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(04/27/06 4:43am)
In his first interview since being turned down for IU-Bloomington chancellor in November, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kumble Subbaswamy said he doesn't hold a grudge against the administration that chose not to hire him.\nThe subject of a hot debate among Bloomington professors, Subbaswamy was hailed as an ideal chancellor. After IU President Adam Herbert announced that the chancellor search would continue, outraged IU professors gathered in a mass meeting and passed resolutions asking for a special review of Herbert's skills as president.\n"What was both odd and uncomfortable about the search process was that the administration continued to pretend that none of the candidates were known and everybody else knew that I was a candidate," Subbaswamy said. "That really made it very awkward, and I think it would have been better to have an open phase where everybody knew (who the candidates were). Then I think that there would at least have been a basis for people to understand the decision, and there might have been less discomfort and less lack of faith in the system for all concerned."\nHerbert said the stalled chancellor search actually ended up having a positive effect on IU because administrators recognized the need for a restructuring of the University that involved eliminating the chancellor position altogether.\n"The irony is that by not filling the chancellor position, we then had the opportunity to reassess the best structure for governing the flagship campus of Indiana University," Herbert said.\nHe added that, despite the fact that Subbaswamy was not selected as chancellor, the COAS dean has made significant contributions to IU's academic prestige, and in particular, the College of Arts and Sciences.\n"I have a great deal of respect for him, and I think that he is going to serve the University of Kentucky very well and (IU) will definitely miss his leadership," the president said. "I appreciate all that he has done to help us elevate the level of the College."\nSubbaswamy was named provost at the University of Kentucky Jan. 6. Many administrators not hired for high-level positions feel forced to move to other institutions, but Subbaswamy said he didn't feel the need to leave at all.\n"If anything I had second thoughts about leaving given the outpouring of support and friendship I got from the faculty," he said. "I didn't feel like I had to leave, but I was ready to do something else, and in that context the best opportunity that I had at hand was to serve at Kentucky."\nWhen professors voiced their anger that Subbaswamy was not chosen for chancellor, they held the first mass faculty meeting at IU since the 1980s. Subbaswamy said he was surprised by the support he got from the faculty.\n"Anyone has got to feel enormously gratified and humbled by that," he said. "It's an enormous talent pool, and they're all independent souls, you can't orchestrate something like that."\nSubbaswamy was the only one of three final candidates for IUB chancellor whose name was leaked to the Indiana Daily Student. He said he wasn't angry that his name was leaked but said that search processes across IU should be more open.\nAfter six years at the helm of IU's largest division, Subbaswamy said he was ready to move on from COAS.\n"I've been a dean of an arts and sciences organization for nine years all together, and at some level, you start grappling with issues that are larger than just your own unit," he said. "The next level position, the provost of an institution that has a multitude of colleges and schools, allows certain opportunities that you don't have working with just one unit. I think I'm ready to tackle (a new job)."\nSubbaswamy said he intentionally looked at more than one position because he knew neither job was a lock.\n"I knew that if I became a candidate for the position here that I would also look other places, because there's always the possibility that you will not get the position that you apply for," he said. "Kentucky was a natural one for me as well, just like Indiana."\nSubbaswamy spent almost 20 years as a professor and administrator at UK before moving to the University of Miami, Fla. and then IU.\nAt Kentucky, Subbaswamy hopes to be involved in higher education policy on a national level as well as at the university level.\nSubbaswamy thinks IU will soon run into funding problems because tuition is increasing more slowly than the cost of providing an education.\n"Universities like ours have 75 percent or so of their budget coming from tuition," he said. "The cost of doing business keeps going up. Offering cutting-edge research and cutting-edge education is expensive. The tuition increases have to be pretty hefty if you have to maintain the quality. There are problems with raising tuition in double digits, but it seems to me that the posture that Indiana has taken of really severely limiting tuition increases -- while not pumping money from public resources -- leads to a situation where you can't maintain quality in the long run, and so something has to give."\nLooking back on his time at IU, Subbaswamy said he thought he made significant progress in restoring pride and morale to COAS.\n"Over the last six years there has been a true turnaround in the college," he said. "When I came here, through a combination of reasons including some enrollment drop issues, the morale in the College was quite low and the image of the College within the university was not particularly shiny. But, over the last few years, through a series of initiatives and getting lucky in many ways, I think it's fair to say that we've turned around the morale and the College is seen as a leader on campus"
(04/26/06 4:52am)
Ken Beckley is set to leave IU next January, but his work isn't done yet.\n"We have a lot of unfinished business that I want to see finished by the end of next January," said Beckley, president of the IU Alumni Association. "I'm very proud of the accomplishments we've had as a staff, and I look forward to accomplishing more before I leave."\nBeckley will retire after five years of service to the more than 481,000 living IU graduates.\nIU officials hailed Beckley as an effective and dynamic leader.\n"He has really energized the association and made more alumni feel closer to the institution," said IU Chancellor Ken Gros Louis of Beckley's time as IUAA president. "The membership in the association has grown under his lead, and the number of (alumni) clubs have increased."\nUnder Beckley's direction, the alumni association has risen to the eighth largest in the country with more than 76,000 members. IU has the third most living graduates of any university in the country, according to the IUAA Web site.\nGros Louis added that Beckley brought energy and enthusiasm to a job that requires long hours and frequent travel.\n"The presidency of the IUAA is a time commitment few can possibly realize and be willing to give to the position," said Director of Alumni Clubs and Student Recruitment Eric Behrman. "There are so many evenings and weekends that are taken with the job that your family can often think you've forgotten them!"\nA 1962 IU graduate, Beckley worked in broadcast television before returning to work for IU. He spent 14 years in TV news and anchored for WRTV-6 in Indianapolis for nine years, according to a biography on the IU law department Web site.\nBeckley returned to IU and worked as Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis' director of communications before being named IUAA president. He was unanimously selected from more than 40 candidates by a search committee and replaced Jerry Tardy, who died in 2001.\nBeckley said there are several areas that the association has improved during his tenure as president.\n"Number one, we have significantly enhanced the financial condition of the alumni association," he said, "And second, we have studied, through various committees, virtually every area of our operations (and made necessary changes)."\nBeckley and Gros Louis agreed on several key qualities for a new IUAA president.\nBeckley said the most important thing is to find "a person who has a very engaging, very outgoing, warm personality. A person who is very proactive in wanting to meet with alumni in groups as well as one on one."\nGros Louis said he hopes a search committee will find a replacement that is as energetic as Beckley, doesn't mind extensive traveling and is capable of directing a large staff.\nBeckley said he hopes to spend time with his wife and travel after he retires. He also wants to write a book in his spare time.\n"I love to write, and I have plans to write a fictional novel," he said. "It's something I've wanted to do for many years and just haven't had the time"
