UVU Review, 2009-01-12

              uvureview.com rf r S Vs- V. c Sx 0 troubl Inside this issue i '" OPTIONS UVU IS CUIUIENTLY EXPLORING IN TMIMS OF PEND ING CUTS: : ( 1 ' 1 ' it i , , i ' 1 - ... . . Hiring restrictions Eliminate positionspersonnel Notify non-tenure track faculty of non-renewal of appointments Increase adjunct faculty ratio and advising ratio Reduce services -facilities, student services, etc. Eliminate programs and services Reduceeliminate outreach activitiesImplement a voluntary separation incentive program Increase tuition for 2009-10 Restrict enrollments-first-come, first-serve within resources and space Delaycancel equipment purchases and replacements Reduce salaries, wages, andbenefits 3 Illustration by Jordy KirkmanUVU Review Millions of dollars from the school budget speculated to be cut by Legislature iZ. BRITNEE NGUYEN News editor Increased tuition, less faculty and decreased funding are a few of the concerns going through many minds at UVU because of the unstable economy resulting in budget cuts at UVU. These are speculative concerns until the Utah State Legislature meets for its general session, slated to begin Jan. 26. Higher education and its budget will certainly be a hot topic during the session. UVU already made a four pci-ecVt budget reduction last September equaling more than $2.7 million when Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. called a special legislative session to address the budget shortfalls from income and sales taxes. A four percent budget cut was made at every state-funded higher education institution. As the Legislature meets again, faculty, staff and students alike will be waiting to see what is decided in regards to higher educa tion funding. "We may not have a complete outlook until the Legislature adjourns in March," said Chris Taylor, UVU Spokesperson. "That said, the institution is doing its best to prepare for a second budget reduction, which is sure to come due to a shortfall in state tax revenue." For an explanation on how UVU will handle future budget cuts and how it will affect students and employees, turn to A2. Falling behind on credit cards 4 1 . Flickr.com IZ DAVID HATCHETT News writer . . As great as a tool a credit card may be, sometimes people find themselves in over their head with debt incurred from its use. When someone falls behind on a credit card, a few things can happen. First, there is almost always a late fee added to the balance, usually ranging from $15 to $50 depending on the balance and company. Also, the interest rate will be moved up to the default rate, which can be up to 29.99 percent, depending on an individual's history and the company. After either the first or the second missed payment, the credit card companies will report to the credit bureaus with a R2 rating. The R in the R2 means that the credit type is revolving, meaning that there can be a balance from month to month that can change. The 2 stands for an account that has fallen 30 day past due. These ratings go from R 1 , or "good standing," to R9, a bad debt or charge-off. Charge-off is when the company writes the debt off their books for tax and other reasons. However, this does not mean that debtor no longer has to pay. The balance is still collectable for up' to 7 years from the day the debtor stopped paying and never brought it current. This is the point where the companies decide to keep the debt, sell the debt, or possibly file a lawsuit. When people find themselves in situations with too much credit card debt, they can seek solutions from numerous sources. These solutions can be anything from working with the credit card companies, consumer credit counselors, or debt consolidators and settlements. See CREDIT A2 Discrimination on campus L. WHITNEY WAGNER News writer Racial discrimination is an issue that's been seen recently on campus. Gwen Anderson, director of the Multicultural Center, believes that although some racial discrimination occurs, UVU is still a safe place for students of different ethnicities. "We need to learn to be color wise, not color blind," said Gwen Anderson, director of the Multicultural Center. "To be able to see differences and appreciate them for the variety they bring." Anderson said UVU has less hate crimes and racial tension than many other college campuses in the nation. She believes UVU students are overall good to each other in understanding personal differences and diversity, and many faculty members as well have worked to make the campus a better place for all students. However, the bulk of up setting racial problems Anderson has seen have come from faculty and staff. For example, at the end of fall semester, a complaint was filed through the university's Department of Human Resources stating that a certain department was mistreating students based on the color of their skin. The complaint was from a former student worker who said he was often offended by coworker's rude remarks directed at him because of his ethnicity. The offensive comments were made in front of supervisors without any intervention, which made him feel he was being talked down to. He also said little effort was made by supervisors to learn the names of the ethnic workers. The student now has a job in a different department on campus where he feels respected, but he acknowledges hardships for minorities to get a job on UVU campus that isn't in the cafeteria or custodial work. Although some minority students may feel discriminated because of their ethnicity, UVU provides the resources to report it. To report a complaint regarding discrimination, visit http: www.uvu.eduhrsforms index.html to download the grievance complaint form and give to Human Resources at BA 1 10. An Equity Officer will investigate and resolve the complaint. In a slump? At least the CIA got a rise out of Afghanistan. R4 New style is just a thrift lesson away learn from the best on page Sugar Bowl success earns the Utes some well-deserved respect. jrL5 Confused about the new shuttle route? UVU Review provides you with a map to alleviate your angst. J" Winter food drive success C BRITNEE NGUYEN News editor With more than 3,500 pounds of food donated from UVU students, the UVU Service Council considers its winter food drive a success. "We completely underestimated the generosity of UVU students," said Rich Doxey of the UVU Service Council. "Even though the economy has struggled, students were still willing to give." The UVU Service Council organized the food drive in partnership with Community Action Serv ices. Several tactics were used to collect so much food. Volunteers went door-to-door around local student housing and received many donations. Additionally, a dating auction was held where students were auctioned off for cans of food. All the food went to Community Action Services that runs the food bank for Provo and Orem. "We didn't really understand the need for food in our community until we visited the offices of Community Action Services," Doxey said. "There are many families that are struggling right now." There was a 40 percent increase in food bank requests at one point in the past few months. UVU's j donations helped the lo- cal food banks that were struggling during the holiday season. Doxey said the UVU Service Council is very i thankful to those ? - who volunteered and do- I nated. J t "IS 4-