VOL. CXXXV ISSUE XVIV • FREE-ADDITIONAL COPIES $1
THE NEWS RECORD THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI’S INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWS ORGANIZATION / MONDAY, NOV. 18, 2013
RACIAL
TENSION AT UC
Students protest on campus after first African American A&S dean resigns BRYAN SHUPE CHIEF REPORTER
Issues of race and diversity continued to seize the University of Cincinnati Friday as students, alumni and faculty voiced displeasure with top administrators in the wake of Arts & Sciences Dean Ronald Jackson’s resignation. A crowd of more than 50 people gathered between Tangeman University Center and McMicken Commons around 11 a.m. with signs and a message: UC needs to do more to further diversity and be inclusive to all. “I think a lot of students are scared to act because they really don’t know what might happen in terms of their being able to continue with this institution,” said Samuel Burbank, a doctoral student studying education. “There’s a spirit of fear at the university for students to get involved and be active. We want to push forward and talk about these issues.” As groups of prospective students touring campus walked by, Burbank shouted, “Please do not send your children to the racist University of Cincinnati.” Others held signs with messages like “Stop apartheid at the University of Cincinnati” and “Another brotha bites the dust.” Earlier Friday, UC President Santa Ono issued a statement in which he said the university has made great strides in improving diversity on campus, but everyone could do better to improve equality of underrepresented students and faculty. “I do believe that UC has made significant progress toward becoming a more just community in recent years and I am proud of the work of many members of the university in moving forward our Diversity Plan,” Ono said in his statement. “I acknowledge that there have been events over the past months that are at odds with what it means to be a just community. However, this does not negate the progress that has been made and does not change the fact that the vast majority of our university remains committed to the SEE DIVERSITY PG 5
Social media rarely used to evaluate applicants at UC Administrators University part of growing trend in admissions practice, not used often CHANDLER BONN CONTRIBUTOR
Although admissions officers at the University of Cincinnati use social media when reviewing some applicants, they still rely primarily on traditional methods to decide who is and who is not accepted. “It’s not part of our normal practice,” said Caroline Miller, associate vice president in the office of Enrollment Management. “Unless there’s something that really throws up a red flag we generally don’t go and check out student’s Facebook pages, Twitter habits and the like.” The practice of researching an applicant’s online behavior prior to
admitting or dismissing them is part of a growing trend, according to a nationwide study conducted by Kaplan Test Prep. Of the 381 admissions officers questioned, 29 percent said they have Google searched an applicant and 31 percent said they searched for applicants on Facebook or some other form of social media. Those numbers are slightly larger than in 2012 when 27 percent said they Google searched an applicant and 26 percent said they searched an applicant’s Facebook or other social media page. When Kaplan first started tracking social media use by college admissions officers in 2008, less than 10 percent reported that they checked an applicants Facebook account. But unless there is an oddity with an applicant’s essay — such as mention of
an intriguing event or a reference that causes concern — admissions officers at UC generally won’t spend time infiltrating Facebook profiles or scrolling through tweets, Miller said. “Quite frankly, we have to review 20,000 applications for a Fall term,” she said. “That takes enough time without going on extensive reviews.” Of those 20,000 applications, Miller estimates 20 may prompt further research in a given year. “We haven’t had [many] concerns that have caused us to go that route,” Miller said. While the Kaplan study found more schools are using social media, it also found that a majority of college applicants are not concerned about having their social media accounts viewed by SEE ADMISSIONS PG 2
Local political party leaders discuss election strategy Republican, Democratic chairmen break down Cincinnati mayoral election MELANIE TITANIC-SCHEFFT STAFF REPORTER
With the November general election in the books, both Hamilton County political party chairmen came to the University of Cincinnati Thursday to explain their election strategies and offer a post-election diagnosis. Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke and Alex Triantafilou, the Hamilton County Republican Party chairman, addressed what they saw as the biggest issues in the election. Burke and the Democrats were criticized for their choice of party endorsements in both the mayoral and city council races. The Democratic Party did not endorse mayor-elect John Cranley or challenger
Roxanne Qualls — both of whom identify as Democrats — partially because neither candidate asked for the party’s endorsement, Burke said. Still some community members have blamed him for Qualls’ defeat, calling it a “terrible decision” to not endorse a mayoral candidate. While Cranley defeated Qualls by the largest margin since Cincinnati started directly electing its mayor in 2001, a historically low turnout probably did not impact the results, Burke said. “Elections do have consequences, and this time around, the fewest voters in Cincinnati’s history of directly electing a mayor showed up to make that decision,” Burke said. “Did that low turn out make that big of a difference in the election for mayor? Probably not, with the wide margin between the votes for Cranley over Qualls.” Terry Grundy, an adjunct professor in UC’s School of Planning whose class
hosted the discussion, said Cranley, who ran on an anti-streetcar and anti-parking lease platform, used those two issues to effectively box in Qualls. “You know the old cliché in politics, never let your opponent define you. Qualls let her opponent define her, and she never got to redefine herself,” Grundy said. Triantafilou said, although Republicans did not endorse a mayoral candidate, many Republicans sided with Cranley. “Yes, we had a mayoral candidate in that most Republicans were for John Cranley, but I say most because not all were,”Triantafilou said. “My predecessor as party chairman, George Vincent, who also manages my law firm and is a real significant business leader in his own right was clearly and plainly for Roxanne Qualls.” SEE POLITICS PG 2
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acknowledged for promoting gender equality KATIE COBURN CONTRIBUTOR
As racial turmoil at the University of Cincinnati continues to smolder, two UC administrators were recently recognized for their work in promoting diversity and gender equality their respected fields. College of Nursing Dean Greer Glazer and Uma Kotagal, a pediatrics professor in the College of Medicine, were named to the National Diversity Council’s 2013 list of Ohio’s Most Powerful and Influential Women during the sixth annual Ohio Diversity and Leadership Conference. Themed “Imagine Inclusion,” the ceremony recognized Glazer and Kotagal for achieving outstanding personal success in the workplace, as well as making it easier for other women to follow in their footsteps. “It’s all about working to promote a culture change,” Glazer said. Glazer, who was appointed dean in January 2012, helped create the College of Nursing Diversity Advisory Council, which advocates and embraces diversity. The College of Nursing imbeds diversity into every working situation, Glazer said. Her focus is to provide students, faculty and staff with appropriate work environments so they can succeed at UC, Glazer said. The award is a reflection of the entire team in the College of Nursing. “I share it with everybody, honestly,” she said. “It’s all about building fabulous teams that share common goals and work tirelessly to diversify the healthcare workforce.” SEE RECOGNITION PG 2