TECHNICIAN
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Raleigh, North Carolina
Task force makes final recommendations Committee’s ideas await final approval from Chancellor Oblinger Ty Johnson News Editor
The University’s Campus Culture Task Force committee met Tuesday for the final time before submitting its recommendations to Chancellor James Oblinger. According to the executive summary of the committee’s preliminary report, Oblinger appointed the Task Force to assess and recommend improvements
to the University’s Free Expression Tunnel and Brickyard use policies, use of the Code of Conduct in punishing hate speech offenders, and to get an overall feel for the campus climate in the wake of the Nov. 5 incident in the Tunnel that involved racist comments and threats against newly elected President Barack Obama’s life. The committee reviewed feedback students submitted online. Student Body President Jay Dawkins noted that many more students responded when news arose of the possible closing of the tunnel.
“The discussion today was how overwhelming the feedback was in keeping the tunnel and the support of the ideas put forth from the climate committee like ways we can improve discussion,” Dawkins, a junior in civil engineering, said. Overall, Dawkins said the University was not in a position to determine what could or could not be displayed in the tunnel. “We can’t, as an institution, punish students for not living up to values,” Dawkins said. But, Dawkins said support for the tunnel was continuous from the feedback whether from N.C.
State students or students from other colleges, alumni and faculty and staff. “Students from other universities write in talking about how it’s such a privilege for us to have a free expression tunnel on campus, and I believe that’s so true,” he said. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Tom Stafford agreed, and also pointed out how difficult it would be to monitor what’s in the tunnel. “The problem with the tunnel is there is no way to monitor
CCTF RECOMMENDS Free Expression Tunnel and Brickyard subcommittee’s finalized these recommendations from its Jan. 16 preliminary report: r Improve lighting at entrances of the tunnel r Provide basic paint, brushes and cleaning supplies for students to challenge hate speech r Eliminate the word “please” in PRR 11.55.4.8 r Replace plaques at entrances to the tunnel, possibly enlarge r Incorporate a greater explanation of the tunnel at New Student, Faculty and Employee Orientations
Free Expression Tunnel and Brickyard Subcommittee did not include these recommendations from its Jan. 16 preliminary report: r Solicit campus feedback on whether or not to install web cameras at entrances of the tunnel r Incorporate a Free Expression Wall in the public eye, if bridge is built as part of the proposed Student Life Master Plan SOURCE: WWW.NCSU.EDU/STUDENT_AFFAIRS/CCTF/ AND STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT JAY DAWKINS
CCTF continued page 3
LAUNDRY DAY
History of black student enrollment at N.C. State
QUICK FACTS COMPILED BY ANASTASIA ASTRASHEUSKAYA
Since the first African-American undergraduate students arrived on campus in 1956, the University has worked to increase its stature as a diverse institution of higher learning. In honor of Black History Month, here’s a look at some of the University’s accomplishments in diversity: Minority Access Incorporated nominated the University as a “Role Model University” in 2006, and proclaimed it a “Top Diversity University in 2008 for its variety of diversity programs and for its success in enrolling, retaining and graduating African-American students. According to a Diversity in Higher Education report in July 2006, the University ranked third in the nation in the production of African American students with Bachelor’s and doctorates in engineering sciences and fifth in the nation in production of African American students with Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics/ statistics and all minority doctorates in computer and information sciences, and seventh in production of African-American students with bachelor’s degrees in biology and biochemistry. SOURCE: UNIVERSITY PLANNING AND ANALYSIS
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Hannah Bowers, a freshman in animal science, folds her clothes in the laundry room in Lee Hall. “I spend a lot on laundry... I think they are a little steep,” Bowers said. However, Bowers did say that she thought it was a great laundry room because “it has more washers and dryers than anywhere else.”
Interim dean accepts permanent post Duane Larick named dean of graduate school Jessica Hall Staff Writer
Duane Larick was officially offered the position of graduate school dean last Tuesday, and accepted the job this week. Larick is filling the position after eight months as interim dean after Terri Lomax took the position of the vice- chancellor of research and graduate studies. In addition to the knowledge and practice he has gained these past few months, he has plenty of other experience says Larick. “I’ve been at North Carolina State since 1984 and I am a professor at food science … but since 2000, I have been in the graduate school full-time,” Larick said. “As either an assistant dean, an associate dean, or a senior associate dean, and I have served as interim dean three times.” About two years ago Lomax and Larick were the final two candidates for the graduate dean position after a national search
and officials took this into account when it came time to hire this time around. “Rather than do another national search this soon, the chancellor, the provost and the vice chancellor of research and graduate studies thought it was reasonable to ask me if I would be willing do the job on a permanent basis,” Larick said. Beyond its typical goals, the University’s focus seems to be on graduate education and to increase enrollment to target Larick said. “As we try to reach our enrollment target of 40,000, there is a plan to emphasize graduate education,” Larick said. “The graduate school’s role in that will be to help to make sure that we recruit the best and brightest graduate students and we have the best grad programs that we place those students in.” Jeffrey Braden, interim CHASS dean, affirmed these aspirations. “As the money comes back [after the current economic recession], we will be looking to build graduate programs and support
underg raduate prog ra ms,” Braden said. Criticism of graduate education is centered mainly on communication. “It would be helpful to encourage communication between the departments [and] graduate school as a whole [in order to provide] students with opportunities to know people in other departments,” Molly Brannock, a graduate student working towards her PhD. in chemistry, said. Addressing the issues brought forward, Larick discussed various programs that help graduate students network with each other and industry. “We are going to continue to work in our efforts to improve the quality of graduate education by work[ing] very hard on our ‘Preparing the Future Leaders’ program, an example of programs that we are putting together for graduate students,” he said. “We are going to continue to create unique graduate programs – we have an emphasis right
A LOOK AT... DUANE LARICK
ENROLLMENT NUMBERS 8.5 percent of African-American students at N.C. State of African-American students at State in the fall 2,809 rnrollment semester of 2008 52
years since the first African-American undergraduates arrived on campus
r Larick has been at the University r r r
r
since 1984 Originally a food science professor Became involved with graduate school full-time in 2000 Has been assistant dean, associate dean, and senior associate dean of the graduate school Has served as interim dean three times “[The goal is] to make North Carolina State one of the leaders in graduate education and make it a place students want to come.” - Duane Larick
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY PLANNING AND ANALYSIS
THE UNC SYSTEM UNC - Chapel Hill East Carolina University UNC - Charlotte UNC - Greensboro
10.8% black non-Hispanic students 15.3% 14.6% 19.8%
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY PLANNING AND ANALYSIS
SOURCE: DUANE LARICK
now…[on] a neat industry university partnership at the master’s level, so we will continue to grow those types of programs.” “[The goal is] to make North Carolina State one of the leaders in graduate education and make it a place students want to come.”
Pre-Inventory Clearance @ NC State Bookstores Don’t miss this opportunity to save! We'll be adding items daily to the bargain tables located in the middle of the sales floor now through March 3rd - because if we don’t sell it, we’ll have to count it!
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Final chance to order your NC State Ring! Visit the new Graduation Corner on the upper-level of NC State Bookstores. ER! February 23 - 27 - 10am to 3pm HELD OV
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