NEWS
- Graduates encounter market setbacks James Cannon II
- Armed UNF employee bullies man on campus Josh Salman
- Last month by the numbers
- Plans for new biology building promise more labs, office space Sarah Gojekian
- Election 2008 Update
- New ID cards offer students security, utility Josh Salman
- Campus housing crime low compared to other universities Josh Salman
- Best of Police Beat: Dorm Edition Josh Salman
- Barnes gains progress on campaign promises James Cannon II
- CCOB earns top tier accreditation Andrea Farah
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.
"The incidence of health insurance coverage is more than 5 percentage points lower than in 2001, and less than half of young college grads now receive any form of pension coverage on the job," said EPI President Dr. Lawrence Mishel.
The ramifications of decreased pay are even harsher when the rising commodity and essential-living prices are taken into account, according to a recent Economic Research Service study.
ERS, the primary source of economic information to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said in the previous five years, global production of ethanol and bio-diesel fuels has greatly affected the rise in commodity prices.
Soaring oil prices also are causing the exponential rise in transportation and manufacturing costs, the ERS said.
But there is a silver-lining for college graduates.
Even though colleges are graduating students at record levels, and the trend during this recession is for companies to compete less on pay, health and pension benefits, businesses are hiring new graduates at cord levels, according to collegegrad.com, a job listing Web site specifically for new college graduates.
The 500 companies featured on collegegrad.com's top entry level employers list expect to hire 12.9 percent more college graduates in 2008 than 2007.
"A huge number of baby boomers will be leaving their employers, so it leaves a lot of open positions that entry level graduates will need to fill now to be in the position in the coming years, to fill their void," said
Heidi Hanisko, director of client services at collegegrad.com. "Also, recruiters and employers were not able to fill some positions last year, so they are being backfilled this year."
In July, the Web site also released its listings of the top 25 cities for entry-level job openings. Miami was the highest listed city in Florida at No. 16. Jacksonville, the only other city in Florida in the top 25, was listed 19th.
Location, Location, Location
Ready to move? See the map below for the top-20 cities for jobs in 2008.
|
|
||
|
1. New York, NY 2. Houston, TX 3. Los Angeles, CA 4. Boston, MA 5. Philidelphia, PA 6. Dallas, TX 7. Chicago, IL |
8. San Antonio, TX 9. Denver, CO 10. Salt Lake City, UT 11. Atlanta, GA 12. San Francisco, CA 13. San Diego, CA 14. St. Louis, MO |
15. Washington- Arlington, DC-VA 16. Miami, FL 17. Austin, TX 18. Pittsburgh, PA 19. Jacksonville, FL 20. Bridgeport, CT |
Top-15 employers of entry-level candidates
1. Enterprise Rent-A-Car
2. AmeriCorps
3. Walgreens Company
4. Internal Revenue Service
5. Progressive Insurance
6. Teach For America
7. Deloitte & Touche USA LLP
8. Target
9. Peace Corps
10. Ernst & Young
11. PricewaterhouseCoopers
12. KPMG
13. US Department of Agriculture
14. Federal Bureau of Investigation
15. Lockheed Martin
Top-5 majors hired in 2008
1. Accounting 23%
2. Engineering 13%
3. Marketing 11%
4. Computer Science 10%
5. Business Administration 9%
Contact James Cannon II at staff1@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Armed UNF employee bullies man on campus
|
|
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.
After Zouein rolled down his window, Nerozzi spit in his face and continued to verbally abuse the victim.
Zouein said he looked down and saw that Nerozzi had a black gun in right hand.
He quickly rolled up his window, and Nerozzi continued to scream at him for a few minutes before he got into his car and drove away, according to the report.
Zouein watched the vehicle leave, wrote down the license plate number and called 911, he said.
"I can't imagine what could've been going through his head to make a person do something like that," Zouein said.
Nerozzi told police he didn't load a bullet into the chamber.
No shots were fired and Zouein wasn't injured.
