TECHNICIAN
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Raleigh, North Carolina
Task Force receives limited feedback Student feedback centers on Free Expression Tunnel practices Derek Medlin
D.H. Hill offers course books on reserve Student proposal initiates change in library
Managing Editor
The Campus Culture Task Force Committee, the group charged with making recommendations to Chancellor James Oblinger about how to improve the campus climate, has been receiving feedback from students about how to move forward with its recommendations. The deadline for students and community members to go online and provide feedback to the group is Feb. 16. Jose Picart, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, said the amount of feedback to this point has been limited. “We’ve had a trickle of feedback from the online process but not a whole lot,” Picart said. “I’d say just a couple of handfuls of responses.” Picart also said the feedback has focused on the Free Expression Tunnel more than the initial report the task force issued Jan. 16. “To be honest, most of the feedback we have gotten has been commentary,” he said. “A lot of the comments have been reinforcing things we’ve already heard about the Free Expression Tunnel.” The initial report, issued Jan. 16, made recommendations in three areas on campus, campus climate, Free Expression Tunnel and Brickyard practices and student code of conduct. Picart said the overwhelming majority of the feedback has asked the task force to not close or restrict the
Alex Vaughn Staff Writer
TIM O’BRIEN/TECHNICIAN
Students walk through the Free Expression Tunnel Monday. The tunnel has been at the center of much controversy in the past year. “If we limit it then where will we draw the line– it’s a slippery slope,” Viola Glenn, a senior in economics, said.
Free Expression Tunnel. “Some people thought we were discussing or planning to close the Free Expression Tunnel, even though that is not the case,” he said. Heather Cutchin, a graduate student in poultry science and member of the task force, said the Free Expression Tunnel issue is just one item the group is considering. “When we get together, each subcommittee gets to present its details,” she said. “We’re giving fair time to all three of the subcommittees.” Cutchin, who also serves as the president of the Graduate Student Association, said she has received thoughts from graduate students through e-mail about how to handle
the Free Expression Tunnel. “I got 30 or 40 responses from graduate students, mostly about the Free Expression Tunnel,” Cutchin said. “A lot of graduate students are opposed to closing the Free Expression Tunnel or restricting free speech at all.” Cutchin said one of the main challenges the committee has faced so far is recognizing both sides of the discussion about the Free Expression Tunnel. “There is such strong feelings about what happened after President Obama was elected,” she said. “So it’s been very hard to explain why to keep the tunnel open and not restrict it when people are so strongly sensitive to these types of things.”
Picart said the Feb. 24 meeting to finalize recommendations will allow the task force to discuss all of the feedback it has received. “We just have to keep sorting through the feedback,” he said. “We’re going to keep talking to community groups. Other than that, we’re going to keep vetting it as broadly as possible.” Other ideas presented in the initial recommendations included changing the Student Conduct Code and the expansion of diversity education across campus for students. Cutchin said her experience on the task force has allowed her to recognize different opinions.
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SETTING UP FOR SPRING
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The No. 21 Wolfpack begin its season this weekend. See page 8.
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Sam Garman, a freshman in First Year College sets the ball to fellow freshman in First Year College Jimmy Foley during an afternoon game of beach volleyball on the sand volleyball court between Tucker and Owen residence hallsMonday. Garman said of the weather, “It feels amazing, I love it.”
