After receiving phone calls from angry parents, prof tells class he didn't mean to offend

An anthropology professor addressed his class about statement he made Nov. 9, after a few students' parents called and complained about a reference to evolution he made in a lecture.

Professor J. Jefferson Reid shared a paragraph of a column from The New York Times that ran in the Arizona Daily Star Nov. 7, which discussed the belief in evolution and the belief in the virgin birth in his Anthropology 205: "Clovis to Coronado" gen ed class, he said. [Read article]

Hay truck overturns in front of UMC, delaying traffic for hours

A two-trailer hay truck tipped over yesterday stopping traffic in front of University Medical Center for two hours and spilling hay onto North Campbell Avenue.

The driver was trying to make a U-turn when the back of the front trailer hit the front of the back trailer, throwing the front trailer onto its side and causing bales of hay to fall onto the street, said Sgt. Marco Borboa, Tucson Police Department spokesman. [Read article]

The decline in state funding has created an atmosphere at the UA where some faculty doubt whether the administration can support their needs.

Provost George Davis blames the loss of talented faculty at the UA, known as "brain drain," to repeated cuts in funding by the state Legislature.

"No matter how well the UA functions, there is a record and a reality of repeated recisions of funding at the state level," Davis said. "Legislators have other priorities they need to throw dollars at." [Read article]

UA Campus Health is raising funds in hopes of continuing their ongoing alcohol prevention program after a grant runs out this summer.

Since 1995, Campus Health has received Department of Education grant funding to support social norming programs at the UA. Their current two-year, $280,000 grant finances "Changing the Environment and Culture of Fraternity and Sorority High Risk Drinking at the University of Arizona," a program that surveys greek students and provides them feedback on their drinking habits, said Lynn Reyes, alcohol and other drug prevention specialist at Campus Health Services. [Read article]

Students who have grade disputes with their professors can file a grade appeal, but professors on grade appeal committees say the chances of getting a higher grade are slim.

Each college has its own grade appeal committee, and Shelly McGrath, academic advising coordinator for the College of Science who oversees all grade appeals at the UA, said only one case from the College of Science made it to a grade appeal committee last year, and the grade change was denied. [Read article]

Proposed changes to the Code of Academic Integrity could be made within the next couple of months that would change the way students appeal instructors' disciplinary decisions for infractions such as cheating or plagiarism.

Alexis Hernandez, associate dean of students, proposed changes in the appeal process for students that would allow the deans of colleges to be make authoritative decisions if an instructor's decision should be overturned. [Read article]