UPD recovered the handgun, magazine and bullets that were used in the crime after a search of Nerozzi's office. He didn't have a proper license to carry a weapon, Foxworth said.
"You have to wonder how often he had been bringing his gun to campus," Foxworth said. "Another troubling thing about it is that if he ever left the weapon in his office, who else would've had access to it?"
Nerozzi had worked as UNF's coordinator of information and public services since November 2005.
He was fired the same day as his arrest.
Contact Josh Salman at managing@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Last month by the numbers
Each month during the summer the Spinnaker staff reports what's going on around campus: the good and the bad. In this little space, we want to summarize the life of the Osprey during the
1000+ Students attended orientation during the summer.
83 Degrees fahrenheit - the average temperature.
1 UNF employee was charged with bringing a gun on campus.
300 Billion federal dollars given to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.
0 Screaming preachers on the Green ... yet.
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.
From there its estimated programming will take about six months, and another six months are estimated to be needed
for construction.
"[Since] we don't have the remaining money, we don't know when the project will start, so we can't say when it will be finished," Shuman said.
This year UNF received $30 million in Public Education Capital Outlay funds, $24 million of which will go toward the new project.
The remaining $6 million in PECO funds for this year will go toward repairs, new roofs, painting and other miscellaneous fix-ups needed around campus.
PECO funds are awarded after members of Academic Affairs discuss what projects they would like done and compile a list of requests that are recommended to the Board of Trustees, Shuman said.
At that point it is passed on to the Board of Governors, and finally the ultimate decision is given by the the state legislature.
With the current proposal, the building will have three floors for labs, research lab space, animal lab facilities and teacher's offices, Ovadia said.
The building will be located north of the social sciences building near Lot 7.
Building 4 is one of the original buildings on campus, and administrators want to convert it into additional space for classes if needed, but they must build the new biology building before they begin restoration.
It is difficult to remodel while there are students taking classes inside, Shuman said.
"I think it's great," said biology professor Dr. John Hatle. "Building 4 is cramped and the labs have disrepairs, so [it will be nice] to have quality and sufficient space."
Classes in the new building will be academically driven; therefore they will cater to all course levels and not just those for biology majors, Shuman said.
"Learning about this definitely makes me more interested in being a biology major because it only means better resources and labs," said Jen Bajger, sophomore biology major. "It would influence me to stay at UNF longer."
Contact Sarah Gojekian at news@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Election 2008 Update
Each week, the Spinnaker will be keeping you up-to-date on the 2008 presidential
election: who's leading in the latest polls and where they stand on key political issues.
A recent UNF poll showed Duval County residents are evenly divided in their support for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. The poll also revealed that rising food prices are causing problems for families on the First Coast.
The poll, conducted between June 11 and June 18, was conducted at the Public Opinion
Research Laboratory at UNF and was performed through the use of computer-assisted
telephone interviewing. The survey includes telephone interviews with 510 Duval County adult residents. Respondent age, gender, race and education were weighted. The margin of error for the general population is +/-4.3 percent.
DEMOCRAT
Barack Obama
42%
REPUBLICAN
John McCain
42%
Some 10 percent of those surveyed are unsure who they will vote for in November.
The majority of Duval County residents surveyed aren't satisfied with the way things are
going in America. Nearly 83 percent of respondents are dissatisfied, with 45 percent
reporting they are very dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today.
Of those surveyed, 47 percent say the economy is the most important issue in the election, with the second most important issue being the war in Iraq.
The poll also revealed that 61 percent of those surveyed agree that the rising price of food has been a problem for their family.
Some 30 percent of respondents believe a gallon of gas will be more than $5 by Election Day.
For complete survey results or methodology, contact Dr. Paul Harwood, director of the UNF Public Opinion Research Laboratory, at (904) 254-7269 or by e-mail at porl@unf.edu.
