Student Governance and Campus Administration

After an update to the policy on Student Nonacademic Disciplinary policy that went into effect September 1, students’ off-campus offenses are now punishable by the University of Wisconsin in addition to law enforcement.    The update was made in response to complaints from residents who live near the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee campus that students were disruptive and their actions should be the University’s responsibility. The new policy update doubled the number of actions deemed as violations, now listing 16 specific punishable offenses.   The new policy states that

Student government officials at Colorado State University (ASCSU) are taking up the reins to fight for fair student housing. The current Fort Collins ordinance allows no more than three unrelated people per house. Two weeks ago, the City Council finished its two-year review of the measure, and is considering making several changes to it. Kelly Ohlson, councilmember from District five, said the possible changes would include rental licensing, rental registration, zoning districts, redefining “family,” and special exemptions for specific groups. Courtney Sullivan, Director of Community Aff

On Nov. 9 University of New Mexico students erected a Wall of Burning Issues, where about 50 students and organization representatives wrote their concerns about the university’s handling of issues such as student advisement, sustainability, and the university smoking ban. The wall hung in the student town hall, and stood as the backdrop for a meet and greet between different student community-oriented organizations. The Student Action Network (SAN), a newly chartered group that acts as a networking aid for organizations and students to get involved in the UNM community, put the event toget

Last week, 600 students marched to protest the  University of Maryland’s decision to remove a diversity administrator from his post. The activists formed the organization Students Taking Action to Reclaim our Education, or “STARE,” a new group dedicated to acting against student services cut by the University. The march reacted to the dismissal of Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity Cordell Black, a 30-year faculty member, who had been informed of his dismissal earlier in the week. STARE drafted three demands for the university: Black’s reinstatement, the release of all the univ

Continuing a culture of protest around visiting speakers, University of North Carolina’s Student Congress was protested by several students over a funding request by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to bring three visiting speakers.   UNC-Chapel Hill’s chapter of SDS originally sought $6,095 or $2,000 honorarium for each of the three invited speakers at last week’s meeting of Congress’ finance committee. The SDS funding request says the speakers led a human rights delegation to Colombia last August and would speak about their trip to an estimated 70 to 100 students.

The members of the Academic Senate at the University of California-Berkeley approved a resolution last week to end to central campus financial support for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA). The resolution also asks for DIA to repay a $5.8 million loan from the University last year, and asks Chancellor Robert Birgeneau to encourage private donors to prioritize academics over athletics. The Senate’s resolution came in response to recent revelations that the department had received millions of dollars in recent years from student fees and from a discretionary fund controlled by

The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska debated and rejected a bill that would have shown support for the Federal Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. The vote was six in favor, 14 against, and 2 abstaining.   This proposed federal law would eliminate the use of private lenders to provide federally subsidized college loans for needy students, meaning the loans will be administered by the government. Savings from this reform will be used to fund more federal grants, improvements to community colleges, and increased access to minority students.   Acc

A new Massachusetts State law will allow Massachusetts colleges and universities to increase their endowment payout rate to cover expenses.   Before the new legislation, endowed institutions were only allowed to spend income from their endowment if the balance was larger than the original value, according to the 1972 Uniform Management of Institutional Funds Act. But since so many endowments have withered with the falling value of stocks, the old legislation left a lot of institutions unable to access funds. New legislation from the Massachusetts State legislature allows an institution