May 19, 2013

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AggieTV grows student interest, ASUCD segments

AggieTV grows student interest, ASUCD segments

Unit to release live music session videos, in depth pieces

Written by JESSICA GRILLI
Aggie News Writer
Published on April 11, 2013
Filed under ASUCD, Campus News, Front page story

ASUCD unit AggieTV is aiming to keep up with what students are interested in, and is introducing new segments to its lineup. “Our main audience is students. We’ve done that in the past with large projects, such as the UC Davis LipDub, or the Harlem Shake video. We’re always about the students, and we hope that this message is apparent in the content that we produce,” said AggieTV’s Executive Director Anna Oh. Presided over by ASUCD, AggieTV has a total income of $1,000 annually, as well as an ASUCD subsidy of $14,461 for their total expenses for the 2012-13 academic year. Income stems from promotional videos, equipment rental fees, business contracts, content licensing, and products and services, according to an ASUCD budget summary. New shows AggieTV is currently producing several different video series, including “Word On The Street,” or WOTS, in which reporters move around campus and ask students to talk about relevant events coming up or interesting topics. The unit also began producing “How To” videos in the fall.... ...

UC introduces system to alter allocation of state funds

State funds distributed by UC to each campus this academic year (2012-2013): Not currently receiving rebenching funds: UCLA: $6,413 UC Davis: $6,129 UC Berkeley: $5,749 UC San Diego: $5,499 Currently receiving rebenching funds: UC Riverside: $5,401 UC Santa Cruz: $5,215 UC Irvine: $4,975 UC Santa Barbara: $4,275 University of California officials have agreed that the process by which individual campuses get state funding isn’t transparent enough. A newly introduced budget model called rebenching aims to remedy that. The new system will allocate funds for UC campuses based on enrollment figures, according to a recent rebenching proposal. Extra state funds will not be redistributed among all the campuses, rather, to those schools that typically receive less funding. UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara are currently receiving these rebenching funds. Setting enrollment goals for UC campuses is the next phase in the rebenching proposal. Upon receiving campus input, UC officials are expected to set the enrollment targets by June, which will eventually determine the rebenching fund amounts... ...

Students protest loan interest hikes

On April 10, an event jointly organized by the student interest group CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group) and ASUCD was held on the Quad at 11 a.m. to raise awareness about a proposed doubling of student loan interest rates on July 1. The increase would be on the Subsidized Stafford Loan, a popular federal student loan that serves 45 percent of the UC Davis community. Currently, the Stafford Loan has an annual interest rate of 3.4 percent; however, if the increase goes through, the interest rate would increase to 6.8 percent. Last year, the U.S. government made the decision to double the Stafford Loan interest rate in order to reduce the country’s national deficit. Action from CALPIRG and other student organizations convinced the government to put off the doubling of the loan for a year, but the deadline is approaching this summer. Over 9 million students across the country have taken out Subsidized Stafford Loans to pay for their education, and three fourths of them have a family income... ...

Senator proposes bill to create online courses for public universities

On Feb. 21, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) presented Senate Bill 520, which would create online courses at the state level in hopes of providing relief for California students struggling to get into introductory courses. The bill is set for a hearing on April 24. These classes would be offered in an online clearinghouse — an online course registrar offered by the state — and students could receive credit at UC, CSU and California Community Colleges (CCCs), according to the bill’s summary. Bob Powell, chair of the University of California Academic Senate and UC Davis professor of chemical engineering, chemical science and food science and technology, co-authored with Bill Jacob, vice chair of the University of California Academic Senate, an open letter opposing Steinberg’s bill. “We need to do this in a way that creates high-quality courses that are periodically reviewed, can be updated regularly as new material comes into the curriculum and has UC faculty both designing them and teaching them. That’s really what it’s about for... ...

Campus Judicial Report

Just a peek A teaching assistant referred a student to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for copying off another student’s exam in an upper division economics course. The TA noticed the suspicious behavior and moved the student during the exam. After the exam, the TA reviewed both tests and discovered that they shared a number of identical wrong answers. During the meeting with the SJA officer, the student was apologetic and admitted to copying off the other student’s exam. The student stated that she was under a lot of emotional pressure due to family matters and would not otherwise cheat. Because the student took responsibility for her actions, the SJA officer proposed a lighter sanction. The student accepted disciplinary probation through Winter Quarter of 2014 and agreed to do 10 hours of community service as well. If a student breaks the rules while on disciplinary probation, they will almost definitely be suspended. Even after the probation is over, though, another similar violation (any kind of academic misconduct) would likely result in... ...