Source: UNF
COUNTDOWN
111 Days until November general election
47 Days until Republican National Convention
40 Days until Democratic National Convention
New ID cards offer students security, utility
|
|
Justin Jones, a graduate educational leadership major, gets his photo taken for the new Osprey 1Card. Students who already registered for fall classes will have a new card will be mailed to them. |
UNF and CardSmith LLC, a campus card solutions company, have collaborated to launch a new comprehensive campus ID card program for the fall semester. The program is designed to enhance services and security to all members of the UNF community.
The Osprey 1Card features a pre-paid flexible spending account for students, faculty and staff members. The card can be used to make cashless purchases at campus dining locations, the campus bookstore, laundry rooms, copy machines, network printers, vending machines and campus offices.
UNF is also working to make the card acceptable at a variety of off-campus businesses, said Tully Burnett, associate director of Auxiliary Services.
"A system like this allows people not to have to walk around with cash in their pockets," Burnett said. "It's a much more secure method of payment."
The program, originally proposed two and a half years ago, will cost approximately $200,000.
"We chose this system because it's half the cost," Burnett said. "They [CardSmith] even host the system for us, so we don't need to hire any additional employees."
Unlike other campus cards, the new Osprey Card isn't affiliated with any bank, so students won't have to open a new account to use its services, Burnett said.
Starting in the fall semester the old Osprey Card will be invalid, but students that have already registered for fall classes won't have to wait in line to receive a new card.
"We are mass producing cards from an off-site location," Burnett said. "Everyone will be issued a new card. We'll be pulling their photos and information from our current system and mailing the cards out to their home
addresses."
UNF launched a new Web site, Osprey1card.com, designed to allow cardholders to add value and manage their accounts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Students will also be able to access their meal plan accounts with the new card through the Web site.
If the card is lost or stolen, the account can be deactivated online since all values are stored in a host database, unlike the old system where the money was lost, Burnett said.
"We have been working with UNF since September 2007, and we're very excited to finally launch the program," said Brian Farley, vice president of Business Development at CardSmith. "We serve colleges and universities across the nation, from California to Florida. Our services require less hardware and less people - that's our motto."
Former Student Body President Rachael Tutwiler continually pushed for the improved card system, and it was high on her list of agendas to accomplish while in office.
The current SG staff added 11 free prints to the card, which will be available for use as soon as the card is dispersed, said Student Body President John Barnes.
"The Osprey 1Card is an amazing opportunity for UNF students," Barnes said. "It's an initiative SG worked hand-in-hand with auxiliary services, and we're really excited about it."
UNF will provide a professional call center and help desk to assist students in becoming familiar with service providers and card-accepting locations both on and off campus.
Contact Josh Salman at managing@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Campus housing crime low compared to other universities
Campus housing crime at UNF has remained at a steady low for the past five years compared to both other state universities and the apartment complexes in the surrounding areas, according to UPD officials.
During the 2007-2008 academic year, UPD received an average of 2.5 calls per day coming from the dorms. Most of the crimes reported were petty thefts, disputes between roommates and misdemeanor drug and alcohol incidents. No serious crimes were reported from the dorms with the exception of a few robberies and a large-scale drug bust last semester, UPD Chief Mark
Foxworth said.
"We're not seeing strings or patterns of crimes in our housing areas," Foxworth said. "If I had an 18-year-old daughter going to school for the first time, I would feel much safer with her living in on-campus housing than in the surrounding area."
Universities nationwide with at least 1,000 campus residents averaged 11 incidents per 1,000 residents involving murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, felony larceny, auto theft and arson in 2005 - the last year the data is available - according to the Office of Postsecondary Education.
UNF averaged less than five incidents per 1,000 residents in 2005 and every year since, according to UPD reports.
In 2007, the Landing had the most crimes reported, but Foxworth attributes that to the volume of students living in the dorm. The Villages and the Hall had the fewest.
Presently there are more than 2,500 on-campus residents living in a total of five residential complexes. Foxworth expects more incidents to occur as campus housing continues to grow with Osprey Fountains scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2009 and Greek housing in phase two of permitting.
