TO CLIPS INDEX  Clips for March 21, 22, & 23, 2009

New student loans require payments sooner
Associated Press/Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Republic 3/23/09 9:45 AM
The running joke about student loans: Don't ever graduate,
since you don't have to start paying them back until you do.
Starting Monday, that will no longer be the case for students
borrowing from Sallie Mae, the nation's largest private
student lender. The company, formally known as SLM Corp.
is replacing its signature loan with a shorter-term version
that requires students to make interest payments while in
school. For many families, the move is expected to push
private loans out of reach in an already tight credit market.

Robert Robb: A devilish fix for ASU's captive
consumers
The Arizona Republic 3/23/09
I don't mind ASU jacking up the price of on-campus
housing. I do object to its requiring incoming fresh-
men to live there. That's abusing market power in
one area to compel a purchase in another, without
true substantial educational benefits. After all, ASU's
dorms aren't exactly oases of quiet learning and
wholesome living.

Viewpoint: Sanjeev Ramchandra: Arguments
for dividing the ASU empire
The Arizona Republic 3/22/09
Greater Phoenix's population of 4 million people
is too large for Arizona State University to maintain
its local monopoly on a public-university education.
Students who attend ASU West in northwest
Phoenix or ASU Polytechnic in east Mesa pay the
same tuition rate as students who attend the large
main campus in Tempe; yet these students do not
receive anywhere near the same level of degree
programs, services or amenities. Furthermore, the
satellite campuses continue to be neglected with
programs and services being disproportionately
cut while ASU's more urban campuses in Tempe
and downtown Phoenix prosper. The time has
come for the child (Polytechnic campus) and step-
child (West campus) of ASU to leave the nest and
become independent state universities. Arizona
has too few public universities and desperately
needs more public universities to satisfy the higher-
education demands of its growing population.

ASU Poly engineering students hopeful about job
 prospects
The Arizona Republic 3/21/09 8:00 AM
Many Arizona State University students graduating
this spring know they face as tough a job market
as has existed in decades, but manufacturing
engineering students at the Polytechnic campus
know their chances of getting hired are better than
most of their classmates. "Our graduates have
been in high demand for the past 30 years," said
Manufacturing Engineering Technology Professor
Russ Biekert.

Obama to address ASU grads, boost his profile
in state
The Arizona Republic 3/21/09
President Barack Obama is returning to the East
Valley for the second time in three months, under-
scoring Arizona's appeal as a potential 2012
swing state as he highlights his education
priorities. Obama will deliver the May 13
commencement address at Arizona State
University's graduation ceremony. The
appearance follows the Feb. 18 speech he
delivered about his housing-mortgage rescue
plan at Dobson High School in Mesa. University
officials invited Obama to speak to the 8,000
graduates at the commencement, traditionally
held at Wells Fargo Arena.

Long drives to ASU Poly worth it, staff and students
say
The Arizona Republic 3/20/09 7:34 AM
 The journey to a good education can be a long one -
in fact, for some staff and students at the Arizona
State University Polytechnic campus in southeast
Mesa, it can be 500 to 750 miles. That's how far some
of the 10,000 employees and students travel each
week in their commute to and from the campus: which
puts them way beyond the 16 miles each way that U.S.
Census data says is the average for Valley commuters.

ASU lecturers see contract length reduced
East Valley Tribune 3/21/09 3:02PM
Some of ASU’s best teachers see their job security
threatened, not by the rounds of layoffs past and
future, but by a technical administrative change.
Arizona State University is shortening the length of
contracts it awards to lecturers, a class of untenured
faculty members who specialize in educating rather
than researching. More experienced lectures,
labeled “senior,” have traditionally worked on three-
year deals. ASU would automatically renew those
contracts for three more years each time senior
lecturers passed their performance reviews.
University officials say that process no longer works.
But without stability, several lecturers contend they
might have to take their work elsewhere.

Obama to speak at ASU commencement
East Valley Tribune 3/20/09 8:11PM
President Barack Obama is scheduled to address
Arizona State University’s graduating class in what
would be his second visit to Arizona in his first five
months as chief executive. ASU’s spring
commencement ceremony is expected to celebrate
the graduation of roughly 8,000 students on the
evening of May 13, said Terri Shafer, a university
spokeswoman. ASU President Michael Crow
praised Obama for his political progress and
decision to speak to the university’s students.

Editorial Opinion: Delay, don't kill, cultural portions
of Rio Nuevo Government can play useful role
Arizona Daily Star 3/23/09
Tucson, Arizona - The success of Café Poca Cosa
and Maynards Market & Kitchen, whose owners
discuss what it takes to make a business work
Downtown, also demonstrate the possibilities
when government and businesses work together.
....Without question, Downtown redevelopment
funds have not always been spent wisely. How-
ever, Café Poca Cosa and Maynards Market &
Kitchen are examples of what can happen when
government and the private sector work together.
The fate of Tucson's beleaguered Rio Nuevo
Downtown redevelopment rests in the hands
of the state Legislature. The lawmakers are
rightly frustrated with the the city's slow progress
Downtown and how the tax-increment-financing
district, which receives a portion of state sales
taxes generated within its boundaries, has been
managed. Some are ready to yank the funding
and take it for the state's general fund.