(04/25/06 4:11am)
IU Health Center officials said Monday they do not believe an outbreak of mumps is likely on the Bloomington campus.\nOne IU-Bloomington student was diagnosed with the virus April 21, but officials said the student's case had progressed far enough that it was no longer contagious.\n"The likelihood of additional cases (of mumps at IU) is very slim," said IU Health Center Director Hugh Jessop. "This is taking into consideration that the individual infected would be able to transmit the disease the week before they developed symptoms and two weeks after symptoms appeared. The incubation period for those exposed is up to 18 days after exposure. That window of time will have passed, and no additional cases that we are aware of have been reported in Bloomington."\nJessop and other officials have cautioned that an absence of mumps in Bloomington does not mean that residents are safe from the disease.\n"If people are traveling to places where mumps is occurring -- Illinois and Iowa -- they really need to know their personal risk status," Jessop said.\nIU Dean of Students Dick McKaig said the University does not currently have any plans to treat dorm rooms or provide a mumps education program to the public. McKaig said the IU Health Center is posting advisories on its Web site.\n"At this point in time, the message is if you were born prior to 1957 you are considered immune, or if you had your two (measles, mumps and rubella) shots, you are reasonably secure," McKaig said. "It's not much of an issue here because most people have had those shots."\nAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps is usually spread through saliva, and victims are contagious from three days before symptoms appear to as many as nine days after symptoms appear.\nSymptoms of the disease include swollen, painful glands on the side of the face, pain while chewing, weakness and puffy cheeks. In severe cases, inflammation of the brain or tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, inflammation of the testicles, inflammation of the ovaries and breasts, spontaneous abortion and temporary or permanent deafness can occur.\nA two-shot measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as an MMR vaccine, was introduced in the 1980s but only prevents the diseases in 90 percent of people. IU students are required to show proof of vaccination before starting classes.\nJessop said even with mumps spreading throughout the Midwest, it is unlikely that there will be any outbreaks at IU.\n"Although there have been some cases where people have had two MMRs and still became ill, that number from a percentage of total cases is low," Jessop said. "That information, combined with the fact that all IU students should be in compliance with the two-shot MMR state requirement when entering IU, lessens the likelihood of additional cases"
(04/24/06 6:57am)
An IU student has a confirmed case of mumps, according to a press release from the IU Health Center.\nMumps, a viral infection that can cause meningitis, has been spreading through university campuses in the Midwest. Confirmed cases of mumps have appeared in eight Midwestern states, and as of Friday, more than 1,100 cases had been reported, according to The Associated Press.\nIU students are required to provide proof of immunization for measles, mumps and rubella, but the MMR vaccine is only 90 percent effective after the second of two shots is administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.\nReports from states more heavily affected by mumps say doctors failed to properly diagnose some patients that they now know have the virus because it was an uncommon disease in the United States after the two-part vaccine was released in the 1980s.\nIU Health Center Director Hugh Jessop said in the press release he thought students, faculty and Bloomington residents should be made aware of the symptoms of the disease because of the recent epidemic. Symptoms include swollen, painful glands on the side of the face, pain while chewing, weakness, and puffy cheeks, according to the CDC. The CDC also lists symptoms for more severe cases that can include "inflammation of the brain or tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, inflammation of the testicles, inflammation of the ovaries and breasts spontaneous abortion, and temporary or permanent deafness."\nAccording to the CDC, the mumps virus replicates in the respiratory system, and usually incubates (replicates without symptoms) for 16 to 18 days. Victims are contagious "from three days before symptoms appear to about nine days after the symptoms appear," and the virus is usually transmitted through saliva.\nHealth officials believe mumps might be especially problematic at colleges and universities because of the large numbers of students living in close quarters, attending large classes and sharing beds, cups, bottles and drinks.\nThe last outbreak of mumps in the United States was last year, when 31 people were diagnosed with the disease at a New York summer camp, according to the CDC. New York State Department of Health officials said the outbreak probably stemmed from a British counselor. England had several outbreaks of mumps between 2004 and 2005, and the CDC report said it is possible the counselor brought mumps to the summer camp.\nAnother IU student was diagnosed with a sometimes-fatal disease in September when a freshman contracted bacterial meningitis, also common on university campuses. Untreated mumps can develop into a form of meningitis in some cases.
(04/21/06 9:41pm)
An IU student has a confirmed case of mumps, according to a press release from the IU Health Center.\nMumps, a viral infection that can cause meningitis, has been spreading over university campuses in the Midwest. IU Health Center Director Hugh Jessop said in the press release he thought students, faculty and Bloomington residents should be made aware of the symptoms of the disease because of the recent epidemic, including swollen, painful glands on the side of the face; pain while chewing; weakness; tenderness and swelling of the testicles; and puffy cheeks, according to mayoclinic.com.\nJessop was not available for comment Friday.\nIU students are required to provide proof of immunization for measles, mumps and rubella, but the MMR vaccine is only 90 percent effective after the second of two shots is administered.\nAnother IU student was diagnosed with a disease in September.\nFreshman Ashlee Lee contracted bacterial meningitis, another disease common on university campuses.