"The thing that makes living on campus very important for students is the way the system is set up with the residence assistants and area coordinators," Foxworth said. "Often times problems or issues are handled before they become a true problem or issue. [The system] keeps a lot of situations from getting out of hand."
UPD has two Residence Life officers that patrol strictly the residential areas.
Foxworth believes these officers also help keep the crime to a minimum, since they get to know the residents and who belongs and who doesn't.
"The way our campus is set up and the relationship we have with UPD allow us to provide such a safe community to our residents," said Lynn Hendricks, director of Residential Life. "It's one of our university's selling points."
The campus housing staff routinely walks around the area late at night and during the weekend to make sure the lighting is good and to get a sense of how students feel when they're out,
Hendricks said.
Hendricks also said she believes the designated parking lots and housing decals reduce the amount of crime, unlike some campuses that require students to walk great distances from
isolated lots.
"Safety is all about perception," she said. "We have so many issues, but crime or safety isn't one of them. I've worked for a lot of colleges or universities, and I think UNF does a fantastic job."
When an arrest is made, UPD officers have a level of discretion on misdemeanors that don't involve violence since UNF has its own in-house system.
Campus residents are frequently referred to Student Conduct rather than being introduced into the criminal justice system.
"It's proven fairly successful," Foxworth said. "Some people think it might be too soft, but I think it helps in the situations that keep people from having something on their record forever. We try to be more educational than punitive."
UNF also has an in-house system for minor incidents that don't require an arrest.
Residence Life Conduct has policies written by both students and staff members that pertain solely to housing issues, including quiet hour and pet violations, Hendricks said.
"From what I've seen, [campus housing] is pretty friendly, and people seem to keep to themselves," said Charles Downs, an undecided freshman and campus housing resident. "You really don't see a lot of animosity
or thefts."
Contact Josh Salman at managing@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Best of Police Beat
Dorm Edition
Here's a look back at some of the most outrageous police beat
moments occurring in campus housing in 2008.
Jan. 11 - Fire (Building Z) - A resident was spraying a can of Axe body spray and lighting the fumes with a lighter "because he was bored." The spray created a flamethrower effect that set off the fire alarm in his room.
Jan. 12 - Criminal Mischief (Building R) - A male was seen repeatedly hitting a sprinkler with a fire extinguisher as another male watched. The fire extinguisher began foaming, which set off the sprinkler and fire alarm. All three floors on the north end of the building were soaked and flooded.
Feb. 8 - Prowling (Building Q) - UPD was contacted about a suspicious man walking around the Crossings area. The man's zipper was down.
The RAs said they saw the man hanging around Building Q and attempting to talk to females. He was asked to leave and appeared to walk toward Lot 16.
The officer performed a record check on the suspect, which revealed two outstanding fugitive warrants in Polk County for battery and exposal of genitals.
Feb 22 - Alcohol (Building S) - UPD was contacted regarding an intoxicated student. When the student answered her door, she appeared to be confused and disoriented. She couldn't find her ID, admitted to drinking three alcoholic beverages and refused to say where she had been drinking. She was transferred to Ten Broek Hospital and kept saying she was allergic to peanuts during the ride.
March 4 - Battery (Building X) - Two students got into an argument regarding the volume of their music. One stood up and pushed the other, causing them both to fall. The aggressor also threatened to harm the other student's pet hedgehog. The victim went to a friend's apartment with the hedgehog for safekeeping.
April 3 - Alcohol (Building S) - A student was found drinking an alcoholic beverage. When asked what was inside, he quickly guzzled down the drink and replied, vodka and lemonade.
April 4 - Alcohol (Building Q) - A resident was seen walking around with a blue solo cup in his hand. The cup was full of beer. When UPD searched the suspect's room, they found 10 12-ounce cans of Natural Light, 20 one-pint cans of Natural Light, one one-pint can of Bud Light, one can of Moosehead beer that turned out to be a fake can masking a hidden container and smelling of marijuana, two pipes, a cigarette roller, a waterproof container and a shredder containing marijuana flakes.
