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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
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TUITION
Board of Regents approves tuition fee increases The UH Board of Regents approved an increased tuition rate of approximately 3.95 percent for full-time resident undergraduate students and 4.95 percent for part-time undergraduate students. The professional students in optometry and pharmacy at UH will experience a 9 percent increase. The increase is as follows: $143 per semester at UH, $102 at UHCL, $91 at UHD and $90 per semester at UHV. In the next two years, the UH System is expected to have a $80-$100 million reduction in state appropriations. There is a targeted $42 million reduction for FY2012 to help offset the cut in state funding. Raising tuition will help fund initiatives that will drive improvement in retention and graduation rates, strengthen advising and academic intervention programs, and scholarship funding. Twenty percent of the revenue from the tuition increase will be set aside for additional scholarships.
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MUSIC
The Moores School of Music will be presenting performances of top musicians and premiere works in locations all around the city as part of the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival. The TMF has been delivering concerts and classes in the Houston area for almost 20 years. This year’s lineup features conductors Mei Ann Chen, Carl St. Clair and Carlos Spierer as well as cellist Brinton Averil Smith. Performances during the event will explore the theme “Made in America,” which will incorporate works from 20th and 21st century American composers. Concert locations include the University of Houston, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, and Texas A&M University. For more information about the performance schedule, visit www.tmf.uh.edu. For ticket information, call 713-743-3313 or visit http://www.tmf.uh.edu/season/ tickets.html.
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June 8, 2011 ®
Issue 147, Volume 76
Read. Recycle. Repeat daily.
Texas Legislature passes House Bill 1000 Bill will increase research funding for the university Darlene Campos
THE DAILY COUGAR A bill that will aid UH and other Texas universities on their path to Tier One status was approved by the Texas Legislature and is waiting for Gov. Rick Perry’s signature. House Bill 1000 will give UH a sum of around $20 million to fund both academics and various research programs. “This is a great day for the state of Texas as a whole, the University of Houston and for education in the state of Texas,” said Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston. “HB 1000 will likely provide the University of Houston nearly $20 million to make help them cross the finish line and
become a nationally recognized Tier One institution.” Texas currently has three Tier One universities — the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M and Rice, the same number it had decades ago, according to Ellis. “Texas has become a leader in scientific research and technology, but our investment in our institutions has lagged far, far beyond the demand and need for worldclass universities,” Ellis said. “HB 1000 dedicates more funding to higher education and prepares Texas for a brighter future.” Texas recently created the National Research University Fund which aims to generate funding to increase the number of Tier One universities. Approximately $600 million is available and will be distributed to universities that qualify. HB 1000 continues on page 3
The bill, which will award the University an estimated $20 million, awaits Rick Perry’s signature to become official. | Ed Schipul/Wikimedia Commons
RESIDENCE LIFE
New campus additions approved
Although the Texas legislature remains in a special session and has not yet approved the state budget, the UH Board of Regents had to proceed with setting tuition rates in order for students to register for the Fall 2011 semester, said a news release.
UH School of Music festival
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TIER ONE
Texas is facing an approximately $27 billion budget deficit in which lawmakers must cut spending in the next biennium, according to the proposed Senate and House appropriations bills. Since the UH System is a state agency, it’s expected to have a 16-19 percent reduction in its state appropriations.
— Monica Sexton/The Daily Cougar
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SUMMER EDITION
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Naheeda Sayeem
THE DAILY COUGAR
told her that she had probably been bitten by a bull shark. Bull sharks rarely attack but are common along the Texas coast. To avoid catching an infection from bacteria in the Gulf Coast, doctors avoided stitches. Instead, the wound was thoroughly cleaned and wrapped with gauze. Four hours in the hospital, an X-ray and a tetanus shot later, Robertson returned home to the Bayou Oaks apartments on campus. The next day, she stayed under the care of her mom who lives in the Woodlands. After she appeared on the news, Robertson’s concerned friends and relatives contacted her. Upon returning to work, Robertson showed her scar to skeptical and interested coworkers. After the injury, Robertson has become a little wary of beaches. “I’ll definitely be more cautious,” Robertson said. “Next time, I won’t go too deep in the water.”
The Board of Regents has approved the construction of two residential halls and a dining hall to help UH move forward in its mission to become less of a commuter school. The plan calls for the construction of Cougar Village II, a new sophomore residential hall and the West Dining hall that are projected to open in fall 2013. The sophomore hall will be constructed on the same ground where the current Cougar Place stands. “They’ll be tearing down Cougar Place in September after summer school is over,” said Mike Lawrence, interim Vice Chancellor/Vice President for Student Affairs. Plans for the sophomore hall calls for the housing of roughly 800 beds. The existing Cougar Village will be at or close to 100 percent occupancy in the coming fall, Lawrence said. The construction of Cougar Village II will help ease the congestion that the University will face if UH wants to meet the goal of housing more students and to mandate on campus living for freshmen. Cougar Village II will be constructed by the current Cougar Village and will house approximately 1,100 beds. “With residential facilities, you always have to consider providing sufficient dining support, so if residential makes a step forward, dining will have to follow; it is the only way to really support the program,” said Maria Honey, marketing director for University Services. “When Cougar Village was built, we knew
SHARKcontinues on page 3
HOUSING continues on page 3
The recent shark attack on Robertson has brought the total number of reported, unprovoked shark attacks in Texas since 1911 to 35. |Daniel Schwen/Wikimedia Commonsr
STUDENTS
Shark no match for a Cougar Zahra Ahmed
THE DAILY COUGAR UH student Kori Robertson was standing with her friend in the waters of Surfside Beach, about 33 miles west of Galveston Island, when she felt something bite her thigh. Lifting her leg out of the water, she saw the fresh imprint of three rows of teeth above her right knee. “The water was so brown, I could barely see anything,” Robertson said. “But when I saw the wounds, I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’” The shark swam away, but Robertson, suspecting it was a shark, started swimming toward shore with her friend. “I didn’t want to be in the water anymore,” Robertson said. “I didn’t want to get bitten again.” When she reached her boyfriend Darren, he wrapped a towel around the wound and had a friend drive them to the hospital. Robertson’s suspicions were confirmed after a trip to the emergency room. Doctors