NEWS

Card upgrade delayed until summer 2008

By Ashley Taylor
CONTRIBUTING WRITER


Illustration: Robert K. Pietrzyk

University of North Florida students will be able to pay for tuition, parking passes, meals from on-campus eateries and other costs using their Osprey ID card beginning summer 2008.

The card changes will put the university in league with the University of Florida and the University of Miami, which already use updated student IDs. The new cards will replace the decade-old card technology at UNF.

"The initial plan was to issue [the] new card and system by fall 2007," said Tully Burnett, associate director of Auxiliary Services. "The [new] target goal for installing the new system is May 2008 and [to] have it fully active by fall 2008. First to come under the new system: manage meal plans, facility access, bookstore."

The current card allows students to access school facilities, buy tickets at the box office, and use meal plans.

Students can add funds to their Flex Dollars account through cash-to-card machines.

Similar to University of Florida IDs, the Osprey Card will eventually act as a debit card at campus stores.

Unlike universities such as Florida and Miami, UNF will not have a banking backer for the debit function.

Students will be able to go onto the UNF Web site to access, view and make deposits to their account. Money can also be deposited through the Cashier's Office, Burnett said.

"It'd be convenient," said Susannah Mazer, a senior history major. "Right now, it's not efficient for people who live off campus."

Auxiliary Services hired an outside card consultant, Robert Huber, to assist with the card program.

"The system software that would be provided by the selected vendor would be the latest state-of-the-art and 'mature' campus card industry software," Huber said. "All campus card industry software would be updated as necessary per terms of the software maintenance agreement between UNF and the campus card system provider."

Drawbacks to the current card include the amount of money a student can put on their card. If students want to add more than $50, they have to visit the Chartwells office near the dormitories.

Also when a card is lost or stolen, the money on the card is gone, because the funds are stored only on the tiny magnetic strip on the back of the card.

Under the proposed new system, if a student's card is lost or stolen, the remaining money will transfer to their new card.

For the past two years, a once-per-semester ID card fee of $7 was added to tuition rates. The collected money will go toward purchasing and issuing the new student IDs.

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Student fee meetings open to all

By Tami Livingston
NEWS EDITOR

Students at the University of North Florida will now have the opportunity to know when and where Student Government and university officials will be deciding fees for next year.

Beginning this week, the student fee assessment committee, which is responsible for making recommendations to President John Delaney about student fee increases, will begin publicly noticing dates and times. Meeting information has not been previously noticed.

"We're going to advise members of the committee to go ahead and notice it as a Sunshine [Law] meeting," said Marc Snow, associate general counsel for the university.

Snow said because the group is not a fact-finding committee, but an advisory committee, his advice is to hold the meetings with public notice and to "err on the side of caution."

However, Snow said his review of Florida statutes has not indicated that the meetings must be held with public notice. Only the University of South Florida currently treats SFAC meetings as sunshine meetings.

Florida law requires many governmental meetings be held in the public view. Florida statue 286.011 requires "all meeting of any board or commission of any state agency ... at which official acts are to be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times ... The board or commission must provide reasonable notice of all such meetings."

The first SFAC meeting was scheduled for Oct. 12 but was cancelled and rescheduled for Oct. 19. Another meeting scheduled for Oct. 26 was cancelled as well.

Notice of these meetings, their cancellations and the schedule for the remaining meetings were sent via e-mail to committee members and SG officials, but not to students outside of SG.

Student Body President Rachael Tutwiler is chair of the committee and told the Spinnaker last week she did not know of any flyers or announcements that had been posted to inform students about the meetings.

However, a few days after Spinnaker inquiries into the SFAC and Sunshine Law, a notice announcing the remaining meetings was posted outside the SG office upstairs in Building 14.

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Unofficial SG Election Results

Mary Elizabeth Hines 617 Michael Saathoff 628 Chris Arsenault 660
Redner Salonga 678 Matt Pagan 682 Cherie Michaud 724
Tony Miles 748 Amanda Brunson 748 Chris Hovel 763
Greg Curry 766 Jason Trent 777 Anthony Mack 780
Yvette Kibiwika 799 Angela Green 814 Jimmy Mansfield 839
Tom Blanchard 846 Danielle Barringer 858 Nina Guerriero 892
Ashley Adams 949 Jessica Sexton 953


These results are subject to change and will not be validated until the next Senate meeting Nov. 4.