Hard times are good times for Uncle Sam, who's
hiring
Arizona Daily Star 3/22/09
The recession has been a boon for Army recruiters,
who have seen better results in recent months than
they have in years. Roger Conant, 22, already has an
education, but it hasn't helped him find work. He's
about to graduate from the University of Arizona with
a degree in economics. After that, he'll leave for basic
military training."I put out so many resumes and didn't
receive any callbacks," Conant said of his decision to
enlist. "A lot of my fellow UA students are in the same
situation. They can't find jobs in their fields."

Obama to speak at ASU commencement in
May
The Associated Press/Arizona Daily Star
3/21/09
President Obama will deliver the commencement
address at Arizona State University in May. White
House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday
that Obama will speak at ASU on May 13. He will
also speak at two other commencements in May:
Notre Dame on May 17 and the U.S. Naval
Academy on May 22. Presidents typically deliver a
speech to graduating students at one of the three
service academies.  As a candidate, Obama spoke
to the graduates of Wesleyan University in
Connecticut last May, filling in for Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy, D-Mass. ASU officials said Obama will
speak at the 7 p.m. graduation of about 8,000
students. An exact location hasn't been announced.

Public can explore technologies at UA's
Innovation Day
Tucson Citizen 3/23/09
The University of Arizona's Innovation Day
on Tuesday will offer the public a look at
technologies developed by faculty, staff
and students. "The event is showcasing
leading-edge research being done at the
university," said Jessa Turner, media and
public relations coordinator for the UA
Office of Economic Development. ......
The event will feature an innovation show-
case that will highlight displays of new
businesses developed by students in the
UA McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship,
as well as startup companies from the
Arizona Center for Innovation, a business
incubator at the UA Science and
Technology
Park.

The A: List: Dr. Cleo Hardin
Tucson Citizen 3/23/09
Dr. Cleo Hardin, associate professor and section
chief of hospital medicine and outreach with the
University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics,
has earned the Fellow in Hospital Medicine
designation from the Society of Hospital Medicine.
Hardin, a member of University Physicians Health-
care, leads a team of pediatric hospitalists at
University Medical Center, providing medical care
for the hospitalized children there.

Our Opinion: As Rio Nuevo retrenches, time
to focus on essentials
Tucson Citizen 3/20/09 4:01 pm
With revenue to Rio Nuevo coffers dropping, the
city must turn its attention to projects that will
raise money. Battered by an unforgiving world
economic crisis the likes of which hasn't been
seen for eight decades, Rio Nuevo is going back
to its basics. Museums - seen as a way to attract
out-of-town visitors and celebrate Arizona's
centennial in three years - have been put on hold.
Instead, limited funds are being earmarked for
projects that will generate money - a decision
that makes sense but will be tough for some to
accept. Much of the funding for Rio Nuevo comes
from tax-increment financing. The city keeps a
share of increased sales tax revenue collected
downtown and along East Broadway - revenue
that usually would be sent to the state.

Coach hire on back burner as UA savors
moment
Tucson Citizen 3/23/09
MIAMI - Arizona heads to Indianapolis for the
Sweet 16 with a coaching staff in limbo and
a head coach still needing to be hired. It's a
problem Arizona athletic director Jim Liven-
good isn't ready to deal with right now. "This
is about (enjoying) this moment right now,''
Livengood said, just moments after UA beat
Cleveland State 71-57 at America Airlines
Arena on Sunday. "This is about right now
and getting this team home safely and
getting ready to go to Indy next week.'' He
added that he and UA president Robert
Shelton are the ones who know the
schedule. "(The hiring) is so foreign to
what we're doing right now,'' he said, of
enjoying the moment. "Anything I would
say or anyone would say takes away
from the moment and that shouldn't
happen.''

Obama to speak at ASU graduation
Phoenix Business Journal 3/20/09
President Barack Obama will address a graduating
class of more than 8,000, along with their families
and friends, at Arizona State University’s spring
commencement ceremonies May 13. “President
Obama’s stand and priority on education has been
applauded by thousands of educators throughout
the United States,” said Michael M. Crow, president
of Arizona State University. “The progressive leader-
ship he has already displayed and the values he
espouses are a great example for our students and
for the extended community that surrounds us," he
said in a statement.

Ariz. spring break spot booming in slow economy
Sierra Vista Herald 3/21/09 2:15:59 am MST
From March through mid-April, tens of thousands
of college students head to Lake Havasu in western
Arizona for spring break. Local officials say they're
benefiting this year from people like Conn who are
making last-minute decisions to travel close to home
and who are staying away from Mexico because of
increased drug violence there. Char Beltran,
president and chief executive of the Lake Havasu
City Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the
negative publicity about Mexico has led many
students to Lake Havasu, just miles from the
California border.

