The plan is scheduled to allow each university the ability to recommend tuition rate increases up to 15 percent annually as long as schools are actively working toward the governor’s 10-point plan – a plan geared to lower the gap between Florida’s tuition and the national average.

“A well-educated workforce opens the door to endless opportunities for every Floridian and for the Sunshine State,” Crist said in a statement. “By working together, my administration, the Legislature and the higher education community can make our universities stronger than ever. This proposal is an example of the improvements we can make for college students by bringing stakeholders together.”

The state Legislature will initially raise tuition to adjust for inflation. After that, it will be up to each university’s Board of Trustees to recommend any further tuition hikes.

The proposal, which still requires approval from the legislation, could generate up to $72 million in additional revenues for schools, 30 percent of which will go to need-based tuition assistance, Crist said.

The rich will be able to afford school, the less fortunate will be able to get need-based assistance but there are those who are too rich to be poor, and those who are barely making it as it is now. They are students who must be kept in mind while discussing tuition increases, said UNF President John Delaney, who was selected as president-in-residence of the Board of Governors Nov. 22.

Delaney also hopes the plan will ensure Florida schools have a qualified faculty, he said.

“[The proposed rate increase is] to hire faculty and lower class size, while 30 percent goes back to scholarships and student services, which will allow us to maybe admit more students,” Delaney said. “We actually reduced the number of students by 1,000 due to a lack of faculty, and we didn’t want the existing students penalized. [UNF has] the smallest class size ratio in the entire state.”

Florida’s average in-state, four-year tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $3,808 per 30-credit school year, which is in stark contrast to the $6,585 national average, according to the Board of Governors.

“The subsidy rate [for college tuition] is 70 percent; it’s the biggest subsidy in the country since we have the lowest tuition in the country,” Delaney said. “The right answer is more than 30 percent. There has been a 14 percent budget cut from the state this year, with another 15 percent coming. We do not want to cut the quality of the education.”

“The 100-percent students [under Bright Futures] haven’t been use to paying for additional fees, this is the group that will be seeing costs they haven’t seen yet,” Kaye said. “Although, it is a smaller group than the students who receive 75 percent tuition assistance, as they are already use to seeing additional charges.”

E-mail James Cannon at Asst.news@unfspinnaker.com.

A recent survey conducted by Kaplan shows 75 percent of business schools report admissions have become more competitive at the graduate level than three years ago. And with unemployment figures in Florida at their highest in nearly 15 years, new graduates will have to decide whether going into the work world or continuing education is for them.

The Test Prep and Admissions area of focus has witnessed a 200-percent increase in student attendance of seminars and practice tests in 2008, said Russel Schaffer, Kaplan senior communications manager.

“The increased interest reflects a historical trend, many view grad school as a safe haven to ride out the job market,” Schaffer said.

He believes the recent six percent increase in the GMAT – the admissions exam required by most MBA programs – is an early indicator of the increasing number of students who will apply to graduate business schools, he said.

“In any economic downturn, there’s going to be a lot of students who didn’t think about grad school in the past who will be applying,” Schaffer said.

Keith Martin, director of the UNF Graduate School, said he witnessed a steady increasing trend of graduate school applications since Fall 2005.

“Graduate schools across the nation typically see an upswing in applications when the economy starts to falter,” Martin said.

He believes many pursue higher degrees because of recent layoffs, to pursue different fields and to make themselves more secure in their current positions, he said. Many recent graduates wanting to ride out the bad economy and expand their education are considering higher degrees.

But with more applications coming in and competition on the rise, students might find it harder to get into the graduate programs of their choice.

“Gaining admission to business, grad and law school requires a lot more than filling out an application,” Schaffer said. “For those looking to start a graduate education in 2009, now would be a good time to start. It can take one or two years of preparation to enter,” Shaffer said.

For students who are thinking about going on to graduate school, there is much more to consider than current economic conditions, Martin said.

“I think location is probably the first thing people need to answer to themselves,” Martin said.

He feels a student’s hometown, family and expenses related to moving are all important factors in deciding, he said.

While applying for graduate school is very similar to the college application, one of the biggest changes students face is the lack of financial aid at the graduate level. That’s an issue that might frighten some students who are already graduating with nearly $20,000 in student loan debts upon completion of their bachelor’s, according to the Web site finaid.org

Martin suggests students consider universities that offer teaching or research assistanceships that offer tuition waivers to cover 50 percent to 80 percent.

