News

News

Casteen cites need for added funding in annual address

By Maria Tor | May 20, 2000

University President John T. Casteen III is calling for increased funding to bring the University up to par with its peer institutions. At his annual State of the University address in Old Cabell Hall May 3, Casteen said many of the University's peer institutions receive more state funding to spend on in-state students. For example, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receives $23,089 per in-state student while the University gets only $11,149 per in-state student. Casteen said the University has suffered since the General Assembly withdrew 10 percent of the University's operating budget in 1990.

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Newcomb director to leave position

By Katie Dalton | May 20, 2000

Before Newcomb Hall Director Eddie Daniels took his position in 1995, the University's student center lacked an outdoor plaza and its dining hall dated to the 1950s. In 1997, the University completed a massive overhaul of the building, and Daniels worked to reestablish Newcomb as a vibrant center of student life -- a task he names as one of his best professional experiences. As Daniels prepares to leave his post this summer and take a position as director of campus activities at the University of Connecticut, he remembers fondly the work he has done in the last five years. "I have had a really good experience at U.Va.," he said.

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Lawyers settle balcony suits for $790,000

By Rakesh Gopalan | May 20, 2000

The Commonwealth has settled two of the five lawsuits that resulted from the Pavilion I balcony crash that killed a 73-year-old woman and injured 18 others during the 1997 Medical School commencement ceremonies. The two settlements, which totaled $790,000, go to the family members of Mary Brashear, who was killed when a section of the balcony fell during the ceremony.

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Honor grants appeal in cheating case

By Katie Dalton | May 20, 2000

The Honor Committee granted an appeal May 4 to second-year Engineering student Patricia Gonzales, who was found guilty of cheating on an organic chemistry exam and was subsequently expelled from the University. Gonzales now will stand a second trial, probably next fall, Committee Chairman Thomas Hall said. Third-year College student Matthew Sachs, a teaching assistant in Gonzales' CHEM 241 course, initiated the charges and Gonzales was found guilty in an open honor trial -- the first open honor trial since Sept.

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Plan gives University more flexibility to set wages for classified employees

By Abby Curran | May 20, 2000

With a fully revamped system set to govern the University's classified employees' pay structure, employers will have more authority over their workers' salaries and will be able to grant pay raises more easily if they so desire. Classified employees are paid a salary rather than an hourly wage and receive health care and retirement benefits.

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Construction to begin on Special Collections

By Christine Buurma | April 28, 2000

Groundbreaking for a new library that will house unique relics of American history will take place tomorrow in front of Alderman Library. The new library, the Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature and Culture and the Albert H.

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Honor listens to student suggestions

By John McArdle | April 28, 2000

Four Honor System Review Commission members met with about 20 students last night in an open forum in Minor Hall to discuss concerns about the system. Commission members said this feedback will be important as they head into the most intensive phase of their evaluation of the Committee's procedures. Committee Chairman Thomas Hall, Terra Weirich, former Committee vice chairwoman for trials, Amy Campbell, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences representative, and Neil Bynum, interim assistant dean of the Luther P.

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University will offer dual degree program

By Abby Curran | April 28, 2000

Students from the University of Virginia's College at Wise now have the opportunity to spend their fourth year in a dual degree program taking classes at the University's Engineering School. The College at Wise is a University branch located in southwest Virginia. Through the program, selected students would study math and science at the College at Wise for three years, and then spend their fourth year in the Engineering School.

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Dorm segregation concerns officials

By Jacqueline Roper | April 28, 2000

First years soon may be unable to choose between Old and New Dorms if University officials initiate a proposal to increase diversity in some first-year residence halls. Housing officials and deans are looking for ways to decrease the disparity between white and non-white students in first-year housing.

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Stiffer competition shocks hordes of hopeful Hokies

By Jason Baker | April 27, 2000

Admissions applications to Virginia Tech are up 12 percent this year, allowing Virginia Tech admissions officials to be more selective than ever before. Virginia Tech received about 18,400 applications this year - almost 2,000 more applicants than last year's 16,500.

