the three selected issues, searching for plausible solutions to the problems.\n"We're not so much there to look at the issues -- just to plan for today," said board member Elizabeth Henke. "In that aspect it offers something unique that other organizations can't really offer."\nAfter student government was formed, the board continued to operate, narrowing its focus to a few special assignments each year. In the late 1970s, John Ryan, the president at that time, decided that because its research did not affect all IU campuses, the Board of Aeons would have to report to the chancellor instead of the president.\nBoard member Kristen King sees her involvement as not only a way to help others but a learning experience as well.\n"This organization allows me to network and learn from older people on campus," King said. "I'm really learning a lot about the campus and a lot of the important issues that go on behind the scenes"
(10/18/05 4:52am)
After experiencing the accidental shrunken sweater or white shirt turned pink from a mixing of reds and whites, to some student laundry becomes more of a fear than the chore it usually is. \nFor students who don't know how, don't have time to or just don't want to do laundry at all, local businesses such as Winslow One-Stop Laundromat, Campus Laundry East and Bumble Bee Laundry & Cie have moved from the traditional laundromat setup to one requiring less work from customers. Rather than just providing washers and dryers, these laundry services actually wash, dry and fold the clothes for customers.\n"Students don't want to have to wait on the washing machines and have to deal with the hassle of doing their laundry," said Justin Brunes, co-owner of Bumble Bee Laundry & Cie. "They just want it done."\nThese businesses typically weigh the laundry by the pound. Winslow One-Stop Laundromat, Campus Laundry East and Bumble Bee Laundry & Cie all charge 75 cents per pound of laundry, although Campus Laundry East will be raising its prices to $1 per pound next week. A typical week's worth of laundry weighs about 10 to 12 pounds, said Mohammed Mahdi, co-owner of Bumble Bee Laundry & Cie.\n"Students who live in dorms come to us because they don't want to have to sit in the basement and wait on their laundry all day," said Lauran Baker, a Campus Laundry East employee. "A lot of people don't want to take the time to deal with it."\nStudents who choose to do their own laundry in the dorms with a Campus Access card pay $1 for each load of laundry for the washing machine and 75 cents to use the dryer. If they pay in cash, a washing machine costs $1.50 and a dryer costs $1.25.\n"I do my laundry in my dorm because it's more convenient," said freshman Marie Coomes. "Also, I don't really know of any other place to get it done."\nCampus Laundry East and Winslow One-Stop Laundromat offer drop-off services, where students drop off their laundry and come back for it later. Winslow One-Stop Laundromat typically finishes the laundry in four hours, while Campus Laundry East usually promises to finish by the end of the day, depending on the time of drop-off.\nBumble Bee Laundry & Cie, a business run by two undergraduate roommates, also offers ironing, dry cleaning, pick up and delivery. They charge 50 cents for every item ironed, while pick up and delivery are complimentary.\n"Since we are mobile, we are able to deal with customers for whom it is an inconvenience to drop off laundry," Mahdi said.\nMahdi and Brunes started Bumble Bee Laundry & Cie five months ago, after hearing complaints from a friend about other laundry services. They said they decided to make their business mobile so students without cars wouldn't have to ride the bus with bags of laundry setting themselves apart from other businesses.\nTo start the business, they each contributed only $50. After operating out of their apartment for five months, their business has grown to serve about 65 regular customers. Almost all of these customers live in the IU dorms, mostly Briscoe and McNutt.\nThe two owners are the only employees, and the business continues to operate out of their apartment.\n"Justin and I just split up the duties. Laundry's pretty much a whole day event, but you don't really put that much time into it," Mahdi said. "If our business grows exponentially, we might go ahead and move to another facility and start hiring employees."\nBecause they operate without employees and in their own apartment, they are able to offer 24-hour-a-day service.\n"We don't necessarily have hours of operation," Brunes said. "If you're going out one night and get something on your dress, we're able to do it really fast as opposed to people who have hours."\nBoth owners said their investment paid off, and that they've both learned from owning this business. Neither are business majors -- Mahdi majors in psychology, while Brunes is a French and international studies major.\n"We've learned that anyone can start a business," Mahdi said. "You just have to learn from experience and ask for advice."\nCampus Laundry East is located at 411 S. Woodcrest Drive, and offers drop-off service from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Winslow One-Stop Laundromat is located at 343 E. Winslow Road and offers drop-off services from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bumblebee Laundry & Cie can be reached at (800) 693-5189 and picks up and delivers at all hours.
