Daily IU News Update
November 14, 2007
Simon portfolio full of philanthropy
Indianapolis Star, Nov. 14 -- The Simons, already famous for shopping malls, also are becoming well known for something else: philanthropy. Today's $40 million donation to Riley Hospital for Children is the family's latest big-dollar gift to a nonprofit Indiana organization, with much of the money going for health care, education or cultural institutions. About a year ago, shopping mall magnate Mel Simon and his wife, Bren, donated $50 million for the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. Earlier this year, they gave $2.4.million to Indianapolis hospital system St. Vincent Health to help build an outpatient center to care for those with little or no health insurance. Full story. https://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/LOCAL/71114002.
Federal grant helps new ISU social work grads find work in Indiana
TribStar.com, Nov. 13 -- The education requirements and hiring of social workers in Indiana have changed dramatically since Gov. Mitch Daniels created the Department of Child Services in January 2005. Through the Title IV-E Grant for Child Welfare Training, bachelor of social work students receive full tuition; a $2,000 stipend; and are guaranteed a job with the Indiana Department of Child Services, upon graduation, with a salary of about $32,000. The Title IV-E grant is contracted to Indiana University-Purdue University and subcontracted to Indiana's four public universities which offer social work programs: Indiana State University, Indiana University, Ball State University and University of Southern Indiana. Full story. https://www.tribstar.com/features/local_story_317211028.html
Nonprofits backstop Indiana's economy
Indianapolis Star, Nov. 14 -- Nonprofits play a key role in the state economy, a report from Indiana University has found. Full story https://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/BUSINESS/711140402/1003/BUSINESS
State museum displays bones from mastodon found in Allen
FortWayne.com, Nov. 14 -- It's been nearly a decade since Dan Buesching stumbled upon the skull of a mastodon while working at the family peat bog on Cook Road in northwest Allen County. And on Tuesday, he finally saw the bones themselves - not replicas - behind museum glass. His family drained the bog so researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne could recover the bones. In all, 80 percent of the skeleton was found, including five throat bones that Indiana State Museum Curator Ronald Richards said are almost never intact. Full story
Hoosiers count on gambling fix; State treasury hits jackpot as riverboats, horse tracks lure visitors from Midwest
Journalgazette.net, Nov. 14 -- John Mikesell, a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University in Bloomington who specializes in government finances and has researched state lotteries, isn't convinced the state's track record with casinos is long enough to make such a declaration. But lottery revenues have proved stable. "Lottery players ought to be just as discretionary as casinos, and lottery revenues hold up during recessions. In fact, they get a little bump. It might be the desperation factor," Mikesell said. Full story. https://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071111/EDIT0502/711110309
Making sense out of the tobacco ban's goals
Campuspress.com, Nov. 13 -- There is buzz in Boulder surrounding the proposed smoking ban on CU campuses. Regent Michael Carrigan's proposed tobacco ban has some people wondering what it would actually accomplish. Many students say they are confused by the purpose of the ban, which would prohibit smoking on all university property, both inside and out. The university described the potential benefits and outcomes of the ban in an e-mail sent to the campus community on Nov. 5. According to Carrigan, CU would join institutions like the University of North Dakota and Indiana University, two schools with similar bans. Full story. https://media.www.thecampuspress.com/media/storage/paper1098/news/2007/11/13/News/Making.Sense.Out.Of.The.Tobacco.Bans.Goals-3095008.shtml
Pressing for tax repeal-Editorials
Journalgazette.net, Nov. 14 -- The Indiana Tax Court's decision to throw out a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state's tax system ramps up the pressure on the General Assembly. The court said the taxpayer-plaintiffs failed to first take their complaints to the Department of Revenue or the Indiana Board of Tax Review. Price, who represented a group of Fort Wayne plaintiffs who sued Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne over a student production of "Corpus Christi," said after the tax suit was dismissed that the battle would move from the courts to the legislature. The plaintiffs include some groups formed specifically for that purpose -- Citizens of Delaware County for Property Tax Repeal and Stop Taxing Our Property, for example. Look for them to be dogged in their singular pursuit. But lawmakers shouldn't be distracted by a noisy clamor for property tax repeal. The issue already has been well-considered. Full story. https://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/EDIT/711140371
Students march on Bryan Hall
Indiana Daily Student, Nov. 14 -- Eighteen campus and local organizations took a stand against global warming Tuesday, as about 20 representatives marched to IU President Michael McRobbie's office with the hope of having him sign an agreement to participate in the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Full story. https://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=46243&comview=1
McRobbie asked to commit to aiding climate; President to reduce IU's impact on environment
Bloomington Herald Times, Nov. 14 -- A coalition of student groups at Indiana University and Bloomington City Council President Dave Rollo is calling for IU President Michael McRobbie to join the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Full story. https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/6808.html
ChaCha gets $10M investment: Former EDS exec Morton Meyerson and state tech fund back search engine operator