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Unexpected delays push back construction of shuttle stops

By Christopher Thurne
CONTRIBUTING WRITER


Illustration: Robert K. Pietrzyk

Covered shelters for the shuttle stops have been delayed, but University of North Florida administrators plan to place two shelters in Lot 18 by the start of the Spring 2008 semester.

The two shuttle stops in Lot 18 are the only shuttle stops receiving shelters because most of the other stops are already covered or close to a nearby building, said Vince Smyth, director of Auxiliary Services.

Smyth said construction of a stop in Lot 14 is under discussion. The shelters for Lot 18 were originally scheduled to be on site and installed by the middle of this month, Smyth said.

"I had hoped the shelters would already be in place," Smyth said. "But it looks like it's probably going to be something in a later term. I think, realistically, the way that this is proceeding, we're looking at the start of spring term to have them there and usable."

"There are plans for shelter," said Everett Malcolm, associate vice president for student affairs. "At the last minute, they found out everything had to be fully permitted, and even the drawings for the structure had to go through a kind of approval process that was not originally anticipated."

The permitting is still in the approval process, Malcolm said.

Malcolm said one of the major issues surrounding the shuttle was that there is not a shelter for people waiting for the buses in Lot 18.

Malcolm said he thinks the shelters will improve shuttle use.

"Students are going to be more apt to get out of the elements," Malcolm said. "It doesn't necessarily mean just rain, either. Some students don't like standing out in the heat of the day. Under the shelter, at least they are going to be shaded from the sun."

Smyth said overall, the shuttle system is working well. Since the beginning of the fall semester, the shuttle system has averaged about 7,100 riders each day Monday through Thursday, when the shuttle is used the most.

"It is a brand new system for our campus, and we knew there were going to be issues that would come up, and we will be addressing those issues as best we can," Smyth said.

Malcolm said he was probably one of the biggest doubters of the shuttle system.

"I thought the amount of money that we would invest in a shuttle system really wasn't going to serve the student body well," Malcolm said. "I'm happy to say I was wrong."

The shuttle shelters are being funded through the $3.85 per credit hour transportation access fee included in student tuition.

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Soldier illnesses, non-combat injuries, No. 1 hazard in Iraq

By Jay Price
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

High blood pressure, bad backs, bum knees and other mundane health problems put three and a half times more troops on planes to hospitals in Germany or the United States than do snipers and roadside bombs, say front-line experts in Iraq.

"There's nothing about being deployed or being in an austere environment that protects you from the normal maladies that people encounter in the United States," said Lt. Col. Ron Ross, a preventive medicine officer with the U.S. Army's 62nd Medical Brigade in Iraq.

From the invasion in March 2003 through Oct. 1, 2007, more than 36,000 U.S. troops were evacuated from Iraq. More than 77 percent of those were for illnesses or non-combat injuries, according to data from the Department of Defense, Deployment Health Support Directorate.

Most eventually return, said Ross, but the illnesses and accidents still cut into troop strength.

This is nothing new. Traditionally, such problems take more troops from the battlefield than combat injuries do, though modern medical care and public health techniques have cut the rate suffered by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to 10 percent of what it was in World War II and Korea.

Still, the proportion of troops hospitalized for illness and non-combat injuries compared with combat injuries hasn't changed much since the wars in Korea and Vietnam.

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Fundraiser aims for record donations

By Ashley Beland
STAFF WRITER

The University of North Florida's annual Faculty and Staff Drive kicked off Oct. 5 with a goal of increasing participation and donations by 10 percent.

The drive collected $86,646 in donations last year, and the target this year is $100,000, said Laura Porter, director of annual giving. All the money goes into the UNF Foundation, and from there it is allocated to different areas designated by the donors, she said.

There are 107 different funds into which donors can allocate their money, Porter said.

There is also an unrestricted designation for donations that allows the school to determine where to send the money based on the needs of the school, she said.

"As faculty and staff members, our gifts serve as our vote of confidence in the mission of UNF," Porter said. "Traditionally, schools that have a high faculty and staff giving participation rate also have a higher giving rate from the alumni."