(10/13/05 5:37am)
You have to spend money to make money.\nWith that idea in mind, IU President Adam Herbert created the new Office of University Planning, Institutional Research and Accountability at the beginning of September. \nIU associate vice president of the office Victor Borden sees the creation as an investment for the University.\n"If it doesn't contribute, the office will go away. But I think it will be a great return on investment -- it has been in my experiences at IUPUI," he said.\nBorden also sees a potential growth in state support as a result of documented progress.\n"If the state sees that IU is contributing to the economic development of the state, then the legislation will be more supportive," Borden said.\nIU contributes to Indiana's economic development, he said, by educating future professionals and creating jobs through research. Educated graduates bring higher paying jobs to the state, boosting the economy.\n"A bachelor's degree and graduate degree have a higher return of investment. They are bringing higher paying jobs to the region, as well as creating new jobs," Borden said. "Also, IU conducted $400 million in sponsored research last year, and people had to be hired to do that. We just have to make a better case of documenting it."\nWith a $900,000 per year budget, Borden said the new office will indirectly bring new revenue to IU.\nThe office, which was designed to help IU administrators search for evidence of the progress of its students, will consist of three staff members: Borden, who was already employed in a similar office at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, and two others who have yet to be hired. The new office plans to increase accountability for IU through the comparison of statistics such as bar exam scores, graduation rates and job placement.\n"The man in charge already works for the University," said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre. "It's not going to be a huge operation."\nBorden, whom the University previously paid $108,000 a year, will receive a 20 percent increase in salary. The salary of the other two staff members, an administrative assistant and a professional analyst, will depend on the qualifications of those hired, Borden said.\nBorden described the creation of the Office of University Planning, Institutional Research and Accountability as a shifting of resources and an indirect investment. He sees better accountability as a way to stimulate academic progress. Progress, in turn, attracts more external funds.\n"The primary focus is on improving progress towards major goals and demonstrating this progress to the external public," Borden said. "That then becomes evidence in soliciting more funds and more support. Foundations are very keen on seeing evidence that the organizations they give to are making positive progress."\nMost of the $900,000 was already being spent before the office's creation, said Charlie Nelms, IU vice president of institutional development and student affairs. Nelms described this office as a combination of previously existing offices -- staff members from the Office of University Research and Reporting will now work for the new office, and Borden will report to Nelms.\n"Some of the people have already been working on other units, so we've pulled people together from a wide array of units and centralized the function," Nelms said. "These are not brand new dollars"
(10/11/05 4:13am)
In an effort to encourage Bloomington residents to enhance their health and well-being, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and the IU Division of Recreational Sports are presenting the fourth annual Wellness Fair Saturday.\nSponsored by Bloomington Hospital and the Southeastern Indiana Health Organization, the Wellness Fair will take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in IU's Mellencamp Pavilion.\n"It is a great opportunity to learn about improving your own personal health and take advantage of the resources that will be available there that day," said Sara McGoun, the vice president of programs for the Chamber of Commerce.\nThe fair will feature more than 50 exhibitors, providing information about the American Cancer Society, the Monroe County Humane Association, Jazzercise, adult fitness programs, spas and salons. \n"By attending, people will gain a better understanding of the services that Bloomington Hospital offers and the services that other organizations offer," said Jonna Risher, the director of marketing and community relations for Bloomington Hospital.\nBloomington Hospital's Healthmobile will make an appearance at the event, offering free body fat analyses. Free screenings for conditions including cholesterol, blood pressure, depression and anxiety, bone density and posture analysis will also be available.\n"The free screenings are always a good idea," said Nancy Burns, a representative for Southeastern Indiana Health Organization. "It's amazing how much you can catch that you don't know."\nThe Southeastern Indiana Health Organization's involvement with the event, Burns said, is influenced both by its role as a community organization and the fact that a healthier community leads to fewer claims.