TO CLIPS INDEX Clips for March 7, 8, & 9, 2009

Spring-breakers head to Mexico this week
The Arizona Republic 3/9/09
This week marks the start of spring-break season
in Arizona, and officials from Lake Havasu City to
Puerto Peñasco are bracing for an influx of college
students. Students at Arizona State University are
on break this week. Next week, the University of
Arizona and Northern Arizona University are out.
The State Department and Arizona's three state
universities have issued warnings about traveling
to Mexico, but so far, Puerto Peñasco expects to
see the same number of vacationers as usual
during this time of year.

Aerospace Institute will be a boon to Arizona
The Arizona Republic 3/9/09
Bob Johnson is chairman of the Arizona Aerospace
Institute. Johnson was the guest last week on Live
Talk Wednesday. Here are excerpts from the inter-
view, which can be found at aztalk.azcentral.com.
Johnson served as chief executive of Dubai Aero-
space Enterprise, which is working to build a multi-
billion-dollar aerospace cluster at Dubai World
Central. Before that, he headed Honeywell Aero-
space in Phoenix, the world's largest supplier of
aircraft engines and equipment. .....How would an
institute focused on research bolster aerospace
companies here (and elsewhere)? Well, it's all
about relationships and talent . . . and the synergies
that result. When an industry is doing active local
research with the universities, it prospers and
grows locally. Simple as that. One spends time at
the universities, knows what the professors are
working on and thinking about. That, coupled with
knowing the company's needs and the industry's
needs, provides a perfect partnership, common
strategies, and focused resources and talent.
And then innovation follows.

Other states eclipse Arizona's efforts to lure
solar industry
The Arizona Republic 3/8/09
Yes, it's sunny here. But Arizonans are learning that
it takes more than blazing rays to make Phoenix the
"solar capital of the world." The Sonoran Desert is
among the most efficient spots on Earth for solar
power plants and rooftop solar arrays. State
requirements for utilities to get 15 percent of their
energy from clean sources by 2025 also would seem
an opportunity for solar manufacturing. But most solar
panels, mirrors, frames and other equipment are
made elsewhere. In case after case, the state has
fallen short of the competition. At least 10 companies
have looked at Arizona in the past two years but
decided to move their factories and about 4,500
workers to other Western states.

Viewpoint: Robert Leger: Keep up with
Mayor Phil Gordon
The Arizona Republic 3/8/09
To say Phoenix's leader is one busy man is an
understatement. I step into Phoenix Mayor Phil
Gordon's nondescript SUV. The driver pulls
away. He stays within the speed limit. Gordon's
mind does not. The mayor points out recently
opened buildings on Arizona State University's
downtown campus and notes the spot where
ASU's law school could go. The property owner
still wants the city to pay 2005 prices, he
grouses, for a building that has seen better
days. He talks about how the infusion of
students and faculty is transforming the down-
town of the nation's fifth-largest city. Gordon
leaps from here to there to way over there,
sometimes within a single sentence. It's
James Joyce as tour guide: pure stream
of consciousness.

Opinion: Sam Crump: State crisis trumps
foundation funding
The Arizona Republic 3/7/09
In his recent guest column ("Science Foundation
Arizona means jobs," Opinions, Feb. 28), James
Gentile criticized the legislators who successfully
ended this year's funding of $22.5 million for
Science Foundation Arizona. I was one of those
legislators, and I would like to respond. Gentile
alleges that without contributions from the state
there will be "irreparable damage" to the
economy. He alleges we are "blindly aborting"
high-paying technology jobs in Arizona. To
support his argument, Gentile cites as an
example that Science Foundation Arizona
was about to initiate a statewide effort to
develop solar energy technologies.

Opinion: Owen Anderson: Humanities degrees
vs. budget cuts: Life value weighed
The Arizona Republic 3/7/09
In the current economic climate, there is of
necessity talk about how to slim down budgets.
When this is applied to universities, it naturally
raises questions about the value of certain kinds
of courses and degrees, particularly those in the
humanities. How will these degrees help
students to find a job? How will they help our
country in contrast to more applicable degrees
from engineering or business? Where does
an education about ethics and values fit into
our current problems?

Tom Patterson, Commentary: Count the heavy
strings tied to federal stimulus money
East Valley Tribune 3/7/09 8:05PM
Should Arizona accept the federal stimulus money?
To many, it’s a no-brainer. With Arizona facing a bud-
get shortfall next year of more than $3 billion, the
money floating down from above seems a blessed
relief. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, speaks for
members of the spending lobby who urge that we
not only accept the funds, but that we also lobby
aggressively for the greatest funding possible and
that we change our laws and programs as
necessary to maximize our take. After all, she
reasons, if we don’t, other states will get our share
of the dollars we send to Washington. But that’s
where the problems with the federal largesse start.
The dollars we hope to receive were never sent to
Washington by anyone. They and all the other
dollars in the unbelievable spending binge from
President Barack Obama were simply created by
writing an IOU against the future, to be repaid … well,
nobody knows how. You can be sure it won’t be pretty
and the consequences, which may come sooner than
you think, could make our present difficulties seem
like trifles.

