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CAREERGUIDE
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Everything you need to get your career in gear
t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f h o u s to n s i n c e 1 9 3 4
THE DAILY COUGAR thedailycougar.com
@thedailycougar
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Issue 89, Volume 76
Tuesday ®
February 8, 2011 Read. Recycle. Repeat daily.
STUDENTS
newsline Got news? E-mail news@thedailycougar.com or call 713-743-5314
CAREER
Texas Job Fair today, over 130 companies to attend
Office simplifies vet needs Students find registration difficult and lengthy
University Career Services, as well as 14 area colleges and universities, will be hosting the 2011 Texas Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The job fair presents students from all majors with the resources to explore a wide array of career paths. “This is a terrific opportunity to meet and network with representatives from over 130 companies and to evaluate potential job and internship opportunities,” Jessica Campbell, university career services employer relations coordinator, said. “You may find out about alternative career paths for someone with your experience or major.” The fair is sponsored by the Houston Area Consortium of Career Centers. It is a free event open to the public. No pre-registration is required.
Gilbert Requena Louis Casiano
THE DAILY COUGAR The Veterans’ Services Office at UH is working to implement a “one-stop shop” where an estimated 1,200-1,500 veterans’ needs will be taken care of. It would be the central location where anything pertaining to veterans would be taken care of so that students would only have to go to one place for assistance. “We don’t mind taking on more work as
long as the veterans get served in a way that will eliminate all of the issues that they have been having” VSO program director Allen Grundy said. The problem the VSO most often hears about is the length of time it takes to process the VA paperwork. At the start of every semester, veterans who receive benefits must fill out and turn in paperwork to the Office of Registration and Academic Records. Many times it can take up to two months before the student starts receiving benefits. “It just takes a long time,” Horne, a current student-veteran, said. “They lost my paperwork the first couple of times.” The VSO is a resource center that helps
For a full employer list visit www.haccc.org.
veterans with any problems they encounter while attending the university. “They are very helpful and knowledgeable people,” Horne said. “They are always assisting with anything you need. They are great.” Horne and many other student-veterans go to the VSO because it offers a variety of resources ranging from filing for VA education benefits to getting a ride to the Michael E. Debakey VA Medical Center for medical appointments. The VSO not only provides resources, it offers a quiet study hall for veterans with a lab area, computers, printers, copiers and VSO continues on page 3
RESEARCH
Cordero Jennings/The Daily Cougar
Spring event to highlight advances
CAMPUS
Plans to survive large budget cuts underway UH will see its state funding decrease from 25 to no more than 10 percent over the next decade, according to a memo from Senior Vice President and Provost John J. Antel. The memo says President Khator has received suggestions from the University community on ways to help the school save money. Many of these suggestions are being implemented. Dr. Antel recently appointed a budgetary advisory group to consult with
Space exploration masters and space life track honored
regarding the budget cuts. Chairman of the Psychology department David J. Francis will chair the advisory group. Dr. Antel said in a memo last week that the advisory group would redesign
Katie Rowald
various policies and procedures in an effort to improve University efficiency. The redesign on module one, which is due by March 31, includes review of the faculty workload policies, post-tenure review and administrative stipends.
While advances have been made in the LGBT community, incoming students are still unable to identify their sexual orientation on the Texas Common Application. | Newton Liu/The Daily Cougar
On a diverse campus like UH, major headway has already been made with the opening of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender resource center in 2010, headed by Lorraine Schroeder. The center has counseling services, events and an Ally training program that involves other students and faculty to act as support for LGBT students. “I always feel welcome on campus,” media production senior Athena Armylagos said. “I’ve been to a couple LGBT meetings but haven’t really gotten involved in any activities. It’s really important that we have a LGBT group. It’s a great way to meet new people and talk about events or situations going on in the community.” However, not all students feel the same way about the LGBT community. “People are generally not rude to anyone who is LGBT to their face,” finance
The 18th annual Humans in Space Symposium, presented by the International Academy of Astronautics, will put a spotlight on the University’s recent advances in space biomedical research. It will also emphasize the recent debut of its master’s program in human space exploration sciences and the space life sciences track within its doctoral kinesiology program. The symposium this April is hosted by UH, NASA, UTMB and three other organizations. Held at the Westin Galleria Conference Center, the symposium will bring over 500 attendees to Houston, representing most of the space-faring nations in the world, said William Paloski, a UH professor and chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee for the symposium. “This symposium will shine a light on some of our accomplishments in space biomedical research and education, demonstrate some of our leadership capabilities to the greater space life sciences community and offer an opportunity for all the attendees to hear about our broader science and research accomplishments during President Khator’s address in the
LGBT continues on page 3
SYMPOSIUM continues on page 3
Nick Regan/The Daily Cougar
STUDENTS
Center provides LGBT support 58 LO 48
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Incoming students unable to identify preferences
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EVENTS Free Instructor-Led, Hands-On Computer Training eComputer classes are being offered to students, alumni, faculty and staff. The class is a desktop publishing class introducing InDesign. Registration is required and the class will be held in room 110-6 of the Social Work Building from 10 a.m. to noon. Tuesday Night Music From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Moores School of Music is hosting a music night.
FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT thedailycougar.com/calendar
Tess Livingston
THE DAILY COUGAR The Texas Common Application rejected the option for students to provide their sexual orientation on the college admissions form. The option has not been offered before, but there has been a recent push to add it to the admission process. If the information is not being captured through documentation, then there is no place that information would be with the University, Institutional Research staff member Susan Moreno said. The decision may leave UH statisticians at a loss for information, but it has little impact on the culture of the University.
THE DAILY COUGAR