News

News

U.S. dollar weak; students go for broke abroad

By Marisa Kendall | April 7

The falling value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies has made it increasingly expensive for AU students to study abroad. Europe is currently the most expensive region for American students to visit; the exchange rate in countries that use the euro is now .

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SG proposes senate, executive reform

By Rebecca Kern | April 7

A series of proposed amendments to the Student Government Constitution would make the SG comptroller and secretary appointed positions. The Undergraduate Senate held its first reading yesterday of the Commission on Reform's proposed amendments to the constitution, which the commission claims would improve the executive branch's efficiency and reduce the size of the senate.

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New Kogod major mixes business, music

By Jen Calantone | April 7

The Kogod School of Business unveiled a new degree program March 31 that will allow for students to follow a career path into the music business, according to Jesse Boeding, director of undergraduate programs in Kogod. After meeting with administrators from both Kogod and the College of Arts and Sciences, the accredited business and music programs combined into one curriculum - the Bachelor of Science in Business and Music - that will allow a student to graduate in four years, study abroad and have internships, Boeding said.

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Registrar develops waitlist system

By Ethan Klapper | April 3

AU students will now be able to place their names on an automated waitlist for closed course sections during registration, the Office of the Registrar announced Tuesday. Students will be able to place their names on the waitlist on my.american.edu, according to an e-mail the Office of the Registrar sent to students The system will create a waitlist as soon as an open section closes for the first time.

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News

WMATA will need $489M to fix Metro

By Ethan Klapper | April 3

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority needs nearly half a billion dollars in funding to maintain its current level of service, General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. announced last week. The needed $489 million would fund 44 different improvements spread throughout the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess paratransit service systems, according to a WMATA press release.

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Briefs

April 3

CAMPUS BRIEF Bravo and Independent Film Channel added on campus Students who live on campus can now watch Bravo and the Independent Film Channel on campus cable, according to Housing and Dining Executive Director Chris Moody. Moody sent an e-mail to on-campus students Tuesday night notifying them of the change.

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Campus calendar

April 3

Thursday, April 3 "Mission: Improv-able Spring Spectacular" 11 p.m. WHERE: Battelle-Tompkins Atrium INFO: Mission: Improv-able, an AU comedy group, will hold a performance in the Battelle-Tompkins Atrium. Admission is free for this event. CONTACT: For more information, e-mail Grant Helms at grant.

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Police blotter

April 3

Wednesday, March 26 A resident assistant reported a student was intoxicated and unable to walk unassisted on the north side of the Letts-Anderson Quad. Public Safety officers found the student in the company of another student on the tennis courts. Officers determined the intoxicated student was semi-conscious, unable to speak and barely able to stand up.

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Murdoch says print media matters to youth

By JAE CHOI | April 3

Newspapers remain the most important source of information for young people despite their waning popularity, News Corporation Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch told students and faculty yesterday at Georgetown University. "I think [newspapers] are the best training ground for young people," he said.

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Study: Adjuncts, big classes may discourage freshmen

By Marisa Kendall | April 3

Freshmen who take larger introductory classes taught by part-time professors are more likely to drop out, according to a study presented March 26 during the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting. Though the research was conducted at public schools, the study does not measure the type of school but the relationship between student performance and the amount of time professors devoted to their classes, according to the study.

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Provost finalists to meet with campus community

By Jimm Phillips | April 3

Four people, including Interim Provost Ivy Broder, will meet with the campus community in the coming weeks as part of the final stages of the ongoing provost search. In addition to Broder, the other candidates for the position are: Scott Bass, dean of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Graduate School and vice president for research; Charles A.

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SG negotiates for discount Metro fare

By Jen Calantone | April 3

D.C. students could eventually ride the Metro at a discount if next year's Student Government follows through with the current SG's talks with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the D.C. Metro-University Student Alliance, according to SG President Joe Vidulich.

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New scooters to help decrease response times

By Brian Kalish | April 3

AU Public Safety's recent purchase of three T3 scooters will help decrease officers' response times, according to Public Safety Chief Michael McNair. The three scooters and extra batteries cost the office $34,000 and replaced one patrol car.

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Students' concerns unclear, activism needed, panelists say

By Rachel Trainer | April 3

The setup of typical polls and surveys makes it difficult to determine what exactly is the biggest problem college students face today, School of Communication professor Dotty Lynch said during a panel discussion last night on student activists and their role in the presidential election.

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Students provide tax services to community

By RACHEL TRAINER AND ALLYSON MORRIS | April 3

Kogod School of Business students are currently volunteering to help local taxpayers file their returns. Through the Internal Revenue Service's April 15 tax filing deadline, 26 Kogod students will volunteer their time to help people file and get the most out of their tax returns through Community Tax Aid Inc.

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Felty elected RHA prez, promises PR

By Ethan Klapper | March 31

The Residence Hall Association held their executive board elections last week to choose next year's president and three vice presidents. Christine Felty, a sophomore in the School of Communication was elected president, Hillary Roviaro, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences was elected vice president of administration and finance, Jenny Leland, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs will be the new vice president of programming and Keiko Iioka, a sophomore in the School of International Service will be the new vice president of advocacy and community coordination.

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Educational earmarks rise

By Christopher Cottrell | March 31

Legislators channeled $2.25 billion into 920 colleges and universities during the 2008 fiscal year, including a $3.2 million earmark from Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Friday. McGovern allocated the money through the Department of Defense to fund the Army Corps of Engineers' Formerly Used Defense Sites program in Spring Valley, according to Michael Mershon, McGovern's press secretary.

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