Memorial service held in Tucson for UA student
Associated Press/East Valley Tribune
3/9/09 11:21 AM EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Friends and family of a University
of Arizona student found dead in his fraternity house
packed a church for the teen's memorial service in
Tucson. Andrew Segal, 19, was found dead in the
Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at about 2 p.m.
Friday; the cause is under investigation. More than
150 people attended a memorial service for Segal
on Sunday, remembering him as never failing to
make people laugh, always belting out show tunes
and donning his trademark spiky hair. His friends
laughed at a description of Segal as a human
version of Tigger - the bouncy tiger from Winnie
the Pooh - even as they choked back tears.

Arizona Wildcats football: Tuitama arrested on
suspicion of extreme DUI
Arizona Daily Star 3/9/09
Tucson, Arizona - Former UA quarterback Willie
Tuitama was arrested Saturday on an extreme
DUI charge, police said today. The University of
Arizona senior, 21, was pulled over in the area
of North Campbell Avenue and East Hedrick
Drive at 2:20 a.m., said Officer Chuck Rydzak,
a Tucson Police Department spokesman. The
sergeant who pulled over Tuitama was flagged
down by McDonald’s employees near Campbell
and East Fort Lowell Road, Rydzak said. The
employees said there was a person who was
possibly intoxicated in the drive thru.

AZ scientists won't benefit from federal stem-
cell change
Arizona Daily Star 3/9/09
Tucson, Arizona - Researchers at the University of
Arizona won’t be benefitting from any of the public
research dollars expected to be available now that
the federal government is reversing its policy on
embryonic stem cell research. Arizona is one of
several states with a state ban on embryonic stem
cell research. “What I am hoping is that this
(decision) will continue to provide motivation and
excitement to encourage stem cell work in general,”
said David T. Harris, a professor in the department
of immunobiology in at the UA’s College of Medicine.

Regents could OK higher dorm rates
Arizona Daily Star 3/9/09
Tucson, Arizona - UA students who plan to live
on campus next year could pay more for housing
if a plan before the Arizona Board of Regents is
approved this week. Under the proposal, rates
for the University of Arizona's 21 undergraduate
residence halls would jump anywhere from $53
to $584, depending on the type of dorm students
choose. With the increase, students would end
up paying between $4,799 and $5,999 to rent a
room for nine months.

150 gather at memorial to remember UA student
Arizona Daily Star 3/9/09
Relatives and friends of a UA student found dead
in his fraternity house filled a church on Sunday
afternoon to celebrate the life of a young man they
remembered bringing smiles to everyone he met.
Andrew J. Segal, 19, was a member of Phi Kappa
Psi and a theatre production sophomore in the
University of Arizona's College of Fine Arts. Tucson
police found Segal dead in a room of the Phi
Kappa Psi fraternity house, 1011 N. Tyndall Ave.,
when they came to the house on a medical call
at about 2 o'clock Friday afternoon. Authorities
say they won't know how Segal died until an
autopsy is completed.

Education and budget: volatile mix
Arizona Daily Star 3/8/09
PHOENIX — Emotions running high in both parties
as fixes are sought to $3 billion shortfall. It wasn't
exactly his crowd. At a forum Wednesday, state Sen.
John Huppenthal, chairman of the Senate education
committee, sat before hundreds of educators
gathered in support of the state teachers union's
legislative day rally. Sandwiched between Democratic
leaders from the House and Senate, Huppenthal, a
wonkish school-choice advocate in favor of deep
reforms to public education, was asked if he under-
stood the importance of small class size. Taking a
deep breath, Huppenthal looked up. "I can sense
the assault already," he said.

UA student who was found dead is ID'd
Arizona Daily Star 3/8/09
Tucson, Arizona - The University of Arizona fraternity
member found dead at his fraternity house Friday
afternoon was Andrew J. Segal, a 19-year-old
sophomore, university officials said Saturday. Segal
was a member of Phi Kappa Psi, and was a theater
production major in the UA's college of fine arts, UA
spokesman Johnny Cruz said Saturday. Cruz did
not know Segal's hometown, although a page on
the social networking Web site Facebook said he
was from the San Jose, Calif. area. The cause of
Segal's death is still unknown, said Sgt. Juan
Alvarez, a UA Police Department spokesman.

