The Volante 04.30.14

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W E D N E S D AY

APRIL 30, 2014

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White House addresses campus rape

BREATHE AND BE RELIEVED Online summer course

enrollment sees spike Nathan Ellenbecker

Nathan.Ellenbecker@coyotes.usd.edu

Volante Staff A White House task force on sexual assault recommended actions Tuesday that colleges and universities should take to protect victims and inform the public about the magnitude of the problem, such as identifying confidential victim's advocates and conducting surveys to better gauge the frequency of sexual assault on their campuses. "This conversation can only help everybody move forward in making campuses safer,” said Kim Grieve, GRIEVE vice president of student services at the University of South Dakota. The recommendations stem from a 90-day review by the task force that President Barack Obama created after his administration heard complaints about the improper treatment of campus rape victims and the hidden nature of such crimes. The task force also promises greater transparency. A new website, notalone.gov, will post enforcement actions and offers information to victims about how to seek local help and information about filing a complaint. Grieve said she was happy multiple organizations and government entities are working together on this intuitive. “It is not just one entity that is trying to move this whole agenda forward, but everyone is working together,” Grieve said. Sophomore Aubrey Wagner said she believes the university should be held accountable to transparency. "If it is an issue and they are so afraid about it being published, then they should fix the problems," Wagner said. She also said the university needs to work on adding more blue light phones to campus for added security. Grieve said she has a conference call Friday with other South Dakota Board of Regents universities to discuss how they can work together. “We have policies and procedures that are excellent and already in place,” Grieve said. “What we can do better is continue more of the training and the education.” On the same day, the Education Department issued "questions and answers" that spelled out to colleges and universities and K-12 schools how to handle circumstances under Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination at schools that receive federal funds. In its report, the task force said the Justice Department will help develop training programs in trauma care for college officers and assess different models for schools to use to adjudicate such cases, since some sexual assault survivors are wary of a legal process that can expose them to potentially painful or embarrassing questions by students or staff. While one in five female students is assaulted, the White House said the review was also about protecting male victims and engaging men in discussions about preventing such assaults. The new website does not list any information yet about USD. At the time of print the only school listed in the South Dakota Board of Regents system was South Dakota State University’s Jeanne Clery Report.

Student enrollment in online summer courses offered by the University of South Dakota has more than doubled in the last five years and more growth is expected for summer 2014 courses said Michael Card, associate provost for graduate and distance education. From the summer 2009 semester to the summer 2013 semester, the total enrollment in summer online courses has gone from 2,201 students to 4,645, according to Off-Campus & Distance-Learning data. This increase is because a revolution in the last 10 years where students are picking up credits in the summer to keep on their academic tracks Card said, however, students do not necessarily go through USD for their courses because the

market is more saturated than it used to be. “We’re still seeing more growth,” Card said. “It’s just not as fast as it has been the past 10 years, and that’s because more and more universities are getting into the business of online courses.” Card said USD used to view online offerings as a cash cow, but since colleges and universities across the world are offering more, USD views its distance education as an add-on to the educational experience. Alongside the growth of enrollment, the number of online summer class offerings more than doubled from 111 to 247 courses from 2009-2013, and the university is offering over 300 courses in summer

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MALACHI PETERSEN I THE VOLANTE

First-years Charlotte Taggart (left) and Kindra Slagle (right) participate in a guided meditation during the Stress Relief Workshop presented by Teresa Schlup April 28 in the Muenster University Center ballroom. One of Schlup's methods included a "three and three," which consists of breathing in for three seconds and exhaling for three seconds to maximize stress relief. The workshop will be offered for the next two semesters of finals week at USD.

Student activist aims to change face of MUC lawn Josie Flatgard

Josie.Flatgard@coyotes.usd.edu

University of South Dakota junior Erica Kuharski is spearheading discussion in an effort to create a more sustainable area in the southeast lawn of the new Muenster University Center expansion, and her efforts have led her to the office of President James Abbott. "I was walking from class, and I just saw all the dirt and I'm like, 'Oh crap, they're going to put grass there, aren't they?'" Kuharski said. Abbott said he did not know if a landscape contract had been signed for the space. “There's no sense in me asking them to alter their plans or to change them or to do something different until I know what she wants, and then I can see what we've contracted for. That was the idea — that she would let me know what she thought as soon as possible,” Abbott said. He said he is willing to hear ideas to share with the contractor as he has had more than one individual talk to him about the issue. Along with Kuharski, Student Government Association President Tyler Tordsen joined the conversation to discuss the area's future. Tordsen said no matter what ideas are put forward, Abbott has been realistic in considering other options. Abbott said just because there may be something

University picks final four provost candidates Trent Opstedahl

Trent.Opstedahl@coyotes.usd.edu

there for an average of three hours each day. The sit-ins involved green ribbons tied around the area and led to her wearing a bikini to prove the point that this is an important issue. Her goal was to make stu-

Four candidates have been selected by the Provost Search Committee as contenders for the position of Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of South Dakota. The finalists include Jeanette Altarriba, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Albany - SUNY; Chris Cirmo, dean of the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Lee B. Kats, vice provost for Research and Initiatives at Pepperdine University and James D. Moran III, vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for the Office of the Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Mary Nettleman, dean of the Medical School and chair of the Provost Search Committee, said the on-campus interviews have been a good chance for people to interact with candidates. "They've been going well," Nettleman said. "The candidates seem to be having a positive experience." The next candidate forum will take place May 6 at 2:15 p.m. in room 216 of the Muenster University Center for Altarriba. The forums are free and open to the public. The other three candidates were involved in forums in held last week.

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MALACHI PETERSEN I THE VOLANTE

Juniors Erica Kuharski (left), Charlie Pap (middle) and Seryna Adams (right) stage a sit-in on the green in adjacent to the MUC March 31. The students want the university to take a more sustainable approach when landscaping the area.

planned, it would not be off limits to talk about different possibilities. "It doesn't mean that it can't be altered, but I'm not going to worry about that until I know what the group wants," he said. Abbott has allowed Kuharski to submit her ideas in writ-

ing for the space up until June 15. To gain public attention, Kuharski organized a sit-in on the unfinished area outside the MUC at the beginning of April. Kuharski led a core group of five students in a sit-in for four days and said she was out

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