Compiled by Josh Salman
PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Barnes gains progress on campaign promises
Student Government
In the midst of summer classes, Student Body President John Barnes has been at work on his campaign promise of a spa on campus.
Barnes has been working hand-in-hand with university administrators in negotiations about a possible spa location: the UNF Bookstore.
|
Graduate lounge features - 40-46 inch TV - Coffee maker - Microwave - 2-3 couches - 2 tables - Ice maker |
The spa is scheduled to be modeled after Florida International University's, which is the first university nationwide to offer a spa for students on campus.
The spa is intended to offer comparable services to that of FIU's Waves, such as various types of massage therapists, tanning beds, haircuts, pedicures and manicures.
But this isn't the only promise he has gained ground on.
Barnes has also gained support for his proposed athletic initiative, which is intended to drum-up school-spirit surrounding its student athletes.
Elliot Darkatsh, director of Marketing and Promotions with UNF athletics, has agreed to put forth funding for athletic development this year. The most prominent event, the First Annual Osprey Tailgate Classic, will take place Aug. 26.
"I am very excited about this event," Barnes said. "It is the opportunity for the students of UNF to meet their student athletes. By the students meeting their athletes, they will be able to gain a further appreciation for the school and the UNF school spirit, which will set the tone for the proceeding year."
Contact James Cannon II at staff1@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
CCOB earns top tier accreditation
|
|
UNF Coggin College of Business was awarded accreditation for its bachelor's and master's programs in business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. |
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International awarded maintenance business accreditation to UNF Coggin College of Business for its bachelor's and master's programs in business and
accounting.
With the accreditation, the UNF business college continues to be one of the top business schools worldwide that shares the highest quality of education and continuous improvement, said Dr. John McAllister, dean of business.
"It is a sign that the university is maintaining its high quality and is going in the right direction," McAllister said.
To receive the accreditation, AACSB examines aspects such as faculty scholarships, high-caliber teaching quality, interaction between students and qualified faculty members, and specific achievements of graduate students.
Now that the accreditation is in place, the university will appoint a committee to create a strategic plan in maintaining the accreditation, McAllister said.
The committee plans to work with a mentor who is assigned by the AACSB until the university is ready for final review. A peer review team will then visit the business college and look at various aspects of education and bring the results in front of the board. The board will decide whether the university can maintain its accreditation or not,
McAllister said.
AACSB also puts emphasis on the ability of students to implement knowledge in real life situations in the world of business and accounting.
Study abroad and relatedness of the material to a business environment is the most useful tool for achieving this goal, said Dr. Thomas Barton, professor of accounting and finance.
"We tie everything that is being taught in the classroom and orient it to the real world," Barton said. "We have to do it because things in the world of business are changing so quickly."
Sixty-seven faculty members and more than 3,800 students are now part of the top-15 percent of business-school teams worldwide.
Barton said he believes the greatest influence is in heightened value of the graduate students and more qualified faculty members.
"This is absolutely the highest level of accreditation we could get, and we are the only business school in the area," he said.
In accordance with the accreditation, last year the Princeton Review named the UNF business college the Best Business School in the nation.
This honor was based on a survey of 19,000 students from 290 business schools. Students were grading various factors based on 11 ranking categories such as best professor, best career prospects and best classroom experience.
Business students at UNF see the fast pace and dynamics of the school as one of the most important parts of education in business.
"The professors here are excellent," said Edward Bateh, a junior business major. "They know their stuff and love their jobs. That makes a difference in the classroom. Knowing I will get the best education possible makes me feel really safe about my future
career."
The maintenance business accreditation lays the foundation for students to start from. Such achievements make students' degrees more valuable, McAllister said.
Contact Andrea Farah at news@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE