In an e-mail to the University community on Wednesday morning, Chancellor Wrighton announced that the value of the University’s endowment has declined approximately 25 percent since July and proposed several cost cutting measures.
“With the decline in the value of our endowment, coupled with leveling of research support, constraint on the rate of tuition growth, uncertain prospects for philanthropic support, pressures on healthcare costs, and the prospect of increased needs for financial aid, we must take some actions to assure that our University remains strong into the future, Wrighton wrote.
With the number of national college applications at an all-time high, schools across the country-including Washington University-are using waiting lists more than ever to prevent incoming classes from growing too large. Though administrators planned to use the wait list for that purpose, its role was compounded by the fact that the most selective colleges and universities also admitted significant numbers of students from their waiting lists.
About halfway through my freshman year, I was covering a Student Union meeting for Student Life. By the time the meeting ended around 12:30 a.m., I was worn out from a long day of classes and not particularly looking forward to starting my homework for the night.
More than 30 students representing Washington University’s graduate and undergraduate schools met today to begin planning a protest of the University’s decision to award Phyllis Schlafly an honorary degree. Many of those in attendance were members of the Class of 2008, but several professors, community members and underclassmen took part in the discussion as well.
As students and faculty flock to a group calling on the University to reverse its decision to offer prominent conservative Phyllis Schlafly an honorary degree, Schlafly is standing by controversial statements she has made in the past that have made her famous within the conservative community and infamous among liberals.
The University’s announcement that alumna and leader of the national conservative movement Phyllis Schlafly will receive an honorary degree has spurred students to protest and led several professors to announce their intention to boycott commencement exercises. Student Life spoke with Schlafly earlier this week about reasons for protest, her ideological issues with feminists and her political history.
Ralph S. Quatrano, current chair of the Department of Biology, has been named interim dean of the faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences effective July 1, 2008, according to an e-mail sent by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton earlier today.
Quatrano will take the position currently held by Dean Edward Macias; Macias is vacating his deanship to become the University’s Provost.
Before he spoke to the College Democrats, political commentator and consultant Paul Begala spoke with Student Life about the climate of political debate, his debate with Jon Stewart and the importance of Iraq.
Despite national trends to the contrary, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois remains popular among the Washington University undergraduate body and would win the majority of student support if the election were held today, according to a poll conducted by Student Life.
Substantially exceeding its fundraising total from last year, the male pageant contest Mr. Wash. U. raised $30,000 for the charity City Faces. Senior Kris Kelley won the pageant and sophomore Iboro Umana placed second.
The event took place on Thursday, March 20 in Edison Theatre.
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