02 17 2009

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Conferen onferenC Ce Win Learn to Love The men’s basketball team defeats lamar on the road

see sPor orT Ts Pa PaGe 8

Counseling Center offers Texas state students relationship guidance see T Tre reND re NDs ND s Pa PaGe 6

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

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february 17, 2009

tuesday

Volume 98, Issue 51

University officials request room, board rate increase By Kosaku Narioka News Reporter University officials are requesting the Board of Regents increase room and board rates for the fiscal year 2010. If approved, the rates for the university-owned halls and apart apartments will increase 7 percent on

average, and the meal plan rates will increase 3 percent. University President Denise Trauth would retain the author authority under the proposal to lower apartment rates, when necessary, to be competitive in the market. The university is anticipating an approximate $2 million rev-

university halts hiring new faculty positions

enue increase from the rate hike in the next fiscal year. According to the university requests, around $1 million of the funds will go toward renovations, $600,000 for new housing and about $300,000 for increasing communication and utility ex expenses. “The bottom line is that hous-

ing is what’s called a self-funded auxiliary unit,” said Joanne Smith, vice president for student affairs. “They have to pay for everything themselves. They get no state dollars.” The proposed rate adjust adjustments vary, ranging from a 26.33 percent increase for “two singlebedrooms/two bathrooms” at

Bobcat Village to a 6.43 percent decrease for a single bedroom/ double suite at San Jacinto Hall. Smith said the university is trying to equalize the rates based on room type. The rate for a single bedroom at San Marcos and San Jacinto Halls ranging from $3,195 to $3,420 per semester this

academic year would be set at $3,200 per semester. Smith said the university is now treating Bobcat Village like a residence hall, as opposed to an apartment complex, because it has the same type of amenities as San Marcos and San Jacinto See PRICING, page 4

HOP TO IT

By Megan Holt News Reporter President Denise Trauth announced Thursday at a meeting with the University Council Texas State will implement a hiring freeze, but will not cut jobs. “The highest priority for the university is to preserve jobs,” Trauth said at the meet meeting. “We will not cut positions for faculty and staff. We just have to cut down the budget elsewhere.” Trauth is implementing a “flexible staff hiring freeze” along with her planning tactic aimed at increasing the number of faculty. The flexible staff-hiring freeze will enable departments to temporarily halt the employ employment of new faculty. “We’re not taking staff positions away with this plan, but I have asked department divisions to put together a group to look at how we can cut down on positions in the future,” Trauth said. Associate Provost Gene Bourgeois said positions are cut and condensed within the departments if the budget is not large enough. “We look and see if that position is available, and then we go about finding funding tied to that position,” Bourgeois said. The university employed 931 full-time faculty and 1,682 staff members in fall 2007. In fall 2008, Texas State added 74 full-time faculty and 85 staff members. “We need to preserve every faculty line we’ve got, because we have (one of) the highest student-teacher ratio in the state,” Trauth said. The U.S. Department of Education ranked Texas State within the top five institutions in terms of qualification and student success in the state. It is, however, ranked one of the lowest for state support. “The economic and financial problems in higher education have resulted from lack of state support for public institutions,” Bour Bourgeois said. “The main problem is really get getting clarification in budgets and getting the Texas Legislature to properly fund higher education.” The budget is used to pay salaries and benefits, employ new faculty and staff, fund university programs, scholarships and other emergency expenses. The institutional research team reports 46 percent of the oper operSee HIRING, page 4

Austin Byrd/Star photo Kevin Clark, junior midfielder, winds up and delivers one of the Bobcat’s 12 points scored in Sunday’s 12-7 win over Texas Christian University at Bobcat soccer stadium. FOR FULL STORY SEE PAGE 8

alliance offers support to veteran students Texas bill might require health By Chase Birthisel News Reporter

David Schmidt/Star photo VETS AFFAIRS: President Clay Patterson and Vice President Chris schave of the Veterans alliance of Texas state meet with fellow members monday.

today’s Weather AM Showers

70˚

Precipitation: 30% Humidity: 75% UV: 3 Moderate Wind: S 7 mph

Clay Patterson remembers when he was a soldier. “My senior year in high school we invaded Iraq, and I felt that it was my duty to go fight for my country,” said Patterson, pre-international studies sophomore. “I enlisted as a rifleman in the Marine Corps.” Patterson served in the Marines for four years. He has fought in Haiti and Iraq and trained with foreign militaries in parts of Africa and Kuwait. Patterson said he did not know what came next after the military, then he met Michael Flowers, political science junior and ASG chief of staff, at boot camp.

two-day Forecast Wednesday

Thursday

Partly Cloudy Temp: 80°/44° Precip: 10%

sunny Temp: 66°/34° Precip: 0%

Flowers told him about Texas State. “Michael said, ‘Hey, what are you doing after your contract is up?’ and I said I might be a mechanic,” Patterson said smiling. “He said ‘you should come down to Texas State and check it out’, and I thought, well, that would make my mom really happy.” Patterson is the founder and president of the Veterans Alliance of Texas State, a group dedicated to helping service members achieve success. He said he wished there was an or organization like it when he first came to Texas State. Patterson attended freshman orientation while he was still in See VETERAN, page 4

center to collect insurance By Teresa Wilburn News Reporter Students visiting the Student Health Center next fall might think twice before booking an appointment. If passed, House Bill 103 in the Texas Legislature would mandate university health care centers collect insurance fees from students. Currently, charges to the health center are covered in the medical service fee included in tuition. According to the bill, the university will assist students or any other persons requiring health care from the center. This will

be done under the insurance and benefit plan that has been filed with the health insurance company for the student. “Basically, what the bill says is that student health centers will accept private insurance and will bill private insurance,” said Emilio Carranco, Student Health Center director. Carranco held a presentation for ASG senators regarding the bill. The legislation will go into effect in September if passed, Carranco said. “Sixty percent of our students come to the health center and

Inside News ........ 1,2,3,4 opinions ............ 5 Trends ................ 6

Diversions.............7 Classifieds............7 sports...................8

See ASG, page 4

to Contact Trinity building Phone: (512) 245-3487 fax: (512) 245-3708 www.universitystar.com © 2009 The University Star


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