Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Issue 40, Volume 122
Cheek to address student concerns at meeting David Cobb Assistant News Editor Chancellor Jimmy Cheek has agreed to participate in a town hall meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the University Center’s Shiloh Room to kick off and headline “Advocacy Week.” The March 11 event is sponsored by Student Government Association’s Government Affairs Committee, which partners with UT Advocacy, a group dedicated to lobbying on behalf of the university. “This is a huge step in the right direction of letting him (Cheek) not just talk to who is kind of perceived as campus leaders,” Ryan Ray, co-chair of the committee, said. “This just lets every student have the opportunity for face time with him, which I think is huge.” Cheek meets periodically for luncheons with various facets of SGA and other campus organizations. He’ll speak specifically to Chancellor’s Honors students on Thursday. Ray stressed that Monday’s meeting is different, open to all students to come and interact with UT’s fifth-year chancellor. “The reality of it is that people who have already taken initiative to be involved in things, which the majority of UT students seem to have done, those
• Photo courtesy of Joe Howell
UT leaders meet with Speaker Beth Harwell at the Legislative Plaza during the ‘Day on the Hill’ event for UT Advocacy on March 13. are the ones that are probably going to involve themselves in something like this,” Ray, a junior in accounting, said. “With that being said, having an open invitation to everybody definitely increases the likelihood of people coming out. “This is for those students. This isn’t an SGA huddle.” The event will open with Cheek addressing students, a
chance for students to hear his vision for the school. Under Cheek’s leadership, UT has embarked on a journey to become a Top 25 research institution, but the journey’s methods have drawn some negative reviews. At the UT-Florida basketball game on Feb. 26, he was booed when he appeared on the video screen overhanging the court at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Ray thinks the town hall meeting may offer those students a fresh perspective. “It’s really important that the chancellor is really engaged in letting students know what’s coming up and hearing their concerns and letting him share his concerns,” Ray said. “I’m definitely optimistic about Chancellor Cheek’s role with the students. I’m probably more optimistic than most, it
seems. But I was really excited when he decided to come.” The group also reached out to UT System President Joe DiPietro to gauge his interest in participating, and although he will be unable to attend, snagging Cheek satisfied Government Affairs. “That’s definitely the headline of the week,” Ray said. Other activities for the week will cater more spe-
cifically to the Government Affairs Committee, but include another unique opportunity to interact with higher-ups. An event is planned that will bring legislators to campus to “walk in the shoes” of UT students. With the Tennessee General Assembly currently in session, Government Affairs chair Chelsea Sanz said it’s uncertain which politicians will participate, but that the program has seen success in the past. “With this, we hope to provide insight to our legislators about what it means to be a (UT) student on a daily basis,” Sanz, a senior in communication studies, said. “We are seeking to provide them with a real life image of the classes, facilities and services we contend with daily.” More information on UT Advocacy and its mission is available online at advocacy. tennessee.edu. “UT Advocacy is the student’s lobbyists.” Ray said. “It’s an organization that lets us express our concerns directly to legislators. “A lot of people don’t realize that,” he added. “It’s a relatively new group that Carrie Smith (a former board of trustees member) is in charge of, and it only has a ton of potential.”
Faculty Senate meets on code Forum website proves effective in of conduct, benefit equality science classroom Justin Joo
Staff Writer
Faculty Senate met Monday afternoon in the Shiloh Room of the University Center. One of the major issues discussed was how to respond to the Employee Code of Conduct, an HR policy that was created by the Office of Institutional Compliance for all branches of the university, but had no input from Faculty Senate. The senate only became aware of the situation when the senate president, Steve Thomas, received an email in October that stated the code of conduct had been revised and effective on July 1, 2012. The email from the OIC also asked that Faculty Senate get the word out about the code of conduct. While the senate discussed the issue, Thomas said that OIC meant no harm by not consulting Faculty Senate and was simply unaware that they
Opinions Editor-in-Chief, Blair Kuykendall, examines the uneasy before postgraduation storm
>> See page 4
needed to do so. The Faculty Affairs Committee has since been working on an outline of issues that they have with the code, which is available on the Faculty Senate’s website at senate.utk.edu under the “Reports, Minutes & Publications” section. One of the big concerns was how some policies of the code of conduct appear to infringe on the guarantees of academic freedom in the Faculty Handbook. The senate voted for Faculty Affairs to draft a resolution with those concerns. If that resolution is passed, it would be sent up to administration to ideally start a conversation about changes being made or at least have the Senate’s concerns heard. The resolution would have no power to actually change the code of conduct, but would simply announce the senate’s concerns. Phillip Daves, a member of the Faculty Affairs commit-
R.J. Vogt
Faculty Senate meets for meeting on Sept. 13, 2011. tee, said that the conversation would not be a confrontational one, but a discussion where concerns are raised and discussed. “We’ll have a conversation
Arts & Culture Béla Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio bring musical stylings to Bijou >> See page 5
News Editor Blackboard Learn, Volmail, myutk.utk.edu and the newly launched go@utk system all offer students technological ways to connect to course material. But in professor Michael Gilchrist’s classes, Piazza — a new discussion board website — is catching on. Students love it. “It’s a really creative way … it’s really interactive, I’ve never had anything like that,” Chase Parker, a sophomore in biological, cellular and molecular biology, said. “I think it’s a lot better than going into someone’s office and having the traditional sit down, look at paper, look at books and File Photo • The Daily Beacon whatnot.” an Executive Committee Piazza is a free Internet question and answer forum, with them. This is not an self-described as a “beautifully adversarial process,” Daves intuitive and simple product that students love and use.” said. “ … It’s not going to start The concept is similar to off as confrontational.” BlackBoard’s discussion board feature, allowing students and See FACULTY SENATE on Page 3 teachers to comment on each
Sports
Sports
Senior basketball players Sklyar McBee and Kenny Hall look back on freshman year, living together and facial hair
The Lady Vols golf team gears up for the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Tournament and a packed March schedule
>>See page 7
>> See page 8
other’s thoughts. It differs in that it allows other students to offer answers, collaborating on a solution. Gilchrist said he sometimes checks the site as late as midnight, and students like Parker appreciate the extended availability. “I can be in my room at 10 o’clock and need something answered. ...” Parker said. “I obviously can’t call him or text him or something like that, but I can post on the board and he can still answer my question even after office hours.” The program is used by such premiere institutions as Cornell University and Stanford University and was featured on The Chronicle of Higher Education’s website last year, which is when Gilchrist said he first heard about it. “One of the representatives was on campus telling people about it, so last year sometime, somebody stopped by my office and told me about it,” he said. See FORUM on Page 3
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