UVSC College Times, 2006-06-26

              MONDAY JUNE 26 2006 THE STUDENT VOICE OF UTAH VALLEY STATE m :- ' , ft ii ii iii ijfl i i l" 1rr .mi i --nn-T L. J n J ) t N ' lo)(oJ(QJ VOLUME XXXV NO. 3 ' - ' -'.-.'... . ' " Vs fan") if i r 1 1 vC- Road to Recovery V r ! 1 ' i ; . t, Use your brain X. (" 1 not your calculator o n Ashley Robertson News Writer In an attempt to cut back on administrative costs in the form of credit card fees paid by the college, the UVSC President's Council and the Board of Trustees has approved changes that will disallow Visa card holders from using their credit and debit cards when making tuition payments. This new policy is one of many changes the school has made concerning tuition payments beginning July 1st. Tuition payers will now be charged an additional convenience fee of 2.75 percent, assessed by a third-party vendor for processing tuition payments made with Discover, Master Card and American Express credit cards. A statement released school wide by President Sederburg stated that: "In an effort to help students better manage the cost of their education, the institution has provided low cost alternatives to credit card debt; such as e-check and short term loans." Abby Tennis, a Junior at UVSC, has an out-of-state relative that regularly pays her tuition online using a credit card. "While the additional fee for online payments may not affect all students," Tennis said, "it is still a ridiculous decision to charge extra for credit card payments on top of all other student fees." For online tuition payments, the UVSC cashier's office recommends using their WebCheck system, which works as an electronic check and draws payments straight from a checking account.Although payments made using Discover, Master Card and American Express credit cards will continue to be accepted with a fee to the cardholder, the WebCheck service will be offered free of charge. Only cash, check and pin-based debit card payments will continue to beallowed at the cashier's window. Pin-based debit cards will not be accepted online. There will be kiosks assembled across from the cashier's windows specifically for credit card payments. The payment option for short-term loans will be offered after July 1st. This short-term tuition payment plan can be paid back anytime and in any amount before approximately mid-term. The actual date is yet to be determined. These changes will only affect tuition payments and not other UVSC services: such as the Bookstore, Food services, etc. - UVSC loses Distance Ed. director unexpectedly Ashley Robertson News Writer On Saturday, June 17th, Scott B. Herd, Director of UVSC . Distance Education, passed away due to complications following a major heart attack. Scott Herd was 5 1 . The incident occurred only a day after Herd presented a paper he had written for the European Distance and eLearning Network (EDEN) at the Vienna University of Technology in Vienna, Austria."I feel honored to represent Utah Valley State on an international level," Herd was quoted saying prior to his attendance at EDEN. "We have a commitment at UVSC to produce globally conscious students. Events such as this ' facilitate that mission." Herd's wife, Ann, had accompanied Herd to Austria for the conference. An email sent by Mrs. Herd to the college following her husband's death stated, "Scott gave a fabulous presentation on Thursday afternoon. He represented the college with the dignity and grace that defined him." Herd has presented at numerous conferences, including American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), Society for Applied Learning Technology (SALT), InfoComm and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). Before joining higher education 16 years ago, Herd held leadership positions in Scott Herd corporate training companies and his work has been featured in the Human Resource Executive magazine. Herd developed the first degree in Utah that could be earned entirely online and he conceptualized and organized Valley Television, which brought together several Salt Lake County municipalities into a government and higher education cable-channel alliance. He was a key contributor to Salt Lake Community College's receipt of the National Chairman's Award for Outstanding College Partnerships.Herd's untimely death came as a shock for all those who knew him. His presence at UVSC was invaluable and he will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife, Ann, two son's, two step son's and two step daughters. John Knitsch, the Assistant Director of Development for Distance Education, has been asked to step in as the InterimActing Director of Distance Education until the position has been officially filled. ? V-. vT Utah Valley Suae College CAUTU MASIU UAH 1 GaJdEvans 5 e w ;-s . -sirmSVl m i-n - . . - - Courtesy photoUVSC In addition to the DLC, other construction plans are in the works to expand UVSC's campus to accommodate to the growing needs of the valley. SEC ciifflsfiFMdMira mtaway Abraham Hernandez News Writer UVSC President William A. Sederburg has recently announced the hiring of Cooper, Roberts, Simonsen and Associates and Layton Construction as the design build team for the new Digital Learning Center, with acclaimed New York architect, Jacob Alspector, as lead architect."We chose the design we're going with because it was an exceptional designs that still kept a lot of the same features of our current campus, so it looks like it's supposed to be there, yet it stands out," said Jim Michae-lis, Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning. Later Michaelis stated that the design for the Digital Learning Center was still undergoing a few adjustments and that the final design would become available in the upcoming weeks. This $30 million project will include 300 networked computers, a computer lab with all software applications for gathering and packaging information, a reference computer area, a state-of-the-art media center, more than 60 study rooms, a map room, electronic books, streaming audio and video, an elec tronic reserve, and wireless and network connections throughout. The Digital Learning Center will stand northeast of the Liberal Arts building, taking out an estimated 150 parking stalls once construction begins. However, beginning June 21st, a new parking lot will be built just east of parking lot V that would add about 400 new parking stalls. The new 180 thousand square foot Digital Learning Center that will replace the current 35 thousand square foot Losee Center as the library and information center, will begin construction near the end of September and is projected to be completed by fall of 2008. As for the Losee Center, it will be remodeled to provide different student services. Next in the planning stages are additions to the current science and business buildings, and the construction of a Performing Arts Building. UVSC continues to take major steps to improve itself and the education of its students. For more information concerning the Digital Learning Center or future UVSC construction and renovations, contact Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning Jim Michaelis at 863-8159. (