2 | Wednesday July 25, 2012 | The University Star
NEWS
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DEGREE PLAN
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Bill Fannin, provost of UTPB, said the reason they did not use a community college route, like the Texas State University System, was primarily based on students receiving a “full, four-year university experience.” Fannin said when looking at which degrees would be considered, it was only right to look at fields that are needed in the workforce. “Students want the degrees and the state needs the degrees,” Fannin said. “Why offer degrees in areas that nobody wants after they graduate? Offer where the need is.” Fannin said he doesn’t believe the $10,000 degree plans are sacrificing educational quality, but are helping students. He said the degrees offered at UTPB under the $10,000 degree plan have been in place for many years and past graduates have been successful. Fannin said students are just spending less money on the same education.
ASBESTOS
tants are supposed to report problems with asbestos-containing materials or presumed asbestos-containing materials, Compton said. Louis Obdyke, labor and employment attorney, said in an email that annual asbestos inspections of dormitories are not required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “The only time asbestos abatement and/or inspections are required is when there is construction, demolition or remodeling that may cause the asbestos to become friable or airborne,” Obdyke said. Compton said asbestos abatement has already been completed by the time building demolitions have begun. He said an air quality sample is tested and public notices are placed around the demolition site by the regulatory agency the university hires. “It costs more to demolish a building with asbestos-containing materials than to remove the materials first,” Compton said. Estes said this was the situation when Falls Hall was demolished last year. He said asbestos-containing materials, such as ceiling grids, were safely removed prior to demolition. Residents of any hall are asked to refrain from disturbing the ceiling, walls, floor spaces or tiles within hallways, common areas and rooms, and insulation on pipes. Those who believe asbestos-containing materials have become damaged are asked to contact the Texas State Department of Housing and Residential Life or
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“Publishers are going to invest a lot of effort into developing really fantastic online content for the common core standards,” Soto said. “It’s just going to be so much more of a step up in the high end development of great products to teach common core standards than there is here in Texas.” However, since Texas educates 1-in-10
It makes you smarter.
By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor Conferees representing Guadalupe and Hays counties, Martindale and San Marcos voted unanimously to merge their transit districts under Capital Area Rural Transportation System July 16. The meeting was held to decide between two choices for the city’s new Urban Transit District. The City of San Marcos, along with parts of Martindale, Redwood and Caldwell and Hays counties had the option to create their own transportation districts, allowing for more control but requiring more money and resources. “What we want to do is build that bridge to help San Marcos get to the next stage to create the transit system they want,” said David Marsh, CARTS general manager. CARTS is looking to avoid drastic cuts in transit hours, develop a five year finance and implementation strategy and look for grant opportunities, among other commitments for the next two years, Marsh said. Mid-term goals for the next three to five years include optimizing transfers among locations other than CARTS facilities and integrating the university’s shuttle service.
“We are both aware of some of the challenges as well as the opportunities,” said Joe Richmond, director of transportation for Texas State. “One of the first things we are going to be talking about is sharing common bus stops, future plans and how the services can complement each other.” This decision was made after the 2010 Census ruled San Marcos an urbanized area, which allows the city to receive federal and state funding for public transportation if the transportation district meets federal requirements. “It is a dawn of a great age in San Marcos,” said Kim Porterfield, San Marcos city councilmember, Place 1. Hays County Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe said the decision to work with CARTS saves the city and county money. “I think there are a lot of individuals, including the poor and the elderly, that utilize these services, and we need to provide them with the most effective service,” Ingalsbe said. “I also believe that the best way we are going to do that is combining our forces.” The decision will go into effect in October, when San Marcos will officially lose its previous status as a rural area, Porterfield said.
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lived in the dormitory, and was diagnosed with bronchitis for the first time. After spending time in and out of the doctor’s office, she said she was prescribed an inhaler to alleviate symptoms of bronchitis. Eskridge said it was only after she moved from Elliott Hall to College Inn, where only minor health problems were experienced, did she begin to make a correlation between her previous illnesses and place of residence. Eskridge said even though symptoms persisted for a month, she did not inform a hall staff member. Compton said concerned residents should report any problems they believe have to do with the building to their hall staff. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, long-term asbestos exposure will increase a person’s risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma, among other respiratory disorders. People are more likely to experience asbestos-related disorders when they are exposed to high concentrations of asbestos and/or are exposed for long periods of time. Compton said asbestos-containing materials are only problematic when they are exposed or friable, meaning the substance can be broken into smaller particles with little effort, enabling them to easily enter a person’s lungs. Compton said environmental factors have caused many asbestos-containing materials to deteriorate over time, making them friable. Residence hall directors and assis-
SCIENCE
Wintemute said the Texas State University System has encouraged every institution in the system to discuss implementing $10,000 degree plans. Debbie Thorne, associate vice president of academic affairs, said as of yet the only plans in place at Texas State are to study the situation and figure out if the university can offer such degrees. She said Texas State is in the preliminary stages of discussion, but there are concerns when it comes to tuition and fees, and the money being spent on support programs for students. “If we were to discount our tuition so significantly that we could get it down to $2,500 a year, what would that mean in terms of all the support services?” Thorne said. “What would it mean in terms of faculty quality and faculty pay, Student Learning Assistance Center and all the other support services we have in the university that help students become successful?”
Officials make first step toward CARTS
American public school students, Soto said some of the new materials and learning mediums will probably leak into the Texas school systems and students will be able to benefit from them. “I think it’s always worth redoing something if you can end up with a better product,” Soto said.
City council, east side residents hopeful for park acquisition By Adrian Omar Ramirez News Reporter The San Marcos City Council discussed the possible acquisition of Cape’s Camp to construct a new city park during its July 17 meeting. The 98-acre piece of land is the largest undeveloped piece of land along the San Marcos River inside the city limits. The Thornton family currently owns the land, and is considering rezoning the area for residential purposes. The council decided to postpone the vote regarding the acquisition until the next session. Jim Kimmel, professor in the department of geography, called the river “an amenity value.” He said he is very much in favor of the city acquiring and maintaining open spaced parkland along the river and other environmentally sensitive places in town. “It brings value to the entire community, not just to the places on that particular land,” he said. Kimmel has published a number of books detailing the San Marcos River’s influence on the city’s growth.
The park would be the first river park on the east side of town, said Maggie Hutchins of the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance. “The east side of San Marcos has a park deficit, which acquisition of this land would help alleviate,” she said. “The Cape’s Camp area is like no other.” Jay Hiebert, treasurer of San Marcos Voice, spoke on San Marcos’s long cultural history with endangered species in the area and how humans have inhabited the hanks for 13,500 years. “We are truly America’s oldest neighborhood.” Angie Ramirez, Blanco Gardens neighborhood representative, said the neighborhood’s residents strongly support the acquisition. “It’s important to me that (the council) understands how invested the people on the east side are in this idea,” Ramirez said. Resident John Stark said good stewardship of such a “precious resource” is important. ”You’d go down in history as being good stewards by supporting the expansion of city parkland in the area around the river,” Stark said.