TNR - 1.27.11

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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS ORGANIZATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI | WWW.NEWSRECORD.ORG

THE NEWS RECORD

131 years in print Vol. CXXXI Issue XXXII

THURSDAY | JANUARY 27 | 2011

spotlight | 4

NONTRADITIONAL end of a decade STUDENT Celebrates

PLAYING THROUGH

Bellman perseveres for Bearcats

sports | 6

UC retention rates rise as nation slumps James sprague | NEWS EDITOR

Retention rates for four-year private colleges might be declining nationwide, according to a recent survey, but rates are increasing at the University of Cincinnati. Data collected by ACT, Inc. of more that 2,500 baccalaureate universities and colleges throughout the United States have shown that within 27 years of research, retention rates for fouryear private institutions are at an all-time low. Retention rates have declined from 75 percent of students returning to private colleges in 2005 to 72 percent currently. UC, however, is kicking the nationwide trend of declining in retention. In 2005, UC retained 80 percent of students enrolled in its four-year programs. Since then, retention

at UC has increased during each subsequent year. In 2009, 84.5 percent of four-year students at UC remained. UC successfully dodged the decline other universities have experienced for multiple reasons, said Caroline Miller, senior associate vice president for enrollment management. “UC has avoided this path because we have been very intentional about supporting our entering baccalaureate students,” Miller said. Currently, private colleges are trailing public colleges in retention rates. In 2009, the ACT survey reports, 74 percent of students were retained at four-year public universities. “College retention is a very challenging problem facing our nation,” said Jon Whitmore, ACT’s chief executive officer. “If we

are to meet the goal set forth by President Obama to increase the number of young adults who earn a college degree, we must not only ensure that more students have access to college, but also make certain that they are prepared to succeed once they get there.” UC is taking special care to make sure the numbers stay high. Among the plans of action UC has taken to improve student retention rates are learning communities, First-Year Experience, increased advising support and availability of tutoring, Miller said. “We have also done some thorough assessments of admissions criteria to be successful in certain disciplines,” she said. A periodic research report by ACT, “What Works in Student Retention,”suggested that methods

retention rates

key

75.3%

53%

72.7%

80%

29%

72.4%

56%

man, i’m so totally board.

84.5%

74%

2010

2005

such as the ones being used by UC are becoming common practice among many colleges. The results also found that, while four-year retention rates

2-year uc

private public

(based on act, inc. data)

are decreasing across the U.S., more students are staying at twoyear colleges than in the past. see RATES | 5

US seeks drugs for execution sean Peters | chief reporter

coulter loeb | the news record

SACUB COMMITTEE LISTENS University groups give presentations and proposals for support from the student general fee.

SACUB hears groups’ pleas for funding gabrielle walter | staff reporter The Student Advisory Committee on the University Budget (SACUB) met Monday to listen to campus organizations’ budget presentations. SACUB makes recommendations as a representative student committee on how student general fee budget should be used. Representatives from the Programs and Activities Council (PAC), Campus Recreation Center (CRC) and RallyCats presented their need for university funding during Monday’s meeting. “Now here comes the ‘ask,’ ” said Kim Schmidt, Campus Recreation Center Director. She summed up the objectives for all three organizations: they want more funding. PAC representatives presented first and asked for money to help reach their main goal of bringing better artists and speakers to the campus. For the current academic year, they received $160,000, but in order to compete with other universities and bring big name artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, who cost $350,000 per show, they need more funding. “PAC said, ‘We just want to be like the other schools,’ ” Schmidt said. “Well, so does CRC.” With 28 percent of CRC’s total operating budget funded by the University of Cincinnati, it is nearly impossible to compete with other Ohio universities’ recreation centers. Bowling Green State University’s recreation center is the closest comparable with 53 percent of its budget funded by the university. Ohio University funds 78 percent while The Ohio State University funds 75 percent. Schmidt asked for funding to replace and repair fitness equipment and increase the base pay for student employees who have only seen raises in the last six years due to minimum wage increases. When asked by a SACUB member which see SACUB | 5

Cold, clean fun on

campus

[above] coulter loeb | chief photographer [below] EAMON QUEENeY | Photo editor

THE DAILY GRIND Perfect North Slopes in collaboration with the UC Ski and Snowboard Club set up shop near McMicken Hall Friday evening. Spectators gathered to watch the club showcase their skills.

SG examines UC professors’ tenure Anthony orozco | NEWS EDITOR The University of Cincinnati Student Government met Wednesday night to discuss professor tenure and to formally induct a senator-at-large elect. Kathleen Hurley was elected for the senator-at-large seat Jan. 12. The seat was open after the resignation of Sen. Shy Ruparel last November. Student Senate inducted Hurley early in the meeting before moving on to other business. Vice President Mark Rooney spoke on a future meeting to be hosted between all of the deans of the university and him to discuss the professor tenure process. Rooney will be collecting data reflecting how student evaluations affect the tenure process. “This is not anything coming down from the administration,” said Drew Smith, student body president. “It’s something we are trying push. As of right now, I believe that it is a little too easy for professors to receive tenure.” SG’s executive

said student perception should play a larger role in the determination of the tenure. “To get tenure you have to have a high-caliber level of research that you have completed and [they evaluate] how good of a professor you are and student feedback … However, how good of a professor you are isn’t always weighted as high as the research. That’s ridiculous. They should be even.” Smith said. As of the 2009-10 year, 1,011 professors at UC possesed tenure out of the 1,746 employed, according to UC’s Office of Institutional Research. Student Government also reported that the Bearcat Transportation System beta version of its online GPS tracker program will be released Feb. 1. Sen. David Clark announced Nightwalk’s window alarm give away will take place Jan. 31, Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 in the TUC atrium for those who have requested one from Nightwalk’s Blackboard survey. Nightwalk will also host another self defense course this

Hospira Inc., the nation’s sole supplier of sodium thiopental, has ceased production and distribution of the barbiturate general anaesthetic used in lethal injections through America’s prison system. As Hospira worked toward establishing a productions facility in Liscate, Italy, they were instructed by Italian authorities to ensure sodium thiopental is not used in executions. Hospira was not able to make that guarantee and, to avoid liability, they decided to altogether cease production of the drug. Italy, like many other European nations, does not practice capital punishment. Hospira disapproves the use of sodium thiopental in lethal injections, but their drug still found its way into condemned inmates’ circulatory systems. “[Hospira] reached out to prison facilities and told them we did not approve,” said Hospira spokesperson Dan Rosenberg. “We can’t control the final end user.” Prisons do have health care facilities that require medicine and sodium thiopental has legitimate medical uses as a general anaesthetic. Although Hospira is the sole producer of sodium thiopental, the sales of the drug— vital to the lethal“cocktail”used in executions — accounted for less than .025 percent of the company’s 2010 sales, according to Rosenberg. Ohio’s remaining supply of sodium thiopental will be enough to carry out at least the next scheduled execution Feb. 17, but it is not clear if that will be the last or if another drug will be utilized. With no available source of sodium thiopental, Oklahoma prisons are turning to alternative drugs for lethal injections including pentobarbital, which many veterinarians use in euthanizing cats and dogs. It is believed other states will soon follow suit. INSIDE

3 4 5 6

Entertainment Spotlight Classifieds Sports FORECAST

THURSDAY

34° 27°

coulter loeb | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

STUDENTS’ OPINIONS MATTER Tenure relies heavily on research, less on evaluations. year, scheduled for the last week of Winter quarter before exams. Following a debate regarding the amount of funds to allot student organizations, SG

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5909

see sg | 5

FRI

SAT

34°

37°

27°

23°

SUN

33° 21°

MON

33° 18


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