(04/21/06 1:25pm)
Every year during the week before the Little 500 races, police officers swarm Bloomington. The races, sometimes overshadowed by the parties that surround them, draw thousands of visitors and seem to inspire students to consume an immense amount of alcohol.\nAnd every year, IUPD officers encounter their share of drunk and belligerent students.\n"Some officers came in and said they find officers get a bad reputation because (students) think we're tying to put a damper on their fun," said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger. "But what officers find really strange is some of the things students attempt while inebriated."\nAccording to an Indiana Daily Student article published on April 18, 2005, IUPD made 19 arrests and issued 23 citations between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Sunday of last year's Little 500 weekend. The numbers dropped sharply from 2004, when 125 arrests were made and 76 citations were written, but officers still come across large numbers of intoxicated students.\nMinger said officers remember some of the more comedic stories and that some stories happen repeatedly. \n"An officer would be driving down the street, and someone would be trying to get their attention, and the person would get in the back seat and tell them to get somewhere because they thought it was a cab," Minger said. "When someone is that intoxicated, we'll take them somewhere, but not where they want to go - jail. When you cant tell the difference between a police car and a taxi cab, your judgement is a little bit impaired."\nMinger said officers don't really treat Little 500 weekends different than other weekends, and said that police officers on a college campus have seen so many crazy things that they are rarely fazed by anything students do.\nHe said officer Ryan Corbett was once behind Kilroy's when he spotted a student urinating in public.\n"He saw a guy out there taking a leak, and as he started to pull up, (another) guy had popped out of the dumpster like Oscar the Grouch, and he had been inside the dumpster taking a leak," he said.\nMinger also said officers try not to be heavy-handed. He said officer Andrew Taylor, a part-time officer, told him that several times he has encountered students urinating in public, and often, the students take off running once they see the police.\nMinger said officers attempt to "give the person a break, but more often than not, this guy will be taking a leak and the guy zips up his pants and (takes) off running." \n"I just tried to give this guy a break and he wasn't smart enough to discern what was best for him. If something happens to him, I'm liable, and so people like that are taken into custody," he said.
(04/12/06 4:52am)
Walking through the Indiana Memorial Union, students are bombarded with images. signs, posters and flyers cover the walls in some places. Many of these graphics are designed by the IMU's team of graphic designers, several of whom won awards in last month's Association of College Unions International "Steal This Idea" graphic design competition.\n2005 IU graduate Matt Marosz won first place in the two-color brochures (eight panels or less) category for a catalog he designed. Marosz was also an honorable mention in the cards, postcards, and invitations category for his Union Board biennial invitation.\nSenior Chris Sommerfeld won third place in the Signs category for the signs he designed for Sugar and Spice, which encourage customers to use credit cards as payment.\n"Having my work recognized and awarded is a wonderful feeling," Marosz said. "It validates the hard work, thought, and effort I put into each project, while showcasing my talents and skills as a graphic designer."\nIMU marketing and communications manager Kelly Carnahan, who oversees three to four student designers, said the students don't just use the job for the paycheck -- students usually work 20-hour weeks -- but that they also use it as a springboard to graphic design careers.\n"When students leave my department, they have a high level of proficiency using applicable software packages, doing press checks, brainstorming ad campaigns and analyzing marketing data," Carnahan said. "The projects they do at the Union contribute to their portfolios and their resumes. Having practical experience to support their academic studies puts them ahead of the game when they graduate."\nCarnahan entered the design competition in professional categories, and, working with a local design firm, won second place in the professional brochure (more than eight pages) category.\nCarnahan said the students design graphics for the Biddle Hotel and Conference Center, Activities & Events, IU Outdoor Adventures, Union Studios, the Back Alley, 900 Hair Design, Delights, Sycamore Corner and special events.\nShe added that one student specializes in marketing and design for IMU dining services and designs graphics for the Tudor Room, catering services, Sugar & Spice, Kiva and the Market at the Union.\nMorosz said that he enjoys the artistic side of design and likes the fact that his work can get messages out to people effectively.\n"It's truly a joy to create pieces which communicate to their intended audience, while reaching out and attracting new participants," he said.\nCarnahan called her office a "learning lab," and said that, beyond making the IMU a popular and well-marketed building, it helps students hone their design skills.\n"Customers see our product as a hotel, student programs, a place for entertainment or a place to eat," she said. "But behind all of those products is a great deal of work done by students"
(04/10/06 5:15am)
The IU board of trustees approved several changes in University policy Friday that will affect admissions standards and tuition.\nAt their April meeting at IU-Southeast in New Albany, the trustees voted in favor of increasing tuition and implementing a set of admissions standards meant to attract better-qualified and prepared students to IU.\nTuition for nonresident undergraduate students will increase by 4.9 percent. Graduate and professional students will pay larger increases, including increases of up to 10 percent for law students and 8.8 percent for optometry students.\nTrustees said the tuition increases are necessary because of the high cost of providing an education, but said they want the quality of the education to increase with the costs.\n"Students are consumers, and they're looking for a product -- an education," said student trustee Casey Cox. "They're going to get the most out of what they pay. If we're going to be charging students more and more, we'll have to provide the best education possible."\nThe new admissions standards, which will go into effect in 2011, require students to have a minimum number of credits in five academic areas: eight semesters of English, seven semesters of math, six semesters of science, six semesters of social studies and four semesters of a foreign language. The standards will not go into effect for five years, trustees said, because Indiana high schools will need time to adjust to new requirements.