Tuition waivers for AIMS in danger
Arizona Daily Star 3/7/09
Tucson, Arizona - UA now backs cancellation;
current scholarships OK. Hundreds of area
high school students who hoped to parlay
high scores on the AIMS test into tuition
waivers at the state's three public universities
could be out of luck if a proposal before the
Arizona Board of Regents goes into effect.
The proposal, first put forth by Arizona State
University but also now embraced by the
University of Arizona and Northern Arizona
University, would cancel the Regents High
Honors Endorsement Award, which gives
tuition waivers to students who perform well
on the state's AIMS test. The universities say
the change would free up financial aid dollars.
They stress that students wouldn't suffer
because they'd still be eligible for other aid
sources.

UA gets legislative OK for construction work
Arizona Daily Star 3/7/09
Tucson, Arizona - Several university construction
projects that had been held up by a state
legislative committee are back on track after a
compromise resulted in a review of $103 million
in maintenance work. The change by leaders of
the Joint Committee on Capital Review means
the University of Arizona was given the green
light to spend about $68 million in bond money
to repair roofs, upgrade electrical components
and bring older buildings up to current fire and
safety codes. Republican lawmakers who head
the committee had been holding off reviewing
the projects for months, questioning whether
it was wise to spend the money during a
budget crisis.

UA asking regents to give OK to hike housing
rates
Tucson Citizen 3/9/09 2:36 p.m.
Research shows that university students who live
on campus are more likely to succeed academically,
but that success will come at a higher cost next year
if the Arizona Board of Regents approves proposed
dorm rate hikes at their meeting in Tempe this week.
The University of Arizona is asking to hike housing
rates an average of 6.98 percent for its residence
halls, with ranges from 1.12 percent to 10.78 percent.
In the past, there were five "tiers" for dorm rates, but
UA is proposing collapsing those into three, with
next year's nine-month rates set at $4,799, $5,399
and $5,999, depending on which one of UA's 21
dorms is chosen by a student.

Guest opinion: S. Jeff Piechura: Let's save
ASU's fire service programs
Tucson Citizen 3/7/09
In response to millions of dollars in state budget
cuts, Arizona State University is limiting freshman
admissions, furloughing workers, and identifying
programs to cut. Among those targeted for
elimination is the Fire Service Program, including
the bachelor's degree of applied science in fire
service management, the master's in fire service
administration and the online fire service
management certificate. For at least 40 years,
the Arizona fire service has been trying to get the
Fire Service Program in place in a Level 1 research
institution in Arizona. Until now, only community
colleges and some smaller state and private
colleges have tried to take on this objective. While
ASU's program is fairly new, its rich educational
opportunities are really important to the Arizona
fire service as a whole and the Arizona Fire
Service Institute in particular.

Police awaiting cause of death on student found
dead in frat house
Tucson Citizen 3/9/09
University of Arizona police are awaiting the results
of an autopsy on a 19-year-old man found dead in
his fraternity house Friday afternoon."The cause of
death is unknown" until results from the autopsy
done Saturday are released, Sgt. Luis Alvarez of
UAPD said Sunday.

Arizona State University economists back sales
tax increase, spending cuts to help balance
budget
Phoenix Business Journal 3/6/09
Arizona State University economists are backing a
plan by Gov. Jan Brewer to raise state sales taxes
temporarily and cut government spending to help
solve a $3 billion state budget deficit. Economists
from ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business said
Friday that the state should raise its 5.6 percent
sales tax by 1 cent temporarily, and cut $500
million from state spending. Brewer wants to hold
special elections asking voters for temporary tax
increases and to adjust state laws to allow the
Legislature to cut spending mandated by previous
votes. The ASU economists said in the long term,
the state should look at how it funds education,
imposing flat taxes in place of existing progressive
rates, deepening budget reserves, and linking
spending programs with more stable revenue
sources.

Foundation launches new survey on university
Havasu News 3/7/09 6:04 PM MST
The Havasu Foundation for Higher Education
has launched a new online market survey
designed to gauge interest in a comprehensive
four-year university in Lake Havasu City. The
foundation is currently "field testing" the survey
with students at Lake Havasu High School with
results expected as soon as next weekend, said
HFHE board member Bill Ullery. He called
preliminary results "very impressive." Ullery said
the foundation distributed flyers to "college bound"
students in upper-level English classes
encouraging them to log on to a secure Web
site to take the survey. Students are offered the
chance at a $1,000 scholarship as an incentive
for participating. ....The survey shows images of
the proposed university's sitemap and an
architect's renderings of the campus, and asks
respondents to rate the importance of issues such
as cost, area amenities, recreational opportunities
and the academic program. Survey takers are also
asked their opinions of potential university partners
Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University
and University of Arizona.

