Articles

Articles

Apr 22, 2005 ·

Klein addresses predominance of leftist professors

RALEIGH – Daniel Klein is a distinct minority in academia. Sure, he’s open about his beliefs and is not afraid to tell you what they are. The thing is his belief system runs counter to the vast majority of professors in academia today.

Klein, currently an economics professor at the University of Santa Clara who will move to George Mason University in the fall, is one of the few in academia who do not subscribe to liberal ideology. He is a libertarian in a profession filled with leftist professors and administrations.

·

Women’s groups against Title IX changes

CHAPEL HILL — A group of female college administrators has begun a grassroots effort to overturn a recent Title IX clarification that makes it easier for college and universities to comply with Title IX regulations regarding athletics.

According to NCAA News, the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletics Administrators has sent an email to its members asking them to contact their congressmen and other political leaders to get the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights decision overturned. The Women’s Sports Foundation is also joining in the effort.

Apr 21, 2005 ·

Community college audit released

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Community College System does not have supporting documentation “to ensure appropriate internal controls” are in place regarding the system’s College Data Accounting System Application, according to an audit released Wednesday by State Auditor Les Merritt.

A similar finding was found in last year’s audit. There were no financial statements in the audit.

Apr 20, 2005 ·

Audit: UNC-Chapel Hill has $2.2 billion in assets

CHAPEL HILL – UNC-Chapel Hill reported net assets for the 2004 fiscal year of $2.2 billion, an increase of $216 million, according to an audit recently released by State Auditor Les Merritt.

That same audit also cited reporting violations at UNC-Chapel Hill regarding the institution’s noncompliance with the state’s daily deposit and reporting law. In spite of these minor auditing violations, the report states that the school’s financial position “remained solid.”

“Management’s view is that the [u]niversity is well positioned to continue demonstrating excellence in teaching, discovery, and public service,” the audit states. “Management believes that, although national and [s]tate economic conditions have affected resources in prior years, fiscal year 2003-2004, demonstrated an improved fiscal condition.”

Apr 15, 2005 ·

Kirsanow Assails Affirmative Action in Academia

For decades, higher education institutions have utilized racial preferences and quota programs, euphemistically called “affirmative action” in their admission policies. At least one member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights would like to see that practice come to an end.

Peter Kirsanow, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights who was appointed by President Bush, spoke to students Tuesday at UNC-Chapel Hill where he focused on ending the victim grievance model of civil rights. He also argued that the focus on civil rights activism should be on looking towards the future rather than to the past. In an interview prior to his speech, Kirsanow explained that higher education is focused too much on racial policies that were effective in the 1960s, but are now unnecessary and even counterproductive.

·

College Advice in Less than 45 minutes

CHAPEL HILL – Maybe Ray Lane, former president and chief operating officer of Oracle, was onto something at my college graduation three years ago.

Lane rode into the West Virginia University Coliseum on what was at the time a new invention – a Segway scooter. He said that that moment would likely be all we would remember from the speech and graduation day itself.

“In 2036, when you’re standing where I’m standing now, you’ll be able to say, I don’t remember who my commencement speaker was, but I remember what he rode in on,” Lane said. “This baby is my insurance policy against obscurity.”

Apr 14, 2005 ·

Caveat emptor, suckers

House Bill 1183 would give the children of illegal immigrants the privilege of attending UNC schools and community colleges in N.C. for in-state tuition. Looks like yet another talking point used to sell us on the $3.1 billion bond referendum for higher education in 2000 could turn out to be a big fat whopper.

Apr 8, 2005 ·

Does North Carolina Need an Optometry School?

“No one spends other people’s money as carefully as he spends his own.” So says Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman. Let’s keep that in mind as we consider a new spending proposal being pushed by one of the schools in the UNC system.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNC-P) has advanced a plan to build a new school of optometry at the geographically remote campus. The budget contains $10 million for the initial planning and development of the project, but no funds can be expended until the UNC president’s office gives approval. A meeting to decide on the plan is scheduled for later this month.

Apr 7, 2005 ·

UNC-Pembroke aims to build School of Optometry

CHAPEL HILL – UNC-Pembroke leaders are in the development stages of a proposed School of Optometry — a school some say is unneeded given the prospect for a surplus of optometrists in the country.

Already, $10 million in state funding has been appropriated for UNC-Pembroke to plan and develop the new school. According to UNC-Pembroke Vice President for University and Community Relations Glen Burnette, that money cannot be used until UNC Office of the President gives the proposal the green light. UNC-Pembroke officials are scheduled to meet with members of an administration committee within the Office of the President by the end of the month in an effort to obtain approval to go ahead with the project.