Aggie Reuse Store proves to be viable new unit

Aggie Reuse Store proves to be viable new unit

Since its grand opening in January 2012, the Aggie Reuse Store has been functioning successfully as a new unit on campus by exceeding projected sales and meeting the necessary sales quota to remain open to the student community. Formerly known as Aggie ReStore, the Aggie Reuse Store is located in Room 163 in the east wing of the Memorial Union, across from Classical Notes and Campus Copies. The store sells donated, used items at a low cost as a means of keeping reusable items out of landfills. Through the low-price items they offer, the store is also a helpful resource for low-income students. According to design professor Ann Savageau, who assisted in the unit’s development, the Aggie Reuse Store is the first of its kind in California and perhaps in the nation in terms of being a reuse boutique, with attractive merchandising and educational endeavors. According to unit staff, Aggie Reuse, though still young, is functioning successfully. “You have to remember that the store is completely outside the usual bureaucratic... ...

Senate briefs

ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the April 4 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings. Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m. Carly Sandstrom, ASUCD president, present Bradley Bottoms, ASUCD vice president, present Liam Burke, ASUCD senator, present Armando Figueroa, ASUCD senator, present Maxwell Kappes, ASUCD senator, present Pamela Nonga, ASUCD senator, present Felicia Ong, ASUCD senator, present Alyson Sagala, ASUCD senator, present Amrit Sahota, ASUCD senator, present Miles Thomas, ASUCD senator, present Tal Topf, ASUCD senator, present Reuben Torres, ASUCD senator, present Ryan Wonders, ASUCD senator, present Yee Xiong, ASUCD senator, present Presentations Plans for MU renovations were discussed. The two-phase plan involves a renewal of the bookstore as well as the rest of the Memorial Union. The renovation will all take place within the current space. There will be study spaces as well as retail areas. The MU Station will become a new tech... ...

State representative introduces bill terminating textbook sales tax

State representative introduces bill terminating textbook sales tax

On Feb. 19, State Rep. Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks) proposed the Textbook Relief Act, which would exempt textbooks from sales tax in California. Donnelly said the initiative is an investment in California’s future. “We need to do something to signal to students in California that we actually want them here, and that we want them to complete their education,” Donnelly said. “Every student’s success is California’s success.” Donnelly said he believes the bill aligns the financial incentives with the desired behavior, which is completion of higher education. “When students get out of school and get a full time job, they become part of the income stream for the state,” Donnelly said. According to Donnelly, California has a surplus of money that simply needs to be redistributed so that money isn’t wasted. Donnelly said that the sales tax exemption on textbooks wouldn’t be detrimental to the state’s budget. “There’s money all over the place that we’re wasting on things. To me, this would be a sound investment because it essentially says... ...

Supreme Court revisits affirmative action

Supreme Court revisits affirmative action

The future of affirmative action in California’s public schools may soon be decided in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant review of the Sixth Circuit Court’s ruling of Michigan’s Proposition 2 as unconstitutional. On March 25, the Supreme Court granted review of the Sixth Circuit decision. In November 2011, the Sixth Circuit Court ruled the anti-affirmative action ballot referendum Prop. 2 — which is almost identical to California’s Proposition 209 — unconstitutional. Prop. 209 “prohibits the state, local governments, districts, public universities, colleges, and schools, and other government instrumentalities from discriminating against or giving preferential treatment to any individual or group in public employment, public education, or public contracting on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin,” as stated in the text of the proposition. The propositions make it illegal for public universities to make admissions decisions based on race, inhibiting affirmative action in California and Michigan public schools. “These propositions create a separate and unequal education system. They inhibit every effective measure to integrate... ...

Campus Judicial Report

Bed Head In an upper division engineering class, a student was reported to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) after she did not attend class but had a friend sign the attendance sheet for her anyway. The course required attendance and each student was responsible for signing in at the beginning of class. The junior claimed that she was planning on going to class and was simply running late, so she texted her friend to sign the attendance sheet for her. However, she claimed that she fell back to sleep after texting her friend and never came to class. The professor then noticed the forged signature by counting the present students and the number of signatures. After meeting with a Judicial Officer, the student agreed to disciplinary probation, meaning that if she commits misconduct during her probation, she will likely be suspended or dismissed. The situation with the student who signed in for her friend was handled separately. Weird Science A second-year student was referred to SJA because it became apparent to... ...

