UCAM's News clips for Tuesday, August 5, 2008

1. UNM Profs Score Low If You Can Find 'Em (Albuquerque Journal Editorial)

At least the University of New Mexico is consistent. For the second year in a row, UNM is ranked No. 1 in The Princeton Review's annual "The Best 368 Colleges" guide for having the "least accessible professors."
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05editorial.htm

2. Among UNM's chief concerns is how to replace Smith and Brown (Albuquerque Journal)
By Greg Archuleta, Journal Staff Writer

One hundred and sixty-seven footballs.

Fall practice for the 2008 season began Monday at the University of New Mexico, which has several question marks to address before the Aug. 30 opener against TCU.
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05football.htm

3. Lobo Women May Have Greatest Challenge (Albuquerque Journal)
By Ken Sickenger, Journal Staff Writer

A stroll through the pastry shop it's not.

The University of New Mexico women's basketball schedule for 2008-09 includes a slew of traditional powers with precious few cupcakes.
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05lobos.htm

4. Rio Rancho Regents Are Now Political Animals (Albuquerque Journal Letter to the Editor)

CONTRARY TO the Journal editorial, the problem with the boards of regents in New Mexico is precisely that they are political appointees, which means they are inevitably businessmen, attorneys and the politically inclined, typically being rewarded for their service to the governor.

Election of course does not even guarantee competence, but it surely provides a better stage for the emergence of talent than political appointments. And if a "committed voting bloc can exercise more leverage," well, more power to them and tough for the apathetic and uninformed. At the very least a regent should be required to have a college degree; remember Colleen Maloof?

RICHARD M. BERTHOLD

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5. Speak Up! (Albuquerque Journal Letters to the Editor)

THREE CHEERS to LULAC for saying what UNM faculty have been thinking this past year ­ elected regents! Let's get our legislators to act on this constitutional amendment this special session. ­ F.J.

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6. New program provides bridge to schools, businesses (Las Cruces Sun News Editorial)

A survey taken last year confirmed what many in the local business community already knew ­ employers in Doña Ana County were not happy with the training and skills of those workers who were showing up at their offices looking for work.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/opinion/ci_10096382

7. NMSU Center Hosts Field Day (Albuquerque Journal)

New Mexico State University's Sustainable Agriculture Science Center in Alcalde will host its annual field day today. NMSU's recently named Interim President Waded Cruzado will be the keynote speaker.

New at the center this year are two demonstration projects – inter-seeding vegetable and forage crops and a market garden.

A Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant has funded the demonstration of research done by the center during the 1990s where four forage crops are inter-seeded with sweet corn and chile to extend the use of the field from vegetable crops to grazing in the fall and spring.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the formal activities beginning at 8:30 a.m. Walking tours will begin at 9:30 a.m. to view research areas on grapes, berries, fruit tree orchards, vegetables, medicinal herbs, alternative crops and acequia agriculture hydrology.

Studies involving under-tree micro-sprinklers and drip irrigation, sand filter systems, frost protection and organic fruit production methods also will be discussed.

The NMSU center is located in Alcalde, 33 miles north of Santa Fe and 38 miles south of Taos on NM 68. Dogs aren't allowed on the farm property.

For more information about the science center visit http://alcaldesc.nmsu.edu/.

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8. Jimenez Is Mayor's Pick (Rio Rancho Journal)
By Rosalie Rayburn, Journal Staff Writer

It's official ­ James Jimenez is the mayor's pick for the top job at Rio Rancho City Hall.
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05jimenez.htm

9. Superintendent Picks Come Under Fire (Albuquerque Journal)
By Andrea Schoellkopf, Journal Staff Writer

The new superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools has been on the job for roughly a month now, but the number of non-minority hires he has made is already drawing some concern.
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05superintendent.htm

10. County official warns staff about press (Santa Fe New Mexican)
TV reporter's alleged search for 'scandal' prompts memo
Phaedra Haywood | The New Mexican

County public-information officer Stephen Ulibarri sent a memo to county staff recently warning them that economic hard times in the media industry will cause reporters to start digging for dirt.
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05press.htm

11. News from the Chronicle of Higher Education:
http://libproxy.unm.edu/login?url=http://chronicle.com

* Congress Bans Pell Grants For Sex Offenders
An amendment in the mammoth higher-education bill approved by Congress last week would prevent sexual offenders who are in civil-commitment centers from receiving the grants.

* Academic Blogger Assesses The Damage Done By Nonstop Media
Todd Gitlin, who directs a program in communications at Columbia University, argues that too much do-it-yourself media is a bad thing, particularly when professors are producing it.

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12. News from Inside Higher Education:

* Court Strikes Down ‘Overbroad’ Harassment Policy
Ruling by U.S. appeals panel, in case involving Temple U., could make it much easier to challenge public colleges’ nondiscrimination policies.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/05/temple

13. News from Diverse Issues in Higher Education:

* Student Group Lobbying for Legislation to Allow Concealed Firearms on College Campuses
State legislators and students supporting legislation to allow concealed firearms on college campuses aimed to debunk the notion that “traditional” aged college students are too reckless to own and possess firearms during a recent public forum held in Washington, D.C.
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_11495.shtml

* Men Win Suit Against Scandal-scarred Texas Southern
Three former Texas Southern University students credited with helping expose a spending scandal that led to indictments of top administrators won a retaliation lawsuit against school officials.
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_11494.shtml

14. Albuquerque Media Monitoring
News clips from Monday, August 04 include stories about:

* UNM Computer Scientists Monitoring Chinese Internet
* Lobo Football Players Begin Training
* Media Poll Says Lobos Will Finish 4th in Conference Volleyball
http://www.unm.edu/news/08AugNewsClips/05media.htm

Susan McKinsey
Director of University Communication
Scholes Hall 160, Suite 152C
MSC05 3300
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-1989