Campus News

Whether you’re pre-med or pre-law, an aspiring corporate employee or an independently-minded entrepreneur, success in today’s job market all boils down to one factor: writing skills. Beginning in the fall of 2009, the University Writing Program will offer a 20-unit Expository Writing minor designed for students in every field of study who want to boost their writing skills and be better prepared for life in the professional world.

Reply-All A senior was referred to SJA for unauthorized collaboration.Intending to send her completed homework to a friend who was having trouble in the class,the student accidentally forwarded the homework to the entire class and professor.The student admitted dishonesty and accepted a censure and a writing assignment on unauthorized collaboration.

Once considered one of the top libraries in the UC system, Peter J. Shields Library has plummeted in ranking, funding and capability in recent years. Previously ranked as high in the American Research Library’s rankings as 24th in 1986, Davis sat at 60th at the end of 2008.

With Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration less than a week away,and an economic collapse seemingly even closer,students are nervous to hear what challenges Obama must face and hopefully defeat.On Tuesday,over100students and community members filled the Activities and Recreation Center ballroom to attend “Challenges for the President,” where a panel of UC Davis professors discussed the social,economic,legaland foreign policy issues facing the future administration.

The wheels on the Unitrans buses may go round and round,but a different set of wheelsoncampus has slowed down lately.Adam Shapiro,a third-year clinical nutrition major,is in a wheelchair,and when he wants to get to class in Everson Hall,the uneven pathways are sometimes so rugged that he worries that his chair might tip over.

As of spring2010,UC Davisstudentswill no longer turn to the CowellStudentHealthCenter for their medical needs.Instead,theywill be able togoto the Health and Wellness Center that iscurrentlyunder construction on the west side of La Rue Road,just opposite from theActivities and Recreation Center and adjacent to The Colleges at La Rue.

In fall2009,new students will enter UC Irvine’s School of Law for the first time – all with free three-year tuition. Set to open in August,the school will let in roughly60students and has plans to accept up to200students in years to come,said Rex Bossert,communications and public affairs director for UCI’s School of Law. VictoriaOrtiz,dean of students and director of admissions for UCI School of Law,said that she expects roughly over1,000prospective students to apply by the Mar.1deadline.

For many students,getting to and from campus meansbeing uncomfortably close to strangers.Unitrans officials say they have not recorded a significant increase in ridership over the past couple of years,but many students are complaining that the buses are packed.

When they’re not in the classroom, UC Davis professors engage in cutting-edge research that expands scientific knowledge in their field of study. Some of the discoveries are small, but many have a far-reaching impact, attracting attention from national scientific organizations. Six professors at UC Davis have been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for achievements like furthering the understanding of weight management and generating images of atomic molecules.

With President-elect Obama’s inauguration just a week away, a panel of UC Davis professors will gather tonight to discuss the various challenges facing the new president. The event will consist of individual presentations by four different professors who will discuss the economic, constitutional, social and foreign policy issues that Obama will confront when he takes office on January 20. Following the presentations, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists.

In protest of what they claim to be steadily decreasing levels of staffing at University of California Medical Centers and Student Health Centers,UC registered nurses at five medical centers have voted to authorize bargainers to call a strike if necessary. This decision is in the midst of extended contract negotiations,which began in July2008in concern of staffing,wages and benefits.

A former UC Davis nutrition department employee was sentenced to 12months in prison for stealing$160,000of federal program funds for personal use over the course of six years.