University Business - August 2008 - (Page 13)

DATA P O I N T 1,497 —Number of higher education construction projects currently seeking LEED certification, as of June. —Green Building Council P E O P L E W AT C H Vice Chancellor to Forgo Salary THE NEW VICE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFOR nia, Berkeley, is an international finance banker who will use his expertise and connections to help grow the institution’s finances—all while forgoing a salary. Frank Yeary, a 1985 UC Berkeley graduate and global head of mergers and acquisitions for Citigroup, will donate his annual pay of $200,000 to the university as a formal gift agreement in order to fund a needs-based scholarship program for undergraduate students from California. Yeary starts his new job this month, at a time when funding for California’s higher education institutions is being altered by the state’s fiscal crunch. In this specially created position, Yeary will spearhead the development of a long-term financial plan that will give the campus a stable and reliable Frank Yeary funding strategy. He may also teach. His initial appointment is for three years. In his new post, Yeary sees both a challenge and an opportunity. “I hope that I can bring a fresh set of skills and relationships, built over twenty years working with some of the world’s most successful companies and executives, to the university,” he says. Chancellor Robert Birgeneau explains that his new employee’s 20-year career on Wall Street “will be invaluable in assisting us to develop strategies, both short and long term, that blend public and private support and take advantage of opportunities, partnerships, and alliances to secure Berkeley’s future as a leading public university.” Yeary earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and history from UC Berkeley and has remained active there, as a member of the Berkeley Foundation Board of Trustees since 2001. —M.H. B E T W E E N the L I N E S Teach Them to Challenge Authority: Educating for Healthy Societies By Gregory S. Prince, Jr. Continuum Books (www.continuumbooks .com), 2008; 224 pp.; $26.95 AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES ARE OFTEN accused of a “liberal bias” by those on the right, who claim that students are being intimidated and forced to accept political views against their will. They would rather see “institutional neutrality” in which all sides of an argument are presented and students are left to make up their own minds. Greg Prince, former president of Hampshire College (Mass.), argues that neutrality itself undermines the ability to teach critical thinking. He says neutralists underestimate young people’s capacity to see through bias and rhetoric, and that we must encourage students to challenge authority and convention. Drawing on his experiences at Hampshire as well as from representatives in the national debate, Prince argues that neutrality will ultimately damage the very character of U.S. education—and our place in the world—as we move into an increasingly global society. —Tim Goral Judge Approves $11 Million for Virginia Tech Victims’ Families A RICHMOND, VA., CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE APPROVED AN $11 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH families of 24 out of the 32 deceased victims in last year’s Virginia Tech tragedy, avoiding a court battle over whether anyone but Seung-Hui Cho was responsible for the shootings. Under its terms, the Commonwealth of Virginia will pay $100,000 each to the families whose relatives were killed. Eighteen people who were seriously injured will have their health care needs covered for life. Similar settlements with families of four others who were killed are expected to become final. Two additional families plan to sue the state, and claims by two others were unresolved at press time. Attorneys argued that quicker action by officials to shut down the campus after the first two students were killed would have saved lives. Copies of e-mails from a faculty member showed at least one classroom building had been locked down before the entire campus was alerted about the shootings. The settlement will also provide money for the creation of a fund for charities and a hardship fund for victims and their families. —M.H. universitybusiness.com August 2008 | 13 http://www.continuumbooks.com http://www.continuumbooks.com http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - August 2008

University Business - August 2008
Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
On the Hill
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
Community Colleges
Dorms of Distinction
Streamlining Admissions: Opening the Front Door
E-mail, Gmail, and Beyond
EduComm Deals a Winning Hand
What's New
End Note

University Business - August 2008