\nThe Bloomington Faculty Council unanimously voted in approval of increasing admissions standards at a Feb. 21 meeting. \nCox said the new standards are meant to "better prepare our students before they get (to IU)" by giving them a grounding in the five academic areas and making sure students take academically rigorous classes.\n"It's like practicing basketball in high school," Cox said. "The more practice you have, the better you'll do in the game."\nIU Student Association President Alex Shortle said he thinks it will benefit current IU students to raise admissions standards in the future. Shortle said a more selective university might make IU diplomas more prestigious.\n"The general consensus among the students is that they'd like to see their diploma worth more," he said.\nThe new standards also have benchmarks for class ranks, grade point averages and SAT scores, specifying that in-state students should rank in the top 40 percent of their high school class and out-of-state students should rank in the top 30 percent of their high school class. The standards give preference to in-state students with SAT scores higher than the Indiana average, 1,012, and out-of-state students with SAT scores higher than the national average. Preference will also be given to students with a B-average or better. \nSeveral groups have publicly criticized the new admissions standards, saying they put minority and poor students at a disadvantage. Some critics said because poor and minority students historically have lower test scores and grade point averages, it will be harder for them to get into IU.\nBut Cox said he thinks IU will be able to maintain a diverse and welcoming campus.\n"At some point, sure there may have been a student who wouldn't be admitted (after the new standards are in place)," he said. "Students will still have the opportunity to attend one of the other IU campuses. Are we still welcoming and are we still open, and do we still have access? Absolutely"
(04/05/06 5:25am)
Today's Indiana Daily Student will feel a bit heftier than normal. For the first time in years, the IDS is printing a full listing of courses for the fall semester.\nThe special 48-page booklet, consisting of four 12-page sections, lists every course offered for the fall 2006 semester.\nIU staff and faculty members involved in publishing the course directory said there are several reasons this year's booklet is being published in the IDS.\n"There have been continued problems with software -- what used to be a simple process is now taking students a long time," said David Adams, director of student media. He said he believes the paper version of the directory will be easier for students to navigate than the sometimes rigid and confusing OneStart system. This year's directory will be cheaper than previous printings of the course directory, which were published by the office of the registrar.\nAssociate Registrar Michael Carroll said it was not cost effective to print a magazine-style book, like the ones used until a couple years ago. The old paper directories were prepared months in advance of publication, and a special section in the IDS can be changed up until several days before publication. Carroll said this new method of printing course directories could be much more effective and timely than the old way.\n"At the time, (the printed version) was ... at least one month out-of-date when delivered," he said.\nAn IU Student Association survey in fall 2005 showed that students preferred an electronic version of the course listings to a paper one, given the costs of printing a paper directory, Carroll said.\nAdams said this year's directory cost between $8,500 and $9,500 to publish, and that most of the costs would come from the printing of the directory. He added that the office of the registrar did not pay for the directory to be printed as an advertisement, and said that the IDS is publishing the directory as a service to the school. Adams said that if the directory had been published as a commissioned advertisement without discounts, the 48-page booklet would have cost the registrar's office about $85,000. He said that several IU schools and colleges, along with IU student media funds, will pay for the publishing costs this year.\nAdams is not sure if the IDS will print the directory in future semesters.\n"It's an experiment," he said. "Some day maybe they'll get the electronic stuff worked out (and students will exclusively use the software to look for classes)"
(03/30/06 4:55am)
The chants of about 30 IU graduate students echoed down Kirkwood Avenue Wednesday morning as members of the IU Graduate Employees Organization protested cuts in their health benefits.\nThe students gathered at the Sample Gates, holding signs and repeating chants like "They say cutbacks -- we say fight back!" Meanwhile, inside Bryan Hall, administrators and student representatives discussed which specific cuts would be made for graduate employee health plans.\n"We're here to protest the administration's decision not to fully fund the increases in our health care coverage, and that's leaving us with either increased costs or cuts to our benefits," said Elizabeth Rytting, a graduate student and internal communications officer of the GEO steering committee. "One way or another, it's going to come out of our pockets."\nHealth insurance plans have risen in cost nationwide, and IU administrators said it would not be feasible to pay for all coverage of graduate students and their dependents.\nIU plans to pay about 69 percent of next year's increases, leaving graduate employees about $181.20 in additional costs, according to an Indiana Daily Student article on March 29. Premiums for students' spouses and children will also rise substantially.\nOne sign held by a protester claimed that, as an associate instructor in the English department, the student made $12,000 per academic year. The sign said coverage for the student, his spouse and his child would cost about $6,000, or exactly half of his yearly stipend. Most associate instructors make $9,000-$12,000 per year, while some make as much as $15,000.\nStudents at the protest said it is unfair to receive anything less than full health insurance benefits.\n"As employees of the University, we should be given full benefits," said graduate student Sharyn Emery.\nThe budget for graduate employee health insurance has not been approved by the IU board of trustees yet, and the trustees could decide to fund the full increase in premiums. \nBut students at the protest were not convinced the trustees have enough funding.\nSome students, including protester and graduate student Morgan Fritz, said increasing health insurance costs might drive away potential graduate students, and that IU needs to maintain an attractive environment for students.\n"Over the range of the Big Ten schools, we have one of the inferior compensation packages," he said.
