October 10, 2003

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:

Regional, State and Local Coverage

Affordable College (Editorial)
Winston-Salem Journal
Low-income students will soon be able to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for free and without incurring any debt in a wonderful program announced last week by Chancellor James Moeser.

Free education benefits needy Emory students
The Emory Wheel (Emory University student newspaper)
College tuition levels have skyrocketed throughout the country, closing the doors of higher education to low- and middle-income families...Similarly, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently announced the creation of a new financial aid program, the Carolina Covenant.

UNC to aid low-income students
The Chronicle (Duke University student newspaper)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser announced a new plan Wednesday for low-income students that puts Carolina's financial aid policy at the national forefront of public universities.
Related link: http://www.chronicle.duke.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/10/07/3f82a46f43bd5

Out of a mother's tenacity
The News & Observer
It was when doctors told her it was the end -- that her daughter was dying of anorexia nervosa, starving to death, and they couldn't help her anymore -- that Rita Robbins got started....This morning, Rita Robbins and her now-healthy, laughing daughter Jennifer
McLamb will walk around the new eating disorders program at UNC Hospitals, the only comprehensive inpatient treatment in the state, and enjoy the launch of two remarkable things.

UNC Opens Southeast's First Comprehensive Care Eating Disorders Clinic
WRAL-TV (CBS-Raleigh)
It is estimated that up to 10 percent of people have some form of disordered eating....The Triangle is now home to one of the premiere eating disorder programs in the country. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's eating disorder program breaks new ground for treating the disease.

When a child is killed, penalties vary widely
The Charlotte Observer
A 23-year-old mother indicted this week on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 2-year-old daughter is eligible for probation, Gastonia prosecutors say....In 2002, nearly 17,000 crashes involved parents and children younger than 4 who were properly restrained. Forty children in those crashes were killed or seriously
injured, said Eric Rodgman, database specialist with UNC's Highway Safety Research Center in Chapel Hill.

Issues and Trends

Strict time limits on SATs serve no useful purpose (Editorial)
USA Today
On Saturday, when 600,000 high school students open their SAT test booklets, one question they won't find is: Why are they required to complete this key college admissions exam within three hours?

More time unnecessary (Op-Ed Response)
USA Today
The SAT is a three-hour college admissions test that measures mathematical reasoning, critical reading and verbal skills required for college success. Last year, about 2% of the 2.7 million SAT exams taken were administered with accommodations for disabilities. The
most commonly requested accommodation is extended time. From 2002 to 2003, there was less than a 0.1% increase in the number of college-bound seniors receiving an accommodation. Fall 2003 registrations to date indicate that there is no increase in the number of students receiving accommodations compared with last fall.

UNC's plans draw fire
The News & Observer
Campus leaders say they have sound reasons for wanting more out-of-state students at public universities in North Carolina: richer geographic diversity, more academic superstars, and a boost in national college rankings.

'Brain drain' falls short as a rationale (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Like most college newspapers, The Daily Tar Heel is a hit-or-miss affair. The students who work on it are just learning their trade, so the misses outnumber the hits. But every now and then, they score a bull's-eye....Such a strike came Tuesday, and it left a big hole in one of the arguments UNC Chancellor James Moeser is making to justify taking on more out-of-state students.

Inner Limits (Editorial)
The Fayetteville Observer
A committee of the UNC Board of Governors is floating a trial balloon. Keep it in your sights. It may need to be shot down....The committee has voted to admit more students from outside North Carolina, who pay much higher tuitions than in-state students.

ACC Leaders Plan To Talk About BC
The Washington Post
Leaders of the nine current ACC schools have scheduled a conference call for Sunday morning to discuss the league's pursuit of Boston College as its potential 12th member, sources said yesterday.

BC talked about ACC at meeting
The News & Observer
Anticipating a renewed courtship by the Atlantic Coast Conference, Boston College officials recently discussed the possibility of joining the league, a school trustee said Thursday.

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, please call Russell Campbell at News Services, (919) 962-2091, russell_campbell@unc.edu, or Mike McFarland in University Communications, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu

Note: Web links on this page are time-sensitive, so stories might not be available after the day they first appeared.