Witt predicts raises for University of Alabama faculty
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 6
University of Alabama President Robert Witt said Tuesday that he is confident in the school’s financial future despite shortfalls in state funding and continuing economic uncertainty. “Our financial strength is significantly further along than it has been in recent years, and that is with the $59 million lost in state appropriations (since 2008),” he said during Tuesday’s fall university meeting… “We have prepared a budget that I believe will allow us to approach the board of trustees next spring for additional merit raises for faculty and staff,” he said… “If proration occurs again, I am confident that we can absorb any financial cuts centrally, so that none of the cuts will impact our faculty academically,” Witt said. “We have built a budget and protected reserves so that our momentum won’t be affected.”…At UA, no employees have lost jobs, had salary cuts or been furloughed because of the cuts in state funding, he said. The only recent changes in faculty numbers have occurred when professors were hired. During Tuesday’s university meeting, Clark Midkiff, a mechanical engineering professor and vice president of the Faculty Senate, said he’s seen some dark times in the 25 years he’s been at UA and, despite the down economy, this is the brightest for university employees. “Faculty morale is about as high as it’s been since I’ve been at the university,” he said.
Obama hails community colleges, skirts their lack of funds
Kansas City Star – Oct. 6
… Record enrollment at community colleges occurs as funding from the 2009 federal economic stimulus program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is going away. “I think there is more uncertainty around state budgets than there was a year ago, with the end of ARA funding,” said Stephen Katsinas, the director of the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. He’s also the coordinator of an annual survey on community college needs. His latest report is due in a few weeks. One key finding will be that the number of states that offer free tuition to the unemployed is shrinking, a growing problem with the national jobless rate at 9.6 percent. Last year, 11 states said they allowed the unemployed to attend work force training programs or classes for free. In the forthcoming survey, that number will shrink to four: Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, the number of long-term unemployed nationally – 6.2 million through August – remains at levels unseen since the Great Depression. “What that tells us is that states are really hurting for funds. For community colleges, work force training is an unfunded mandate, and community colleges get no favored status in Workforce Investment Act policy,” said Katsinas, who also wasn’t invited to the White House conference.
Moundville Festival, a jewel in your backyard
Crimson White – Oct. 6
…From Wednesday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Oct. 9 the park will host its 22nd annual Moundville Native American Festival. On Wednesday and Thursday, the festivities will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s festivities will last until 5 p.m… “We started the festival in 1989 because we wanted to dispel the stereotypes people had about Native Americans,” said Betsy Irwin, the park’s education outreach coordinator and festival director. “Most perceptions of Native Americans are products of powwows – a lot of different customs merged together. The Southeast has a distinctly different culture.”…
Homecoming campaigns begin
Crimson White – Oct. 6
…Knox-Hall said the candidates must meet some minimum requirements before campaigning for homecoming queen. Candidates, for instance, must be enrolled full-time as students at the University, have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA, have 64 credit hours earned at the University and have a sponsorship from a recognized student organization. She said candidates will be held responsible for any violations of campaign rules, such as having members chalk in the Ferguson Plaza or campaigning on their behalf inside of any building…Smith said the top five candidates after the election will be invited to a party at the President’s Mansion that precedes the homecoming football game against Ole Miss…
SGA facilitates absentee voting
Crimson White – Oct. 6
To facilitate voter turnout, the Student Government Association and other student organizations on campus are encouraging students to become registered voters for upcoming elections… “The SGA is publicizing the importance of voting in order to get more students to vote absentee,” Cochran said. “We are also holding a registration drive from now until Oct. 23. Forms are located in the SGA office.” Cochran said Oct. 23 is the last day to register for voting, but because absentee ballots must be requested prior to the election, timing is especially important…
Students get a lesson in public relations
Crimson White – Oct. 6
BP spokesman Ray Melick spoke to the Public Relations Student Society of America on Tuesday about his experience in crisis public relations during the oil spill response….Meg Watson, vice president for PRSSA said she was very grateful that Melick agreed to speak to the students about his experiences in public relations “I got his contact information from our state president of PRSSA, and he was gracious enough to come to talk to the students…Melick also addressed the role social networking websites played in this crisis. “Social media is a huge impact on what we are doing,” he said. “We are really into Facebook chat to stay in tune with what is being said.” He also addressed the fake Twitter account, BPGlobalPR, that was being run by a man that was not affiliated with the company during the time of the oil spill. “We did see the account and really there was nothing we could do about it,” he said. “We did not address it directly, but we did try to counter it and get people to understand certain issues.”…
Health and Wellness Fair educates at the Ferg
Crimson White – Oct. 6
The Student Government Association and Project Health are hosting the Student Health and Wellness Fair today at the Ferguson Student Center. The fair itself is free to students, and this year’s fair focuses on a total approach to health, said Michelle Harcrow, advisor for Project Health…