News

Student Government brief

The Undergraduate Senate unanimously voted to amend to the Student Government election regulations Sunday. Emily Ann Kokol, acting chair of the Board of Elections, submitted adjustments. Senators Andy MacCracken and Jason Cunningham submitted amendments.

Campus calendar

Monday, Sept. 8 Dance - The Metro D.C. Dance Awards 7:30 p.m. WHERE: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue, Virginia Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway N.W. METRO: Foggy Bottom/GWU (orange and blue lines) INFO: Dance/MetroDC will recognize excellence in area dance performance during the eighth annual presentation of this ceremony.

Metro brief

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial moved closer to construction after the National Capital Planning Commission approved construction plans Thursday, according to The Washington Post. The commission approved the final building plans, but rejected plans for security bollards and a donor recognition wall, The Post reported.

Campus brief

Former Kogod School of Business Dean Sterling Ivison Jr., 89, died Aug. 16 from Alzheimer's disease. Ivison, who taught finance, earned an Outstanding Teaching Award from AU in 1978. He became Kogod's acting dean in 1981 and held that position until 1983, according to a memo Dean of Academic Affairs Haig Mardirosian sent to the campus community on Thursday.

Hanna overestimated

No significant damage, flooding or electrical outages occurred AU's campus after Tropical Storm Hanna hit the D.C. area with heavy rain and wind this weekend, according to Public Safety Cpl. Logan Asay. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport received 3.

International brief

U.S. troops crossed Pakistani borders early Wednesday morning to launch a ground attack against a suspected Taliban military haven, according to The Washington Post. Pakistani parliament has condemned the raid, which reportedly killed 15 people, as a violation of Pakistani territory that could potentially undermine security cooperation with the U.

Crime reports increase

What seemed like a recent increase in criminal activity on and near AU's campus was actually the result of more notification to students about these types of crimes, according to Public Safety Chief Michael McNair.

Environmental program expands

AU created the Department of Environmental Science as a separate program from the Department of Biology this year and is working to increase the program's curriculum offerings. The move comes as other schools nationwide have started to strengthen their environmental programs because of increased interest in the green energy field.

High enrollment squeezes resources

Enrollment deposits came at a record rate for the class of 2012, eventually causing the class to be the largest in AU's history, according to Sharon Alston, interim associate provost for enrollment. The university could attribute the enrollment spike to many factors, including new admissions marketing initiatives and the national media attention they received in the spring, Alston said.

Study in China increases

AU students are part of a rising number of U.S. students studying abroad in China. During the 2007-2008 school year, 54 AU students studied abroad in China as compared to 23 students during the 2003-2004 year. More than 10,000 U.S. students have signed up to study in the country this year, according to USA Today.

Campus brief

Napster has terminated its contract with all colleges, including AU. In an e-mail to AU Housing and Dining Programs, Napster said it was ending its nationwide on campus program with all schools this year. Rick Treter, director of residence life for Housing and Dining, said AU's contract with Napster started in 2005.

Metro brief

The rise in the D.C. area's crime rate is related to the rising influence of the Bloods and Crips in the area, according to The Washington Post. Police suspect the West Coast-originated gangs have contributed to recent homicides in Prince George's County.

Campus Calendar

Ranking unlikely to affect admissions

Some in the AU community are skeptical of the direct impact that AU's recent ranking as most politically active school in the nation will have on future admissions. The Princeton Review, an education review service, released its annual lists of college rankings, with AU reclaiming the top spot as most politically active school in the country.

AU reacts as Gustav prompts Gulf evacuation

AU students have mixed reactions about the impact of Hurricane Gustav. Gustav made landfall Monday near Cocodrie, La. as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm was a tropical depression as of Wednesday evening. The hurricane displaced 1.9 million people in Louisiana alone, stopped about 15 percent of oil refining in the Gulf Coast and left millions of dollars in damage, The Washington Post reported.

Chancellor reforms D.C. public schools

AU students and faculty are getting more involved in the debate over whether District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's shakeup of procedures and personnel in the D.C. public school system is doing more harm or good. The system is currently failing, said David Teslicko, a senior in the School of International Service.

Public Safety teams with police

AU will continue to monitor students' off-campus behavior as the university increases its contact with local police departments, according to Public Safety Chief Michael McNair. The AU Student Conduct Code allows the university and local police to prosecute students for illegal activities that occur off campus.