Thursday, September 25, 2014

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THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 75

since 1891

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

CS dept. seeks additional funds amid enrollment surge Departmental capital campaign aiming to bolster resources could start this spring By CLARISSA CLEMM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Responding to increasing enrollment rates in computer science courses, the Department of Computer Science is planning a fundraising campaign to alleviate strain on departmental resources, said Andy van Dam, professor of computer science. Van Dam, who teaches CSCI 0150: “Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Science,” will help lead the effort, which is still in its ideation stage but could begin as early as next semester if the case statement for the campaign receives approval this

semester. “We are certainly not unique in being resource-constrained, but the numbers are still pretty overwhelming. The need has been recognized, and people seem sympathetic to doing something. Now the question is what, when, how, who,” van Dam said. More than 15 percent of undergraduates are taking a computer science class this semester, said Tom Doeppner, director of undergraduate studies for the computer science concentration. The total number of graduating seniors in computer science and joint computer science concentrations rose from 48 students in 2008 to 114 this past May, reflecting a national trend of the field’s growing popularity, he added. “STEM is becoming more popular, and students are getting more exposure. There are a lot of jobs in computer science, and it has always been the case that

President to forward recommendations of Committee on the Events of October 29 to FEC RYAN WALSH / HERALD

With 214 students enrolled in CSCI 0170 this semester, Head TA Indy Prentice ’15 said there is limited space for labs and TA hours. people with a computer science degree from Brown tend to do well in the job market,” Doeppner said. Introductory course enrollment

numbers reflect this trend: Currently, 322 students are enrolled in CS 15, 214 students are enrolled in CSCI 0170: » See CS, page 3

Mail Services URI proceeds with plan to arm police force Senate endorses outsourcing Student act, but some question criticized at whether armed police will UCS meeting prevent campus violence

By CAROLINE KELLY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

inside

Following the outsourcing of the University’s mail services to a private contractor this summer, administrators are working to streamline the transition to new workers, said Assistant Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services Elizabeth Gentry at the Undergraduate Council of Students general body meeting Wednesday night. Gentry began her presentation to the council by explaining the timing of the outsourcing, noting that the office technology company Ricoh USA took over Aug. 1 as the result of a project that had been underway for several years. The staffing change came after a student survey last year, in which respondents cited issues such as “the array of the services that we offer and the quality of services.” Gentry acknowledged that there have been bumps along the way, adding that between 900 and 1,800 boxes arrive at the mail facilities in J. Walter Wilson and Alumnae Hall each day. “This is a new group of people, with a new system, trying to learn a whole university in the matter of a couple of weeks,” she said. “We’re human, we make mistakes. Occasionally we misdeliver a piece of mail. It’s always happened.” UCS Media Director Alana Bhatla » See UCS, page 4

By MATTHEW JARRELL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The University of Rhode Island has begun to implement a plan to arm its police force, concluding a nearly two-anda-half year process that was triggered by a false report of a gunman on campus. Officers in the force are currently undergoing background checks, said Stephen Baker, URI director of public safety. Once these checks are completed, the officers will also be administered a psychological test and will receive firearm training, he added.

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“The background check is a complete investigation,” Baker said, adding that officers’ financial, educational and criminal backgrounds are scrutinized. Just over half of the checks had been completed, he said. A progress report released by URI Wednesday confirmed that the background checks of officers will be completed by the end of this month. URI Psychological Services will conduct subsequent pscyhological testing, which includes a four-hour written examination and an interview, Baker said. Firearm training for URI police officers at the Cranston Police Department is also slated for completion by this month’s end, according to the report. The project began in response to a false report of an armed student in Chafee Hall in April 2013, Baker said. This was the third time URI

had discussed arming campus police, having also considered it in 2002 and 2007, Baker said. From April 2013 to 2014, URI hosted five community forums on the topic of arming campus police, Baker said. The process was an inclusive one, encompassing a range of opinions, he added. After the forums, the Rhode Island Board of Education made the decision to allow Rhode Island’s public universities to decide for themselves whether or not to arm their police, Baker said. URI decided to arm its police force, while Rhode Island College and Rhode Island Community College did not. Others at URI have voiced dissent. Paul Bueno de Mesquita, a psychology professor and the director of the URI Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, said he was concerned about further militarization of police. “Oftentimes, violent solutions » See URI, page 3

By MAXINE JOSELOW UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Following recommendations outlined by the Committee on the Events of October 29, the University will take steps to ensure freedom of expression, restructure the Office of Institutional Diversity and maintain a diverse student body and faculty, wrote President Christina Paxson in a letter released Wednesday to the campus community. In her letter, Paxson pledged to support and implement many of the proposals made by the committee, a body comprising students and faculty members that formed last fall in the wake of the controversial protest and shutdown of a scheduled campus lecture by former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. The committee concluded in its initial report in February that administrators canceled the lecture due to concern over the large number of protesters unaffiliated with the Brown community and fear that violence would erupt in the lecture hall. In its second report last May, the committee called for the implementation of 10 recommendations, including increased resources for the Office of Institutional Diversity, greater faculty diversity and expanded Diverse Perspectives in Liberal Learning courses. Anthony Bogues, professor of Africana studies and chair of the committee, » See PAXSON, page 2

Admin salary changes reflect faculty turnover 2012 data shows Simmons received $648,021, while Paxson made $350,000 base salary for partial year By LINDSAY GANTZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER

President Christina Paxson made a base salary of $350,000 in 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, according to the most recent Form 990 tax document reported by the University. But this number reflects the fact that Paxson did not assume office until July of that year, and therefore does not represent her true compensation, said Beppie Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance and administration. In 2012, then-President Ruth

Simmons made $648,021, a slight increase from the $643,072 she made in 2011. This included Simmons’ retirement compensation, Huidekoper said. As a nonprofit organization, the University is required to file the 990 tax form with the Internal Revenue Service every year to maintain its taxexempt status. The filing reports base salaries and total compensation for the University’s officers, directors, trustees and key employees as well as the University’s endowment values. Substantial changes in administrative salary from 2011 to 2012 are “just transition,” Huidekoper said. Base compensation includes earnings,

University News

other compensations and non-taxable benefits, whereas total compensation includes other benefits such as health insurance and deferred compensation, Huidekoper said. Changes in compensation can be attributed to faculty transitions, Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, wrote in an email to The Herald. Quinn wrote that individuals “either left the faculty and joined the administration, or returned to the faculty from the administration.” This year’s report does not represent any significant changes in compensation trends, Huidekoper said. David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98 served as provost until 2011, and then “went back to a faculty salary,” Huidekoper said. His base compensation decreased

Commentary

Emotions surface at a panel on a recent study investigating effects of incarceration

Corvese ’15: Adopting the Paleo diet is not healthy or admirable

Shin ’17: It is important for students to actively participate in student government

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weather

Administration defends move to private contractor, SLA members question decision

Paxson responds to Kelly reports

from $484,823 to $294,064 between 2011 and 2012. Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin P’12 began his duties on July 1, 2011, and his base compensation increase of $256,587 to $324,200 in 2012 reflects this change. Then-Provost Mark Schlissel’s P’15 compensation rose from $248,587 to $473,530 between 2011 to 2012. Cynthia Frost, former chief investment officer, was the University’s highest-paid employee in 2012, according to the document, which listed her total compensation as $2,100,895. Frost’s salary also increased from $492,057 to $541,431 because “when she resigned, she had accumulated vacation time,” Huidekoper said, adding that Frost received the payout after resigning. t o d ay

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