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The University Libraries purchased about 2,000 course books for both graduate and undergraduate classes this semester and made them available on reserve, Mary Chimato, head of access and delivery services, said. This was in addition to about 1,000 books the library already owned are included in the collection as well, she said. “In the past we’d buy some and put them on reserve if there was a faculty request or we’d buy it for the collection in general just because it’s an important work in its field,” Greg Raschke, the associate director for collections & scholarly communication for University Libraries, said. “But this is the first time we’ve looked at it systematically and partnered with the NCSU bookstore.” At least one copy of every book that has been submitted to the campus bookstore or directly to the library as required has been purchased, Raschke said, and multiple copies of some titles are available. However, he added, course packs which are printed for specific classes are not included in the program. “So far the use has been really high,” he said. “Reserve circulations have increased by about 600 percent.” Books specific to certain programs may be at the branch libraries, but the bulk of the course materials will be at D.H. Hill, according to Raschke. Joe Sevits, a senior in science, technology and society, said he and a “broad mix of folks” submitted a proposal to the University Library Committee to have the library acquire the books in the fall. “Unlike other departments [the ULC] is very open to student ideas,” he said. “They actually want students to submit agenda items.” The ULC was very responsive and enthusiastic about the proposal, Sevits said. Despite stress regarding budget cuts, about $250,000 of the libraries’ collection budget was allocated for the program, he said. It was important that books were available on reserve rather than in general circulation because in the past students would hide course books in the stacks in order to make them inaccessible to other students, he said. The intention was both to make the materials available to students on campus and to reflect “the teaching and educational priorities of the University” by collecting the books, Raschke said. “As far as I know no other research libraries have tried this in such a comprehensive way,” Raschke said. “Our findings are going to be of interest to a lot of other campuses.” Usage of the course materials will be carefully monitored both to determine the program’s success and for research purposes, he said. “They were very smart about it,” Sevits said. “They looked at the benefit it could have and they’re sharing that with other institutions across the country.” Raschke said the library intends to continue the service if students consider it to be valuable. “Assuming that we get the budget we’re gonna try to maintain it,” he said. Textbooks that are replaced by updated editions will be moved into general circulation, he said. The My Course Reserves page on the Libraries Web site allows students to determine if specific books are on reserve. The Web site does not indicate if the books on reserve are presently in use, Raschke said.
University-sponsored Emerging Issues Forum continues today Discussions center on infrastructure in changing economic climate Staff Report The 2009 Emerging Issues Forum began Monday with several speakers from across the globe speaking out on the issues facing the state of North Carolina and the United States in the midst of a global crisis. The forum, titled “Changing Landscapes: Building the Good Growth State?,” focused on the needs of the United States’ infrastructure systems as Connecticut
Sen. Chris Dodd began Monday’s portion of the seminars as Dodd emphasized finding more efficient ways to use public and private capital to fund infrastructure projects. Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone also spoke on infrastructure changes necessary in the changing economic climate. Livingstone spoke from experience as London has been the only city in the world to manage a 5 percent shift from car usage to public transport. Gov. Bev Perdue also delivered an address titled “A New Vision for North Carolina” outlining the challenges that face the state
in a quickly globalizing world and what changes N.C. needs to make in order to continue to be on the cutting edge of development. The sold out forum continues today and live audio streaming is available from the Institute for Emerging Issues Web site. Questions for the speakers can also be e-mailed in to 2009IEIForum@gmail.com. SOURCE: NCSU.EDU/IEI
WHERE IS THE FORUM? Raleigh Convention Center 500 South Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27601
L ONNIE P OOLE G OLF C OURSE
SOURCE: NCSU.EDU/IEI
W N E VAL ARRI
FEBRUARY 10, 2009 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. | Welcome James B. Hunt, Jr., Former Governor, North Carolina; Chair, Institute for Emerging Issues 8:15 - 9:05 a.m. | New Infrastructure for a New Civic Structure David Brooks, Columnist, New York Times 9:15 - 10:00 a.m. | Funding Good Growth in Tough Times Moderated by Wendell McCain, Founding Partner, Parish Capital Advisors, LLP Janet Cowell, North Carolina Treasurer Thomas F. Darden, Chief Executive Officer, Cherokee Investments
Stephen Zelnak, Chairman and CEO, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. 10:15 - 11:00 a.m. | Managing Growth: A Governance Centered Approach Bruce Katz, Vice President and Director, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution 11:00 - 11:40 a.m. | Managing Growth: A Market Centered Approach Megan McArdle, Associate Editor, The Atlantic 11:40 - 12:25 p.m. | In the Trenches: Lessons from the Experts Moderated by Senator Dan Clodfelter, N.C. General Assembly Rachel Tompkins, President, Rural School and Community Trust
Catherine L. Ross, Harry West Professor and Director of the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development, Georgia Institute of Technology Richard Little, Director, Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy, University of Southern California 12:25 - 1:45 p.m. | Lunch | Rebuilding Our Innovation Infrastructure John Kao, author of Innovation Nation, and Chairman and CEO, Kao and Company, LLC 1:45 - 2:00 p.m. | Closing James B. Hunt, Jr., Former Governor, North Carolina; Chair, Institute for Emerging Issues SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF EMERGING ISSUES
Get you’re officially licensed Lonnie Poole Golf Course gear @ NC State Bookstores