Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio
{SINCE 1981} /thepaisano
UTSA UTSA Assistant Professor of Biology, Kirsten Hanson is the principle investigator for a $670,000 grant awarded from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop preventative antimalarial treatments. Despite medical progress in combatting malaria, the mosquito-borne illness kills nearly half a million prople annually, many of them from sub-Saharan Africa.
Texas Steven Weinberg, a Nobel prize winning professor at UTAustin stated that he would ban guns from his classroom, regardless of the campus carry law. Weinberg says that he expects to face lawsuits in response to his declaration but believes that he will win. This led lawmakers to question UT System Chancellor William McRaven on how he will handle professors like Weinberg and enforce the new gun policy. McRaven has stated that he expects at least one of the universities within the UT System will be sued over its “gun-free zone” rules either by campus carry opponents or supporters.
U.S. The 2016 presidential race is on its way to being the most expensive in American history. The candidates and political groups supporting them raised over $837 million in 2015; nearly half of this money came from super PACS, which have no limitation on contributions. New filings show that the Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Marco Robio and Ted Cruz campaigns raised the largest sums.
World The Zika virus has been declared an international health emergency. The untreatable viral outbreak is linked to birth defects in thousands of Latin American babies. Officials say the virus has “spread explosively”.
PIZZA COUPON INSIDE !
Volume 53 @ThePaisano
Issue 4
February 2 - February 9, 2016
@paisanomedia
www.Paisano-Online.com
Downtown students pay the same fees, call for the same services Alex Birnel
News Assistant
@alexbirnel news@paisano-online.com Students and other members of the Downtown UTSA campus are petitioning for on-campus childcare. This fraction of students has started a Facebook petition called “UTSA Downtown Campus Matters Too.” Many students at the downtown campus struggle to find childcare while juggling class and keeping obligations. The exhaustion of balancing an education with
parenthood is what led social work graduate student Bianca Ramirez to organize herself and other studentparents to call on the university to expand services. Anne Folmar, an administrative associate at the Child Development Center, the non-profit entity that provides childcare on the main campus, explains that the tuition they collect operates like an advance. Annually, a portion of students’ tuition is allocated towards operational costs at the center. The non-profit then charges parents a monthly fee of $609 for children
aged 6 weeks to 35 months and $562 for children aged three to five years. They then use that money to reimburse the university. Beyond the economics, Ramirez explains that alleviation is the reason this service is desperately needed. For her, it is a personal, as well as group issue. She explains, “Being a single mother is one of the most challenging things I have ever endured; it is not easy trying to balance parenting and student-obligations at the same time while also working to support your family.” Once upon a time, that
lack of relief almost derailed her education. Ramirez explains that although she now has some support with childcare during her classes, in the past she did not. “It was very difficult trying to focus on my classes and homework. I can honestly say that if it was not for child care I probably would not be in graduate school right now or have a bachelor’s degree,” Ramirez said. Ramirez is not alone in expressing exasperation. The reality for student-parents bears a common thread of difficulty. Bisrat Sium, a social work
student at the downtown campus explains what it is like to lack campus support. “It was very difficult during my first semester here at the downtown campus. There are not many childcare centers and it was a challenge for me to find someone to care for my daughter while I went to school. There were times I had to bring my daughter to presentation panels or classes so I could attend,” she expressed. Another student, Armando Fernandez, is anxious to see something done. See Downtown, page 2
UTSA’s Child Development Center (pictured) is a non-profit that students and faculty may enroll their children in. For financial aid recipients, various types of financial aid can cover childcare costs. Downtown students are calling for childcare at their campus.
Fabian De Soto, The Paisano
Graduation plans stalled: Required courses not offered each semester Katelyn Wilkinson Staff Writer
@katelynmarie11 news@paisano-online.com When registering for spring classes, Roy Dixon, a senior computer science major, learned he would be unable to graduate in May as planned. “I could have graduated this semester,” Dixon said. “However, one of my core courses is not being offered until Fall 2016.” When he went to the department chair, Dixon was told, “That’s how the schedule is.” Under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and university guidelines, required courses do not have to be offered every semester; however, there are options for students who need those core classes to complete their degree. Dr. Steven Levitt, COLFA associate dean for undergraduate studies and curriculum, said that courses have to meet certain standards in order to become available to students. For instance, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requires a minimum enrollment of five students in graduate courses and 10 students in undergraduate courses for the class, required or otherwise, to be offered. Levitt said, “the UTSA Provost’s Office holds colleges and departments accountable for instructional efficiency metrics.” These metrics measure the efficiency of courses
with low enrollment usually undergraduate courses with fewer than 20 students enrolled and graduate courses with fewer than 10 students enrolled—and create standards based on their findings, which help determine the enrollment guidelines for courses offered in any given semester. Required courses, under certain circumstances, can be exempted, but courses that do not meet these guidelines are generally cancelled. Planning with an advisor is the best way to avoid a delayed graduation date caused by an unavailability of required courses. Academic advisors will generally know which courses are offered in particular semesters.” Additionally, a “Courses Offered in the Past 3 years (by Semester)” link on ASAP shows students when and how often courses have been offered previously to help students plan. For one semester, the combined cost of attendance for one class and housing is upward of $12,000 — a costly consequence of poor planning. If students close to graduating find themselves in this situation, Levitt advises students to “work through their advisors, and in coordination with department chairs, and to petition for possible substitutions for required courses not being offered in semesters students need to graduate.”
Hydration stations alleviate environment and fees Katelyn Wilkinson
“I could have graduated this semester. However, one of my core courses is not being offered until Fall 2016. ” Roy Dixon Senior computer science major
Levitt encourages students to consult with their advisors to avoid expensive graduation stalls.
Daniel Earles , The Paisano
Staff Writer
@katelynmarie11 news@paisano-online.com Students have been reporting an unusual taste in the hydration station water that could be caused by hard water from the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, according to UTSA Facilities. Financed by the Green Fund, an organization dedicated to making the campus more sustainable and supported by a $5 fee included in student tuitions, hydration stations are an environmentally friendly alternative to water fountains and are intended to reduce students’ carbon footprints. By allowing students to refill water bottles rather than repeatedly purchasing plastic bottles that are harmful to the environment, hydration stations are an eco-friendlysolution to drinking water. Dr. Afamia Elnakat, professor of environmental science, sees the hydration stations as a great investment for UTSA that also encourages social interaction. “I see students using them all the time and, as an environmental engineer, it is an opportunity to see less plastic bottles used on our campus. More so, I have seen students, faculty and staff from different departments interact while waiting to fill their bottles.” Elnakat was the faculty advisor of the no-longeractive student organization, “The Movement,” which brought hydration See Students , Page 2