A lot of students are burned out after completing a bachelor’s, and many need to pay debts, Martin said. But he suggests students wanting to pursue higher education do so immediately.

“It gets very difficult to stop what you are doing and go back to get a master’s degree once life goes on,” he said.

Students need to consider the outcome of earning a graduate degree, Martin said.

“With more education, you are honing in on what you are going to do,” Martin said. “You’re actually narrowing your options.”

E-mail Jonathan Morales at news@unfspinnaker.com.

The teacher of the two students informed UPD about the location and time of the following class meeting for security purposes.

Nov. 17 – Drugs (Building S) – Housing coordinators found a minute trace amount of marijuana on the desk of a student who was removed from housing.

The amount was so insignificant that it was disposed of rather than taken to the property room.

Nov. 17 – Criminal mischief (Lot 10) – Two males were seen walking and writing in wet concrete. They made several words, initials and foot prints in the concrete.

The suspect remains at large.

Nov. 20 – Missing person (Building 3) – A mentally challenged student was reported missing after she didn’t return from the washroom for several hours. UPD began a search.

Town Center security, Parking Services, Jacksonville Transportation Authority and others were asked to check their property as well. The student was found in the Fine Arts Center after about five hours.

After using the washroom, she realized it was dark outside, got frightened and stayed inside the building. She was reunited with her parents.

Nov. 21 – Drugs (Not specified) – Drug paraphernalia and marijuana residue was found in several ocations inside a room at Osprey Landing during a health and safety check.

The residents, who were not present at the time, were both referred to Student Conduct.

Nov. 21 – Petty theft (The Library) – A student reported missing textbooks.

He left his backpack and two textbooks unattended on a library table for about five minutes. When he returned to the table, the books were gone.

Nov. 21 – Criminal mischief (Building 38) – A student called for assistance from UPD when she found residue of dried egg yolk on the rear bumper and spoiler of her vehicle.

There was also a small dent and pieces of chipped paint on the bumper. No other damage was done to the vehicle.

Nov. 22 – Alcohol (Building V) – Jacksonville Fire and Rescue was called in reference to a sick person. The student had been out drinking, and when she returned to her friend’s room, she started to shake and throw up.

She requested to be transported to the Mayo Clinic.

Nov. 23 – Information (Osprey Café) – Three employees got into an argument about sweeping the floor at Osprey Café.

One of the employees engaged a non-employee in cleaning the floor, which irritated the other employee.

Two of the employees were heavily intoxicated. Their manager was notified of the situation.

Compiled by Andrea Farah.

Before engineers graduate from UNF, they must complete a project in two senior capstone courses,
designed to give them real-world experience and create well-prepared engineers.

At the heart of most projects is alternative energy, such as hydrogen fuel cells, which operate like an open battery and are constantly recharging.

“Clean energy is the technology of the future,” said Rob Cooper, a senior mechanical engineering major.

A team of engineers is working on an alternative-energy bus, which uses hydrogen fuel cells to operate, Cooper said.

UNF considered this form of alternative fuel to run the Osprey Connector. However, alternative energy shuttles are not economically viable at this point.

The engineers didn’t have the resources to provide fuel for all of the shuttles, said Melinda Gallup, the contract administrator for the UNF shuttle system.

Fondly referred to as “the Swooper” by some students because of its motto to swoop you up, the Osprey Connector currently runs on low-sulfur diesel. Regular diesel releases around 1,000 parts -per-million of sulfur into the air, Cooper said. Low-sulfur diesel discharges only 15 parts-per- million of sulfur into the air.

Improving other areas of UNF is Steve Byars, senior civil engineering major, who is currently working on the Storm Water Assessment Project (SWAP).

The project’s objective is to create a hydrology model and to research sustainability.

To illuminate the hydrology model for someone who knows little of engineering, Byars explained it like making a good margarita, you have to do it slowly or you will mess it up.

The parts of the model are the hydrology, which is the circulation of water in the environment and the hydraulics, which is the basic pipe system.

Part of SWAP involves setting up rain gauges around UNF’s inner circle.

Currently, there are five self-sustained rain gauges set up around UNF that are powered by the sun and are constantly transmitting information to a dedicated computer. This allows for real-time monitoring of water quality and quantity, according to Byars.

“The campus is like a living laboratory,” said Dr. Stephan Nix, director of the school of engineering. “It’ll help us understand what is going on on-campus, and serves as a nice, real, outside laboratory.”

The engineering college can offer highly accurate official rain data to the city because of the amount of rain gauges per square mile at UNF.