\n"We are really a community-based health insurance \ncompany. We really care about healthy communities," Burns said. "And of course, the healthier a community is, the more claims go down."\nThe event, organized in conjunction with the Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone, is scheduled so participants can visit the fair before and after the 10 a.m. run and while waiting for awards to be announced. Organizers also hope the fair will attract friends and family members of participants. \n"The Wellness Fair makes the run an even more distinctive event," said Kimberly Ruff, the director of marketing and sponsorship of the Division of Recreational Sports.\nThis year, organizers and exhibitors of the Wellness Fair are focusing on the theme of wellness in mind, body and spirit.\n"This is an opportunity for participants of the race and walk as well as the greater Bloomington community to come out and learn more about wellness and health organizations in our community that are focusing on all areas of wellness for mind, body and spirit for the community," McGoun said.\nThe money made from exhibitors will benefit Jill's House, an organization that provides housing environments for people undergoing outpatient therapy at IU's Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute. \nThe Wellness Fair is free and open to the public.\n"Participants will learn about taking care of themselves a little better than before and broaden their knowledge of what wellness entails," McGoun said. "There's a little bit of something for everyone"
(10/10/05 5:36am)
IU President Adam Herbert hopes to strengthen his ability to maintain oversight of the University with the creation of the Office of University Planning, Institutional Research and Accountability.\nThe office, IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said, is designed to ensure the University carries out its promises.\n"If we tell the tax-paying public that we're going to do a good job of educating students and of research, we need to check to see that we're doing what we say we're doing," MacIntyre said.\nThe new office, which tracks not only financial accountability but also academic progress, is headed by Victor M. H. Borden, the former associate vice chancellor for information management and institutional research at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. \nThe goals of the office, Borden said, are to collect data to track institutional progress as well as organize the goals of each individual campus into a larger framework. Borden wants to be sure the different campuses aren't unintentionally working against each other in their missions.\n"The different campuses have their different challenges in assessing how their programs are doing," Borden said. "We're trying to create a culture of evidence where people can increase their capacity to use systematic information to better achieve their goals."\nThe new office will gather this information by analyzing how money is spent, surveying students and alumni, tracking the progress of students and measuring success of graduates by indicators such as bar exam scores and job placement. Prior to the establishment of the office, IU had depended on external reviews from sources like U.S. News and World Report, which, MacIntyre said, often don't go into enough detail.\n"All of these things give us indicators as to whether we're accomplishing our mission," MacIntyre said. "(Herbert) wants to know how well each of our schools and each of our departments is doing. He has been raising the bar, setting higher standards and calling for more accountability since the day he arrived."\nHerbert, who is in his third year as president, hopes to maintain superiority in already highly-regarded departments and raise the standards of others with the creation of this new office, MacIntyre said. \nHe said Herbert plans to use the information to present to the board of trustees and state legislators, help persuade private donors, increase the amount of sponsored research conducted by IU and attract top academic talent.\nRather than making new policies, the office simply collects data and provides the schools and departments with the information, allowing them to revise their own policies.\nIn addition to analyzing academic progress, the office will aid in management of financial resources.\n"President Herbert wants to be sure we're using the money the best we possibly can," MacIntyre said. "We need to look a little more closely than we had before."\nAlthough the office will deal with money, Borden said it will only focus on the allocation of money as applied to missions.\n"There's a lot of technical details about money that we won't be getting into," Borden said.\nBorden previously held a similar position at IUPUI. Now, instead of working with the goals of just one campus, he will be working to coordinate the goals of all eight campuses.\n"It's all about improving the overall effectiveness of all the institutions through the use of information, something that corporate America has been doing for a long time," Borden said. "The difference is we're taking a University approach"