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Friday, October 25, 2019
Volume 121, Issue 53
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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The first students from the CNS-to-Nursing program will enter nursing next semester.
Professors with a history of sexual misconduct have no place in the classroom.
Skip the clowns and monsters and watch a magical Halloween classic.
After a close win over Kansas, football gears up for a key matchup in Fort Worth.
NATION
SG
House bill would cut college expenses
UT Senate urges removal of some certain professors By Neelam Bohra @neelambohratx
House Democrats present bill that would offer free community college, more Pell Grant funding.
By Victoria May @toricmay
.S. House Democrats proposed a bill offering free community college and greater funding for Pell Grants last week. If passed, the College Affordability Act would update the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow states to offer tuition-free community college, which is not currently offered under the act. The $94 billion program would increase funding for financial aid, debt repayment and free community college. “(This bill) is very, very important,” Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker, said in a press release. “Not only … to address the aspirations of our young people but also for the success of our country, our competitiveness globally, but also building the infrastructure of America with our own well-trained workforce.” The bill focused on increasing federal funding
for the Pell Grant, which is federal aid designed to help low-income families pay for college, and would also simplify the application process for student loans and debt repayment. Bobby Scott, D-VA, chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, said the proposal cuts the cost of college for students and families and provides relief for existing borrowers. He said it will also hold schools accountable and expand access to more flexible college options. “The College Affordability Act is a proposal that Members across the political spectrum should be able to support,” Scott said in a press release. “It is a necessary and sensible response to the challenges that students and families are facing every day.” Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania said in a joint statement the bill did not address the underlying issue of “exploding college costs.” They said they wanted a
roxanne benites
bipartisan bill that provides students with the tools they need for success in the workforce. “By increasing burdensome requirements and bureaucratic red tape, the Democrats’ bill will contribute to rising college costs,” Foxx and Smucker said in the statement. “It is past time Congress acknowledges the status quo is failing.
Doubling down on failed policies will not help students pursue the American Dream.” Pelosi said the bill would increase the quality of education by cracking down on colleges that have “defrauded” students. She also said the bill would focus on funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.
/ the daily texan staff
“Every time we meet with students and families, we hear the same thing: college affordability in America is just inaccessible to them,” Pelosi said in a press release. “We must put an end to years of Republican inaction because we can no longer afford to do nothing when 44 million Americans are
The Senate of College Councils unanimously passed a resolution supporting the removal of professors found guilty of Title IX violations at its meeting Thursday. The resolution also supports removing associate English professor Coleman Hutchison and Sahotra Sarkar, an integrative biology and philosophy professor, from the spring course schedule. As previously reported by The Daily Texan, investigations by the Office for Inclusion and Equity and the Office of Legal Affairs concluded Hutchison failed to disclose a relationship with a student and violated sexual misconduct policies. The University suspended Sarkar for a semester in 2017 after an investigation found he made sexual comments to students, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Resolution author Praveena Javvadi said the Senate passed a similar resolution at its last general assembly meeting in the spring, but this week’s resolution had additional stipulations and asked for a “system of transparency.” “Last year, we asked for a specific system to notify students (about the misconduct), but they said it’s not possible or feasible,” Javvadi said. “But students should be notified, and so many students don’t know about this. If (UT) figures out a way or system to notify, we can decide if it’s adequate or inadequate. Right now, we don’t have any system.” She said the previous resolution did not succeed partially because members left for the summer and could not properly follow up. “Because (the professors are listed) again, the University obviously didn’t listen,” said
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CAMPUS
UNIVERSITY
Electronic entry system, security teams introduced for football games
UT iSchool offers new School Librarian Certificate Program
By Emily Hernandez
@RaulRod800
Students who attended Saturday’s football game against the University of Kansas may have seen new measures designed to increase entrance efficiency and safety at home games. Last week, Texas Athletics introduced a new electronic security system and the UT Police Department and Austin safety partners also formed rescue task force teams. Texas Football is the first college athletics program in the country to partner with security system CLEAR, according to a press release. CLEAR is a secure identity company which allows fans to enter the stadium by scanning their fingerprint and their ticket instead of their IDs after signing up with CLEAR online, according to the release. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance the fan experience at our athletics venues,” athletics director Chris Del Conte said in the release. “This partnership provides Longhorns fans with a convenient option that will certainly do that while making our stadium operations more efficient.” U T P D PAGE 2
the School of Information. Eric Meyer, dean of the School of Information, said he helped create the program, which he said will give stuThe School of Information will offer dents the tools to turn libraries into a new certificate program this month innovation hubs. to help students become more skilled “I talked with a lot of school librarand qualified librarians. ians around the state and found there Program coordiwas a huge demand nator Barbara Janfor people in these sen said school liroles,” Meyer said. brarians must meet “There are not nearly certain requirements as many produced as There are not nearly to be in Texas public there are jobs availas many produced as schools, including able. The best school the completion of there are jobs available. libraries are meeting an educator certifispaces, and the best The best school librar- school cation program such librarians ies are meeting spaces, are people who are as the one which will be offered at the Unithe innovators in and the best school versity. Jansen said their schools.” librarians are people applications for its Jansen said two inaugural summer who are the innovators of the four required semester are curcourses already exist in their schools.” rently available. and will be revised. Students looking The course School ERIC MEYER to earn the certifiLibrary Managedean of the school cate must complete ment will now be of information 15 hours, which they taught in two sewill spend studying mesters instead of how to instruct students and improve one, and Materials for Children and libraries. The certificate requirements Young Adults will focus on choosing involve 12 hours of courses, and the the best print and digital materials to last three credit hours involve 160 fulfill students’ personal and academic hours of work in school libraries, said needs, Jansen said. Jansen, adjunct assistant professor in L I B R A R Y PAGE 3 By Raul Rodriguez
@emilylhernandez
lauren ibanez
/ the daily texan staff