thebattalion
news for you campus Loftin to be installed The Division of Academic Affairs invites the campus community to the 2010 Academic Convocation, which will be the setting for the installation of R. Bowen Loftin as the 24th president of Texas A&M. The event is planned for 2 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Rudder Theatre Complex.
Inclement weather safety Events for Campus Safety Awareness Week planned for today will cover weather emergencies and include a SKYWARN training session from 2 to 4 p.m. in Room 301 Rudder Tower. SKYWARN volunteers serve as storm spotters by providing real-time reports of hail size, wind damage, flash flooding, heavy rain and tornado development.
● wednesday,
september 8, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
budget cuts
What do
you me? “Everything comes down to supporting Texas A&M’s mission of developing leaders of character dedicated to serving the greater good.
do for
In spite of its demands and stresses, I believe that I have the best job in the world, and interacting with students, both current and former, is the best part of it.” — R. Bowen Loftin
Late officer revered The late Lt. Gen. James F. Hollingsworth, class of 1940, will be honored in a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Rudder Auditorium. A wreath will be laid at his statue on the Quadrangle by members of the Corps of Cadets following the service. The ceremony will follow the Military Walk restoration celebration at 9 a.m. Hollingsworth, the most decorated general officer in the history of Texas A&M, died on March 2 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on May 20.
CARPOOL offers free rides CARPOOL, a student-run nonprofit organization offering free rides home for students who may have over indulged, will have an informational meeting for prospective members at 9 p.m. today in Zachry 102. CARPOOL offers free, safe and fun nonjudgmental rides home every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. for students who might have over-indulged at facilities in the community and elect not to drive themselves home. Staff reports
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Students voice concerns Haley Lawson Special to The Battalion Members of the office of the president spoke about the new budget reallocation called “Enhancing the Undergraduate Experience Task Force” Tuesday. Many topics were discussed and faculty, parents and students were given the opportunity to voice concerns, opinions and ask questions. The panel included Jacob Robinson, student body president, Joe Weber, vice president for student affairs and Martyn Gunn, vice provost for academic services. The budget allocation is an extension of Vision 2020. “These documents were written by people who have two things in common with all of us, they want to make A&M better and they are passionate about this school,” Weber said. Topics were considered to help enhance the undergraduate experience at Tuesday’s forum, as the panel proposed looking at the learning experience, preparing students, writing and thinking expression, graduating those enrolled, enhancing education and curriculum, keeping a 95 percent freshman retention rate, doubling small classes, growing the Corps of Cadets and have a one to 16 faculty to student ratio. “We need to stretch opportunities for active learning, provide more engagement opportunities for undergraduates, See Forum on page 5
weather
Staff snapshot page 3
Heavy rain expected
Budget cuts page 4
Matt Woolbright
Jonny Green — THE BATTALION
R. Bowen Loftin, 24th president of Texas A&M, leads the campus in 2010 on a salary of $427,083.38.
R
unning a campus of more than 49,000 students and 17,000 employees is no easy task. As a brand, an apex of higher education, a university recognized worldwide for its traditions and a $1.3 billion organization, Texas A&M is a complex machine. Aggies often ponder what they believe to be ambiguous powers above them, with little idea what their campus leaders actually do for their benefit in terms of academics, student services and what it means to have the Texas A&M experience. President R. Bowen Loftin’s administration members speak up about what they want you to know and why you as a student should care.
Who we are
Karan L. Watson interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs Appointed: July 28, 2009 Salary: $329,000 She also serves as a Regents Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
B.J. Crain chief business officer
Thomas H. Taylor
Inside
What do they do for us? This is part one of a series dissecting colleges and divisions at the university. The series will feature different colleges and divisions that support A&M throughout the semester.
office of the president
Jeffrey Seemann
Lt. Gen. Joseph F. Weber
Appointed: April 2010
interim vice president for administration
vice president for research and graduate studies
vice president for student affairs
Salary: $204,000
Appointed: July 15
Appointed: July 1
Appointed: August 2004
She served as associate vice chancellor for budgets and accounting for the Texas A&M University System.
Salary: not available
Salary: $286,664.34
Salary: $250,000.08
He served as the university’s chief budget officer prior to retiring in 2005 with a 36-year career at the University.
He is an internationally known plant biochemist.
He also serves as Chief of Staff for the Office of the Commandant.
Jason D. Cook vice president for marketing and communications Appointed: 2008 Salary: $222,916.72 He served as director of communications for Texas A&M AgriLife from 2007 to 2008.
Deborah Wright assistant vice president for finance Salary: $144,999.96 She served as the project director for the campus Geographic Information System. She has been with Texas A&M since 1984.
Bill Byrne athletic director Appointed: December 2002 Salary: $690,000 He has served at Texas A&M since 2002. Previously he served at Nebraska and Oregon.
The Battalion There is a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms and a chance of flooding today with Aggieland on the southeast side of Hermine, the storm that caused alarm on campus Tuesday. Classes were interrupted when the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the area surrounding and including Aggieland. Code Maroon, an emergency notification messaging system, told students to seek immediate shelter. The all-clear, resume normal activity did not come for 22 minutes. A tornado watch continued until 1 p.m., and it rained the rest of the day. Tropical Storm Hermine, which was directly southeast of Aggieland at the time, was responsible for the alarm, said Dion Delao, a senior meterology major and co-coordinator of the Texas Aggie Storm Chasers. “Severe weather like this on this side of the storm is not uncommon,” Delao said. “Being on the severe side the chance of inclement and dangerous weather is much greater.” There were rumors of a funnel cloud, he said.
SOURCE: Salary information calculated for FY2010 reported for August 2009 to June 2010 as the Texas A&M University base salary.
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