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TODAY'S LOCAL HEADLINES
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TODAY'S NATIONAL HEADLINES
No National Headlines Today.
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TODAY'S OPINIONS
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LOCAL HEADLINES
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Regents' committee recommends suspending tuition cap
By Renae Schafer Horton. A tuition subcommittee of the Arizona
Board of Regents voted Tuesday to recommend suspending the cap
that has limited tuition and fee increases at the state's
universities to the top of the bottom one-third of the
universities' peers. The recommendation of the Tuition Task
Force, if approved by the full Board of Regents, would allow for
tuition and fee increases this fall, despite the regents already
increasing 2009-10 rates in December.
(Tucson Citizen:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/all_headlines/113336.php)
(UA Daily Wildcat:
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/home/news/2009/04/01/News/Regents.Could.Uncap.Tuition-3691521.shtml)
(Sierra Vista Herald:
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/03/31/news/state/doc49d1e77e127ed926052115.txt)
(ASU State Press:
http://www.asuwebdevil.com/node/5564)
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Program lends Arizona's college-bound freshmen virtual voice
Freshmen at Sunnyside and Desert View high schools are sharing
their 21st-century literacy skills through blogs, digital
stories and webzines, or online magazines. Gear Up is a program
that is preparing the graduating class of 2012 at five high
schools for college. The program is a collaboration among the
University of Arizona, Pima Community College and the Tucson and
Sunnyside unified school districts.
(KNXV-TV (ABC) Ch. 15:
http://www.abc15.com/content/news/centralsouthernarizona/tucson/story/Program-lends-Arizonas-college-bound-freshmen/5zuwPA5gZUyFos9BClxC6Q.cspx)
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Arizona's top educator says 'don't panic'
By Mindy Blake. The head of Arizona Public Schools is warning
districts not to panic because of state budget cuts.
Superintendent Tom Horne says there are 'a lot of uncertainties,
and estimates are dangerous. ' The other $831 million is to
backfill cuts in state funding of K-12 education and higher
education. In 2009, the cuts were $133 million in K-12 and $150
million in higher education, for a total of $283 million. Higher
education, but not K-12, must be backfilled for 2009. Some K-12
may also be backfilled due to "proportionality" rules that are
not yet clear from the federal government. Disregarding
proportionality for the moment, that leaves $671 million
backfill for 2010 and 2011.
(KOLD-TV (CBS) Ch. 13:
http://www.KOLD.com/global/story.asp?s=10105441)
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Phoenix is finalist for All-America City Award
Phoenix is one of 32 finalists for the 2009 All-America City
Award, the National Civic League announced Tuesday. "We are
honored and proud to be selected as an All-America City
finalist," said Mayor Phil Gordon. "Phoenix projects like ASU
and the downtown Biomedical Campus have brought urban education
to life, while spurring economic growth.
(KTAR Radio 620 AM -92.3 FM:
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=1112326)
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UA merging minority centers
By Aaron Mackey. Officials plan to consolidate the UA's six
minority-student support centers as part of a budget cut that
has some worried that vulnerable students will lose key
on-campus support systems. The University of Arizona would
eliminate the centers — which provide mentoring, advising and
life-skills help to minority students, and replace them with a
larger community center that would provide services to all the
students, under a reorganization plan released last month.
(Arizona Daily Star:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/dailystar/286929.php)
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ASU banks on future with solar initiative
By Ryan Randazzo. Arizona State University unveiled a new "power
plant" Tuesday, the first phase of a massive effort by the
university to reduce its carbon emissions and contribution to
global warming. Spending money on solar energy is prudent even
during tough economic times because ASU is locking in energy
prices as those prices increase, university officials said. ASU
President Michael Crow discussed the effort from the top of a
parking structure near Sun Devil Stadium as hundreds of solar
panels buzzed overhead, automatically tilting toward the rising
sun for maximum efficiency.
(The Arizona Republic:
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2009/04/01/20090401biz-asusolar0401.html)
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ASU president says school is dealing with budget cuts
By J.W. Cox. Arizona State University President Michael Crow
says the school is reacting in positive ways to deep budget cuts
imposed by the state earlier this year. Halfway through the
spring semester, Crow -- who battled state lawmakers over the
millions of dollars in cuts -- said ASU is dealing with the
money crunch and has made sweeping changes.
(KTAR Radio 620 AM -92.3 FM:
http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1112892)
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Harnessing the sun's rays
A crowd of people in support of one of ASU's largest
sustainability projects celebrated Tuesday morning on the
rooftop of the Stadium Parking Structure at the Tempe campus.
Phase I of the solar installations project, or solarization, is
complete. The project allows for about 1.9 megawatts of
electricity for ASU that could power about 300 Arizona homes,
said Morgan Olsen, the chief financial officer for the
University.
(ASU State Press:
http://www.asuwebdevil.com/node/5561)
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Career daze hits grads
By Michael Macaulay. The UA Spring Career Days kicked off
yesterday to help seniors avoid walking down the graduation
aisle grasping a diploma in one hand and a French fries scoop in
the other. But this semester's career fair won't be as large as
past events, said Susan Miller, senior coordinator of marketing
and special events at UA Career Services. "It has everything to
do with the economy," Miller said. "Despite the fact that it is
smaller than it's been previously, (the UA) still has 150 tables
over the two days of the event, and these are recruiters who are
seriously recruiting."
(UA Daily Wildcat:
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/news/2009/04/01/News/Career.Daze.Hits.Grads-3691523.shtml)
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OPINIONS
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Gear Up project shows the value of education
[Editorial] An innovative program that helps prepare high school
freshmen for college brings into focus the importance of higher
education in Arizona — and the need to keep public colleges
and universities affordable and accessible to help boost our
communities. The Gear Up program is helping the class of 2012 at
five local high schools plan their education with the goal of
college in mind. College seems far off when you've just started
high school, but admission requirements are rigorous and waiting
to think about higher education until your junior or senior year
is too late.
(Arizona Daily Star:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/opinion/286799.php)
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Mesa lawmaker champions MCC as 4-year school
By Jim Ripley. Supporters of turning Mesa Community College into
a four-year state college have gained an important ally in state
Rep. Rich Crandall. The Mesa Republican and chairman of the
House Education Committee told me that he supports the idea and
is taking steps "to head down this path." Crandall also said
that fellow Mesa Republican and House Speaker Kirk Adams "has
been involved in early talks" on the question and that there is
support from the Arizona Board of Regents for the idea,
particularly if Arizona Western College in Yuma is part of the
mix.
(East Valley Tribune:
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/137345)
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The academics of an economic crunch
By Catherine Traywick. One of three student workers employed by
the North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS),
Alanis abruptly found himself with a difficult choice to make:
either keep the internship without pay, or find a new job
elsewhere. Faced with mounting bills and other living expenses,
he chose the latter. The timing of the center's layoffs was
particularly unfortunate, as they came barely a week after
President Crow distributed a video message to students assuring
them that tough economic times would only minimally affect them,
if at all.While the university admits to eliminating 550 staff
positions, including deans and department chairs, and warns of
potential additional lay-offs to come in 2010 , no concrete
information is available regarding budget-related elimination of
student positions or reductions in student worker hours or pay
(though anecdotal evidence may abound).
(ASU State Press:
http://www.asuwebdevil.com/node/5567)
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