(03/28/06 5:39am)
When Lauren Smith walked into her School of Public and Environmental Affairs class in the fall of 2004, she was expecting a math test.\nMost of the questions were straightforward, but the last question of the test asked who she would be voting for in the 2004 presidential election.\n"It almost looked like (our political views) would factor into our grade," said Smith, a member of several conservative groups on campus.\nSmith's experience highlights a growing trend on college campuses: concern among some students, especially conservatives, that some of their professors allow their political views to seep into their teaching.\nNationwide, student political groups have started to speak out against biased professors, saying it's unfair to teach only one side of the political story.\nA group at UCLA called the Bruin Alumni Association paid students to collect information on biased teachers and even compiled a list of the 30 most biased professors at UCLA.\n"We're facing an exploding crisis of political radicalism on campus," said BAA President Andrew Jones on the organization's Web site. "It's endangering the very core of UCLA -- the undergraduate experience."\nThe state of Pennsylvania held hearings after a group at Temple University complained of liberally biased professors, but no legal action was taken because only one student testified that he had encountered a political bias in the classroom.\nMost of the objections around the country have come from conservatives, who have long argued that tenured positions are dominated by liberals who present a one-sided, or at least incomplete, view of history, economics, political science and even literature. Conservative students have become more willing to challenge what they consider the prevailing views on campus.\nWhile the issue is not a hot topic of debate at IU, some students say they think it can be a problem. Several IU students said they aren't afraid to speak out against professors they consider to be \nbiased.\n"If they're taking a biased view in the classroom, they're not a professor at that point. They're a person in a professor's position," said IU College Republicans President Shane Kennedy. Kennedy said he has taken several political science classes and never had a problem but knows other IUCR members have had problems.\n"I think it's unfortunate that teachers are allowed to teach without a balanced point of view," Kennedy said.\nIUCR member Cody Griner said he has had several biased professors and feels like his education might suffer from not hearing both sides of the story.\n"I could always tell that they (certain professors) were leaning to one side," Griner said. "It didn't make me feel uncomfortable, but I felt like I was missing something from not hearing both sides. Students need to speak out, but it's hard to do that when you know (the professor) is the only person making decisions about your grade."\nOther students, like IU College Democrats President Emma Cullen, said it's more important that professors challenge students' beliefs and make them defend their positions.\n"The best professors that I have had are the ones that challenge my beliefs, that always make me defend my argument," she said. "They require me to know both sides of the argument."\nWhile IU students haven't spoken out specifically against biased professors, the political bias issue hit IU with full force last year, when conservative activist David Horowitz proposed his academic bill of rights at the IU auditorium.\nHorowitz's bill, which was introduced but not passed in the Indiana State Senate, asked for students to be protected from biased professors and a wide range of views to be represented.\nKennedy said even though the bill wasn't passed, professors should remember that their job is to teach a course, not an ideology.\n"Students are here to get an education, not to have their views dictated to them," he said.
(03/21/06 6:58am)
IU opened the old Kappa Sigma house at 1503 E. Third St. Monday, but not for a fraternity.\nMoving one step closer to the abandoned house's demolition, local construction contractors were given tours of the building to evaluate the cost of demolition. Other contractors looked at the cost of asbestos removal.\nThe house is scheduled for demolition sometime after the spring 2006 semester. University officials said they hope to complete demolition and debris removal by mid-summer.\nIU Assistant Vice President and University Architect Robert Meadows, after viewing the house, said it is up to contractors to submit a bid to demolish the house. IU will open bids Friday for the demolition.\nMeadows said the land will probably be used for a new residence hall quadrangle, consisting mostly of apartments.\nMany residents of Bloomington and IU community members have stepped forward in opposition to the demolition of the house. Several greek groups have expressed interest in using the house, and the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission issued a notarized resolution this week requesting that the University "delay the immediate plans to demolish 1503 East Third Street and take time to consider the multiple alternatives for the future use of (the house)."\nWhile the house is not designated on any surveys as a historical site, it is listed as a "notable" building on several Bloomington surveys.\nThe Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission resolution cites several reasons to save the house, including its historical significance and the possibility of renovating the house for use as a fraternity house or office building.\nMeadows said it is unlikely that the members of the IU board of trustees, who have already met with opposition groups and voted to demolish the house, will change their minds about demolishing the building.\n"The only thing that could really change the situation is the trustees," Meadows said. "It's been before the trustees twice, and they chose to continue with the demolition."\nBefore their March meetings, the trustess met with several students, including IU Student Association representative Jordan Loeb.. Loeb said it is disheartening to see that the trustees are still going ahead with the demolition, but he understands that the house might be beyond renovation. A proponent of additional greek housing on campus, Loeb said the land should stay a part of the greek community.\n"I'm hoping this will let the trustees know that we need more greek housing," Loeb said. "If the trustees have really heard what we had to say, they would use that land for a new greek house."\nLoeb was the sponsor of an IUSA resolution to keep the house, but IUSA did not meet a quorum at its last meeting and could not vote on the resolution. \nThe house, built in 1926 for Kappa Sigma fraternity, was used as greek housing until 1964 when the University bought it. IU officials thought about renovating the building and using it for offices but decided against remodeling.\nIU graduate and Kappa Sigma member Hoagy Carmichael, a jazz musician who attended IU before the house was built in the 1920s, visited it several times.
(03/08/06 5:34am)
The proposed demolition of an abandoned IU fraternity house sparked Bloomington residents into action recently. Students and alumni have pledged support to try to save the house.\nThe house, at 503 E. Third St., was home to Kappa Sigma fraternity from its construction in 1926 until the 1960s, when the University bought the house.\nKappa Sigma member and IU alum Dick Schmalz said he believes it is important to save the house because it is a historic landmark.\n"It's a landmark for the city and it has so much heritage," Schmalz said.\nHe added that the house has played host to prominent musicians and was a haven for music on campus. Schmalz said that during the time the fraternity used the house, Kappa Sigma played host to bands and was one of the most competitive groups to perform at IU Sing. The house was once visited by jazz legend, IU graduate and Kappa Sigma member Hoagy Carmichael.\n"We were always known for IU Sing," he said. "We won that thing several times." \nSchmalz said he believes the musical traditions and historic significance of the house make it worth preserving.\nSome students say the house should be preserved not just for its historic value, but because it could be remodeled and used by another fraternity. Citing a lack of space, some students say they think the house might be ideal for an unhoused fraternity.\nJordan Loeb, an IU Student Association representative and member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, is starting a campaign to preserve the house. He introduced a resolution to support preserving the house to the IUSA Congress Tuesday, but the congress could not make a quorum and was unable to vote on the resolution.\n"There currently exist fraternities that do not have houses," Loeb said, "and a house is something vital to the atmosphere and experience of the greek system. Since this house was once a greek residence and there are greeks looking to use it, it should be returned to its original purpose."\nLoeb, along with other students, spoke with members of the IU board of trustees last week in an attempt to convince them to preserve the house. Trustee Cora Smith Breckenridge told the full board she had no recommendations about changing the current plan to demolish the house after meeting with Loeb and several other students.\nLoeb's IUSA resolution cites a commitment from former University Chancellor Herman B Wells to support the greek system and says that "destruction of the Kappa Sigma house would go against the concept of increased fraternity support."\nSeveral fraternities on campus have expressed interest in the house. Some fraternity members say they are concerned because there is no additional land in the University master plan for fraternity housing. They hope land currently allotted to fraternity housing will remain in use by the greek system, Loeb said.\nUniversity officials said the house is unusable, and it would cost around $1 million to renovate it. There are currently no plans for a new building after the house is demolished.
