YOUR AD THE INDEPENDENT BELONGS HERE Wednesday, November 29, 2017
99th year • Issue 14
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INSIDE
LEGISLATION
Republican tax plan impacts higher education By Benjamin Morse Staff Reporter
UT student recognized for philanthropy work
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COMMUNITY / 6 »
“It’s great that parents make sure their children feel loved and special, but this behavior could feed into this selfabsorbed mindset when they get older.” Riley Clifton It’s not our fault we’re self-centered OPINION / 3 »
UT heading to MAC Championship SPORTS / 5 »
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“This plan puts an unfair disadvantage on those in the lower class while majorly cutting taxes for the top one percent.”
EDITORIAL How the Republican tax bill will affect higher ed
OPINION / 3 »
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The recently passed GOP tax plan has some universities worried about the bill’s consequences for higher education. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a bill passed by the House of Representatives with a 227-205 vote on Nov. 16, would tax students on tuition waivers, repeal provisions that protect graduate students from a tax increase and eliminate charitable deductions for donations. The Washington Post reported 13 Republicans voted against the bill, while no Democrats voted for it. The senate is working on its own version, which is expected to be voted on this week. “Both the House and Senate tax plans eliminate deductions for interest on student loans,” according to CNBC. But, “the senate tax
plan differs in that it does not include the imposition of income taxes on tuition waivers or tuition credits.” After a vote in the Senate, members from both houses will reconvene to iron out any further issues with the legislation. Public servants in Washington D.C. addressed their concerns with the house bill in its current form. Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who represents Ohio’s 9th District, posed a question in a phone interview in regards to the rollback of affordability in higher education. “Does this mean then that only the children of the super rich will be able to go to college?” asked Kaptur. President Donald Trump has been pushing the tax overhaul since his time began in office; if the bill passes, it would be the administration’s first major legislative victory.
Kaptur doubts Trump’s ability to factor in the struggles of the middle class while pushing his agenda. “I don’t expect the president of the United States to understand this; everything was given to him. He inherited everything. That isn’t the case for 99 percent of the American people,” said Kaptur. University of Toledo President Sharon Gaber expressed her worry in a letter directly addressed to Kaptur’s Washington D.C. office. “I am very concerned
that the adoption of these provisions could have the unintended consequence of hindering our efforts to develop the highly skilled workforce needed to advance economies in Northwest Ohio,” wrote Gaber. Ohio State University President Michael Drake sent a similar letter. “As you continue to work on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, I wanted to express concern over provisions that will have negative consequences for students, families and Ohioans who rely
“I wanted to express concern over provisions that will have negative consequences for students, families and Ohioans who rely on research universities for undergraduate and graduate education.”
TRANSPORTATION
MICHAEL DRAKE Ohio State University President
on research universities for undergraduate and graduate education,” wrote Drake. But it wasn’t just highpowered decision makers voicing their grievances over the decisions being made on Capitol Hill. “We stand against this GOP tax plan,” said thirdyear education major Charlie Moore, head of the UT College Democrats. “It’s unfair. It’s by the rich for the rich. It’s more of the same from the GOP.” One university official, although concerned with the provisions of the bill, found a silver lining in the array of messy tax policy. Paul Hood, director of giving at the UT Foundation, said, although the legislation would eliminate tax deductions for these donations, he’s not worried. “I think that most people are not motivated See Bill / 4 »
ACCREDITATION
Company creates college connection By Gabrielle Huff Staff Reporter
Students will soon be able to travel by bus between 11 Ohio colleges, including the University of Toledo. The Inter-College Bus Company will start running four bus routes that connect each campus Jan. 18, according to Chanse Gvist, co-owner of the company. Co-owners Sam Sheronovich and Gvist founded the company in 2016 because as college freshmen they had friends at universities across the state and found it difficult to visit them. “We wanted to create the easiest, safest and most studentoriented transportation company in the state,” Gvist said. Students can travel to Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron, Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, Marietta College, Ohio University, the University of Dayton, Miami University of Ohio and the University of Cincinnati. The company was founded in Columbus with the mission statement, “We specialize in providing students with a fast and efficient way to move between colleges in the state of Ohio. Whether you’re looking to travel for a day or a weekend away, we’re committed to service and excellence, and we’ll take care of all the details so you can start relaxing long before your next trip.” Second-year pre-dental student Hannah Sabecki said she looks forward to the new bus routes. “I plan to use the inter-college buses because it seems like it will be affordable, have a flexible schedule and will allow me to kick back and relax during trips to destinations likes OSU and the University of Cincinnati,” Sabecki said. The bus route from UT will go directly to Bowling Green State University and to Ohio State University. OSU will then act as home base for Ohio by connecting all the bus routes together, according to the website. Buses will run Thursday to Sunday every week. Each route will run three times per day with different times for each cam-