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EPA fines University $33,990 for environmental violations

By Shelley Johnson | April 27, 2000

The University faces $33,990 in penalties for not complying with Environmental Protection Agency codes concerning hazardous wastes and oil spill regulations. EPA spokeswoman Ruth Podems said the University has corrected the violations. "The University now has submitted an oil spill prevention plan and has certified they are in compliance with hazardous materials regulations," Podems said. Last fall, the EPA targeted higher education as an area for inspection and reform, making the University an obvious focus in the Commonwealth of Virginia, said Ralph Allen, director of the University's Environmental Health and Safety office. Upon inspection in June and September, the EPA noted the University was not in concurrence with two regulations - the Resource Conservation Recovery Act and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Act.

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Survey searches for reason behind runners' daily grind

By Vince Gaiani | April 27, 2000

Like sunny weather and flowers in bloom, the sight of students running around Grounds seems to be a rite of spring at the University.

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Students request role in basketball arena plans

By Jaime Levi | April 27, 2000

Although the University's new basketball arena has not yet begun to be constructed, students and administrators already are discussing the role students will have in its development. "We want to assert ourselves early on so that our claims don't get pushed by the wayside," Student Council President-elect Joe Bilby said.

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New antibiotics may be unable to stave off bacterial attack

By Shetal Patel | April 27, 2000

The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria could nullify the effects of antibiotics, the miracle drugs of yesterday. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved Zyvox, an antibacterial drug that is part of a first new class of antibiotics to be developed in 35 years.

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Council upholds 12 Appropriations allocations

By Sarah Marchetti | April 27, 2000

Two of the 14 Contracted Independent Organizations that appealed for more funding from Student Council got what they asked for at Tuesday's hearing, which lasted until early Wednesday morning. Council's Appropriations Committee granted the Virginia Club Ice Hockey team and CAINE, a comic book and animation organization, more Student Activity Fee money than the Committee originally allocated.

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Court justices hear argument on primaries

By Emily Roper | April 27, 2000

Following criticisms of voting practices during this year's Republican presidential primaries, the U.S.

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Medical Error: a problem that cannot be ignored

By Supriya Jaiswal | April 27, 2000

About 98,000 Americans are dying from medical errors each year. Such an appalling statistic is the equivalent of one jumbo jet plane crash per day. The blatant truth of the matter is that we never hear it in quite such harsh terms.

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Scholarships at the University

By Cavalier Daily Staff | April 26, 2000

National College Scholarships For Second Years: *Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship gives outstanding natural science or math-majoring college sophomores and juniors up to $7,000 for a year of study. For Third Years: *Beinecke Memorial Scholarship for need and merit, covers tuition and expenses for about 12 college juniors to finish their senior year and pay for two years of grad school *Barry M.

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More prank calls reported to Honor

By Jaime Levi | April 26, 2000

After two more University students reported yesterday that they received suspicious phone calls from a man claiming to be an Honor Committee representative, the Committee is taking steps to better inform students of its phone call policies. A total of three students now have reported receiving phone calls on Sunday night between 1:30 and 2:15 in the morning from a man calling himself "Jack." The man, who spoke in a foreign accent, reportedly told the students they were being brought up on honor charges and that they should meet him at either Espresso Corner or Espresso Royale Café to discuss the charges. According to Vice Chairwoman for Investigations Ginny Rothschild, in the most recently reported phone call, the student thought the caller was one of her friends playing a joke on her.

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University competes for humanities center

By Abby Curran | April 26, 2000

The University soon may host one of 10 Regional Humanities Centers nationwide if it receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The regional center would serve as an educational and research facility available for all the region's residents, focusing on exploring and preserving local history. Encyclopedias, films, radio recordings and other historically significant items would be available at the centers. The NEH is founding the 10 centers based on the idea that by "understanding regionalism, one can really get in touch with the history of the whole nation," NEH spokesman Jim Turner said. The institution housing each regional center would receive $5 million over a five-year period and would be expected to raise $15 million on its own over seven years. The University now is in competition with the College of Charleston to host the South Atlantic Regional Center.