ASUCD executive officers say farewell

Rebecca Sterling, Yena Bae and Melanie Maemura were honored on Thursday evening as the former ASUCD president, vice president and controller gave thanks in a crowded Gunrock Pub. The event began with Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Rich Shintaku, Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor and Mayor Joe Krovoza, who all praised student leadership. “These are not future leaders, these are grand leaders today,” Saylor said. Sterling, Bae and Maemura all spoke fondly of their time in office, both in terms of accomplishments as well as individual growing experiences. They thanked those involved and gave awards to their staff. ASUCD Business Manager Brett Burns was presented with an award for his year of work in the association. Later on during the ASUCD Senate Meeting, it was announced that Anne Myler, director of the Center for Student Involvement, will take over the post once Burns leaves for his new position at the UC Davis School of Law. Mark Champagne, who was the business manager for over 30 years, will also return... ...

News in Brief: Mondavi Center to host finals week study session

The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts will host a finals week study session today from 3 to 9 p.m. “We know that Finals Week is an especially stressful time for students and as part of the UC Davis campus we at the Mondavi Center feel it is our duty to help ease this stress in any way we can,” said Maizy Enck, an Aggie Arts Intern, in a Feb. 26 news release. “This event also offers students the chance to interact with the Mondavi Center in a new way.” The Fall Quarter study session garnered nearly 250 students. The event will include free coffee, ample study space with outlets and a door prize drawing for two tickets to a select event at the Mondavi Center, according to the release. A selection of classical music will also be played. More information can be found on the Aggie Arts Facebook Page. — Muna Sadek ...

Sequester cuts to hamper research, student aid

Sequester cuts to hamper research, student aid

Higher education can expect to be hit in two major ways because of the sequestration — cuts in financial aid and research funding. Pell Grant awards will begin to lose funding after one year, affecting over 1 million California students, and funds for new research projects will decrease by millions. In 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act, outlining a series of budgetary cuts — projected at $1.2 trillion — that President Barack Obama said were designed to be “unattractive and unappealing” to compel parties to arrive at a compromise of sensible cuts. Congress did not strike a compromise by the March 1 deadline. The original January 2013 deadline was extended by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. According to University of California Federal and Governmental Relations, there is little information from the Office of Management and Budget regarding how the cuts will be implemented, but it is expected that federal agencies will have a level of discretion in doing so. Gary Falle, associate vice president of Federal Governmental... ...

UC Regents discuss UC SHIP, online education at March meeting

At the March 13 and 14 UC Board of Regents meeting at UCSF Mission Bay, the UC Regents discussed the search for a new UC President, along with other issues the University is facing. The meeting addressed caps to UC Student Health Insurance Plans, energy efficiency, as well as members of the public during the Board to divest from fossil fuels. Regents also discussed making the UC System more oriented toward social media, encouraging students and alumni to garner funds through media platforms, such as Twitter. On March 1, the UC Regents announced an international search for a new UC President to follow President Mark G. Yudof. Yudof is stepping down in August. According to a UC Student Association press release, the Regents’ Special Committee, which is the hiring team searching for a new UC President, is working in collaboration with the Student Advisory Committee, which is composed of one representative per campus and the UCSA President, Raquel Morales. These representatives include undergraduates, graduates and professional students. “As the Student... ...

New research lab safety regulations to be implemented after delay

In an effort to reduce students’ exposure to lab risks, UC officials released new policies regarding lab safety that were to be put into effect March 1. However, the implementation of these policies has been delayed in order to allow for the review of more comments from campuses about the new regulations. These regulations include required personal protective equipment (PPE) students must wear at all times while they are inside a lab. PPE is chosen by supervisors based on their assessment of hazardous materials in the workplace and will be provided to students at no cost. This new policy applies to students enrolled in academic courses where PPE is required by the instructor and/or indicated in the course syllabus. These new policies came as a response to an accident at UCLA, where research scientist Sheri Sangji died in a lab fire four years ago after a small quantity of a chemical compound that ignites when exposed to air was spilled during an extraction from a sealed container. There have been... ...