Graduates encounter market setbacks
This year's crop of new college graduates will grapple with a more tumultuous job market than their predecessors faced in 2001, the beginning of the last recession, according to a new Economic Policy
Institute study.
EPI, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan policy research institute, recently concluded that college graduates' wage and benefit trends show labor markets for new college graduates were weaker in 2007 than they were previously in the last recession of 2001.
Most are quick to point to the sagging economy as the main culprit, however the main problem facing college graduates is market oversaturation, said Dr. Kyle Scott, UNF political science professor and author of "The Unity of Rights."
"This development isn't surprising to anyone who understands supply and demand," Scott said. "As the supply of the college graduates increases, the competition for those graduates decreases and the demand for those graduates drop."
During the 2001 recession, the average hourly wage for new college graduates was $22.69 for men and $18.78 for women, inflation adjusted. College graduates in the year 2007 took a significant decrease of 7.1 percent for men and 3.3 percent for women, or $21.09 and $18.17, according to the
EPI study.
College graduates are also becoming less guaranteed that entry-level positions will have employer-provided health insurance and pension coverage, according to the study.
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Armed UNF employee bullies man on campus
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A UNF employee was arrested June 17 after he threatened a man with a gun on campus.
Layton Dale Nerozzi, 33, was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and battery.
"As far as I know, this is the first time a weapon has ever been brandished by a UNF employee," said UPD Chief Mark Foxworth.
Nerozzi told police he was driving on John Turner Butler Boulevard on his way to work when the victim, UNF alumni Mario Zouein, cut him off in traffic.
Nerozzi followed Zouein, and they both exchanged verbal and hand gestures toward each other until they pulled into Lot 2 on campus.
"What's really concerning is when they pulled into campus, he [Nerozzi] passed the building where he works and made a conscious decision to keep going," Foxworth said.
When the victim parked, Nerozzi reached into his center console and pulled out a 9mm Glock and magazine with nine bullets.
He placed the weapon in his pocket, walked to Zouein's car and struck the driver's side window with his left arm, according to the UPD report.
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Plans for new biology building promise more labs, office space
The planning stages for a new biology building to replace Building 4 are underway, and part of those plans include eventual renovation for Building 4 as soon as sufficient funding is available.
UNF needs $11 million to start the programming and construction of the building, which it will ask for in next year's budget, said Shari Shuman, vice president of Administrative Affairs.
Although planning is underway, no floor plans have been finalized. The programming includes deciding the activities for the building.
"Planning to me means sitting down and seeing what everyone's wishes are," said Zak Ovadia, director of Facilities Planning. "The programming won't start until we select a consultant."
In order to hire a consultant to begin the design, UNF will need the additional funding from the state, which administrators hope will be granted sometime in the fall.
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