OCR Text |
Show UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Academic Senate tries to define its own voice Logan, Utah • Campus Voice Since 1902 www.utahstatesman.coin Wednesday, March 29,2006 Big-time donations Uintah Basin resident Bob Williams^ gave USU the second-largest gift In university history earlier this month - a $5.3 million parcel of land. The gift is one of three multi-million dollar donations to USU in recent years. In Depth: CAMPUS CHILD CARE Wanlass/Russell $6,3 milllo May 2005 Lillywhlte March 2006 Williams S4.5 mllli $5.3 million Courtesy USU PR USU receives $5.3 million land donation BY M A R I E CHRISTENSEN Assistant News Editor ASUSU Academic Senate is pushing to have a clearly defined voice when it comes to academic issues facing Utah State University. Spencer Watts, Academic Senate president presented three resolutions Tbesday that would: • Allow senate members to vote on academic issues • Become involved in the ASUSU budgetary process • Vote on all changes to the structure of ASUSU's student government and individual officers that effect academics The proposed changes stemmed from last year's changes, which separated Executive Council and Academic Senate into two different bodies. "Academic Senate has been left without a clear roll within ASUSU" Watts said. "This will more clearly define the responsibilities of Academic Senate and will give them a vision of what they should do." In terms of the budget, these resolutions would allow senate members to vote on next year's budget for ASUSU. Currently, due to over-budgeting during last year's Student Fee Board session, ASUSU is in a $12,000 deficit, said President Quinn Millet. "Being on fee board when this was presented, it was in a time of plenty," said Nate Putnam, executive vice president who has spearheaded this year's budgeting process. "This year is unique in that we have to evaluate everything that we spend money on." In other business Executive Council members passed a resolution in support of installing bike lanes on all main walkways running from north to south and east to west. The resolution received some opposition, particularly that there is not a great enough need for the lanes. "I'm not convinced that it's necessary on campus," said Josh Wood, Campus Diversity and Organization vice president. "I don't view it as a problem." Justin Atkinson, student advocate, disagreed saying bike lanes have never been installed on campus and the council does not have a legitimate reason that it would fail. "I cannot fathom why this would be a bad thing on our campus," said Laurel Evans, Programming vice president. The lanes will be four feet wide and run in both directions. Bike lane rules will be enforced by the campus police which students will be educated on through pamphlets and other means, said Adam Christensen who sponsored the bill and is director of Aggie Blue Bikes on campus. Jan. 2004 BY D I LEWIS Staff Writer Michael Shorp/mkhaelsharp@c(.usu.edu LIMITED OPTIONS FOR ON-CAMPUS CHILD CARE have some scrambling to cover the cost. A need for care Students, faculty say limited options pose a major problem LINDSAY KITE Copy Editor Because of one underfunded, long pushed-aside campus issue, experts and surveys say faculty advancement at Utah State University has been limited, many students are paying the equivalent of double tuition to go to classes and some are even forced to drop out for a year or more. All of this because child care is not accessible for student and faculty mothers on campus. "This is an area and a university that hails itself as such a family-friendly place. I heard that all the time while I was interviewing here," sociology assistant professor Susan Mannon said. "But they don't even provide child care to faculty. I don't know much about the policies in place other than that they are inadequate." Someone who is familiar with the university's policies is Women's Center Director Janet Osborne, who said committees since 1986 have all agreed on the need for better access to on-site child care. Numerous studies conducted in the past 20 years confirm this need, one reporting 47 percent of surveyed women faculty in the sciences and engineering cite problems with "family/work issues such as child care, maternity leave and tenure clock" in 2002, according to the ADVANCE proposal. The 2001 university-assessed "Child Care Needs Survey" found that 70.1 percent of 410 randomly sampled respondents would prefer an on-campus location for a child care facility. Osborne said lack of funding is to blame for the slow progress on implementing a new center, but finished plans and a location are ready for work as soon as a primary donor comes through. She noted that though this is a long-researched issue, it is timely to talk about now because of a presentation that will be made to ASUSU April 4 as an appeal for funding. Graduate student, single mother of two and USU public relations specialist TVina Paskett understood the need for a close, accessible facility. "It is seriously hard to find anyone, especially good people, at a reasonable cost," she said of finding care for her two daughters, Jasmine, 4, and Isabelle, 2. "I work in North Logan and my girls are are in Nibley, so they are 20 minutes away. It is very frustrating. I've been on the list for the early childhood lab on campus for a couple of years, but I've never heard from them." In