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ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
tuesday, august ,
tucson, arizona
dailywildcat.com/
UA falls in college rankings Campus By Luke Money ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Both the UA and ASU lost ground in the latest Best National Universities list from the U.S. News & World Report. According to the Report, the UA slipped 18 spots from last year to No. 120 in the nation, while ASU backslid 22 places from No. 121 to No. 143. Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, was not included on the list for the third straight year. Top-tier mainstays Harvard, Princeton and Yale universities lead the rankings with Columbia University at No. 4 and Stanford University and the University of
Pennsylvania tied for No. 5. The rankings, which are published annually, are based on 16 different categories meant to signify academic excellence and quality. Some of these factors include class sizes, acceptance, graduation and dropout rates. Critics of the ranking system have often stated that the rankings unfairly favor larger, private schools at the expense of smaller public universities, since a college’s reputation makes up 22.5 percent of the score used to calculate its final ranking. One such critic is UA President Robert Shelton. “I just don’t pay much attention to these rankings
since they are designed to favor well-to-do private schools with high dollar-to-student ratios,” Shelton said. “We have a broader mission.” According to Jennifer Fitzenberger, the UA director of external communications, the broader mission of the UA includes providing access to higher education for all qualified Arizona students and a unique learning experience for all those enrolled. “These rankings don’t accurately reflect the university’s benefits to the state,” Fitzenberger said. “We are committed to being accessible to qualified students in the state and access and the U.S. News rankings are
not very compatible.” Fitzenberger did say that the UA might pay more attention to the rankings if the criteria were different. “As the methodology stands, we don’t see (the rankings) as a true measure of the quality of an institution,” Fitzenberger said. Despite slipping almost 20 spots in the latest rankings, the UA still managed to garner a spot as a Tier 1 university nationally. ASU also earned the designation. Additionally, ASU earned the Report’s “Up-and-Coming” distinction, which is awarded to colleges who have made recent RANKS, page 3
loses polling place
By Jazmine Woodberry ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Just the second day of the new school year and UA students will be filling out more than just those “get to know you” surveys. Today marks the primaries for a contentious 2010 midterm election. However, those students interested in fulfilling their civic duty will have to venture farther than campus to satisfy that urge. A polling place on the UA campus was a dream of both the Arizona Students’ Association and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona at the end of last semester, but could not be opened until October when voter registration takes place, for time and money reasons. The UA has been home to early polling sites since 2006, according to Christopher Roads, deputy recorder and registrar of voters at the Pima County Recorder’s Office, but the proximity of the beginning of school and the primary date barred them VOTING, page 9
Mike Christy/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Students and parents walk down stairs to an uncrowded and entirely remodeled downstairs level of the UofA Bookstore for class textbooks and supplies on Sunday before the first day of the fall 2010 semester.
Bookstore turns new page Basement redesigned with fewer bookshelves, new kiosks to make textbook rush, technology shopping less hectic for students By Steven Kwan ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Fraternities and sororities aren’t the only campus organizations to experience rush weeks. Starting last Monday until this Friday, the UofA Bookstore at the Student Union Memorial Center will experience its own “rush” as students and their parents prepare for the new semester. Over the summer the bookstore remodeled its basement floor in an attempt to simplify the hectic textbook-buying experience. Visual changes include fewer bookshelves, new kiosks that feature brands and products supported by the bookstore and low-level lighting that transforms laptop screens into bug zappers. Aside from cosmetic changes students can find some new features and services when they head downstairs. According
to Kurtis Durfey, a marketing specialist for UofA Bookstores, one of the major additions was the relocation of the bookstore’s computer service center. “Several years ago, it was hidden in an office on the north side of the building. You had to go outside and around to come in. (The service center) has been growing with popularity as people become aware it exists,” Durfey said. The service center is certified to offer warranty repairs to Apple, Dell, Lenovo and HP computers as well as non-warranty repairs for other brands. Durfey said relocating to the bookstore’s central location on campus would make the service center more convenient for students. Next to the service center is a new area designated for Cox Communications. Representatives are on hand to
offer Cox services to UA students and faculty. The remodeled floor also features a larger presentation area, which is comprised of an elevated stage, a lectern and a
FAST FACT The staircase inside the UofA Bookstore includes 48 metal panels that tell the story of the creation and evolution of the world using Native American imagery. projector with screen. The floor can also now accommodate up to 150 seats for presentations. Durfey said the presentation area has been used for orientation
COMING WEDNESDAY
Rec fee illuminated
sessions throughout the summer, and for the bookstore’s upcoming grand reopening, vendors will be using it for demonstrations and presentations of their new products. Some of the changes to the bookstore’s textbook services are not immediately obvious on the floor. Across from the stage is a temporary counter for students who preordered their textbooks online via UAccess or through the bookstore’s new partners, online retailer Amazon and Chegg, a national online provider of textbook rentals. “If you rent through Chegg via (the bookstore) website or one of our kiosks, then the student knows that that purchase will help be redistributed to organizations like ASUA, things like Tucson Festival of Books, REMODEL, page 3
QUICK HITS
See a breakdown of the $75 Campus Recreation fee for this year.
Free pizza and pool at the Wildcat Welcome LGBTQ Pizza Party in the Games Room of the Student Union Memorial Center. Come meet the new leaders of LGBTQ campus groups and register to vote tonight from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
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Job fair connects students, UA work By Bethany Barnes ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT If you are hoping to find a job for the fall semester, the Wildcat Student Employment Fair could be the answer. Currently 24 different UA departments are signed up to participate in the fair. “We just want to connect students and available jobs on campus,” said Susan Miller, marketing and special events senior coordinator for Career Services. Miller said the event has been very successful in the past. “It’s everything from one to five to dozens of employers are looking for,” Miller said. Some employers expected to participate this year are the UofA Bookstore, UA Museum of Art, UApresents, Student Recreation Center and Arizona Student Unions. “They are extremely flexible with their hours as well as accommodating in general,” said Amanda Gaeta, marketing assistant for the Arizona Student Unions. “It makes it a great way JOB FAIR, page 7
Accoustic and electric open mic jam tonight at Stadium Grill 3682 W. Orange Grove Rd. Karaoke and open mic after 9 p.m.