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Vol. CXXXIIi Issue LVVVVVVVVvII
The News Record MONDAY | APRIL 15 | 2013
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Liability concerns put CPR bill on hold University officials explain potential liability with requiring training, students react BENJAMIN GOLDSCHMIDT CHIEF reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com Liability concerns are slowing the University of Cincinnati Undergraduate Student Government’s plan to train resident hall advisers in CPR. The Student Safety Board drafted a bill urging UC resident advisers to become CPR certified for SG’s April 3 meeting. The bill also would require UC to purchase two Automatic External Defibrillators every year for the lobbies of each residence hall. Joe Blizzard, student body president, said Residence Education and Development asked SG to table the bill due to uncertainty surrounding liability issues.
“Our office has been in the process of researching liability concerns, which includes communication with staff in the Offices of General Counsel and Risk Management,” said Margaret Fogler, assistant director at RED. Fogler declined to comment further because she still has many unanswered questions on the matter. “We do intend to have further meetings [with RED and General Council], especially because we’re hearing contradictory things from General Council about Ohio state law,” said Joshua Kellam, Student Safety Board senator. SG honored RED’s request to table the bill, but discussed it. Many student senators are uneasy about entertaining the notion of weighing liability issues against student
safety issues. Christo Lassiter, UC law professor, said UC could be sued for recklessness if a CPR certified student — as required by the university — made a fatal mistake while attempting to resuscitate another student. “The requirement of CPR status, in some respects makes liability more likely since UC would then be holding the RA out as a first responder,” Lassiter said. “Generally, mistakes that beget liability must be gross.” Lassiter noted an RA also could face liability should he or she make a mistake. However, the RA would “probably win out … unless he or she is criminally negligent,” he said. One of the concerns surrounding the bill is the possibility of an RA not acting when CPR is needed. Lassiter said the RA’s
“duty of care” keeps him or her liable on the theory of negligence. Ohio State University, the University of Missouri and Wesley College already require RA’s to be CPR certified, according to their websites. Central Michigan University requires teacher’s aides to become CPR certified, but does not specify whether or not RA’s are required to be CPR certified, according to its website. Some UC staff and faculty already are required to be CPR certified, including recreation center staff. Many students at UC didn’t know their RA was not CPR certified. “I think they should be [CPR certified] in case of an emergency,” said Holly see cpr | 2
Enrollment growth to help offset deficit College of Medicine accepting more students to reduce deficit benjamin goldschmidt chief reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com
tyler bell | staff photographer
TRAINING SIMULATION Third-year cadets from the University of Cincinnati receive combat training in the Joint Field Training Exercise.
FINAL BATTLE
UC ROTC cadets participate in final training before national event TYLER BELL SENIOR REPORTER newsrecordNEWS@gmail.com To prepare for a June test that will determine their futures, Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio University and Ohio State University joined forces for a fourday training event in Camp Atterbury, Ind. Thursday. The four-day Joint Field Training Exercise emphasized basic troop-leading skills cadets will need to succeed at the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, a five-week course the Army uses to evaluate third-year cadets, in June. The JFTX is designed to get cadets used to working with unfamiliar personnel. “This is the first time they’re going to work with other battalions,” said Abbey Driskell, a fourth-year cadet and UC ROTC recruitment officer. At the LDAC, which takes place at Fort Lewis, Wash., cadets’ grades are negatively affected when they fail to effectively work with others. “So far it’s been a good learning experience,” said Ethan Daugherty, a thirdyear cadet and squad leader. “It really prepares us for this summer when we work
with other schools.” Cadets spent Friday and Saturday outdoors simulating combat patrols with M16 rifles and blank-fire cartridges. Every cadet rotated through a leadership role at least once. Their performances were recorded and graded by instructorobservers who counseled the cadets individually. Cadets will be graded by the same standards at LDAC. “It’s showed me a couple weaknesses I could work on,” Daugherty said. Points were subtracted for slowness, issuing unclear orders and other mistakes. Nathan Schoonmaker, a third-year cadet and platoon leader, had points deducted from his final score for exceeding the time limit during the planning phase of the combat simulation. “It was a little more daunting because of all the moving parts,” Schoonmaker said. “You spend [one-third] of the time planning and two-thirds of the time letting your subordinates execute.” The final portion of each patrol was simulated combat with black-shirted fourth-year cadets pretending to be enemy combatants. “I think [the JFTX] went well,” said Chris
Kapucinski, a fourth-year cadet and UC ROTC battalion commander. “The weather may have hurt morale … but I don’t think it had any adverse effect on training.” Despite the friendly rivalry between schools, nearly all the cadets proved themselves satisfactory leaders. “Working with other schools was great,” Schoonmaker said. Schoonmaker, who received a satisfactory evaluation for his leadership, said he’s ready for LDAC. “I know better what to expect,” he said. “It won’t be too bad.”