Combining JEA and two other sources, there is one rain gauge every 25 square miles, said Byars.

At UNF, there is one rain gauge every 0.2 square miles.

Hybrid buses

•  Improve gas milage by an average of 40 percent.
•  Cuts down pollutants emitted by nearly 70 percent.
•  Cost on averge $200,000 more than diesel bus.
•  More than 22 percent of all buses recently ordered in the U.S. were hybrid.

E-mail Beth Coulter at news@unfspinnaker.com.

Osprey card expands to off-campus locations
The Osprey 1Card program is expanding off-campus options for the spring semester with the addition of five new locations that are accepting Ozzie Bucks.

New off-campus businesses for spring semester include Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Fuji Fusion Cuisine, Mangrove Island Grille and Sushi House.

These businesses join the current list of participating restaurants and retailers who welcome Ozzie Bucks as a form of payment including Applebee’s, Beef O’ Brady’s, CVS Pharmacy, Smoothie King and Wok House.

Arts and crafts with Vegans
All UNF students are welcome to join the UNF Vegetarians Educating for the Good of Animals, Nature & Society (VEGANS) for a project/crafts and educational meeting at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Club Alliance Office.

Coffee with the Presidents
Students eagerly waited in line 9 a.m. Dec. 2 for Student Government’s Coffee with the Presidents. Starbucks was served on the house, and students got to talk with UNF President John Delaney and Student Body President John Barnes.

Turnout was great and they expect to do Coffee with the Presidents again, Barnes said.

Compiled by Jonathan Morales.

To get help with course work in this Tudor-style former fraternity house, which cost $6 million to adapt as a tutoring facility, a student must run track, shoot basketballs, battle the Fighting Illini’s gridiron opponents or participate in another sport.

Universities across the nation are offering even more spectacular tutoring centers for student athletes, which have become a recruiting device for coaches. Louisiana State’s facility cost $15 million; at Texas A&M University, $27 million.

As the price tags rise, critics ask: Is spending this kind of money on a few athletically gifted students appropriate?

At the University of Michigan, the student newspaper has pressed the administration to open its $12 million athletic tutoring facility to students of all types – with no success thus far.

“These athletic tutoring palaces perpetuate resentment and stereotyping on campus,” said Allen Sack, a University of New Haven professor who played football for Notre Dame and has become a critic of what he sees as the corrosive effect of sports on university life.

“A student who is not an athlete will say: ‘I’m working nights to get through school, why don’t I get free tutoring?’ That the athletes do perpetuates the image of a dumb jock who couldn’t get through school without special help.”

The academic centers, usually funded and run by the athletic department, also have been tainted by scandal as one school and then another steps over the line between helping athletes with their homework and doing it for them.

The University of Minnesota lost its basketball team and coach to that temptation in 2000, after an academic counselor revealed having written 400 papers for the players.

Last year, Florida State suspended a group of football players after it was revealed a tutor gave athletes answers while they were taking tests.

Some critics also note the facilities’ directors often report not to an academic official but to the school’s athletic director, creating the potential for a conflict of interest.

Defenders of the centers argue they prepare student athletes for life after the football field and basketball court, as only a fraction can move on to professional sports. Debby Roberts, a learning specialist at the Irwin Center, said she counsels Illini athletes to use their college years to develop their non-athletic potential.

“It’s a daily battle,” Roberts said. “They all want to think they’re going to turn pro.”

Supporters also argue the price tag is relatively small in comparison to the money reaped by successful sports programs. In its budget estimate for 2008, the University of Michigan anticipated athletic events would produce $87 million in revenues. Operating its athletic-tutoring center costs $1 million.

Universities used to usher athletes through school with the “rocks for jocks” approach – a quip derived from the not-too-rigorous geology courses that would keep quarterbacks and power forwards academically eligible.

The new approach includes services such as one-on-one tutoring from other undergraduates, career counseling, therapy for learning disabilities and monitors to see that athletes get to class. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, sports powerhouses more than doubled their spending on tutoring.

On a recent afternoon at the Irwin Center, a freshman soccer player used a computer to scan course offerings for next semester. A hurdles runner reported a high-school teammate was foundering at a university that lacks a tutoring option.

Nationally, some faculty members ask if such tutoring facilities are a bricks-and-mortar way of hiding a perennial problem: that many high-school all-stars might not be intellectually equipped to do niversity-level work.

(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

The trash collected was used to get an inside look at pollution on campus.

