Students help pack bags at food bank
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 18
The West Alabama Food Bank got a boost today when several students volunteered there as part of Hunger and Homelessness Week at the University of Alabama. The students went to the food bank on 23rd Avenue, where they helped to pack 360 care packages with 14 different nonperishable grocery items, said Jason Casey, a graduate assistant at UA’s community service center…The program will continue throughout with week with the empty bowl campaign at University Presbyterian Church on Wednesday and the Great American Sleep Out on Thursday. The sleep out will take place on the university’s recreation fields from 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Thursday night and Friday morning.
UA to implement new audit program
Crimson White – Feb. 18
…DegreeWorks, the new degree audit program launching at the University in June that will help students find the proper classes for their major…DegreeWorks will replace Tide Navigator, the current degree audit system. “Tide Navigator just isn’t meeting our needs,” said Mark Nelson, vice president for student affairs…“One thing that is always brought up is how valuable it is to create a four year plan,” SGA Secretary of the Senate Meg McCrummen said. “With DegreeWorks you can make sure you’re going to graduate on time.” If DegreeWorks gains widespread use, University administration will be able to use these four-year plans to gauge student interest in certain classes and plan a certain number of sections accordingly. “It really is a win-win situation,” Nelson said. The program also includes a “What If?” scenario that allows students to see how far along they would be if they were to change their major…Nelson said the registrar’s office, the University Relations office, and the SGA would be working on a promotional campaign to introduce DegreeWorks to students. All new students at summer BamaBound orientation sessions will also be introduced to the program…
4th Street closes with Nursing College’s construction
Crimson White – Feb. 18
With the Capstone College of Nursing projecting the completion of their new building in July 2010, the University is speeding up the initial construction date from late April to before or on Monday, Feb. 23. With this development, the University will close Fourth Street parking from Feb. 23 to March 3…All parking around Old Capstone Medical Center on 700 University Blvd. East will take place on the west and north side of the building from Monday, Feb. 23 to July 2010. Access will be on the western side of the lot. The University predicts that all work concerning Fourth Street will be completed by Wednesday, April 1, excluding the final layer of asphalt that will be added to the road with the completion of the building in July 2010. Upon the Capstone College of Nursing’s completion, there will be a new CrimsonRide route added to the east end of Fourth Street to accommodate students in both the Capstone College of Nursing and Old Capstone Medical Center, becoming operational as of August 2010.