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Friday, December 2, 2016
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UNIVERSITY
McCombs partners with Veterans Affairs By Brittany Wagner @brittanywagner_
The McCombs School of Business recently partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help solve problems of fraud and inefficiency within the VA using data analytics. Four students within the Master of Science in Business Analytics program are working alongside an
analytics team at the VA Financial Services Center in Austin to develop a capstone project. The final ideas on how to improve VA efficiency and accuracy will be revealed in April 2017. Christopher Pate, chief of data analytics for the FSC, has been collaborating with members of the MSBA program to develop the partnership. “Ultimately, FSC sees the
collaboration as a means to improve a range of outcomes for VA aimed at improving the veteran experience from reducing wait times, reducing fraud, to identifying issues not even known at this time,” Pate said in a press release. Ramesh Rajagopalan, associate director of the MSBA program, said the FSC was attracted to a partnership with McCombs because it
would provide the FSC team an opportunity to build upon their own set of skills. The project is set to continue for the next three years, but Rajagopalan anticipates participating in more projects like this in the future. Rajagopalan said of the 53 students in the MSBA program, four are tasked with this VA project. The project is a requirement of the business analytics capstone course,
which teaches students how to use data and business skills in real-life situations. “One [objective of the partnership] is to expand opportunities for faculty and professional development activity,” Rajagopalan said. “Two [is] to create opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning through doing
MCCOMBS page 2
STATE
Advocates for stricter gun laws take action By Van Nguyen @nguyen__van
Susan Nelson was at a friend’s house in 1993 when a robber shot her in the back of the head. The gun belonged to Nelson’s friend, who had stored it away, but the robber was able to retrieve it. Today, Nelson is a member of Texas Gun Sense, an organization advocating for stricter gun laws in Texas public spaces, including universities. “Twenty-three years later we’re still talking about the same thing,” Nelson said. Nelson said she isn’t antigun; she just wants people to learn safer practices, including safe storage, when it comes to firearms. Nelson, along with other advocates, gathered on the south side of the Capitol’s steps Thursday afternoon to share their stories and to hear legislative recommendations for the 85th Legislature from Texas Gun Sense leaders for stricter gun laws. Andrea Brauer, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, said the group’s goal is to educate others and push for safe gun practices. “Gun violence [prevention] is not about disarming lawabiding citizens,” Brauer said. “It is not about repealing the
Ravin Rene | Daily Texan Staff
Susan Nelson, a member of Texas Gun Sense, stresses proper gun storage. Nelson was shot by an intruder in 1993 using a friend’s gun.
Second Amendment.” State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said gun violence is preventable through safer gun laws. She is working on filing House Bill 392, a bill to ban guns in state hospitals, as well as House Bill 391, a bill to offer Texas public
universities the option to opt out of the campus carry law. Thirty-seven private institutions, including Rice University, opted out of the law, with only Amberton University in Garland opting in. Howard is hoping to provide public institutions with the
same opportunity. Campus carry was passed in the 84th Texas Legislature in 2015, and it was implemented at Texas universities on Aug. 1 of this year. On the first week of classes, students and faculty protested the law, but since the law was put into
effect, there have been no known incidents of crimes committed by a concealed handgun carrier on campus. The UT System said at the Board of Regents meeting earlier in November, one of
GUN LAWS page 3
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CAMPUS
Target set to arrive on campus in July 2017 By Catherine Marfin @catherinemarfin
Target announced Thursday it will open a store adjacent to UT’s campus next year. The store will be located at West 21st and Guadalupe streets in the Dobie Twenty1 student apartments and retail development and is scheduled to open in July 2017. The 22,000-squarefoot store will be located in what was formerly known as Dobie Mall and will be much smaller than Target’s other retail locations, which range on average from 135,000 square feet to Super Targets that span 175,000 square feet. “Target is normally a huge physical building, but since we’re in downtown Austin, Guad has smaller buildings and it has a certain feel to it,” textiles junior Savannah Tauzin said. “A smaller store on campus like this is great for kids who don’t have cars and can’t make it out farther to the bigger stores.” Target said it will sell groceries, home and dorm items, clothing and UT apparel and accessories, among other products. “Growth on college campuses and in urban markets is a priority for Target,” said Mark Schindele, Target senior vice president, in a written statement. “We’re able to serve more guests by adding flexible-format stores near top universities across the country, including the quick-trip shopping experience we’ll bring to the University of Texas campus. We’re thrilled to open our first flexible-format store in Austin and to join the Longhorn community.” Target also announced plans to open similar stores
TARGET page 3
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
Invest in Texas students discuss legislative reform
Fenves speaks at final Senate meeting
By Lisa Dreher @lisa_dreher97
Representatives from each of the three UT legislative student organizations discussed the need for public and higher education funding, rising tuition rates and action concerning undocumented students for the upcoming legislative session during a panel discussion Thursday night. House District 49 Rep. Gina Hinojosa joined Charlie Henry, the co-director of Student Government’s state relations agency, Graduate Student Assembly President Wills Brown and Senate of
College Councils President Sergio Cavazos for the panel, which was held by the College of Liberal Arts Council. These representatives are part of Invest in Texas, a coalition of Student Government, Graduate Student Assembly and Senate of College Council members and 25 other student organizations which represent students by communicating with legislators. The panel framed a potential platform of issues and demands for the State Legislature, and students were allowed to submit questions
By Paul Cobler
President of the Senate of College Councils Sergio Cavazos speaks at the final general assembly of the semester. The general assembly also voted in favor of a resolution that supported affirmative action.
@PaulCobler
The Senate of College Councils wrapped up its semester Thursday as UT President Gregory Fenves spoke to the general assembly about campus issues. The general assembly also voted in favor of a resolution supporting affirmative action. Fenves discussed the Young Conservatives of Texas bake sale, plans for academics at the University and sanctuary campuses during his 30-minute question-and-answer with the Senate representatives. “I can’t listen to everybody on campus because of the numbers, but
Katarina Delarosa Daily Texan Staff
talking to student leaders regularly is very important for me to understand what is happening on campus,” Fenves said.
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Fenves called the Young Conservatives of Texas anti-affirmative action bake sale a debate of issues and said it was
something the University would regulate to ensure it remained within First
SENATE page 2