For the first time in its history, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is reaching out to undergraduate students to help eliminate a $4.8 million deficit. The college is actively taking steps to boost enrollment — with a goal of recruiting 350 more students by 2017 — to combat the projected deficit, said Lori Mackey, senior associate dean of finance and operations. Despite facing a projected $4.8 million deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30 and losing money three out of the last four years, Mackey said the college’s finances look promising. After receiving the latest financial update, Mackey is hoping to reduce the projected deficit to $2 million. The College of Medicine’s expenses are projected to total $234.9 million while total revenue was projected to be $227.7 million, Mackey said. “There are a lot of pressures facing all the schools at UC,” Mackey said. The College of Medicine and UC Health account for about half of UC’s $1.1 billion budget, according to the University Current Funds Budget Plan for 2012-13. A large part of the deficit stems from reduced state funding and endowments, Mackey said. To reduce its debt, the college is planning to offer a pre-med minor to undergraduate students in 2014, said Anil Menon, molecular genetics professor and director of the minor program. “When we look at it two-fold it will be great for the College of Medicine because we’ll be training an undergraduate population that knows they want to be doctors and really focus heavily on health sciences,” Mackey said. The new programs will be taught by existing faculty to help limit costs while bringing in additional revenue, Mackey said. However, the college has not been very involved with undergraduate training thus far. “We would like to do this well for a couple of years and work out all the bugs in the system, and then develop a major [for undergraduates],” Menon said. see deficit | 2
Provost search continues, three forums remain Second candidate impresses search committee, emphasizes building UC identity Alexis o’brien senior reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com
LAUREN PURKEY | photo EDITOR
TALK THE TALK Charles Caramello answers questions from UC faculty and staff Friday.
The search for the new provost continued Friday at an open forum. Charles Caramello, the second University of Cincinnati provost candidate, spoke highly of the university’s values, history and ambitions on his campus visit. “This urban research university is the kind of institution I can contribute to,” Caramello said. Caramello is currently the academic affairs vice provost and graduate school dean at the University of Maryland, where he also was the English department chair. He taught within his department and authored two books on modern American literature. Caramello is the second of five provost candidates to be interviewed by Santa Ono,
UC president, and the search committee during April. “He seemed like a very fine and acceptable candidate,” said Richard Miller, UC faculty chair. “However, all of the candidates the search committee has selected are of very high quality. Until we see all of them, it’s difficult to evaluate one individual.” In the open forum, Caramello answered audience questions and emphasized the creation of a university narrative that will move UC forward. “If you’re standing still, you’re moving backwards,” Caramello said. Miller said the candidate responded well to difficult, pointed questions posed by UC faculty. “He talked about things in abstract terms, which was compelling, but also in concrete details, which I also found admirable,” said
CHIEF.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5908
Jana Braziel, Africana studies professor. “I think he’s a viable candidate.” The new provost will serve as the chief academic officer and vice president of the university. He or she must be a scholar and leader committed to leading the university in its mission of excellence and diversity, according to the position description. “This is not a matter of who is excellent, but who is the best out of a number of excellent candidates and, more probably, who is the best fit,” Miller said. The open forum for the third candidate will be held in Tangeman University Center Tuesday. The provost hire decision will be announced sometime after commencement in April. Visit newsrecord.org for coverage of the remaining three open forums.