The giving rate is often looked at by corporations before they decide to invest in universities, because they want to know that people who have a vested interest believe enough to give their financial support to the institution, she said.

"Often, faculty and staff think that their little gift won't make a difference, but it's really untrue, because their gift exponentially makes a difference and any gift from $10 to $100 to $100,000," Porter said. "It really matters. Gifts really do add up."

Last year, 18.8 percent of faculty and staff gave to the foundation, and the aim this year is 28.8 percent, she said.

Compared to peer institutions with giving rates between 26 and 50 percent, UNF's giving rate is low, so "the power of 10" theme was created to show the university's community how small gifts count, Porter said.

Porter said there are some new initiatives being implemented this year to try to raise awareness.

Some of these include sending information through Campus Update, e-mail, posters on campus, representatives pitching at staff meetings, and a celebration event at the end of the drive, she said.

Last year about 300 faculty and staff participated in the drive, she said.

"We really have such a fabulous core group of faculty and staff here at UNF," Porter said. "It's really, really huge to have a great drive. It's impressive when you see what people are willing to give back, and there is a lot of great generosity at the university."

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Unofficial results show 'red' party dominated fall elections

By Jessica Medina
STAFF WRITER

All 16 University of North Florida Student Government Senate candidates who ran on the "Standing United, Moving Forward" ticket were elected in the Oct. 23-24 elections, filling more than three-fourths of the body's 20 open seats, according to unofficial results released Oct. 26.

"I was disappointed more [green party candidates] weren't elected out-right," said Chris Arsenault, a candidate who ran on the "Smart Government" ticket. "We ran a clean campaign. If that's the price we pay, we accept that price."

With the help of the Duval County Supervisor of Elections, the elections staff used paper ballots instead of the usual electronic voting method.

Among several other changes to the process were different times for the general and inter-college elections. The elections supervisor and the elections commissioner were also separate positions for the first time this year. Candidates who ran for their colleges' Senate seat ran unopposed.

The election was not without controversy, though. Arsenault petitioned to a have a stay placed on the election until two notices of noncompliance against Elections Supervisor Chelsi Henry were resolved.

The stay was denied because Chief Justice Robert Allen did not believe the notices would affect the outcome of the elections.

"It was improper to deny the stay based on the evidence, especially since notifications on noncompliance had not gone through the proper channels," Arsenault said. "There should have been more investigation into the noncompliance."

Henry did not return calls for comment.

A violation hearing will be held 5 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Senate chambers. At time of publication, the Spinnaker had not received requested public records for the filed violations.

The elections will be validated at the next Senate meeting Nov. 5.

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New parking building set to open on schedule

By Rachel Elsea
CONTRIBUTING WRITER


Jen Quinn

The new parking building, located in front of the nature trails on UNF Drive, is five times larger than the previous building and will feature a drive-thru option, more cashier positions, and is an LEED-certified "green building." The building cost approximately $2 million to build.

Construction of the new Parking and Transportation Services Building at the University of North Florida is on schedule to be completed in mid-November.

All of Parking and Transportation Services will be housed in the new building, which is five times larger than the old one, said Vince Smyth, director of Auxiliary Services. The building will house several cashier positions and improved drive-through window service, according to Zak Ovadia, director of Facilities Planning.

"It'll be much more convenient for people coming to campus," said Cynthia Leinweber, assistant director of Parking and Transportation Services.

The new building will also have computer access - a tool the current parking booth does not. Parking Services is hoping this will help provide better directions and information for customers, Leinweber said.

The University Police Department will expand and take over the space that Parking and Transportation Services occupied previously in Building 41, Leinweber said.

Construction of this building has been ongoing since February 2007. Despite starting late, construction is on schedule, Smyth said.

Approximately $2 million is being spent on constructing this building, Smyth said. The parking fund balance is financing the construction of the building.

The balance consists of the cost of parking permits, daily permits, tickets, and interest, Smyth said.

"Everything that we do parking has to pay for," Leinweber said.

All buildings being constructed in the Master Plan, including the Parking and Transportation Services building, will be "green" buildings, Ovadia said.

Green buildings are energy efficient, use natural light and recycled materials.