(03/03/06 4:30pm)
When members of the IU board of trustees walk into the Indiana Memorial Union Friday morning to convene for their March meeting, they will be met by members of the Black Student Union who want to let the board know they hope more blacks are hired for administrative and other University positions.\nThe students will gather at 7:30 a.m. and hope to catch the trustees' eyes before their Academic Affairs and University Policies Committee meeting.\n"With (IU President Adam) Herbert and Mike Davis' resignations, we don't want the board of trustees to adopt the attitude that it is OK to stop hiring blacks for IU's administrative positions," said BSU secretary Ta'Vonna Robertson in an e-mail to BSU members and supporters. "We need more diverse leadership at Indiana University."\nBSU representatives and trustees were not available for comment by press time Thursday.\nThe trustees will discuss several issues at Friday's meeting. At the Academic Affairs and University Policies Committee meeting, they will discuss search and screening processes for academic appointments, as well as ideas for changes in admissions standards.\nThe search and screening process has been in question since a 2005 search for an IU-Bloomington chancellor and senior vice president for academic affairs failed to find acceptable final candidates. Faculty members and potential candidates said the process was flawed. IU is currently undertaking searches for a new dean and a new associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and will begin a search for a new president in the fall.\nAt the business meeting, where all monetary appropriations are approved, the trustees will consider a $10 million increase for the Multidisciplinary Science Building Phase II. The building, which was scheduled to cost about $42.5 million, is now projected to cost about $52 million. Rising costs are attributed to the need for a tunnel between the building and the psychology building and the need for fume hoods for various laboratories.\nThe meeting will conclude with academic appointments for all IU campuses.\nFriday's meetings will be held in the Frangipani Room at the IMU. They are open to the public and will begin at 8:15 a.m.\nOn Thursday, trustees approved several facilities changes, including plans for the IUB central heating plant, plans for the IUB Research Teaching Preserve Building, changes to the design for the Multidisciplinary Science Building Phase II and plans for the IU-Northwest sculpture garden.\nThe trustees met in executive session Thursday night to discuss IU matters in private.
(03/03/06 4:28am)
The sound of crinkling paper filled the room as students decorated boxes with pictures and flags. Members of the Student Athletic Training Council decorated collection boxes at the University Gym on Thursday as part of their effort to send care packages to troops in Iraq.\nThe group plans on placing the boxes at strategic locations around Bloomington and the IU campus.\nErin McLaughlin, a second-year graduate student who is helping spearhead the project, said the group hopes to provide "support to the troops by giving them things they might not necessarily have," such as paperback books, batteries, drink mixes and writing materials.\n"We hope to show our local community members that we care about them and truly support them overseas," said Amanda Wilson, graduate adviser for the council.\nThe students in the group are all studying athletic training. Along with their faculty adviser, professor John Schrader, they will collect, box and send out the items to members of the military from Bloomington, specifically members of Task Force Raider stationed in Mosul, Iraq.\n"Not every soldier's family sends mail to them, or they may not have family," said Schrader's son, Lt. Jacob Schrader, who spent 14 months in Iraq. "Doing a project like this ... when you're in a place like that, when you get mail, it's really the only sign that you're alive to the rest of the United States. It makes your day."\nAlso in attendance were representatives of the Family Readiness group, an organization that provides support for family members of overseas troops.\n"It will boost the morale of these soldiers," said co-chairwoman Jenny Tracy, whose husband Matt has been in the National Guard for 14 years and is currently in Iraq. "It really means so much to us."\nLt. Schrader said he likes seeing community support and said the students in particular were committed to helping troops.\n"I think they can distinguish the fact that we're not political, that we're just doing our jobs," he said.\nThe boxes will be placed at eight locations around campus, including Assembly Hall and the Student Recreational Sports Center, and four locations in Bloomington, including Bloomington High School South, Bloomington High School North and the National Guard post.\nThe group will collect donations until the end of March. It hopes to receive money in addition to the items it is collecting because sending packages to Iraq is expensive. A package the size of a loaf of bread costs about $7.50, while a larger box can cost more than $40, professor Schrader said. Packages also take up to six weeks or more to get to their destinations.\nThough the project is far from over, professor Schrader said he is happy to see that the students are so enthusiastic.\n"The things that really warms my heart is that these kids came straight from the practices they work at, and they're here helping out," he said.
