UA studies new goal for enrollment
Tuscaloosa News — May 9
When President Robert Witt recently announced that there would be a new enrollment goal for the University of Alabama, he said the school would grow with focus, something the campus has done under his watch. Witt has said repeatedly since UA reached his goal of 28,000 students last fall that the university would continue to grow, albeit at a slower clip than in the past seven years. He made it clear that growth of the student body will continue to be a cornerstone of his tenure at UA when he told employees last month that he would set a new goal. Whatever the enrollment goal, it’s not likely to be as bold a vision as the president laid out seven years ago. But, then again, it might be… Applications for next year reflect the pattern of stable freshmen classes. This year, Witt said the university received about 20,000 applications, about 500 more than in 2009. In 2008, 18,500 students applied, according to UA data. That means in three years, applications increased roughly 8 percent. In 2002, 7,322 students applied to be freshmen at UA, meaning a 153 percent increase in applications from 2002 to 2008. During that time, UA administrators managed to lower the admission rate…In 2002, 85 percent of freshmen applicants were admitted. Six years later, 60 percent were admitted, according to UA data…In the fall, 32 percent of students came from outside Alabama. In 2002, a quarter of UA students were out-of-state. Out-of-state students accounted for about half of the growth the past seven years, but under Witt, university recruiters also managed to reverse an in-state trend in which Auburn University was enrolling more Alabamians than UA. In 1999, Auburn enrolled 900 more Alabamians than UA. This past fall, UA enrolled about 6,700 more Alabama residents than Auburn.
University of Alabama commencement list
Tuscaloosa News – May 9
These are the graduates of the University of Alabama who were awarded degrees Saturday at the spring commencement.
Students receive degrees at Miles, UAB, Alabama, Montevallo
Birmingham News – May 8
Hundreds of students received college degrees Saturday as area schools held their spring commencement exercises. . . . . The University of Alabama also awarded undergraduate degrees in morning and afternoon ceremonies, with law students receiving their degrees in an evening ceremony. Alabama awarded an honorary doctorate to Mary Jolley, a former longtime University of Alabama administrator and activist, according to a news release issued by the university.
UA Honors Huntsville Teacher With Inspiring Educator Award
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 7
The University of Alabama has encouraged graduating college seniors to reflect back to their high school days and nominate a teacher who inspired them to succeed. Tonight, the winner was annonced. Beth Andrada, a Grissom High School math teacher, won the first- ever Inspiring Educator Award.
UA Holds Spring Commencement Exercises
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 8
It’s a big, big day for some UA students and their families. It’s the first day of the rest of their lives as a college graduate. The University of Alabama’s commencement ceremony happened this morning, and again this afternoon. 1,100 students received that all important piece of sheep’s skin this morning, and another 1,300 in the afternoon, 3,600 in all.
WVTM (Birmingham) – May 8
WSFA (Montgomery) – May 8
CBS News Legal Political Analyst Speaks at UA Law School Commencement
CBS42 (Birmingham) – May 8
CBS News legal and political analyst Jan Crawford believes this nomination will be one of the president’s most lasting legacies. That’s because whoever is chosen is appointed for life, impacting many generations to come. Crawford also happens to be an alum of the University of Alabama, where she spoke today. Crawford gave the commencement speech to nearly 200 graduating law school students. Crawford, who has a law degree herself, has devoted a lot of her time in recent years to helping both law and communication students at the university.
BP struggles with list of ways to plug Gulf gusher
Associated Press (National Wire) – May 10
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO — Top hats and junk shots are on the list of possible next steps as BP, casting about after a 100-ton containment box failed, settles in for a long fight to stop its uncontrolled oil gusher a mile under the Gulf of Mexico. Engineers at BP PLC were wrestling with a shopping list of ways to plug the well or siphon off the spewing crude, including a smaller containment box, dubbed a top hat, and injecting debris including shredded rubber into the well as a stopper, called a junk shot. . . . Philip Johnson, a petroleum engineering professor at the University of Alabama, said cutting the riser pipe and slipping a larger pipe over the cut end could conceivably divert the flow of oil to the surface. “That’s a very tempting option,” he said. “The risk is when you cut the pipe, the flow is going to increase. … That’s a scary option, but there’s still a reasonable chance they could pull this off.”
Dr. John Wheat headed to health care hall of fame
Selma Times-Journal – May 7
The Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame will induct University of Alabama Professor John Wheat, M.D. this weekend in Montgomery. Wheat is a member of the medical faculty in the departments of Community & Rural Medicine and Internal Medicine at the College of Community Health Sciences and the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He grew up in Sumter and Autauga counties.
College News
Tuscaloosa News – May 10
University of Alabama varsity cheerleading coach David McDowell coached the coed USA team in the International Cheer Union World Championship on April 23. The USA team earned gold medals in the all-girl partner stunt, the coed premier, the all-girl premier and jazz competitions. McDowell said the teams were judged on a 30-second cheer followed by a two-and-a-half minute music routine.