the 132-year-old award-winning independent student-run newspaper of the university of cincinnati
Vol. CXXXIIi Issue LVVVVVVViv
The News Record MONDAY | FEBRUARY 18 | 2013
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ROTC honors senior cadets at event UC hosts annual Military Ball, seniors announce plans after graduation TYLER BELL SENIOR REPORTEr newsrecordnews@gmail.com The University of Cincinnati Army ROTC program honored its eight graduating cadets with tributes during a celebratory Friday night at the Newport Syndicate. The annual Military Ball started with a toast to those fallen in battle. In the front of the reception hall, a table was left empty in honor of the prisoners of war and other military members still missing in action. After the somber opening, the ball quickly transitioned to UC’s graduating ROTC class. “[The ball] is really a celebration [for the seniors] and all that they have accomplished,” said Lt. Col. William Galinger, a military science professor. Graduating cadets announced their plans for the future and took a break from
rigorous training to relax with friends. “[The ball] allows for dancing and music, and for girls to be girly for once,” said Maria Harford, cadet battalion executive officer. “It’s the fun side of the army that no one really gets to see.” The seniors mentor younger cadets each year, and the ball gave the cadets a chance to thank their mentors. One of the cadets recited a poem for his mentor entitled “Yoda,” while another cadet paid back $600 he borrowed from his mentor to fix his car. After graduation, the seniors’ future goals displayed a variety of interests, including plans to go to medical school and open an antique bookstore. “This senior class has been truly exceptional,” Galinger said. UC has never had eight distinguished military graduates before, and most universities only have two, Galinger said.
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TYLER BELL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
STAND AND DELIVER The UC Army ROTC program hosted its annual Military Ball Friday.
benjamin goldschimdt CHIEF Reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com A University of Cincinnati alumna’s nonprofit organization is under fire for tax and mortgage loan fraud. Free Truth Enterprise is a nonprofit organization that assists ex-offenders and their families after they are released from prison. One of its purposes is to provide housing and employment referrals for convicts. It allegedly failed to produce documents requested by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, according to a complaint filed Tuesday. “Charitable organizations have to operate transparently and work to further their chosen mission,” DeWine said in a statement. Regina Shields, a UC graduate and CEO of Free Truth Enterprise, faces four counts of filing false federal income refunds, one count of money laundering and one count of wire fraud. DeWine’s complaint alleged the Free Truth Enterprise violated Ohio charitable law, including a breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. The Attorney General’s Office began investigating Free Truth Enterprise in September 2012, following a receipt of complaint, and found eight of its properties were given to the organization but not all of the deeds were filed with the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office. “Regina Shields also used these same properties as collateral to post bond for individuals charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin, though neither Shields nor Free Truth Enterprise held proper title to the properties, collectively valued at $1 million,” DeWine said. The Attorney General’s investigation also found Shields did not file annual reports from 2003 to 2008 and from 2010 to 2011. DeWine also filed for a restraining order and a preliminary injunction against Free Truth Enterprise.
GRADUATION RATE
CEO of nonprofit organization charged with counts of filing false tax info
TUITION
UC alumna facing federal charges
58.7%
79.9%
81.5%
GRAPHIC BY KATE DAVIS
RANKING UC The US Department of Education released a college scorecard detailing universities’ graduation rates and costs.