April Moore, programming manager for the Environmental Center, said the reason behind the event was to quantify what’s in UNF’s waste stream in order to identify what’s causing such an abundance of litter.

One of the most commonly collected trash items was Starbucks cups.

Moore suggested students bring reusable cups as a way to address the issue.

A detailed report of the audit is scheduled to be released Dec. 4. The findings will be presented to the Garbage on the Green committee and compared with last year’s results to see if a reduction in the amount of trash was made.

Last year’s Garbage on the Green event led to the implementation of more recycle bins on campus.

“We don’t want to do the next one too soon, so we can implement the waste production program,“ Moore said. “[But] it was a really good outcome, and the feedback was great.”

Compiled by Sarah Gojekian.

FPL to open new solar plant, puts state No. 2 in nation

Florida Power and Light conducted opening ceremonies Dec. 2 for its new $476 million solar plant in Indiantown.

When completed – along with two other proposed solar facilities – it will move Florida into the No. 2 spot nationally for the most energy obtained directly from the sun.

The facility will generate steam to power near by turbines with the help of 180,000 mirrors.

FPL said the new plant will produce enough electricity to power 11,000 homes in Florida. It’s expected to be completed in 2010.

AROUND THE NATION

Detroit automakers seek second bailout in two months

The Ford Motor Company told Congress Dec. 2 it needed a $9 billion capital infusion to stay afloat amidst the tumultuous economic situation.

The 33-page plan Ford delivered said within three years of receiving the bailout the corporation would again be sound.

According to Ford, it was healthier than the other two Detroit automakers but warned its fortunes were closely tied to its two rivals, General Motors and Chrysler, both of which said they could soon run out of money.

The three Detroit automakers are scheduled to appear before Congress later this week to apply for $25 billion in government loans, the second in two months.

AROUND THE WORLD

‘Chemical Ali’ given second death sentence for killings

Saddam Hussein’s cousin was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court for the killing of thousands of Shi’ites after the 1991 Gulf War.

This is the second death sentence to be handed down against Ali Hassan al-Majeed, who earned his nickname for his role in using poisonous gas against Kurdish villages.

“The court has decided to execute by hanging the convicted Ali Hassan al-Majeed for committing … willful killings and crimes against humanity,” Judge Mohammad al-Uraibi said.

Several other top Iraqi leaders were also sentenced to jail time after being convicted of crimes against humanity.

Compiled by James Cannon II.

But it’s a problem that starts in grade schools, high schools and homes. Boys lag behind girls in being prepared to apply for college.

While American colleges were roughly balanced between male and female students a generation ago, now most schools have more women than men. Some have a lot more.

Nationally, 57 percent of undergraduates are women. And as the applicant pool continues to trend toward women, more schools are reaching the tipping point of having more than 60 percent women.

Why is that a problem?

Administrators think once a school reaches that point it becomes less attractive to both male and female applicants. As one admissions director told U.S. News & World Report last year: “Even women who enroll … expect to see men on campus. It’s not the College of Mary and Mary; it’s the College of William and Mary.”

This has led some to have lower admissions standards for boys than girls. They have, in effect, affirmative action for males, including white males.

An admissions officer of a small liberal arts college used a New York Times op-ed article to lament how she had been forced to reject female applicants who were stronger than male applicants, all in the name of gender balance. That fact hit home when her own daughter was applying to colleges and was wait-listed at a school that she should have been well-qualified for.

“We have told today’s young women that the world is their oyster,” wrote Jennifer Delahunty Britz of Kenyon College. “The problem is, so many of them believed us that the standards for admission to today’s most selective colleges are stiffer for women than men. How’s that for an unintended consequence of the women’s liberation movement.”

I expected to see some of these numbers in Washington state colleges. But Phil Ballinger, director of admissions for the University of Washington, told me I wouldn’t – at least not in public universities.

That would violate state law against preferences based on gender and race.

Among the state of Washington’s public four-year universities, only Washington State University has gender parity.

The University of Washington is close, with an undergraduate student body of 51.6 percent female.

After that it ranges from 52.5 percent female at Central Washington University to 58 percent at Eastern Washington University and 61.6 percent at the University of Washington Tacoma.

Among private colleges, the University of Puget Sound is 58 percent female, Pacific Lutheran is 62.3 percent while Seattle Pacific’s student body is more than two-thirds women.

While the admitted men at the University of Washington this year tend to have lower grade point averages than the admitted women, the men tend to have higher SAT and ACT scores.

