University of Utah Student Newspapers | 2008-12-10 | Page 5

5 OPINION www.daiiyutahchronicle.com Wednesday, December 10,2008 THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW Proposed Dixie partnership not good for either school COMPLETE WITH VACANT ILLINOIS SENATE SEAT"/ THE DARTH BLAGOJEX/ICH BOBBLEHEAD PHIL CANNON/r/)f Daily Utah Chronicle GUEST COLUMN Corequisite not a burden I would like to address the misinformation being circulated regarding the Associated Students of the University of Utah's proposal for the community engagement corequisite. This corequisite is an opportunity for students to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the community in a way that promotes public benefit. It does not mandate service and includes no service-hour requirement. Participation in one of the three tracks could fulfill the corequisite: 1) Experiential learning courses such as service-learning courses. 2) Current departmental requirements such as student teaching, College of Social Work practicums, field experiences, capstone projects, internships and so on. 3) Internships or engaged research such as Hinckley Institute of Politics internships, Career Services internships, Study Abroad with public benefit focus, or community-based PATRICK REIMHERR research such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. The benefits for students from these experiences are numerous and long-lasting. All experiences are academic and might include compensation. Therefore, it is not service, because one is always obtaining something in return for his or her work. The corequisite would be initiated no earlier than Fall 2010 for entering freshmen, allowing them at least four years to incorporate tUe experience into their academic curriculum, thereby not delaying graduation and providing time for departments to further integrate these types of experiences into their curriculum. The proposal has been discussed with 13 deans, the department chairs, the undergraduate council, a consortium of advisers, a committee of more than 30 academics, our Executive Cabinet, numerous student groups, and in-focus groups for the Student Assembly and Senate. Furthermore, a 27-question survey was released to the student body " in which 12 percent of students responded, the majority in favor of participating in such experiences before they graduate. Our approach has always been comprehensive, inclusive and in no way indicative of abuse of trust or power. We are always open to dialogue and discussion and look forward to exploring and enhancing the initiative in the months ahead. *'<& [e-mail] Editor's Note—Patrick Reimherr is President of the Associated Students of the University of Utah, Judges should be elected O ne solution to the dissatisfaction that some feel with the Utah Senate's rejection of Judge Robert Hilder is for the state of Utah to switch to popular elections for the selection of judges. According to the American Judicature Society, 27 states already utilize the election process for the initial selection of their judges. - , -,.,.. ... The method of selection is a process devised by the people through their elected representatives to select the right candidates for judicial office. It also serves as the chief constitutional check on the power of an institution that almost everybody agrees needs a substantial amount of independence to adequately do its job. The two main methods of judicial selection are election and appointment, which is usually done by a state's governor. With the exception of a few states in the northeast where both the initial selection and retention are by gubernatorial appointment, most states utilize elections for retention of judges after the initial appointment, according to the AJS. In Utah, the governor makes the initial appointment, with Senate confirmation, but retention is by uncontested election. Neither of the two methods is perfect. An honest assessment, as opposed to a rhetorical argument, would have to admit that each system has its strong and weak points. Judicial elections are clearly the more democratic of the two methods to pick judges. Judges who are initially selected by popular election have a much greater degree of democratic legitimacy than those who are appointed or even those appointees who have gone through a retention election. On the other hand, judicial elections can serve to politicize the judicial office. As a practical matter, it is usually clear to everybody which party a judicial candidate identifies with, even in nonpartisan elections. Judicial elections also have the potential to place a judge in a conflict of interest when it comes to matters his or her supporters are interested in, thus potentially limiting the judge's independence. In addition, judges can sabotage the i Ihe proposed partnership between the U and Dixie State College is struggling again. /•-.•>'; The plan to turn Dixie into a U satellite campus under the title U of U-St. George has been plagued by controversy on both sides, and is on hold because of the smaller school's inability to afford the transition. However, . with fair opposition from the communities of both schools, % the hold might be a blessing in •disguise. ,, The U was originally approached by Dixie administra: tors interested in a partnership, / but opposition immediately mounted at the possibility that Dixie might lose its cherished title, "Dixie," and its Rebel mascot because they are considered connotations of pro-slavery sentiments. U President Michael •'-•• Young said he would not allow Dixie to keep either. Aside from the emotions tied up with Dixie losing its identity, many at the college worry about drastic tuition increases and the loss of governance as the result of U partnership. Although the plan was first introduced as a partnership where Dixie would . retain its autonomy, it eventually changed to include replacing Dixie's Board of Trustees with the U's trustees, and with Dixie President Stephen Nadauld acting as a Chancellor under Young, who would ultimately be the president of U of U-St. George. Eventually, the U would acquire the school as another campus. . WARRICK election process by resigning before their term is up so their successors can be appointed. In Idaho, for example, judicial elections are mandated by both statute and constitutional