TECHNICIAN
thursday october
24 2013
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Talley marks new era for student centers Dan Martin Correspondent
University Student Centers at N.C. State opened the first part of the newly renovated Talley Student Union Wednesday. Jason’s Deli, Los Lobos Grill, Red Sky Pizza, Tuffy’s Diner and the Talley Market are new dining venues located in phase I section of the student union. Talley staff handed out koozies, t-shirts and brochures to the mass of students that rushed the building. Lines of students streamed out the door and students who arrived early were among the first to lounge on new furniture while they ate food from five new dining venues. “It’s exciting to be a part of the new face of N.C. State.” said Bethaney Lewis, a senior studying nutrition science. “It feels great to be part of the legacy.” The chancellor walked through the crowded lines of people, greeting smiling students who were devouring their N.C. Statemade ice cream. “It’s very modern and pleasing to the eye” Alex Edmiston, a junior in business, said. “The windows made it look very spacious.” This renovation is the first part of the first phase of a $120 million, four-year project. Once fully complete, the 283,000 square foot building will be five stories high, with seven food venues and a 50,000-gallon cistern for rain collection.
JOSEPH PHILLIPS/TECHNICIAN
Hundreds of students waited in a line that went “out the door” of the newly reopened Tally Student Union. Phase I of Tally’s renovation opened Wednesday after numerous setbacks and delays.
TALLEY continued page 3
Planned teacher walkout garners opposition Madeline Safrit Correspondent
While teachers across North Carolina prepare for a Nov. 4 walkout in response to poor working conditions and pay, other educator groups are opposing the walkout strategy altogether. The walkout was originally assembled online to challenge recent bills that eliminated pay raises, tenure and created reductions in educational funding. Because North Carolina is a rightto-work state, the law prohibits public employee strikes.
North Carolina teachers participating in the walkout are prompted to take a sick or personal day to raise awareness for these issues. However, many educators have vocalized their opposition to the walkout and possible alternative strategies. The Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Educators Association, Iredell-Statesville Schools and the Charlotte-based Classroom Teachers Association have all opposed the walkout and are instead encouraging teachers to take part in a walk-in. The statewide walk-in invites
community members to visit and volunteer at local schools Nov. 4 to learn more about the work with which teachers are involved. With so many protests against the walkout, some teachers feel as though they do not have much support. Albert Zay, who has taught for 15 years, is employed at Brunswick High School Early College in Bolivia, N.C. His wife is also a teacher in Bolivia. In planning to participate in the Nov. 4, walkout, he is one of many who must accept the lack of support from NCAE.
“As a member of NCAE…I do understand that they cannot endorse it. That’s fine with me,” Zay said. Zay, like other participants in the walkout, said he struggles to understand NCAE’s rationale for protesting against the walkout. “Who are they going to protest, if not the teachers?” Zay said. “Is the protest slated for after school hours so that we can teach and then go protest? I appreciate their efforts but they have been fruitless and fallen on deaf ears.” Michael Maher, N.C. State’s Assistant Dean for Professional Education, said that while some teachers
have valid reasons for walking out, others face negative feedback from the general public. “If I were a teacher, I would likely not be walking out because I would want the public to support me,” Maher said. “And I think that this does the opposite by walking out. [Teachers participating in the walkout] are going to erode some of the public support for teachers.” Maher said that by walking out, some teachers are sending the wrong message. “They want to show that they
WALKOUT continued page 3
Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM
NCSU professors give MOOCs a chance, refuse to join dissenting groups
Rachel Coffman
Correspondent
Number of STEM graduates in 2012-2013
Correspondent
More men than women graduate from N.C. State with degrees in STEM fields. According to University Planning and Analysis data, that imbalance has held steady for years. In the 2012-2013 school year, 147 women and 259 men graduated with degrees from the College of Sciences, and 408 women and 1,751 men graduated from the College of Engineering. A recent article published in The New York Times fo und physicists, chemists and biologists at six major universities more likely to favor a male scientist over a woman with the same qualifications when reviewing job applications. According to Jamila Simpson, assistant dean for Diversity and Student Services, both male and female students at N.C. State have an unconscious bias against women majoring in science. Simpson, who gives presentations about diversity to undergrad students, said that students don’t typically think of women when it comes to
2000
Male Female
1500 1000 500 0 College of Sciences
College of Engineering SOURCE: UNIVERSITY PLANNING AND ANALYSIS
science. “I asked N.C. State students in a College of Sciences class to think of ten scientists, and we wrote their list on the board,” Simpson said. “Afterward, I pointed out that every single scientist they listed was a white male.” Simpson said that although students later recalled women scientists to name as well, the initial reaction was certainly telling. Simpson also tells her students about the Draw-a-Scientist Test, an experiment in which children told to sketch
STUDENT S PECIA L R efill when you b ri ng back your WW cu p with your student ID and the purchase of any wich*
a scientist reveal unconscious bias. “Students describing a scientist often include characteristics as white, male, old, nerdy and wears glasses,” Simpson said. Simpson said that these stereotypes aren’t malicious in nature. “It’s not intentional,” Simpson said. “It’s due to conditioning.” According to Vicki Martin, assistant dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Sciences, N.C. State needs to eliminate this bias and in-
crease the number of women majoring in science. “People turn on T.V.’s and constantly hear about the need for engineers and scientists in the workforce,” Martin said. “We need to make women a part of this workforce.” Jo-Ann Cohen, associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Sciences, said that women majoring in science can be deterred from doing so by a lack of other female scientists as role models.
WOMEN continued page 3
Rachel Coffman Not everyone is a fan of Massive Open Online Courses, it seems. Even though the availability of free MOOCS is expanding nationwide, 65 faculty, student, teacher and union associations have formed a coalition against them. The group argues that MOOCs are profit-driven and not in the best interest of the students. Dave Frye, associate director of the Friday Institute at N.C. State, said that despite the formation of anti-MOOC groups, N.C. State is not formally involved in any type of coalition against MOOCs. N.C. State’s College of Education offers two MOOCs through the Friday Institute. Frye said the College of Education can use MOOCs to promote its research on effective teaching methods and the use of technology in the classroom. “Our belief is that there has been a lot of talk about MOOCs, both positive and negative, but it isn’t always informed by research,” Frye said. “We want to inform the broader conversation with
STUDENT SPECIAL
research findings from our MOOCs for educators.” One major complaint from anti-MOOC groups is that large MOOC providers, including Coursera, Udacity and EdX, typically receive large profits from the universities that partner with them. According to a report by the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education. EdX received $60 million from collaborations with MIT and Harvard alone. Frye said the Friday Institute chose not to partner with a MOOCs provider to allow better control over design of their courses and make changes based on research findings. According to Frye, the Friday Institute’s MOOCs are not profit-driven, thanks to support from companies interested in N.C. State’s research, including the National Science Foundation and the Oak Foundation. Frye said, aside from the time commitment from researchers, there are few costs associated with developing the Friday Institute’s MOOCs. “Our MOOCs are part of the research we’re doing. They are a tool to get the Col-
NC State
R efill when you b ri ng back your WW cu p with your student ID and the purchase of any wich*
MOOCS continued page 2
Cameron Village
STUDENT S