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October 29, 2003Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:International Coverage
Outlook
BBC (England)
Also, are tall employees worth more than their shorter counterparts? A new study of workplace salaries in the United States suggests this could be the case.
National Coverage
No-Brainer
The Nation
Since taking office, George W. Bush has been nearly mute on the topic of higher education. Only concerning affirmative action has the self-confessed Yale slacker expressed a position--that is, if "I favor diversity but oppose affirmative action" counts as a position. ...That's why it makes sense to offer them scholarships rather than loans--a policy just adopted by the University of North Carolina--at least during the first two years of their college education.
Combing through lost articles of faith (Book review)
Boston Globe
History, it's often said, is written by the victors. University of North Carolina professor Bart Ehrman argues in a pair of intriguing new books that the same could be said of the Bible's New Testament.
State and Local Coverage
Loan program shows income isn't everything
The News & Observer
A nonprofit group in Durham is tearing down the longstanding myth that low-income families and minorities are risky bets for home mortgages....Just 0.7 percent of those borrowers have defaulted on their mortgages, compared with the average default rate of 1.1 percent among all borrowers nationwide, according to a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
UNC recognized for conservation efforts
The Daily Tar Heel
Save Our State, a statewide nonprofit organization promoting sustainable economic growth and conservation of natural resources, awarded the 2003 North Carolina Sustainability Award to UNC on Monday evening.
Bronze statue captures classic Mayberry moment
The Charlotte Observer
In a ceremony that mixed the endurance of Mayberry values with the permanence of bronze, Andy Griffith was enshrined for the ages Tuesday a few blocks from where he was first bitten by the show-business bug.
Issues and Trends
Senate Democrats unveil higher education bill
Boston Globe
Senate Democrats proposed a new higher education bill Tuesday that would increase college aid, encourage universities to hold down costs and allow students to refinance higher interest college loans.
Related stories:
Senate Democrats Propose Punishing States That Cut Spending on Colleges
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Punishing the Pell Grant Program (Editorial)
The New York Times
The maximum award of the federal Pell Grant program, created to encourage low- and middle-income students to attend college, covered more than 80 percent of public-college tuition a quarter-century ago but covers only about 40 percent today. Faced with high tuition, up to 25 percent of the low-income students with grades and scores that make them prime college material no longer even apply.
Breaking a Promise
The Chronicle of Higher Education
When Florida lawmakers created a matching-grant program some two decades ago, Florida Atlantic University saw a big opportunity. The Boca Raton institution, sometimes overshadowed by larger research universities in the state, could get a boost by matching private donations with state dollars. ... Florida is not alone. Once a model for matching-grant programs, the state is now a model for all that can go wrong with them. Nearly half the states have similar programs, and many, including Alabama, Connecticut, and North Carolina, say there is not enough money to match donations.
ECU deserves better (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Charlotte Observer
Several months ago, the Atlantic Coast Conference began negotiations to expand the conference to 12 schools. Whether you agree or disagree with expansion, it is the duty of the leaders of North Carolina to do what is best for our state. What was best for our state was for East Carolina University to be considered for membership in the ACC.
Time to influence Carolina North is now (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Everyone agrees: Carolina North is likely to transform where we live and how we live....The university's planned satellite campus will be among the biggest developments ever in this area. What eventually rises on the nearly 1,000 acres of the Horace Williams tract in the center of town will impact commerce, traffic, quality of life, the environment, housing, education, employment and a myriad of other issues.
Students courted at UNC forum
The Daily Tar Heel
Chapel Hill Town Council candidates gathered in Murphey Hall on Tuesday night to participate in a forum aimed at increasing student participation in local elections.
$41.6 million seen for facility
The News & Observer
There will be no gold-handled toilets, no palatial offices or lounges. But the new $41.6 million Town Operations Center that will be built to house Chapel Hill Transit and the public works departments is expected to be the town's priciest project ever.
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.