Add/drop week changes punish over burdened students
The administration is considering moving late registration dates back and making the add/drop week end before classes even start. Under the new schedule, students who register late would not be able to change their schedule after the semester starts in order to get the classes they need. Also, students who register on time and then arrive at the class only to find that it is not the right fit for them, will not be able to replace that class with one that works better. It’s hard to see any way that this policy would actually promote student success.
New bus passes are great for students, but not the environment
The new Green Passes will be available for students to pick up on Jan. 5. These new passes will allow students to ride Capitol Metro busses for free. This is an exciting new resource for students who use Capitol Metro for transportation. The passes are great, but that doesn’t make them green.
Super conservative power players come out for Perry, students need alternative candidates
Endorsements are starting to roll in, at least on the Republican side, as the primaries for the Texas gubernatorial race draws nearer. These endorsements help paint a picture of the candidates, and what they stand for. Despite the fanfare surrounding former Vice President Dick Cheney’s support of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, it is Governor Rick Perry who is seeking an unprecedented third elected term. It is more important to know which of the conservative power-players are throwing their support behind the tea party attending, succession threatening, tuition raising incumbent.
New policy forces unfortunate cuts in Student Life
The administration has decided to expand The Orientation Program (TOP), and to make orientation mandatory for all students before they take their first class at ACC beginning fall, 2010. Student Life (SL) will have to cut the Diversity, Leadership, Intramural Sports and Recreation clusters to compensate. These changes have the potential to make SL more difficult to become involved with and less consistent from campus to campus.
Every state needs more funding for unemployment
The United States Senate is struggling to pass a bill to extend unemployment insurance. On Oct. 13, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked for clearance to pass this bill, but it was shot down by GOP senators who have issues with how the extension would be funded and with the fact that the bill did not equally include all states. It is important that these issues be resolved and this passes quickly to help the Americans who are running out of unemployment insurance.
Bigger loans with no middle man
The United States Congress passed a bill with a 253 to 171 vote that will eliminate the wasteful Federal Family Education Program (FFELP) and use the savings to increase funding for the Pell Grant Program, fund direct loans from the government to students, and help better fund higher education programs.
Politician needs a lesson in manners
Rep. Joe Wilson (R) S. C. behaved with the decorum of a child when he screamed “you lie” at the president while the president addressed Congress about health care.
Our View
In a proposed amendment in HB 3518, community college students would no longer be subject to the six course drop limit. The ACC Board of Trustees came out in support of this and other legislation that helps college students. It was never reasonable to expect community college students to stay within this limit.
Our View (April 20) Proposed gun legislation is irresponsible, unsafe
A Bill written by Rep. Joe Driver that would allow concealed handguns on college campuses just passed out of the House Committee on Public Safety with a vote of five to three on April 15. This is a dangerous plan that will lead to a disrupted and unsafe learning environment.
Our View (April 6) Designated smoking areas a better solution than full collegewide ban on smoking
The newest punishment for Austin smokers is geared toward ACC students. The Administrative Service Council (ASC) is scheduled to vote on whether or not to completely ban smoking on ACC campuses. If they vote yes, it would be a complete overreaction to a minor issue that could easily be fixed with less extreme measures.
Our View
Another bill proposing tax free textbooks has been filed. This time for the 2009 session. This is a great start in helping college students weather a worsening economy and raising tuition cost. However, given the drastic changes in the Texas Legislature, most notably a more moderate Joe Strauss as speaker, and the control and popularity Democrats are enjoying in Washington, it seems a little anticlimactic.
Our View
In what amounts to one of the most hypocritical and backwards proposals ever, Gov. Perry in his eighth State of the State Address (Note: now would be a good time to enforce term limits) proposed a four year tuition freeze. Fight the urge to applaud. If it weren't for Perry, tuition wouldn't be so absolutely out of control to begin with.
Our View
In a disappointing end to months of debate, it is decided that the Daily Texan's on-site printing press is officially going up for sale. The decision came after the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees voted that now was the best time to start the process of trying to find a buyer.
Our View
Texas' State Board of Education is considering lowering its educational standards by enacting a plan that would allow athletics such as football, basketball, or baseball to count as the two and a half minimum elective credits required to graduate from any accredited state high school.
Our View
Texas drivers are now required to be more "responsible." Sept. 1, 2003 Texans became subject to the Driver Responsibility Law (HB 3588), which established "a system which assigns points to moving violations classified as Class C misdemeanors and applies surcharges to offenders, based upon the type of offense and the time period in which the citation was received," according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Our View
In the upcoming legislative session, Texas Republicans are fired-up to push for tougher laws on voter identification, charged by the Supreme Court's April ruling that Indiana laws stating that voters must present a valid, government-issued photo ID at the voting booth was constitutional.
Our View
Election Day is getting closer, and voters have a lot to think about such as tax increases proposed by both sides, a crashing economy, and apparently for some, finding a candidate that hunts moose and keeps an eye on Russia, like the average American.
Our View
Both Washington Mutual (WaMu) and Wachovia have been building new banks in the Austin area over the past year or so. Thus, it seemed that those companies have been doing well. However, those who bank with WaMu and who were watching the morning news over the past two weeks were in for a great shock when they heard that their bank was going under and was being taken over by Chase.
Our View
In 2003, the Texas legislature deregulated tuition cost. Since then the cost has increased over 58 percent. This is a testament to the complete failure tuition deregulation turned out to be. It's time Texas re-regulates the cost of public university tuition.
Our View
Adams, Quincy Adams, Tyler and Kennedy. If you subscribe to the theory that a first name makes a candidate presidential, then John Edwards is your man. We looked hard, but we couldn't find any former presidents named Hillary, Barack, or Rudy; even though we did find some guys named Rutherford, Millard and Ulysses.
Our View
If Round Rock voters decide next year whether to allow the bulk of their city to be annexed into the Austin Community College taxing district, new campus construction near the site of the Round Rock Higher Education Center is expected to be a high priority.
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