Crow: Plans still on track to develop ASU-run
state colleges
ASU Web Devil 3/23/09
Although budget problems forced several changes
on the University this year, President Michael Crow
says plans to develop four-year colleges across
the state remain on track. Crow introduced the
plans for ASU-run state colleges, called the
Colleges of ASU, at an Arizona Board of Regents
meeting in December, before the university system
took a $141.5 million budget cut. But the state-
college plan continues as an important part of
how ASU will look in the next 10 years, Crow told
The State Press editorial board on March 2. “We
need that because that’s a way for us to maybe
have a lower tuition model,” he said. “That’s a way
for us to maybe have a lower state-investment
model where the state could invest less per
student because it doesn’t cost as much.” The
colleges should cost less for students because
they will provide basic four-year bachelor’s
degrees without engaging in research.

Opinion: Change has come to ASU
ASU Web Devil 3/23/09
Dear President Obama, As a forthcoming spring
2009 graduate, I would like to say welcome back.
I’m honored to have you as the keynote speaker
at our commencement ceremony. A lot has
happened since you last visited our school early
in your presidential campaign. There’s been a
fire in the Memorial Union that axed my favorite
music shop, Hoodlums; the light rail has come
online; and many girls have strangely made a
trend of bedazzling. But the reason I’m writing
you is because I’m concerned about the
direction ASU might have to take given recent
events. Your mantra of “change” is a message
very familiar to us Sun Devils. Our president,
Michael Crow, has promised to transform ASU
into a “New American University.” Through bold
actions similar to your policy zeal, Crow is
leading us in a direction that would make ASU
a driving force in shaping our local and global
communities.

Editorial: what Obama's double snub of UA
means for us
UA Daily Wildcat 3/23/09
Talk about adding insult to injury. First Barack
Obama took time out from his presidential
duties to snub the UA men's basketball team.
"Arizona's a great state; I love playing golf there,
but they just squeaked in based on reputation,"
he told ESPN March 18. Then Arizona State
University announced Friday that Obama would
be delivering their commencement address in
May. The university even rescheduled the
graduation ceremony just so the president
could be there.

Another UA fraternity bites the dust
UA Daily Wildcat 3/23/09
The UA announced March 12th that the Kappa
Alpha Order's charter would be removed until
the fall of 2010. Kappa Alpha joined the growing
list of UA Greek organizations to lose their
recognition on March 12, according to Zachary
Nicolazzo, coordinator for UA fraternity and
sorority programs. "As of right now, Kappa Alpha
will have recognition removed until Fall of 2010,"
Nicolazzo said of the decision made by the
university. Earlier this semester, Kappa Sigma
and Sigma Phi Epsilon were removed from
campus.

Regents preserve AIMS
UA Daily Wildcat 3/23/09
TEMPE - During the second half of its March
13 meeting, the Arizona Board of Regents
voted against a proposal to halt the Arizona's
Instrument to Measure Standards test scholar-
ship, but approved a policy to release faculty
within 90 days' notice. The Regents High
Honors Endorsement Scholarship, or AIMS
scholarship, is awarded to in-state students
who meet certain academic criteria in high
school, and covers tuition set at the amount
of the student's first year. The scholarship
covers the same amount in tuition for the
student's remaining three years of college.
"The discussion of abolishing (the scholar-
ship)has to stop and has to stop now," said
Regents Vice President Ernest Calderón.

Alternative teacher certification programs
debated
azcentral.com 3/22/09
States should do more to support alternative
teacher-certification programs, in part by
making licensure requirements more flexible,
argues a report released this month by a
Washington think tank. The report, by the
Center for American Progress, highlights the
ongoing debate about teacher preparation
and the merits of fast-track routes into the
profession. This debate has come to the
Arizona Legislature, which could consider
new alternative certification routes. In the
following columns, an Arizona charter-
school administrator argues for loosening
the certification requirements in the state,
while the president of the Arizona Education
Association argues to more caution.

Dr. Eric Brody puts his heart into cardiovascular
care
Indian Country Today 3/21/09
TUCSON, Ariz. – When you love what you do
it shows. Dr. Eric A. Brody, director of clinical
services and associate director of the Native
American Cardiology Program at the University
Medical Center at the University of Arizona is
enthusiastic about the state of the art cardio-
vascular care he is able to offer patients. The
program is a collaborative effort between UMC,
IHS and the University of Arizona. UMC has
consistently been ranked one of the best
hospitals for cardiac care and cardiovascular
surgery by U.S. News and World Report. The
team at UMC offers its services to 43 IHS and
tribal clinics and hospitals in Arizona and the
Southwest, which serve between 500,000 and
550,000 people.