This year, the university received more applications from high school girls than boys. And it offered admission to more women than men.

That translates into an “admit rate” – the percentage offered admission from the pool of applicants – that is higher for girls than boys.

In a letter to high school college counselors, Ballinger said these numbers refute allegations of gender preference.

“While this may exist at some universities and colleges, it does not exist in undergraduate admissions here,” Ballinger wrote.

All the state schools but one have admit rates that are higher among girls than boys. The exception is Washington State University, which offers admission to 75.9 percent of both male and female applicants.

Even private schools already beyond the tipping point continue to accept a higher percentage of female applicants, for now at least.

Which leads to the bigger questions: Why aren’t boys succeeding in school at the same level as girls and what are we going to do about it?

(c) 2008, The News Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Here’s a look back at some of the most outrageous police beat moments of the Fall 2008 semester: Incidents of burned chicken nuggets, crashed golf carts and strangers terrorizing campus are all
included.

GOLF CART ANTICS
July 31 – Destroyed vehicle (Building 5) – A Physical Facilities employee lost control of his utility cart and drove it right into Building 5.
No one was injured.

Aug. 24 – Damaged property (Building 5) – The windshield fell out of a UNF golf cart after an employee parked it on campus.

Aug. 28 – Theft (Building 875) – A golf cart was stolen from housing maintenance while an employee was fixing a toilet at the Cove.

The employee told police he left the keys in the cart, and it was standard practice.

The cart was later found in the pond near the north end of Lot 12.

LITTERING AND SMOKING THE REEFER
Sept. 18 – Marijuana (Unknown location) – A student complained continuously about her  roommate smoking marijuana in their dorm room.

She finally contacted UPD when she thought she had proof after finding paraphernalia, but when UPD searched the room, it did not find sufficient proof.

Oct. 17 – Possession of drugs (Lot 11) – When an officer opened the door to his patrol car, he noticed a strong odor of burning marijuana.

He noticed two white males about 20 feet away.  He stopped them and patted both of them down.

A clear plastic bag of marijuana was found in the pocket of one of the suspects. Both students were referred to Student Conduct.

Nov. 1 – Drug paraphernalia (Building Q) – UPD was dispatched to Osprey Crossings in reference to a fire alarm.

The resident claimed that they burned chips in the microwave.

The police officer noticed a strong odor of air freshener used to cover up the smoke.

A glass pipe along with marijuana residue was found in a cabinet under the sink. The student was issued a notice to appear and referred to Student Conduct.

WE’RE NOT DRUNKS, WE’RE JUST IN COLLEGE
Sept. 18 – Alcohol (Building E) – A student in the Village was referred to Student Conduct after opening his room door to an RA with a beer in his hand. When UPD arrived, beer was also found in the refrigerator.

Oct. 5 – Alcohol (Building U) – A former UNF student was found with four containers of alcohol near Osprey Cove.

He was issued a notice of trespass, after already being issued a loitering citation.

Oct. 17 – Damaged property (Building Q) – A fire alarm was activated in one of the rooms due to smoke from burning food in the oven.

The resident was cooking chicken nuggets in the oven at approximately 1:30 a.m. She then fell asleep and woke up when the alarm sounded at 6 a.m.

She tried to awaken her roommate, but was not successful due to her roomate’s intoxicated state.

AS YOUR ATTORNEY, I ADVISE YOU GROW UP
Sep. 23 – Damaged property (Lot 15) – A possible suspect dented a UPD patrol car with his skateboard. There is no proof of the act, and the person in question continues to deny it as the investigation continues.

Sep. 27 – Petty theft (Building 48) – UPD is still working a case in which a student stole a bucket of golf balls from the Golf Learning Center.

Oct. 11 – Suspicious activity – (Lot 15) – Several witness accounts reported a subject wearing a white mask scaring residents in Osprey Crossings.

One witness observed the subject walk up to the vehicle he was in, turn his head to the side and continue staring. After driving off, the suspect followed behind on foot.

The suspect terrorized another witness as he or she was exiting an elevator. The suspect was later identified as a resident who advised he would not involve himself in that type of behavior again.

Nov. 13 – Petty theft (Building 38) – UPD was dispatched in reference to an altered UNF parking decal. The student using the decal admitted to printing a copy on his printer at home. He was using the fake decal so he wouldn’t have to pay a parking fee. The student said he did not remember who gave him the original decal, and he did not share it with anybody else. He was issued a notice to appear.

Compiled by Jonathan Morales.