Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
In free speech vs. privilege battle, who wins?
Reuters (Wire Service)
An unusual lawsuit brought by a Louisiana group that represents death row prisoners is pitting two bedrock legal principles against each other: free speech and attorney-client privilege. …The center is making an "unfocused blunderbuss request that it's going to be very hard to grant," said Bernard Burk, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina law school, who specializes in professional responsibility.
National Coverage
Defining Higher Education Success (Opinion-Editorial Column)
U.S. News & World Report
Nicole Hurd, who served as an assistant dean at the University of Virginia, is the founder and executive director of the National College Advising Corps, headquartered at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill.
Consider These College Options to Cut Costs
U.S. News & World Report
…Historically, a student who chose to go to a public university in another state has had to pay considerably higher tuition than in-staters. At the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, for instance, in-state tuition and fees for full-time freshmen are currently $12,634, compared to $37,782 for out-of-state students. At the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, the difference in tuition and fees is similarly large: $7,008 for residents versus $26,834 for nonresidents.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/4751/107/
Obama advisor Gibbs sees a 'very, very close' race
The Los Angeles Times
…Robert Gibbs, Obama’s former press secretary, said in an appearance here Tuesday night that Perry has another quality that counts for something in presidential politics. “You can say a lot about Rick Perry," Gibbs told an audience on the University of North Carolina campus. After a pause, he added: “He looks very comfortable in his boots. That’s worth something.’’
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/4728/1/
North Carolina Voters to Decide on Same-Sex Marriage
The New York Times
…It is already illegal for people of the same sex to marry in North Carolina. If the amendment passes, it will serve to reinforce that ban and make it more difficult for future legislatures to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. It could also call into question domestic partnership benefits offered by public institutions and the application of domestic violence laws, said Holning Lau, an associate professor of law at the University of North Carolina.
North Carolina Puts Gay Marriage Ban On May 2012 Ballot
The Huffington Post
…Maxine Eichner, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, and some of her colleagues prepared a report on the proposed amendment in June that outlined potential problems. Even with the revisions made in the last week, Eichner said in an email, the amendment could still interfere with existing child custody and visitation rights and invalidate trusts, wills and end-of-life directives in favor of an unmarried partner, no matter the genders of the unmarried pair.
New York is Mired in a Test Score Muddle
NBC News
Finally, the testers are going to be tested. The Board of Regents wants an independent investigator to see how well the state education department handles complaints. …The New York Times quotes one expert on test security, Gregory Cizek of the University of North Carolina, as saying that New York’s current test security practices put us "near the bottom" of states nationally.
Fatal Car Crashes Drop For 16-Year-Olds, Rise For Older Teens
"Morning Edition" National Public Radio
…It's one explanation for the latest findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at the University of North Carolina and the California Department of Motor Vehicles analyzed more than 130,000 fatal teen crashes over 22 years. They found that tougher licensing laws have led to 1,348 fewer fatal car crashes involving 16-year-old drivers. But during the same period, fatal crashes involving 18-year-old drivers increased. They were behind the wheel in 1,086 more fatal accidents.
Reforming the Carnivores
Inside Higher Ed
…In trying to get grass-fed beef into the dining halls at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the student group Fair Local Organic (FLO) realized just how difficult it is to find such a product. North Carolina contracts with the food service provider Aramark, which has a number of safety, equipment and process regulations that producers must meet in order to supply for the company. But those regulations often aren’t feasible for the smaller producers that raise their animals humanely, students said.
State and Local Coverage
UNC improves in national rank, still 5th among public schools
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks fifth among the nation’s best public universities for the 11th consecutive year, according to U.S. News & World Report magazine. The rankings appear in the 2012 “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook and at www.usnews.com today.
Related Links:
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/15501024/article-Duke-ranks-in-Top-10-again?
http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/09/13/article/duke_wake_unc_featured_in_annual_college_rankings
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/4751/107/
UNC Garners 5th In US News & World Rankings
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
The US News & World Report has named UNC as the fifth best public university in the nation for the 11th year in a row. …UNC did receive a number one ranking for the 7th year in a row in U.S. News’ public university rankings for “Great Schools, Great Prices.” Nationally, UNC holds the number 12 spot in the value category. Other interesting statistics for UNC include a 97 percent retention rate among freshman, a 90 percent average six-year graduation rate and an 80 percent average four-year rate.
Related Links:
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2011/sep/14/wsmet01-wake-forest-is-ranked-among-top-30-schools-ar-1388247/
http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/elon-47751-marks-news.html
President Obama's visit: about N.C. jobs or his own?
WNCN-TV (NBC/Raleigh)
…Robert Gibbs, former White House press secretary and current Obama campaign adviser, disagrees. "Tomorrow's stop is not about the president's job, it's about the jobs of North Carolinians,” he told NBC-17 Tuesday night. Gibbs was in Chapel-Hill speaking to students at UNC Tuesday evening. He told NBC-17 the president chose the Triangle for a reason.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/4728/1/
A misstep by Saffo
The Star News (Wilmington)
Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo should know better than to include his city email address in his contact information when filing for re-election or answering political questionnaires. It’s an easy way to give an opponent ammunition because, well, it just doesn’t look right. …A lawyer with the UNC School of Government in Chapel Hill says there’s no clear violation of any law governing use of public emails for incidental private correspondence.
Durham leaders call for investigation over DSS
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
…Anything that needs to be looked into "in order to bring closure to this gossip, innuendo and plain old lies that a lot of people are putting out there about this process," Bowser said. Commissioners told County Manager Mike Ruffin and County Attorney Lowell Siler to find out who could oversee the investigation they'd like to see completed by the end of October. Siler suggested tasking the N.C. Department of Justice, the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government, or a retired judge to investigate.
Customize meals for family (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
There's an old saying in food service: Aim to please the majority of the people the majority of the time. But what about when the people you're serving are family members? How can you consistently please your toughest customers? One approach: Customizable meals. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical associate professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)
A loud reminder (Letter to the Editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Regarding a recent letter concerning the Silent Sam monument on the UNC campus, I agree that the statue should continue to stand, though for reasons different from those the letter-writer gives. (Lee Quinn, Raleigh)
UNC's Withers reassures faculty in email
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
North Carolina interim football coach Everett Withers wants to win games. But in a Sept. 7 email sent to the university's faculty, he stressed that he wants to do so with players who also want to earn a degree. "We are committed to a recruiting process to find young men who possess a desire to achieve success not only on the football field, but in the classroom and the Carolina Community," wrote Withers, whose team is 2-0 entering Saturday's game against Virginia.
Issues and Trends
ECU loses several hundred positions in budget crunch
WNCT-TV (CBS/Greenville)
A new report says that ECU lost several hundred positions as the state tries to balance the budget. In an online report the University of North Carolina system says it cut more than 3,000 employees and nearly 1,500 vacant positions state wide.