pus and all pickup and drop-off locations will be located at the student union or student center. Buses leaving UT will leave at 6 a.m., 1 p.m., and 8 p.m. Official prices are not yet listed on the website, but the company’s Facebook page states that there will be a $20 charge for each oneway trip. Gvist also said the bus system will run over the summer on a modified schedule. These schedules might include special routes to take students to sporting events. The company’s website says students are required to check in an hour before the bus’s scheduled departure time. If a passenger doesn’t, the company holds the right to give away that seat to another passenger with no refunds. According to the website, each bus is equipped with reclining seats, Wi-Fi, outlets and and restrooms. “I think that the bus system sounds like a good, cheap method of transportation, as long as it’s reliable and not at all shady,” said Nathan St. Clair, a first-year chemical and environmental engineering student. Each student will be able to check one bag and take one carry-on bag. If someone wants to stay for a longer duration or needs to take extra luggage for any reason, an extra luggage allowance will be added to the initial ticket cost. “This seems like a good idea, especially for games or events, and I could see myself using them for that,” said Hunter Brown, a second-year pharmacy student. The ability to purchase tickets for any length of a stay will be advantageous for students, Brown said.
“We wanted to create the easiest, safest and most student-oriented transportation company in the state.” CHANSE GVIST Inter-College Bus Company Co-owner
PA program’s faculty under investigation By Samantha Gerlach Staff Reporter
The physician assistant accrediting body is in the process of examining an appeal filed by the University of Toledo after it withdrew the physician assistant program’s accreditation Oct. 6, said Dr. Christopher Cooper, executive vice president for clinical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. In a report from the Accreditation Review Commission for Physician Assistants, ARC-PA stated that the decision to withdraw the program’s accreditation was based on the lack of full-time employees, students who felt they were not educated properly, and complaints regarding the former department chair. In a complaint filed on Mar. 29, Meenakshi Kaw, former faculty clinical coordinator, said that Patricia Hogue, associate dean of diversity and inclusion and the department’s then-chair, was “verbally abusive and mistreated staff and faculty.” Kaw said she filed her complaint because Hogue often demeaned her in front of colleagues, with phrases such as, “Get it through your Ph.D. head.” The allegation sparked an investigation by the Faculty Labor Relations and Academic Inclusion Office regarding Hogue’s leadership within the department, said a July 20 memo written by Senior Director Kevin West to Cooper. The investigation brought more concerns to the attention of the Academic Inclusion Office. According to the memo, the office interviewed six current and former employees of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. Four of the six individuals identified instances in which Hogue’s behavior was unprofessional, unnecessarily harsh and
“extreme” under the circumstances. They also said they feared retaliation from Hogue for the information they shared in their interviews. The program’s accreditation status was placed on probation shortly after while the Office of Inclusion prepared the internal investigation. That same day Kaw filed her complaint, she was told that her contract would not be renewed the following year, Kaw said. The memo also states that a student also filed a complaint against Hogue for her behavior, which included yelling at the student in her office. The memo also states that there was a high turnover rate of employees within the department, reflecting Hogue’s mismanagement. Hogue was accused of having a poor attitude and heard saying on several occasions, “I am a 60-year-old African American woman, and no one can touch me,” the memo said. The memo also reported that numerous individuals said it was common for Hogue to bring up performance issues during staff meetings, rather than meeting with those individuals one-on-one, making the staff feel uncomfortable. Hogue also failed to share accreditation information with the program director at the time, April Gardner. According to the memo, Hogue was emailed the accreditation documents from the accrediting body eight months prior to the deadline. The email had explained the documentation required and the steps for submission because the process had been updated from the previous years. Hogue directed Gardner and another employee to get the accrediting documents together using the old process. They worked for approximately a See Staff / 3 »