Regents to consider cutting AIMS awards this
week
Associated Press/azcentral.com 3/7/09 10:35 AM
TUCSON - Arizona high school students who hoped
good scores on a statewide standardized test would
get them tuition waivers at the state's three public
universities could soon be out of luck. The Arizona
Board of Regents will consider a proposal to cancel
the High Honors Endorsement Award starting in the
fall of 2010 at its meeting in Tempe this week. The
award gives tuition waivers to students who perform
well on Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards,
or AIMS. Arizona State University came up with the
idea, which is now embraced by the University of
Arizona and Northern Arizona University. The
universities say the change would free up financial
aid dollars and that students wouldn't suffer be-
cause they'd still be eligible for other aid sources.
The schools spent more than $27.5 million in
2008 on the scholarships to support roughly 5,500
students, according to figures provided to regents.
But Tom Horne, state superintendent of Public

13 Reasons Colleges Are in This Mess
The Chronicle of Higher Education
3/9/09
How greed, incompetence, and neglect led to bad
decisions. Higher education has been a victim of
the recession -- but not a defenseless victim. How
did so many colleges end up in such a fix? The
Chronicle came up with 13 causes, describing
how greed, incompetence, and neglect led to bad
decisions and financial trouble. The economy may
not have hit rock bottom, but the finger-pointing over
what went wrong is well under way. In some ways,
higher education has been a victim of the recession
— but not a defenseless victim. Smart moves
clearly helped some colleges and universities avoid
the worst of the downturn. But mistakes have left
many others in the lurch. The downward spiral has
brought layoffs, budget cuts, and anxiety to many
campuses. With the cuts have come protests and
recriminations. Scores of college presidents have
written open letters that describe dire finances and
make the case for an era of belt-tightening. But
missing in many of those messages are
explanations of how colleges landed in their
predicaments, and who is to blame.

Brothers, friends mourn dead Phi Psi
UA Daily Wildcat 3/9/09
A memorial gathering was held Sunday afternoon
at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1145 E.
Fort Lowell Rd., for students, friends and family
members to remember UA sophomore and Phi
Kappa Psi fraternity member, Andrew Segal.
Police found Segal dead in his fraternity house
Friday at 2 p.m. Segal underwent an autopsy
Saturday morning, but the case is still open,
said University of Arizona Police Department
public information officer Sergeant Juan Alvarez.
"At this point, it is an unknown death and still
under investigation," said Alvarez.

University College plans for cut-backs
UA Daily Wildcat 3/9/09
As University College joins the massive college
merger which will create the College of Letters,
Arts, and Sciences, many undecided students
may be looking for guidance from advisors in
other departments and possibly declaring a
major earlier. "One of the new mega-college
proposals is to have students in pre-
professional programs be advised by the
official department," said vice president for
instruction and dean of university college Dr.
Juan Garcia. For example, pre-nursing students
would seek advising from the School of Nursing
and pre-business students would go to the Eller
College of Management, he said. The University
College currently encompasses students who
are undecided majors; it is one of the colleges
to be included in the new College of Letters, Arts,
and Sciences, which also contains Social and
Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, Science and
Fine Arts.

Grandparents mentor UA students
UA Daily Wildcat 3/9/09
Many students participate in clubs, Greek life
and find friends to make the transition to college
easier, but for some students, what they may
need are "grandparent" mentors. Chicano/
Hispano Student Affairs sponsors the Abuelitos
and Abuelitas Reaching Out to Mentor y Apapachar
Students program, which brings in elderly Hispanic
men and women to spend time with UA students.
The program "is an opportunity for us to provide
kind of an extended family sense to students,"
said Socorro Carrizosa, director of Chicano/
Hispano Student Affairs. The program, which
meets the third Thursday of every month, brings
eight to 12 "grandparents" to speak with students
on a range of topics, Carrizosa said.

Chimes of Feedom
The Arizona Desert Lamp 3/6/09
Just got back from a chat with Stephen Bieda III,
President of the Graduate and Professional
Students Council (GPSC) and, far more
importantly, an early Desert Lamp commenter.
We talked about many things relating to the state
of the university, but mostly we talked about fees.
No burying the lede here: there are eleven pages
worth of fees that will proposed to the Arizona
Board of Regents next week. The entire list can
be viewed here [PDF]. Most of these come in the
form of differential tuition and course fees; and
while several of these than be questioned, we
really have no issues with differential tuition,
course fees, or any sort of ‘user fee’ on principle.
In fact, in many ways differential tuition is better,
as it helps to reveal the true cost of education
rather than obscuring it. If the resources
required to earn a major in information
technologies cost more than the resources
to earn a major in women’s studies, then that
should be reflected in the overall cost of
education. What we don’t like are increases
in mandatory, undifferentiated, student body
fees, and there are plenty of those.