The building will be environmentally friendly and obtain its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the time of completion of construction, Smyth said.

A LEED-certified building complies with the "nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings," a standard set by the LEED Green Building Rating System, which is part of the U.S. Green Building Council.

After construction of the new building, the process of getting a daily parking pass will remain the same.

"We're talking about doing more online services," Leinweber said. "Online services would include buying permits, paying citations, account access, and appealing citations. This would be available to those affiliated with the university. We are hoping to have this program running when we implement new parking software in the spring."

In the future, when Parking and Transportation Services offers online services, it is possible that they will provide the option to print daily passes, Leinweber said.

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Officials use low-tech ad to boost emergency alerts

Sidewalk-chalk message adds 203 students to program

By Jodi S. Cohen
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Administrator Robin Kaler needed students to register for the University of Illinois' new high-tech emergency communication system, which will use cell phone text messaging and e-mail to get the word out in the case of an urgent situation like the April shooting at Virginia Tech.

But students do not always pay attention to official mailings and postings in dorms.

So on the morning of Oct. 22, Kaler, dressed in a suit and heels, crouched down on the campus Quad and went to work with a piece of purple chalk, scrawling this message on the sidewalk: "Sign up now!!! emergency.illinois.edu."

Chalking the sidewalk has long been a favorite way for cash-strapped students to make announcements about blood drives, student government candidates or upcoming events.

On some campuses, administrators have banned the practice, calling it ugly and damaging graffiti.

But for all the sophisticated technology at their fingertips, officials at Illinois recognized that a message works only if people pay attention.

And as Kaler, a colleague and three students took buckets of jumbo chalk to the crisscrossing walkways, they did indeed attract attention.

"It's funny to see someone in a suit chalking on the Quad," said senior Sally Yoon, 21, who was competing for attention as she passed out fliers about homecoming. "It's kind of a messy job."

Kaler, 46, recognized how odd it is to use this primitive medium to publicize the latest technology, in which students, faculty and staff can receive emergency alerts to three e-mail addresses and two cell phone numbers.

Those who don't sign up will have the messages sent only to the e-mail address listed in the campus directory.

"If you want to reach students, you have to use the method that's found to be most effective," said Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs. "Talk about direct marketing; they are walking on my message as I'm writing it."

Rae Goldsmith, vice president for communications at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, said she knew of no other college where administrators chalked the sidewalks.

"Students are the most notoriously difficult group for a university to communicate with. They often don't use their university e-mail. They change cell phones," she said. "Sidewalk chalking is a really creative way because it is using the very mechanism that students have long used to communicate with each other."

But the idea wouldn't fly at some campuses.

University of Iowa officials last month told student leaders that if they chalk the sidewalks, they could be fined the cost to clean it up, according to The Daily Iowan student newspaper.

At Washington State University, Jared Bishop, an adjunct faculty member, was scolded by campus police and facilities staff after his students chalked the sidewalks as part of a class assignment.

"They were a little bit, not hostile, but curt or pointed," Bishop said of the officials. "It was like, `Let's not do that again.'"

Bishop added that he would fit in perfectly at U. of I., where he plans to apply for graduate school.

Illinois senior Justin Randall, who helped Kaler Monday, also chalked the Quad last year as part of his successful candidacy for student government president.

He said he was impressed that administrators would try it.

"I love it. I think it's a great idea," said Randall of Naperville, Ill. "Students will see it because everyone walks through the Quad."

University officials first tried the technique last year to advertise a new university Web site that can be accessed by Blackberry or other mobile devices.

The number of daily visits to the site doubled after the chalk messages appeared.

"It wasn't going to cost a lot of money so we thought, `What the heck, let's see how it works.' The nice thing is that it really did show good results," said Sharla Sola, the administrator who thought of the idea last year. "We live in such a high-tech world and this is so basic."

Between noon and 4 p.m. on Oct. 22, 203 students, faculty and staff signed up - well above the 50 a day the program had been averaging.

That brought the total to 2,680; officials hope to get at least 50 percent of the 60,000-plus community members registered.

Later afternoon rain showers washed away all their hard work. But Kaler, undaunted, said they would be back at it in a few days.

"We learned what colors worked and when to write."

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