Indianapolis Star, Nov. 14 -- ChaCha, the people-powered search engine created by local tech entrepreneur Scott Jones, announced today that it is in line for a $10 million infusion of cash. The bulk will come from a single private investor. In August, it announced a deal to be the only search engine on Indiana University's Web sites, including its libraries. Full story. https://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/BUSINESS/711140417/-1/LOCAL17
Officials push students toward community college: Enrollment shift could take pressure off research universities
Indiana Daily Student, Nov. 14 -- Enrollment figures rose last year at both IU-Bloomington and Ivy Tech-Bloomington, but the Indiana Commission for Higher Education is trying to encourage more students to enroll in community colleges. Full story. https://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=46226&comview=1
Xerox, NC State Collaborate to Advance Research in Service and Innovation Management
Businesswire.com, Nov. 14 -- Raleigh, N.C. & Rochester, N.Y.-- Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) and the North Carolina State University College of Management today announced a three-year collaborative project to fund research that will lead to new courses in professional service management and innovation management. The new courses include the Service Innovation Lab where graduate and undergraduate students will work with companies to develop innovative service concepts. In addition, a new graduate-level service management course will be taught in partnership with Indiana University, using emerging virtual world tools and technology. Full story. https://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071114005410&newsLang=en
Time Slows When You're on the Fly
Sciencemag.org, Nov. 13 -- Einstein was wrong. So, in essence, begins many a screed by some poor crackpot who aspires to be a physicist. Still, many legitimate physicists are willing to entertain the possibility that, in formulating his theories of relativity, Einstein didn't get it exactly right. Full story. https://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/1113/2
Study finds students aren't apathetic, just unaware
Indiana Daily Student, Nov. 14 -- Today's college students are more interested in politics than other young people, but they don't know how to become involved, according to a study released earlier this month. The study, "Millennials Talk Politics: A Study of College Student Political Engagement," was conducted by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. The Harwood Group did a similar study in the early '90s, and the idea was to compare results. Full story. https://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=46245&comview=1
To the editor: An open letter to Rick Greenspan
Bloomington Herald Times, Nov. 14 -- The letter writer asks IU to disclose the severance package given to Ken Hydinger, former coach of IU men's tennis team. Full letter. https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/6808.html
To the editor: IU football not affordable
Bloomington Herald Times, Nov. 14 -- This letter writer voices concern about the affordability for families wishing to purchase IU football tickets. Full letter. https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/6808.html
From the Chronicle
Enrollments in Foreign-Language Classes Continue to Rise, MLA Survey Finds
Enrollments in foreign-language classes at American colleges and universities have jumped 13 percent since 2002, with Arabic and Chinese showing the most dramatic increases, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Modern Language Association. The number of students studying Arabic soared 126.5 percent between 2002 and 2006, while the number studying Chinese grew by more than 50 percent. Korean also rose in popularity, with a 37.1 percent rise in enrollments. Full story. https://chronicle.com/daily/2007/11/691n.htm
Trip Cut Short by Medical Evacuations Illustrates Potential Problems for Some Study-Abroad Programs
A University of Washington study-abroad program in Ghana last summer that was cut short after the medical evacuation of half of its participants may highlight the potential hazards associated with programs led by individual faculty members who may lack the experience of seasoned study-abroad administrators. Full story. https://chronicle.com/daily/2007/11/688n.htm
Software Group Gets Online Textbooks to the Developing World: Started by 2 professors, the Global Text Project uses volunteer writers to keep costs down
Learning is valuable, but in Africa it is more than that: It is prohibitively expensive. In Ethiopia, where the per-capita income is about $100 a year, a single textbook at Addis Ababa University can cost $50. In order to get more textbooks to students in developing nations, two people are leading an ambitious project to produce and freely distribute 1,000 original titles online. Full story. https://chronicle.com/weekly/v54/i12/12a02801.htm
Patient-Privacy Laws Hinder Research, Public-Health Scientists Say
More than two-thirds of public-health scientists who responded to a Web-based survey said that federal rules to safeguard patients' privacy have made research more difficult, according to results released on Tuesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Full story. https://chronicle.com/daily/2007/11/686n.htm
Researchers Create Human Embryonic Stem Cells With Cloned Macaque Eggs
A team of American researchers announced today that it had generated colonies of human embryonic stem cells for the first time through cloning — by injecting human DNA into macaque eggs. The technique, which they described in a paper released by Nature, could avoid some of the ethical and practical roadblocks that have hampered the use of human eggs in cloning experiments. Full story. https://chronicle.com/news/article/3429/researchers-create-human-embryonic-stem-cells-with-cloned-macaque-eggs
The IU Daily News Brief is a short review of media coverage relating to IU administrative and student news, federal and state legislative policy, and trends and issues in higher education. Prepared by the Office of Media Relations, the IU Daily News Brief is not an all-inclusive gathering of news featuring IU faculty and staff. To subscribe to the IU Daily IU news update list or to have your name removed, please contact Susan Williams in IU Media Relations at sulwilli@indiana.edu.