(03/01/06 5:58pm)
Members of the College of Arts and Sciences dean search committee met with faculty members and staff Tuesday to discuss criteria for a new COAS leader. Notably absent though, were students, who were encouraged to voice their opinions at the meeting. \nThe committee, which hopes to have a list of final candidates by sometime in May, will find a replacement for current COAS Dean Kumble Subbaswamy, who will leave to become provost at the University of Kentucky July 1.\nTen faculty members and a student representative comprise the committee. Some members of the committee members were absent, including several professors and the student member, Betsy Henke. Henke is running for president in the IU Student Association elections and was excused from the meeting. Other faculty members, staff and students had a chance to ask the committee about the search and screen process. \n"The conversation we're imagining is talking about what you see as the challenges for the college for the next three to five years," committee chair and Dean of the IU law school Lauren Robel told the audience at the beginning of the meeting. "(We want to hear) things that you think are important. One of the things that would really help us is to get your sense of what kind of person would be a good kind of fit for the college."\nRobel and the other committee members stressed the search for a new COAS dean will be more public than some previous searches.\n"It's very important to everyone that this not be a secret search," Robel said.\nRepresentatives of the search firm hired to assist in the \nprocess agreed, saying that though searches for university presidents, provosts and chancellors have largely been secret, dean searches have been public.\nThose attending the meeting had several criteria they suggested for a new COAS dean.\n"One of the strengths we've seen in our dean in the last few years is the degree to which he can play boundary-spanning roles," said Sue Sgambelluri, director of corporate and foundation relations for COAS. \nSgambelluri added that "it takes a lot of energy and it takes appearances and travel and it takes being present in a lot of settings, often back to back," to be a successful dean, and she said she hopes the committee can find a candidate that can do the job effectively.\nOther audience members said the new dean should have experience with international programs and be committed to diversity in faculty.\nThough turnout at the meeting was low, search committee members said it's not because people aren't interested.\n"We've met with a lot of specific groups and so a lot of people who are interested have spoken to us and we have a sense of what they want," said committee member and chair of the French and Italian department Andrea Ciccarelli.\nCommittee member and English professor Susan Gubar said that at this point, there's not a lot of information about the search that the committee can provide and that people's interest might peak once more information about candidates is available.\nMost of the faculty and committee members wanted a dean similar to Subbaswamy, who they hailed as a fair leader who runs COAS effectively.\nSubbaswamy was a candidate for IU-Bloomington chancellor in October 2005, but was turned down by IU President Adam Herbert. Some faculty members were outraged that Subbaswamy was not picked for the position, and the outrage was brought to a Nov. 15 special meeting of the faculty. A resolution to ask the IU board of trustees to immediately confirm Subbaswamy as chancellor was withdrawn before the meeting.
(02/28/06 5:11am)
A recent report by the Council for Aid to Education listed IU as ninth in the nation in private sector funding for all colleges and universities. The $301 million in donations from private sources in 2005 put IU at second in the Big Ten and second highest for all public universities.\n"This is a clear reflection of the respect and affection our friends and alumni have for this special institution," IU President Adam Herbert said in a press release. "It will enable us to advance further the frontiers of knowledge, provide IU students with the best education possible and discover new ways to solve the problems that make life difficult for so many of our fellow citizens."\nThe IU Foundation gave $150.8 million in gifts, while $123.9 million came from nongovernmental research grants and Riley Children's Hospital donated $26.3 million.\nIU Provost Michael McRobbie said the nongovernmental research grants are important because they fund some of IU's leading research programs.\n"This is a testament to the work of IU's faculty, whose reputation for excellence is attracting support at record levels," McRobbie said.\nThe money from the Riley Children's Foundation came from Riley Hospital for Children, from a partner through the IU School of Medicine and from one of the IU hospitals.\n"Riley Children's Foundation is privileged to represent to donors the opportunities to advance world-class research, facilities and clinical care at Riley for the benefit of Indiana children and children throughout the world," said Kevin O'Keefe, president and chief executive officer of Riley Children's Foundation, in the press release.\nIU also received record donations from individuals. The IU Jacobs School of Music received $40.6 million from Barbara Jacobs, an active member of the IU Foundation, and $25 million worth of land from William J. Godfrey, an alumnus and businessman.\nThe largest donation IU received was an anonymous donation of $70 million.\nBarbara Jacobs' $40.6 million donation to the music school was the 26th largest charitable donation to any organization in the United States, and William J. Godfrey's $25 million donation to the business school was the 47th largest.\nSeveral other Big Ten schools were listed in the top 20 for private sector funding in 2005. Wisconsin was second in the nation in private sector funding and first in the Big Ten, with more than $595 million in donations received. Minnesota was 14th with $265 million. Michigan and Ohio State were also in the top 20 with $251 and $204 million in donations, respectively.
(02/24/06 5:15am)
Times are tough for IU basketball, but former Hoosier Landon Turner knows about even tougher seasons.\nThe 1981 national championship winner visited Opie Taylor's restaurant Thursday to sign copies of his new book, "Landon Turner's Tales from the 1980-81 Indiana Hoosiers."\nThe book recounts the 1980-81 season and the car accident that ended his basketball career. Just four months after winning the national championship, Turner was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident after his vehicle skidded off the road on the way to an Ohio amusement park with several friends.\nThe long road of recovery was tough for Turner to deal with at first, he said, but the Hoosier star graduated from IU and started working at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis as the coordinator of minority affairs.\nTurner said the first game of the 1981-82 season was tough to sit through.\n"My first game back, they announced my name and gave me a standing ovation," he said. "It was happy and sad at the same time, knowing I couldn't play."\nTurner said he was happy to visit the restaurant and enjoys visiting Bloomington.\n"I love coming (to Bloomington)," he said. "I love this town. It brings back memories."\nRestaurant owner Eric Havill, who recently bought the restaurant and gave it more of a sports theme, said having Turner come to speak was a thrill.\n"When he played, I was in fifth or sixth grade," Havill said. "He was one of my favorite players."\nOpie Taylor's has held special events in the past, like a burger-eating contest and a Hurricane Katrina benefit, but has never had a celebrity appearance before.\nHavill said he hoped at least 50 or 60 people would stop by, but said past events have attracted more than 200 patrons. Havill hoped to attract customers by offering several new menu items.\nSitting with a plate of wings and a stack of his books, Turner talked about his one magical season.\n"We struggled a little ways," he remembered. "One thing about us, though, we had confidence. We knew we were the best in the country."\nTurner was a starting forward for IU in the 1980-81 season. That year, the Hoosiers struggled, losing nine games. Turner sparked an incredible turnaround, leading IU to a 10-game winning streak, culminating in a national championship. A teammate of former IU guard and current New York Knicks General Manager Isiah Thomas, Turner was named to the all-tournament team. Turner contributed 12 points and six rebounds before fouling out of the national championship game, which IU won 63-50.\nTurner said he isn't sure this year's team has the same drive to win as his did.\n"To me, this team doesn't have an identity," he said. "They don't know whether they're a perimeter team, an inside team. It's difficult to win without an identity."\nTurner lives in Indianapolis, but finds time to talk to current IU players, mostly the big men.\n"I talk with them about intensity and mentality. They should own the backboards," he said.\nHe has also talked to senior forward Marco Killingsworth about post presence and how to play well in the paint, saying Killingsworth needs to make his moves much faster.\nThough Turner was part of an amazing turnaround, he said he doesn't think the Hoosiers can follow his team's example.\n"On this team, I don't see a leader. You have to have a leader"
(02/22/06 5:26am)
A panel of IU experts Tuesday said recent controversy over cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad is about more than drawings and insults.\nSeveral panelists concluded that the outrage and protests in Muslim countries were not merely because of the drawings, but were a response to consistent anti-Muslim sentiments outside the Islamic world.\n"There is a much larger context behind the cartoon controversy, both in Europe and in the Muslim world," said Kamran Khan, a law student who attended the discussion. "Perhaps the reactions that we're seeing around the Muslim world are not only to the cartoons, but to a whole host of issues -- the cartoons being the last in a long line."\nAnthropology professor Nazif Shahrani echoed Khan's thoughts.\n"Muslims feel that they are confronted by Islamophobia," Shahrani said.\nThe cartoons, originally printed in September 2005 in a Danish newspaper, prompted a series of protests, some violent. Some protests lead to destruction of property, and others left dozens dead, including 24 people in Nigeria on Tuesday.\nA total of five professors spoke to about 75 students and faculty members in Woodburn Hall. The professors spoke about their particular areas of expertise.\nPanelists also shared their ideas about the Danish newspaper that printed the offensive cartoons, saying freedom of speech should not only be a right, but also a responsibility.\nJournalism professor David Boeyink, a panelist who specializes in journalism ethics, agreed.\n"It is one thing to offer a \ncartoon expressing one's reaction to the actions of these religious movements and another to draw ... sacred images that extend far beyond these particular movements," he said. "This is an offense that has no purpose and distorts religious understanding at the same time."\nSome students said they thought the cartoons were important to discuss.\n"As far as I'm concerned, there's two sides to the story," Khan said. "As a Muslim, I was offended by the cartoons. My feelings have been hurt. I believe that legitimate protest should have occurred, and did occur, but as far as buildings being burned or people being killed, this is completely un-Islamic."\nOne professor, Christiane Gruber, an art history professor at IU, discussed portrayals of Muhammad in Islamic art. She said that Muhammad has been drawn before, but never in such an offensive manner.\nKevin Jaques, a professor of religious studies, provided background on the cartoons, and discussed some of the political motivations involved in printing the cartoons.\nKurt Wenner, a professor emeritus of Political Science at Arizona State University, said politics are a huge reason why some newspapers in Europe reprinted the cartoons. He explained that some politicians benefited greatly by distancing themselves from Islam.
(02/17/06 4:47am)
Don't be surprised by the sound of bhangra music or cricket balls whizzing around -- MASTI starts today.\nStudents will arrive at IU from all over the country today for MASTI 2006, a conference for Southeast Asian students.\nThe conference, which starts tonight and ends Sunday, will feature a series of competitions and cultural events.\n"We're trying to get South Asians to celebrate their culture together," said MASTI 2006 Chairwoman Nidhi Singhal, an IU senior.\nThis year's conference will include cricket and basketball tournaments, a team dance competition, a performance by Punjabi musician Bikram Singh and a dinner.\nSinghal said the cricket tournament will be especially popular.\n"Cricket has gotten very, very popular, and we're excited to promote it," she said. "We don't have (cricket) here in the U.S., so it's a real treat to watch."\nSinghal said Bikram Singh's performance will also be a highlight. She said Singh is hugely popular in Europe and has the No. 1 album on the United Kingdom charts in the South Asian category. Singh is a self-described "modern \nreincarnation of Punjabi folk music."\nStarted in 1998, MASTI is run by IU's Indian Student Association. The word masti means "fun" in Hindi.\nStudents from all over the Midwest are expected to attend the conference, including groups from Purdue and Ohio State universities.\nA group from OSU, American Awaaz (awaaz means "voice" in Hindi), will also perform. Singhal said she sees American Awaaz as a mixture of two cultures -- American and Indian -- and that many participants will be able to relate to the group.\nThe dinner, held Saturday night in McNutt Quad, will feature a Bollywood theme. Bollywood is the nickname for the Indian movie industry.\nRegistration was $30 for Indian Student Association members and $35 for other participants, but the cost was raised to $35 for members and $40 for nonmembers who register late. MASTI has a block of hotel reservations for out-of-town participants. \nAbout 400 students from the Midwest and as far away as California attended last year's MASTI, according to an\nIndiana Daily Student article.\nPast MASTI conferences had celebrity appearances including comedian Russel Peters and Penn Masala, an all-male Indian a capella group.\nThose interested in attending the conference can still register from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the Oak Room in the Indiana Memorial Union.