Four years early, a new campus
Crimson White – Sept. 25
… later that year, Witt announced a new goal for the University to reach 28,000 students within a decade. Earlier this month, the University exceeded this goal, nearly four years in advance…This year’s class includes 102 National Merit Scholars, which is 19 students higher than last year, and 25 National Achievement Scholars…In addition, the freshmen class includes 1,173 students with a high school grade point average of 4.0, over 161 students more than last year…Witt detailed how the University will take the next year or so to formulate a new enrollment plan due to the current economic climate. “I would like to use the next 12 to18 months to try to get a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the current economy on University enrollment in general,” Witt said. There are a lot of forces out there that I think we need to understand better before we are in a position to set new enrollment goals.” Witt said part of this decision-making will be Provost Judy Bonner and Vice Provost Mark Nelson’s continued efforts to ensure incoming students are taking full advantage of the Alabama experience and to “make certain that growth has not in any way detracted from the quality of their experience.”…“The University of Alabama family embraced President Witt’s goal and got behind the recruitment efforts,” Bonner said in an e-mail.“With the increased enrollment, we have been able to add a transit system, build new parking decks, build new residence halls, build new and renovate existing academic buildings, make compensation for faculty and staff more competitive with peers, and this list can go on and on,” Bonner said.
Wireless internet will cover entire Strip
Crimson White – Sept. 25
The University, the Chamber of Commerce, the city of Tuscaloosa and AT&T announced the “Tide-Fi” initiative Thursday at the ribbon cutting ceremony that will provide free Wi-Fi on the Strip…The project is a great way to get the students engaged in real world business projects, said Mike Hardin, senior associate dean in the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. “The funding was provided by the partners of the project,” he said. “Along with the support of Dr. Witt, we were able to fund this project of economic development and support of education.”…
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 24
SEC Tailgate to be in Tuscaloosa Saturday
Crimson White – Sept. 25
CBS College Sports Network’s SEC Tailgate show will be live on campus this Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. prior to the Crimson Tide’s matchup with Arkansas. This week’s show originates in front of Doster Hall…Guests on this week’s program include Tuscaloosa News sports editor Cecil Hurt and Paul “Bear” Bryant Museum Director Ken Gaddy…
August dip reverses four-month trend
Huntsville Times – Sept. 25
…In Alabama, home sales haven’t fared so well: Statewide, sales of all types of homes – new and existing – dropped 12.5 percent from July to August and 12.7 percent for the year, according to the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama…Alabama’s numbers are steeper because the national market has been dropping for a longer period of time, said Grayson Glaze, executive director for ACRE. “Although the statewide market has experienced a significant decrease in sales transactions, the overall decline since the onset of the downturn has not been as steep as its U.S. counterpart,” Glaze said. “The positive U.S. percentage change in sales (in contrast to Alabama) has much to do with the prior year results, which in the case of the national figures were at all-time lows.”…
Riley’s experience with injury shapes her career choice
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 25
While most students attend college to eventually obtain traditional careers such as working as teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses and journalists, Stephanie Riley wants to study the science behind making prosthetics. Riley, a sophomore at the University of Alabama, plays volleyball for the Crimson Tide…
Notre Dame professor speaks on plagiarism
Crimson White – Sept. 25
…(Susan)Blum, an anthropology professor at the University of Notre Dame, spoke Thursday night to a full crowd in the Ferguson Center Ballroom. Blum’s lecture focused on plagiarism in the university setting. The lecture covered her book, “My Word! Plagiarism and the College Culture.” Blum was introduced by the president of the Academic Honor Council, Leah Bruchis, and Mark Nelson, the vice president for student affairs and vice provost…Blum said the goal of her lecture was to change how students thought about plagiarism and other issues that affected their academic life. “Respect your predecessors,” Blum said. “But also consider yourself a contributor to knowledge and not just a consumer.”…
Director, performers help unify disjointed material
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 25
…Textual and thematic questions aside, though, it’s easy to see why director Matthew Burkholder, a graduate directing student at the University of Alabama, chose this work. It’s a challenge to join what is disjointed — reflecting outsider status, jagged emotional states — and make it flow, cohere and reverberate. In that, Burkholder succeeds on many levels…
Meehyun Ahn performs at Moody Music
Crimson White – Sept. 25
The UA College of Arts and Sciences school of music, the College of Human Environmental Sciences and Creative Campus have come together to bring world-renowned pianist Meehyun Ahn to perform a piano concert tonight. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. in the Moody Music Building concert hall and is being held for the public at no cost. Ahn, who has played all over the world, including in the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London, also is the daughter of UA alumnus Sookja Lim, who studied at the College of Human Environmental Sciences in the late 1960s. Milla Boschung, dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences, said it was Lim’s dream to see her daughter perform at the University. “The University of Alabama still holds a special place in her heart after all these years,” Lim said. “She would never have been able to accomplish all she has without the knowledge she gained and the people she met while being a student.”…
Department of Theatre and Dance Welcomes Philip Sneed
Crimson White – Sept. 25
Next week, as guest director of the UA Department of Theatre and Dance’s “The Time of Your Life,” Philip Sneed will remain behind the scenes. But Friday, he takes center stage. Sneed will perform in “The Fever” on today at 4 p.m. in the Allen Bales Theatre…Sneed will host an informal talkback session with the audience after his performance…Sneed is the producing artistic director of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the nation’s second-oldest Shakespeare company. He also is the president of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America…
PR magazine accepting applications
Crimson White – Sept. 25
Platform online magazine is now accepting applications from public relations majors and minors for the spring. The magazine, which is published by students in APR 415 Online Magazine Writing and Editing: Advanced PR Writing, gives 10 to 12 students each semester the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the classroom. The class aims to give students real-world style working experience and an opportunity to be published before graduating…“I began teaching the class during the fall of 2007 and see it as a great alternative to other required major courses that PR students can take because it helps students to further develop their writing skills which are so vital in this field,” said Tracy Sims, the faculty editor of Platform. “It’s an expectation of any future employers in the PR field that employees be able to write well, and this class offers the opportunity to write something different from the type of things you normally write — it allows students to contribute to the knowledge and future of their field, which is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students.”…
UA Athletes Help Out with SEC’s “Together We Can” Project
CBS42 (Birmingham) – Sept. 24
…University of Alabama athletes have come together to collect donations for the West Alabama Food Bank…
Our View: Career fairs help students
Crimson White – Sept. 25
Events like the career fair are important services coordinated by the University. Often, UA-coordinated events apply to niche groups. Career fairs transcend boundaries of major, college and socioeconomic status. In the end, when we leave this place, we’ll all be looking for jobs. We hope students take advantage of opportunities like this…