University of Alabama receives national recognition for community service
Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer – May 23
The University of Alabama has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, one of the highest federal awards a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement according to a press release. In the 2009-2010 academic year, some 15,100 University of Alabama students completed more than 710,000 hours of community service with more than 120 community partners. Additionally, 120 UA faculty members offered service-learning courses and an estimated 5,300 students participated in them. The Corporation for National and Community Service honored the University of Alabama as a leader among institutions of higher education for service and campus-community partnerships that produce results for the community.
UA student journalists interning at The Star
Anniston Star – May 22
…From now until the end of July, four interns with the University of Alabama Masters in Community Journalism graduate program will be out working for The Star… “This is a unique program, the combining of academic journalism training with real-world newsroom experience over a 12-month course of study,” said Bob Davis, editor of The Star and president of the Ayers Family Foundation for Community Journalism. “Our goal is to further The Star’s reputation as a ‘teaching newspaper,’ a place where young journalists learn to grow and develop in covering their community. Our hope is to produce journalists who are prepared to face the challenges of the evolving news media culture.”…
UA among universities participating in NASA’s Rocketry Challenge
WMDT-ABC, Salisbury, Md. – May 22
WBOC-CBS, Salisbury, Md. – May 22
Three universities have successfully launched rockets as part of NASA’s Rocketry Challenge at Wallops Island Flight Facility. Each team was required to fly a rocket 10,000 feet into the air and survive a water recovery. The University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and Mitchell Community College all participated. The schools designed and built their own rockets.
Twisters were Alabama’s costliest disaster
Tuscon (Az.) Citizen – May 22
…The widespread damage will make recovery harder, said James Cover, an economics professor at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business. “The property and capital lost during the storms won’t be completely replaced,” he said. “If you consider the number of businesses and industries that were destroyed or heavily damaged, some of those will not rebuild. “The general consensus is that a rebuilding effort on this large a scale is good for the economy,” Cover said. “But when you consider the net loss that the state has suffered, the overall impact is going to be negative.
Jobless rate static here
Istockanalyst.com – May 21
The unemployment rate did not change in Morgan or Limestone counties in April, and it dropped slightly in Lawrence County…Unemployment rates in all three counties either remained flat or declined, despite the fact that there were more people looking for work,” said Ahmad Ijaz, an economist with the University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research. In all three counties, the data showed an expansion of the labor force. Ijaz said this is typical of an economic recovery, because as jobs become more available people who had given up on a futile job search re-enter the labor market. Since the unemployment rate is calculated using the size of the labor force, new job seekers tend to increase the unemployment rate until they find jobs. In all three counties, however, the market was able to absorb the increased labor force in April. “Overall the data shows that the economy of the area is improving, albeit at a very modest pace, while payrolls continue to lag the overall pace of economic growth,” Ijaz said. “It’s not just a unique case for Decatur; it’s the same story for the state and the rest of the nation.” Ijaz cautioned that the unemployment rate can be deceptive. “In the household survey they just ask, ‘Do you have a job?’ It does not matter if you are working for an hour a day, you are considered employed,” Ijaz said…The rates released Friday do not include the impact of the April 27 tornadoes, which temporarily left many in North Alabama without work. Ijaz predicts the unemployment rate in May will rise in areas of the state affected by the storms. “Most likely we will see an increase in the unemployment rate for May because of the businesses that were affected by tornadoes, but that would just be a short-term impact,” Ijaz said. “With rebuilding and reconstruction, employment should return to its normal levels.”