T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y
O F
T E X A S
A T
A R L I N G T O N
Tuesday April 26, 2011
Volume 92, No. 110 www.theshorthorn.com
Since 1919
Trash to Treasure
Unpleasant Surprise
Art student uses recycled materials for his work that helped lead to a job. SCENE | PAGE 4
Students receive smaller Pell Grant checks this year as compared to last year. NEWS | PAGE 3
CRIME
Police investigate motive in murder-suicide case Staff member reports that the suspect was following her Friday morning. BY SARAH LUTZ AND MONICA S. NAGY The Shorthorn staff and news editor
A staff member reported a student she had previously counseled following her Friday morning. The student is
now suspected of killing the staff member’s husband moments before taking his own life later that night. Friday at 10:24 a.m., staff member Adria Villarreal told the UTA Police that business senior Antonio Garcia had been following her. Police determined that no offense was committed and the
case was cleared. University spokeswoman Kristen Sullivan said because the case is now an ongoing investigation she and others on campus can not comment on the incident. At 6:50 p.m. that night, UTA Police responded to the shooting, which occurred at about 5:45 p.m. at Coun-
try Day School of Arlington Montessori on 1105 W. Randol Mill Road. Belo Corp. executive Steve McIntosh, Villarreal’s husband, and Garcia were both found lying on the parking lot. McIntosh was picking up his 3-year-old daughter, CASE continues on page 3
COMPUTING AND TECHNOLOGY
An inside look with surveys Students’ comments posted online show responses to six questions about the professor. BY J.C. DERRICK The Shorthorn senior staff
Faculty surveys to go online as soon as this fall The move could save UTA $37,000 per year by not printing 100,000 forms.
N
4.26 4.13
The instructor used teaching methods that facilitated my learning.
The instructor provided clearly defined expectations.
4.27 4.40 The instructor encouraged me to take a role in my own learning, to ask questions, and to participate.
The instructor was well prepared to teach.
4.32 4.23 The instructor was available outside of class either electronically or in person.
The instructor is one whom I would recommend to other students.
YOUR VIEW
THE PROCESS
Now that the teacher evaluations are going online are you more likely to fill one out?
Here’s a look at what happens to the Student Feedback Survey forms under the current system:
BY J.C. DERRICK The Shorthorn senior staff
Beginning as early as this fall, student faculty surveys could be moved completely online. There are more than 100,000 reasons to do so. David Silva, vice provost for academic affairs, said moving the surveys online will accomplish several objectives, including saving the university $37,000 per year in direct costs by not printing 100,000 forms. “By moving it online, we hope to make it more efficient, more convenient, because then students will have a window of opportunity to provide feedback about a course,” Silva said. “It will also expedite the creation of the reports, because we will no longer have to wait the several weeks it takes to scan over 100,000 two-sided forms.” Silva estimated several thousand dollars in additional savings from indirect personnel-related costs, but he said becoming more enviONLINE continues on page 6
“I probably wouldn’t. I think it’ll be easier to just do them in class. If you put it online no one will do it.”
“Yeah. It’s just easy and available. I think most students won’t do it because it’s in their free time now.”
Reza Mansouri
Aerina Shrestha
aerospace engineering graduate student
“I wouldn’t fill it out. I’m lazy and it’s not a priority to me.” Jenna West
geology freshman
software engineering junior
ACCESS THE SURVEYS ONLINE Results from surveys done in the past year are online at UTA’s website. For a link to the site, visit theshorthorn.com.
1. Forms are delivered by a student to the department’s office. 2. An administrative assistant collects class returns and drops them at a central location. 3. Forms are scanned by Office of Information Technology staff. 4. Data are managed by a software program, which then generates summary reports. 6. Reports are issued via PDF to professors. 7. The department chair receives a summary for the entire department. 8. The responses to six standard questions are posted online. Source: David Silva, vice provost for academic affairs
Spanish senior Evelyn Cornejo and interdisciplinary studies senior Patricia Herrera cheer on the Texas Rangers at the game against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday night at the Ballpark in Arlington. “The seats we have are really cool, we have a really good view of the game,” Cornejo said.
CRIME
Student hit by a Ford Explorer, driver arrested BY VALLARI GUPTE The Shorthorn staff
A Ford Explorer struck a UTA student at 8:48 a.m. at the intersection of S. Nedderman Drive and Planetarium Place on Monday. Communication sophomore Brittany Anderson saw a woman on the ground in a puddle as she walked from her class in the Life Science Building. “The woman had a big, nasty, bloody wound on her arm,” she said. UTA Police Capt. Jay Tillerson said the police arrested the male student driver. The case is still under investigation, so the identities of both the driver and the pedestrian will be re-
ACCIDENT LOCATION N
Central Library Pickard Hall University Hall Planetarium Pl.
SURVEYS continues on page 6
These are the average scores all instructors received in fall 2010. Students score different statements on a scale of 1-5. 1 is “strongly disagree” and 5 is “strongly agree.
HOME RUN
Nedderman Drive Cooper Street
When student faculty surveys are dispersed during the next two weeks, Kelsey Burt will take them seriously. She always does. “It means a lot,” the nursing sophomore said. “I know it means a lot to [professors], and it means a lot to me to get my voice out there.” Burt is not alone in her attention to student faculty surveys. Although they’re just one piece of the faculty evaluation process, the surveys provide insight into teaching excellence at UTA. Physics professor Ali Koymen said the surveys allow students to make a difference. “It’s a very important part of the whole process,” he said. “It gives feedback to the university and the professors as to what things need to be improved, what’s done well and what’s not done well. This is the one time the students have a real chance to change the level of teaching.” As of last year, the surveys also began providing insight for students, too. In 2009, the 81st Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2504 requiring that institutions make
THE GRADES
The Shorthorn: Aisha Butt
Accident location Mitch
ell St
reet
The Shorthorn: Marissa Hall
leased today, Tillerson said. Check www.theshorthorn.com for updates. VALLARI GUPTE news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu.
ENGINEERING
Final dean candidate: university needs to better self-promote UTA can’t rely on media to promote, says Craig Benson. BY JOHN HARDEN The Shorthorn senior staff
UTA’s research activity and strategy looks similar to UT-Austin 30 years ago, a sign that the university is on the right track to reaching national prominence, the final engineering dean candidate said Monday. Craig Benson is one of four candidates, one of whom will replace Engineering Dean Bill Carroll after he steps down this fall. The geological engineering chairman from the University of Wisconsin-Madison said leadership and a focus on excellence would propel UTA
Craig Benson,
University of WisconsinMadison geological engineering chairman
to national prominence within the next decade or two. “You’re probably wondering what it is that I have that will help UTA reach the level it wants to achieve,” he said. “I’m a leader and I like to put 100 percent in whatever it is I do. UTA has the faculty and the resources, and all it needs now is a good leader.” Benson said one of UTA’s biggest downfalls is FORUM continues on page 5
Find out the hiring process and compare the dean candidates, see page 5