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Northern Iowan t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f n o r t h e r n i o wa’s s t u d e n t - p r o d u c e d n e w s p a p e r s i n c e 1 8 9 2

MARCH 6, 2012

I

TUESDAY

VOLUME 108, ISSUE 42

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Letters to the editor Students, professors and alumni share their views on UNI’s budget situation. < See PAGES 4 and 12

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA

BUDGET CUTS

UNI faculty pass vote of no confidence in Allen, Gibson

I

NORTHERN-IOWAN.ORG

BUDGET CUTS

Students react to closing of Price Lab OLIVIA HOTTLE Staff Writer

Since the University of Northern Iowa announced the closure of Malcolm Price Laboratory School on Feb. 23, many opinions have risen. UNI education majors, past and present, have several thoughts on the topic.

OPINION

Let us begin anew In light of budget cuts, Tom Early calls on the university community to fight for higher education. < See PAGE 4 BRANDON BAKER/Northern Iowan

The voting members of the UNI faculty (above) voted no confidence in President Benjamin Allen and Provost Gloria Gibson on March 2.

JOHN ANDERSON

Executive Editor

MUSIC

Colin Hay coming to GBPAC WIth his GBPAC performance around the corner, the former “Men At Work” singer opens up about his life and career. < See PAGE 5

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Saying goodbye to No. 13 Brad Eilers gives a fond farewell to UNI’s lone senior. < See PAGE 7

ONLINE

Bill could create sales tax holiday for textbooks Reineke wins excellence in teaching award The Boxing Match in the Middle East Sabin’s ‘light lounge’ works to offset SAD < visit northern-iowan.org

INDEX WEATHER..........................2 OPINION....................4 & 12 CAMPUS LIFE....................5 SPORTS.............................7 CLASSIFIEDS...................10

The University of Northern Iowa faculty passed a motion of no confidence in UNI President Benjamin Allen and Provost Gloria Gibson in a special meeting Friday afternoon in the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The motion against Allen passed by a vote of 197-53 with four abstentions, and the motion against Gibson passed by a vote of 17269 with nine abstentions and one spoiled ballot. The largely symbolic resolutions come in the wake of the administration’s recent recommendation to close Price Lab and its announcement that it will cut academ-

ic programs, two decisions the faculty feel they weren’t properly consulted on. “I’m sitting in this room full of doctors, and I’m wondering why all of these intelligent people weren’t consulted for ideas to fix this problem, ideas that wouldn’t compromise our mission, our beliefs,” said Andrew Stollenwerk, a physics professor. The meeting was called by UNI Faculty Chair James Jurgenson in response to a petition with 30 signatures that called for a meeting by the end of the week to discuss recent and coming budget cuts being carried out “with no faculty input.” The UNI faculty senate met with the administration last Monday to look at a pre-

liminary list of programs in review for termination, a list that reportedly includes philosophy, religion and physics, more than a month after faculty members received an email from Allen saying tenured faculty will be affected by program cuts. The university’s preliminary list included all undergraduate majors that have graduated an average of fewer than 10 students over the last five academic years. “These are not good choices that are being made, and by the criterion they are using, they’re certainly not going to be able to make good choices,” said John Deisz, a physics professor. Al Hayes, a professor in < See NO CONFIDENCE, page 2

BUDGET CUTS

Print Services to close by June 30 Student organizations look for other printing options

CAITIE PETERSON Staff Writer

On Feb. 23, the University of Northern Iowa announced UNI Print Services will close, saving the university more than $400,000. It will close no later than June 30, but the last date to submit a print or photocopy job is Friday, March 23, according to a recent issue update from University Relations. DeWayne Purdy, the electronic communication manager in the Office of University Relations, said Print Services “just wasn’t sustainable,” citing the cost it would take to update older machinery. Purdy also said Print Services is being used less. “There’s less being printed because people are putting more things on the < See PRINT SERVICES, page 3

COLBY CAMPBELL/Northern Iowan

UNI Print Services (above) will close no later than June 30. The last day to submit a print or photocopy job is Friday, March 23.

UNI students’ experiences at Price Lab

Many education majors complete their Level II field experience at Price Lab. Ann Echelmeyer, a graduate student in science education, spoke highly of her time at Price Lab, saying she learned different techniques from the teacher she observed. Daniel Vargason, a recent UNI graduate, said his cooperating teacher at Price Lab helped him “more than any teacher I had in the three other field experiences.” However, Liz Mastalio, a senior secondary mathematics education major, said the positive characteristics of her field experience “were not unique to the lab school setting” and she is “hopeful that they could be replicated in another area school.” Similarly, though he said Price Lab was a positive experience, Thomas Cowell, junior social sciences teaching major, feels he would have benefited if he was able to “experience working with a more diverse classroom and working with some students who are entitled to special education services, which did not happen in my particular classroom.” Mitch Lingo, a UNI alumnus currently teaching seventh grade in Omaha, Neb., said Price Lab “ had little effect on where (he is) today.” “The school itself was an unrealistic portrayal as to what it is to teach in a real public school,” Lingo said. “The students were cultured into working with teachercandidates.” According to Lingo, Price Lab uses innovative teaching styles, but he feels they are unnecessary because they are not “practical or feasible.” “I have heard the idea of < See PRICE LAB, page 3


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