While UVA students were away interning, working, taking summer classes or laying on the couch eating Fla-vor-ice and playing X-box, there were some changes made ’round TJ’s university. Now it’s fall, and for all you UVA news slackers, it’s time to get schooled. So, in case you’ve been asleep, here’s your clue-in to all the new hirings, firings, places, faces and more at UVA.
Rick Turner’s demise
The Dean of African American Affairs since 1988 is now the former dean, since he admitted on July 14 about lying to the Feds about his knowledge of “the activities of a known drug dealer.” Everyone’s remained mum on what exactly he knew about whom, and Turner tactfully retired before UVA could fire him, leaving us with a mystery of Rotunda-sized proportions. UVA replaced Turner with interim dean Maurice Apprey, former medical school dean for diversity and a man known for being less, er, controversial. Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer Patricia Lampkin noted his “gentle personal touch.”
John seating for all
The John Paul Jones Area—the state’s largest sports and concert venue—opened its doors August 1 with a Cirque du Soleil performance—giving the interior view of UVA’s $129 million investment. Though the upper sections are closed off for more intimate entertainment—like WWE wrestling—the arena allows 15,000+ to pack in for basketball games. If you choose to shell out, you can also see Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews Band and Larry the Cable Guy grace the pergola-happpy venue this fall.
Identity protection improves, ISIS still sucks
UVA is finally working to remedy the long-noted (and long-sketchy) problem of students’ Social Security numbers being used for everything from the dining hall to class registration. Within three to four years, says the director of the Student System Project Charles Grisham, each student will be assigned a seven-digit number that’s effective for University matters but isn’t connected to your U.S. citizenship, financial future and, um, life itself. As part of the Student System Project, new software will revamp the antiquated Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) which students use to register for classes, making it more user-friendly, with faster adding and dropping. For this year, though, the 16-year-old ISIS will still have the power to turn polite groups of students into fighting cats over the last slot in MUSI 212.
Devaluing your education
UVA drops a spot, to 24 from 23, in the most recent U.S. News and World Report college rankings unveiled last week. The new rankings have UVA tied for 24 with University of Michigan, overall, and for the No. 2 public university—still trailing University of California-Berkeley. It’s the third slip in three years for a school raising $3 billion to position itself with Duke and Cornell.
Welcome back…it’s more expensive!
Tuition for four-year colleges in Virginia went up by more than double the rate of inflation this year, according to a study released in early August by the State Council of Higher Education. Tuition went up an average of 9.3 percent, or an additional $567 per student. Affordable education advocates say the increase means the General Assembly ought to allocate more funds to public education. All this while UVA gains more autonomy through the Capital Campaign. Its “silent phase” raised $933 million this year and aims to rake in $3 billion by 2012. UVA gained the ultimate in public school autonomy July 1 when “restructuring” went into effect. UVA now gets only 8 percent of its budget from the State, and they’re passing the savings on to you!
Corner commerce
Tuition’s not the only thing growing dearer. The Corner Outlet, the last bastion of affordable shopping among the Corner’s boutiques, became Finch in February. This summer has seen fru-fru dresses and the advent of the three-digit price tag in that space. In other Corner retail news, Eljo’s, the storied, traditional menswear store had a moving sale—25-75 percent off!—in anticipation of its planned relocation to the Millmont shops at Barracks Road.
Football: At least we’re not Duke
Goodbye Marques Hagans, D’Brickashaw Fergusan, Wali Lundy, Ahmad Brooks. Those guys—all currently working in NFL preseason camps—have passed the mantle to a relatively inexperienced squad that media pick for the bottom tier of the ACC. The situation got worse recently when top wide receiver Deyon Williams suffered a stress fracture that will keep him out for at least the first part of the season. Fifth year senior quarterback Christian Olsen, a Notre Dame transfer, will run the offense, while cornerback Marcus Hamilton is defensive captain. In other news, UVA admissions delivered the incoming recruiting class a major blow by turning down eight of 24 recruits because they didn’t meet academic standards.
Basketball: Too bad we’re still not Duke
Head coach Dave Leitao’s first recruiting class rounded out well in the off-season, and the Cavaliers welcome top recruits Jamil Tucker, Will Harris and Solomon Tat—a Nigerian who went through serious visa problems before marrying his high school sweetheart. Along with last minute recruit Jerome Meyinsse and U. Penn transfer Ryan Pettinella, the recruiting class, all forwards, adds much needed height to the squad. All-ACC point guard Sean Singletary underwent hip surgery but is expected to return in top form. NCAA berth? It’s possible—hopefully the shiny new John Paul Jones Arena will at least help with the home games.
—Will Goldsmith and Meg McEvoy
