Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
State and Local Coverage
UNC cost study a map to savings (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
It would be lunacy to try to convince anyone that the global recession has been a good turn of events. The financial implosion has turned the economy to molasses and creates uncertainty amid the chaos. But there is a ray of sunshine amid the ruin at UNC. A study that was examined by the board of trustees on Thursday indicates tens of millions of taxpayer dollars can be saved by rethinking how North Carolina's giant flagship university operates.
All state institutions should seek efficiency (Editorial)
The News & Record (Greensboro)
Higher tuition, classroom cuts, fewer students admitted. Those actions, and other measures, have been discussed for months at UNC-Chapel Hill while state legislators have wrestled with a severe budget crisis. The impact at Carolina and other state university campuses will be real. But a report by Bain & Co., a business consulting firm hired to examine UNC-Chapel Hill's operations, identifies tens of millions of dollars in potential savings.
Related Links:
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/story/1619179.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1619171.html
Report finds UNC top-heavy
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
A major reorganization of UNC's top-heavy administration could lead to millions of dollars in savings by creating a streamlined university that is more efficient and effective in conducting its business. That was one of the key findings of Bain & Company, a global business consulting firm hired to examine UNC's financial processes. Company officials delivered a final report to the university's board of trustees on Thursday.
Related Links:
http://orange.mync.com/site/orange/news|Sports|Lifestyles/story/38831/
unc-bureaucracy-costs-millions-report-finds
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6929474
UNC bridge proposal stirs conflict within BOT
The Chapel Hill Herald
…On Wednesday, during a meeting of the board's Building and Grounds Committee, the modern, single-mast, cable-stayed bridge was the subject of a spirited debate, with some board members questioning its design and location. …The bridge is an attempt by university officials to make South Road safer for pedestrians by giving them an alternative crossing point. Currently, security officers are sent to man pedestrian crossings on the road whenever classes change.
UNC-CH scooter riders can get permits for $24
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill trustees have lowered the price of a new permit required for scooters on campus and pledged to address some of the concerns expressed by those who rely on the eco-friendly vehicles to get to campus. The board on Thursday altered a policy it enacted in May, dropping the price of a scooter permit to $24 for all users.
Perry done as UNC-CH board chairman (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Roger Perry has concluded his term as chairman of the UNC Chapel Hill Board of Trustees. Perry, of Chapel Hill, led the board for the last two years. This morning, he turned over his gavel to Bob Winston, a hotel developer who has been on the board for six years.
LEAP tackles climate hands-on
The Chapel Hill Herald
While most students are spending their summer vacation working odd jobs or relaxing at the beach, 24 Chapel Hill and Carrboro high school students are making their summer educationally useful by participating in the Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness Program held at UNC. …Climate LEAP is designed by staff members from the UNC Institute for the Environment's environmental resource program, the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, and the physics and astronomy department in the College of Arts and Sciences.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2705/107/
Look where tax hikes got us last time (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Albert Einstein once famously defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." …As UNC-Chapel Hill economist James Smith declared in September 2001, "It's one of the all-time stupidest things done by a legislature anywhere. You don't raise taxes in a recession, or even in a dismal economic environment."
UNC Study: Smoking Rates Higher Among Homosexual
WFMY-TV (CBS/Greensboro)
A new study released today from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says men and women who are gay or lesbian are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to smoke. …"The underlying causes of these disparities are not fully explained by this review," Joseph Lee, author of the study, said. "Likely explanations include the success of tobacco industry's targeted marketing to gays and lesbians, as well as time spent in smoky social venues and stress from discrimination."
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2728/71/
Belk taking his grievances on road in video
The Charlotte Observer
Mecklenburg District Judge Bill Belk, whose marathon divorce fueled his run for the bench, is mounting what he hopes will be a national campaign to change the system with a video that highlights cases of courtroom trauma. …“One person's reform is another person's undermining of confidence,” says James Drennan, a courts specialist at UNC's School of Government. “That's close to the line.” Gene Nichol, a UNC Chapel Hill law professor, says it's possible that Belk's criticisms of the court could be challenged as violations of the judicial canons.
Hamlet center is honored for work with senior citizens
The Daily Journal (Hamlet)
…Out of 163 senior centers in North Carolina, Hamlet Senior Center was re-certified by the state as one of 66 “Senior Centers of Excellence” on Wednesday. …
“This center provides 18 weekly activities, and three times the quarterly number of special activities that we require,” said Margaret Morse of the center for Aging Research and Education Services (CARES) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “That’s pretty amazing for a one-person show.”
Issues and Trends
Perdue shreds income tax deal
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A plan to increase the income tax of all North Carolina taxpayers is apparently dead. After Gov. Beverly Perdue upended budget deliberations by fellow Democrats in the legislature, however, virtually everything else about a solution to the budget deficit is back up for grabs. Perdue, hinting at a veto, said she told legislative leaders Thursday that she would not support an income tax increase that hit anyone other than the wealthy.
N.C. A&T, UNCG plan layoffs if state budget cut is 10%
The News & Record (Greensboro)
UNCG and N.C. A&T have released proposals to cut 10 percent from their respective 2009-2010 budgets, ahead of what likely will be greatly reduced state funding. UNCG would cut more than $17 million from its budget, and A&T, more than $10.5 million. The proposals call for the loss of the equivalent of 156 full-time positions at UNCG and 71 at A&T.