BETTER THAN SOME UC graduation rate, tuition cost place in middle of the pack jake grieco senior reporter newsrecordNEWS@gmail.com Some faculty members are questioning the University of Cincinnati’s rankings in the US Department of Education’s new college scorecard. The scorecard — announced by President Barack Obama in the State of the Union address Tuesday — is an easilyaccessible and interactive tool providing incoming college students with financial information and graduation rates of the nation’s universities. While the scorecard is intended to help students make sound decisions, some have argued the database does not reveal everything a student needs to know before applying. “It is a good place to start,” said Caroline Miller, UC’s associate provost for enrollment management. “Culture matters as well, but that is harder to measure.” The scorecard — which measures costs, graduation rates, median borrowing and loan default rates — ranks UC as an affordable institution with a $18,131 annual average net costs for undergraduate instate students. While the scorecard ranks the cost of a
UC education in the medium range, only three other similar Ohio public universities costs more than UC — Ohio State University, Ohio University and Miami University. Johnson said the university strives to keep costs as low as possible. Costs increased 4.7 percent from 2007 to 2009, substantially lower than increases at OSU and OU. Toledo University and the University of Akron both decreased the average costs over the same period of time. UC faired better in graduation rates, placing in the “high” ranking with 58.7 percent six-year completion, but there are several problems with that number, Miller said. She claims the number is not updated, and UC’s graduation rate is actually closer to 62 percent. The numbers also provide a lack of context and fails to explain the reason UC’s graduation rates are lower than some other Ohio institutions. “It is way easier to achieve a high graduation and retention rate if a campus only admits super smart, low-need students,” Miller said. Ohio State University’s graduates 79.9 percent of its students, while Miami University has the highest graduation rate at 81.5 percent. With a 65 percent rate, Ohio
University also graduates more students than UC. UC admits a diverse student body with the overall goal of creating opportunities for students, Johnson said. The UC2019 plan aims to increase the overall graduation rate to 75 percent, a goal the university is actively working toward. “There’s ways we can improve value for our students to make it easier,” Johnson said. One of the ways is to increase the amount of scholarships UC offers, but information like that will not be reflected on the scorecard. While some complain the report fails to put the data in context, the creation of an aggregated source for such data is something one UC student would have appreciated during her college search. “[The scorecard] would have made it easier,” said Emma Seymour, a first-year psychology student. Despite the data collected in the repots, it is impossible to measure the opportunities the university provides high school graduates looking to further their education. “[UC] is a jewel for kids in this area,” Johnson said.
McMicken offers students short semester of classes New program , Dean Jackson explains “Maymester” opportunity nicole sims contributor newsrecordnews@gmail.com
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MAY YOU TRANSFORM Dean Ronald Jackson explains Maymester opportunities.
Unique coursework is on the horizon for Bearcats this spring. Beginning in May, students at the University of Cincinnati will have the option to take a shorter summer semester, featuring some non-traditional coursework. The program, aptly named McMicken Maymester, offers 14 total courses through a range of different disciplines within the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences. All the courses are worth three credit hours and cost the same as any other class at UC, but allow students the option to complete it in a shorter amount of time. With courses meeting for 12 hours a week during May, students will have most of the summer left to seek other opportunities. Ronald Jackson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, first introduced the idea
of Maymester, and although the idea is not original to UC, Jackson plans to make it stand apart from similar programs in other colleges. “We want to distinguish our Maymester as one that was built around hands on, interactive, engaging learning,” Jackson said. One distinguishing aspect of Maymester is the opportunity in some classes to study throughout the city and apply the knowledge learned in school outside the classroom. Vanessa Plumly, a German studies graduate student, will teach a course centered on the German American history in Cincinnati, primarily in Over-the-Rhine. The class will focus on German architecture in the city and include trips to Over-the-Rhine. “There are so many cultural aspect in the city,” Plumly said. “It’s sort of like this text you can manipulate and find little
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corners that have some sort of German influence.” Craig Dietsch, an associate professor in Geology, will take trips in his Field Geology of Cincinnati course to places such as UC’s own Center for Field Studies. Dietsch wants students to leave the course reconnected to the natural environment, with a better understanding of how it is changing. “In the college and university the words transformation and transformative is kind of a big catchword now,” Dietsch said. “This is a little opportunity in your life in May in a couple Saturdays to find that transforming moment.” Maymester is only offered through A&S, but the classes are open to all UC students — as well as the public. Jackson encourages students to tweet him @McMickenDean, to provide suggestions on how to improve Maymester.