fact, Carrie Stott, co-director of Child Care Resource and Referral, said kids are often put on the list for the Child • CHILD CARE Higher education in Utah is getting a helping hand with the gift of a $5.3 million parcel of land to Utah State University by Uintah Basin resident Bob Williams. The total property donated to USU is 138 acres and is the second largest private gift in university history. Guy Denton, executive director of the Uintah Basin campus, said, "We've grown from 1,000 students to 2,600, and this land provides opportunities for new programs and new facilities to meet the needs of Uintah Basin." This would not have been possible without the generosity of Williams. A lifelong resident of Roosevelt and Vernal, Williams said he always wanted to give something back to Vernal. The idea of donating the land to USU came as he drove past the property on his way to work everyday. "The more I thought about it, the more I felt it had to be, for I realized what it would do for Vernal and the Uintah Basin," Williams said. Williams talked it over with his accountant, and found that the land had already been sold for a subdivision development But he didn't let that stop him. Williams had a strong vision and on December 30, 2005, he purchased the land and deeded it to USU. USU President Stan Albrecht said Williams' generosity will have a huge impact on Uintah Basin. "There's been a lot of enthusiasm from the community," Albrecht said. "We won't replicate out there what we do here, but we will be responsive to their needs. This provides opportunities for the re-introduction of business degrees and will pave the way for programs that will be unique to that area in the extractive industries. I also think Mr. Williams' benevolence will probably help others step up and donate to the university." Albrecht said one of the goals that Williams' gift will help make a reality is that of regional campuses, especially in areas that would be without strong educational programs. The Uintah Basin campus is working closely with the provosts and that he shares Albrecht's vision of regional campuses, Denton said. The land gift will provide a solid base for future growth of the Uintah Basin campus, Denton said, and will create more educational opportunities for the students of the area. Denton said the thing that has impressed see page 3 see page 3 -mmackay@cc.usu.edu Group works to humanely keep campus cats under control BY DIANA MAXFIELD Staff Writer Because of the tuft of hair on top of his head that brought singer Lyle Lovett to mind, they gave the name Lyle to the first cat to start showing up regularly. He was a beautiful and friendly tabby, but emaciated and sickly from living in the wild and scavenging for food. Lyle is one of several cats that Aggie Cat Services is trying to help. Shannon Jolley, theme housing coordinator for USU and one of the co-founders of Aggie Cat Services, said the plight of feral cats attracted the attention of several university employees as well as community members who are also animal lovers. Whitney Milligan, assistant director of housing and another co-founder of Aggie Cat Services, said the idea for the servce came from the pre-vet club when their adviser began trapping cats to demonstrate how to spay and neuter them. Soon, a woman in the club suggested tipping the ears and the No Homeless Pets organization was invited and held a meeting, which Milligan said she attended. Working in campus housing, Milligan said she was aware of the problems feral cats caused. "I thought it could be a really good way to curtail the feral cat problem and a good, humane way to help cats," she said. Some feral cats are born wild, others are abandoned by their owners, but they all face similar problems, she said. Some cats have feline AIDS or feline leukemia. All the cats are starving. Scott Erickson/smerick@ctusu.edu WHITNEY MILUGAN, one of the co-founders of Aggie Cat Services, discusses the operation Tuesday. But one of the biggest problems with feral cat communities is breeding, she said. Cats that have several litters of kittens in a year are unhealthy, she said, and many of the kittens don't survive because of the harsh environment they are born into. To combat this problem, Aggie Cat Services has set up feeding stations in different locations - one near the Junction and one near university housing's townhouses, which she operates. The cats are fed at a set time each night, she said, and have become conditioned to gathering on her front porch at 5 p.m. - the time when she typically puts food out. "They're like Pavlov's dogs," she said. As the cats become used to their new feeding routine, Jolley said she then begins putting the food inside the traps provided by No Homeless Pets. Initially, the traps are not set to actually trap the cats, she said. When the cats become comfortable with the traps, Aggie Cat Services sets them, putting dry food and a smelly fish such as salmon or mackerel inside to attract the cats. Cats who venture inside the cages to eat get trapped. Then, trapped cats have to be watched closely to make sure they don't hurt themselves. "It's hard. It freaks them out," Jolley said. Those cats that are trapped are taken to a local vet, who spays or neuters and vaccinates the cats, tipping their ears so that those who have been taken care of can be recognized. Male cats are immediately • CATS see page 3 |