News

News

Campus brief

November 24

AU President Neil Kerwin and Board of Trustees Chairman Gary Abramson will hold an open forum today on the AU budget process and the strategic plan, according to Today@AU. Kerwin announced Nov. 17 that he planned to submit a draft of the strategic plan and a set of budget development guidelines to the board of trustees during the board's Friday meeting.

---

News

SUB director resigns

By Tamar Hallerman | November 24

Student Union Board Director Tré Matthews resigned from his position Nov. 14 in order to focus his attention on his music career, according to a press release from the AU Student Government President's office. However, SG Vice President Andrew Woods and some SUB members said Matthews was told to step down because he was not meeting the requirements of his position.

---

News

Newly updated history museum pleases patrons

By Sarah Rudnick | November 24

AU students can now visit the newly renovated Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, which opened Nov. 21 after being closed for two years. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell read Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to a 200-person crowd on the museum's steps before it opened, according to The Washington Post.

---

News

International brief

November 24

The United Nations General Assembly's Human Rights Committee voted to ban the death penalty for the second consecutive year. The United States, along with Syria, Iran and China, opposed the resolution, the Associated Press reported. Nations supporting the death penalty cited the punishment as an effective deterrent for more serious crimes, while nations in opposition said there remains no concrete evidence of its benefit, the AP reported.

---

News

Dorms, apts. for rent on Jan. 20

By Charlie Szold | November 24

Students planning to sublet their apartments or dorms during the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama could face expulsion or eviction from their residences. Across the D.C. area, people are attempting to temporarily lease their apartments and houses to make a quick buck.

---

News

International brief

November 20

Twenty world leaders, representing 85 percent of the global economy and two-thirds of the world's population, gathered in D.C. this weekend to discuss what actions they need to take to combat the economic crisis. At the summit, which ended Saturday, leaders promised new safeguards for financial systems, including regulatory holds on risky investments, according to BBC News.

---

News

Course aimed to reduce poverty

By Carrie Cuy | November 20

Last semester, AU introduced its first course dedicated to the study of microfinance from a business perspective. The class, called "Microfinance in Business Development," is taught by Ghiyath Nakshbendi, a Kogod School of Business professor. It gave students the opportunity to delve into a formal study of the microfinance industry.

---

News

Bike theft continues

By Justin Van Der Horn | November 20

On average, someone has stolen one bike per month at AU for the last year, according to Public Safety statistics. Between Nov. 11, 2007, and Nov. 11, 2008, 12 bikes were stolen, with higher than average numbers reported in March and October. Lt. Rima Sifri, the crime prevention coordinator for AU Public Safety, said she recommends cyclists lock the frame and front wheel of their bikes with heavy duty chains or U-shaped locks, keep a copy of the receipt and engrave a unique and identifiable marking on the bike.

---

News

Morales urges better U.S. relations

By Clint Rice | November 20

Members of the AU community packed into Ward Circle Building Room 1 Tuesday evening to hear Bolivian President Evo Morales speak about the changes his government made in Bolivia and the need for better relations between Bolivia and the United States. Morales' speech, which was delivered in Spanish but simultaneously translated into English, was his first public address in Washington, D.

---

News

Metro calendar

November 20

Thursday, Nov. 20 Lecture: "The Beauty of Success" 4 p.m. WHERE: Mary Graydon Center 2-6 INFO: Kogod alumnus and cofounder of Smashbox Enterprises Dean Factor will talk about how he started one of the leading cosmetic companies and will give suggestions to aspiring entrepreneurs.

---

News

Gender gap in leadership positions still remains

By Jenny Couch | November 20

While women are achieving equal levels of education as their male counterparts, most women lag behind men in terms of high leadership positions, according to an annual Global Gender Gap report released by the World Economic Forum. AU students and working mothers said they believe there remains a disparity between women and men in the workplace.

---

News

National brief

November 20

Residents of Los Angeles' Oakridge Mobile Park returned to their homes Monday after fires that burned across Southern California Saturday were brought under control. The fire destroyed 484 homes inside the park, which locals call the "Beverly Hills of mobile parks," according to The Washington Post.

---

News

Police blotter

November 20

Nov. 12 An unattended laptop computer was stolen from a book bag on a chair in Bender Library when the victim went to dine at another location. Nov. 13 An elevator technician released a student from a stuck elevator in Letts Hall. The student was not injured.

---

News

D.C. allows cab drivers to apply for licenses

By Nicole Glass | November 20

D.C. taxi authorities are once again allowing prospective cab drivers to apply for a license for the first time in three years, according to Fox 5 News. However, some AU students said they do not see a need for more cabs in the District. The D.C. Taxicab Commission has restarted its new license application process.

---

News

D.C. sick-leave act revised

By Sarah Rudnick | November 20

AU will provide both full and part-time employees with paid leave under the recently passed Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008. The D.C. City Council and Congress approved the act on May 13. It went into effect Monday, according to a memorandum from AU Executive Director of Human Resources Beth Muha.

---

News

Campus brief

November 20

The American University Caribbean Circle will be hosting a formal dinner Friday to discuss future U.S.-Caribbean relations under the new presidential administration, according to Nigel Franklin, president of the group. There will be several Caribbean ambassadors in attendance who will act as panelists during a discussion held before the dinner according to Franklin.

---

News

JAMS forum proposes clarifying transport policy

By Robert Cavooris | November 20

Administrators and several students met Tuesday night to dispel some rumors about the alcohol policy at AU, particularly regarding the alcohol transport policy, hosted by the Student Advocacy Center in the School of International Service Lounge. First-time transports are not judicial matters but are really matters of health and safety, according to Dean of Students Sarah Waldron.

---