provision. Patricia Tobias, Idaho's administrative director of courts, said roughly 80 percent of the state's district judges were initially appointed. The other method of selection, appointment, or as its supporters like to call it, the "merit selection" system, supposedly removes the political element from the selection process. With this method, there is usually a judicial nominating commission that screens applicants and submits a list of candidates for the governor to choose from. On the other hand, democratic legitimacy is far more attenuated with the appointment method. The governor who actually makes the appointment is elected, but many of the nominating commission members who pick the specific candidates the governor must choose from are not. In Utah, former Gov. Mike Leavitt initiated amendments to Title 20A Chapter 12 of the Utah Code—the Utah statute dealing with judicial appointment—because he "believed that the commissions were not giving him the choices or the variety of judicial nominees he wanted," according to Ihe AJS. More importantly, the selection process remains political under an appointment rejgimen. The difference is that the candidates are campaigning to a more limited constituency, i.e., the appointed members of the judicial nominating commission, as well as the Senate in Utah, rather than to the entire electorate. On-balance elections are probably the better way to select judges. Ultimately, however, it's the quality of the people that makes the system. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu ' > , ' " • Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah, Chronicle Editorial Board. Signed editorials, editorial columns and letters to the editor are sgrj£tiy the opinions o^the; author.. The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on vigorous debate, while at the same time^ demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because ofjjajre, ethnic background, rgligion, creed, gender, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. All letters to the editor will now be published online at www.dailyutahchronicle.com. Letters that the editor deems best represent those received will be printed in the newspaper. - . . . . . . . Admissions boards could benefits from using online networking sites W STEVEN The first concept would operate like the University of California system, with each •university included being its \% own unit: UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, etc. However, the proposed partnership as it stands would be more like the Texas A&M University system, where each campus is the same unit in different locations, governed by the same Board of Trustees and president. Students and faculty at the U who opposed the plan didn't feel as though the U was getting much out of the bargain. The admittedly smaller Dixie doesn't have as much to offer the accomplished university beside its student body and future growth. With the economy in distress, U administrators and faculty v are looking for student bodies in the classroom as sources of tuition and student fees. How- , ever, the financial prospects of an increase in students doesn't completely negate the lack of other benefits. Hanging in the Gardner Student Center at Dixie is a banner that reads, 'A deal is only good if it is fair to all." The same can be said for a deal that is fair to : no one. With neither community completely willing to compro- • raise, and both schools questioning the worth of a partnership, vM sustaining the plan during sev- ; ;; eral years is more work than it's ; worth. With the economy putting a freeze on progress, the U should.' use the opportunity to kill the , ; proposed Dixie partnership. ;;;.f [e-mail];edu e live in an era in which social networking has become as commonplace as JEFFREY phone calls. Facebook records there JENKINS are more than 150 million active users on its social — network. On average, Facebook receives more than 150 effect on the admissions ofnew applicants every day. MyS- ficer. However, 38 percent said pace has staggering numbers the social Web sites negatively as well—one in four Americans affected their opinion of the has a MySpace page. Facebook, candidate. MySpace and other sites have Susan Baca, the operations made keeping in touch with coordinator of the admissions distant friends and family as office at the SJ. Quinney Coleasy as posting a comment. lege of Law said the U's law Networking sites have become school does not utilize this places where people can broad- approach when ascertaining cast their lifestyles for the qualities about a candidate. whole world to view. "The practice is logistically College admission boards prohibitive," Baca said. She also are also utilizing the opportusaid not all of the applicants nities that social networking even have a social networking sites provide them. However, site to view. Leana Prigmore, it is not to keep in touch with supervisor of graduate admispossible applicants. A survey sions, said applications and by Kaplan between the months transcripts are the only item of July and August revealed viewed. one out of every 10 admissions The practice of viewing an officers has viewed an appliapplicant's Web pages ofcant's social network site as fers greater insight into the part of the admissions process. personality and character of a Of those surveyed, 25 percent potential student. If students reported that the social Web are going to willingly broadcast pages viewed had a positive their lifestyles on a network to be viewed by anyone, college admissions would do well to take advantage of the insight • the sites offer. Test scores, " • GPA, personal essays and questionnaires only reveal so much about a candidate. Viewing a candidate in his or her social environment with pictures and descriptions of an applicant's social practic-, es will help universities better ascertain whether they are admitting a candidate with ideal characteristics or an individual who cloaks character behind good grades. letters@, chronicle.utah.edu Percent of admissions' boards that visit social networking sites: -. > Business schools: 9 percent ] > Law schools: 15 percent > Medical schools: 14 percent Impact: ^ ^ : ^ % 1 ^ ^ > Positive: 25 percent > Negative: 38 percent »j Source: Kaplan Inc. survey o f 320 admission officers. -i A-}