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Show Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 "Campus Voice Since 1902" • Utah State University • Logan Today's Issue: Campus News Provost stresses enforcing policies BY LINDSAY NEMELKA AND CHRIS LEE staff writers The Fun, Fit, Forever Program is at it again for another round of campus fitness classes. Page 3 Features Kneaders Bakery recently opened in North Logan where locals warm up with soups and sandwiches. Page 4 Sp orts University Provost Raymond Coward informed Faculty Senate members Monday of the university's noncompliance with its own policy regarding faculty overtime. The current policy was adopted 15 years ago and has not changed since 2004, however, faculty taking too much overtime may cause future problems for the university, he said. "We're bringing attention to it because the reality is that we're out of compliance with our own policy," Coward said. "It is one thing to not have a policy, and then if you're audited you're often told to create a policy; it's quite something different if you have a policy and not be in compliance with your own policy." Coward said about $6 million is being spent per year on overtime but believes hiring more teachers would compensate. "For years we've responded that the lower teaching loads that we have are because of the quality of what it takes to be a good instructor in the class," Coward said. "Lower teaching loads are consistent with the expectations of our faculty to be active scholars." Until the rules are changed, he said, university administra- PROVOST RAYMOND COWARD discusses policy enforcement in the Faculty Senate meeting on Jan. 9.The university needs to enforce existing policies to avoid problems in the event of an audit, Coward said, and USU may be out of compliance with policies regarding overtime.The university currently spends about $6 million a year on overtime. KIMBERLY SHORTS photo tors are required to enforce them. "We have policies — they're on the record. We have an obligation and responsibility to move forward with them or to change them," Coward said. USU's digital commons, Schrode Also during the meeting, said. If the publisher declines, associate librarian Flora Shrode however, the researcher can still proposed an addition to USU publish the article, Shrode said. policy. The new policy will ask "We absolutely do not mean published researchers to request permission from their publisher to control your publishing by to post their article online in See POLICY, Page 3 Executive Council discusses semester preparations, goals BY TIM BARBER staff writer USU heads on the road for a four-game trip to New Mexico State. Page 7 Opinion "Course evaluations are very important, but it's clear to me from reactions to the new system that there is a fair amount of uncertainty and misunderstanding about course evaluations at USU." Page 10 Interact Now! Today: Scan RENTAL TEXTBOOKS give options to students looking to cut costs. The Bookstore labels textbooks available as rentals with a blue and white tag.About one fifth of the Bookstore's stock is rentable. CODY GOCHNOUR photo here to see our new Gag Line cartoon contest. Pick the winner! Added Value! Never too early to start planning for Spring Break, is it? See our website for info! IL vri Spring Break Travel Search Destination .t How many nights? Online exlusives, blogs, a place to comment on stories, videos and more. Free Classfieds, too. www.utahstatesman.com Bookstore offers oncampus rental service BY CATHERINE BENNETT editor in chief The option to rent books has been available to college students for about three years, said David Parkinson, director of the USU Bookstore, but only this year can USU students rent and return their books on campus. About 20 percent of the bookstore's stock is rentable for one semester, Parkinson said, and though it creates a little more work to track students who do not return their books, the renting process is simple. All books are due back the Friday of finals week, he said. "It's nice not to have to ship the books back," said Kassi Brandow, an undeclared freshman who rented two of her books this semester. "I think it's worth it because with buy back you never know what you are going to get back." The option to access textbook rentals from various companies outside of USU is still available, Parkinson said. Many students still use these companies because they have all the textbooks students are looking for. Brandow rented one psychology textbook for $64, which would have cost her $87 had she purchased it used. She said she saved even more on her statistics book, originally $93 but also $64 to rent. By renting their textbooks, students can save about half of what they would pay for them, said Ashley Hilton, the textbook department manager for the USU Bookstore. "The ones that see this option like it," Hilton said, "but there is a learning curve." ► See DIRECTOR, Page 3 To kick off the new year, the ASUSU Executive Council met officially for the first time since the winter break to address a handful of housekeeping items and prepare for an eventful semester. "For everyone serving on the council, reality hits and priorities change; however, I would hope a fresh start to the semester helps us maintain the enthusiasm that our council has felt since we were first inaugurated," Kirsten Frank, ASUSU executive vice president said. A few legislative items tabled over the break will soon resurface. The council will also soon address the upcoming Student Fee Board decision. "There will likely be a lot of possible fee increases that will be proposed," Erik Mikkelsen, ASUSU president, said. Potential student fees present a dilemma, Mikkelsen said, and he wants to be able to maintain a certain level of quality with student programming and at the same time keep events affordable for students. Both Mikkelsen and Frank expressed enthusiasm to review student feedback regarding the fee board decisions. Some students have contacted ASUSU Executive Council personally. "We really have some tough challenges to address and decisions to make regarding these fees," Frank said. "I really do not know any members of the Executive Council that would not be happy to explain their responsibilities and answer any student's questions who took the time to come visit us up here on the third floor of the TSC." Upcoming ASUSU elections also are another major annual event for the Executive Council, as new candidates will begin to develop platforms and set out on campaigns. "I would love to see our council show real commitment to the new ASUSU officers who will soon be elected in February and really prepare our replacements to be successful," Mikkelsen said. "I think it shows the real leadership to mentor whoever will take their place and help them to perform better than their predecessors." The council also took the opportunity to recognize the achievements of the Residence Hall Association (RHA). The student organization placed first nationally in competition for the Student Award for Leadership Training (SALT) award from the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). "We found out on Friday, Jan. 7 that we had been selected from the 16 finalists in the running to receive the SALT award," Bryce Sprosty, RHA Public Relations and Advocacy chair, said. "It really is exciting and satisfying for us to receive the award," Sprosty said. "One of the RHA executive council's goals for this school year was to See RHA, Page 2 |