®he itatly Star Meet
Eastern Education
History students organize
conference on Middle East.
See Page 3
Former Employee
Appeals Lawsuit
To Superior Court
Bobbie Sanders filed an appeal to force
UNC to offer her a job she says she didn't
receive due to age and sex discrimination.
Bv Brook Corwin
Staff Writer
A former UNC employee has appealed a ruling by the
State Personnel Commission in a discrimination lawsuit she
filed against the University almost two years ago.
The appeal, in which former employee Bobbie Sanders
accuses UNC of discriminating against her based on her age
and sex, was filed April 3. The University has 30 days after the
filing date to respond to the appeal.
Sanders, who worked for the University as a computer con
sultant, originally filed the suit after not receiving a promotion
to a vacant position in June 2000.
One year later, administrative law judge Sammie Chess
ruled in favor of Sanders, recommending that she be placed
in the new position and receive back pay for time since she
did not receive the position. But last fall, that decision was
overturned by the SPC, which ruled that Chess had “com
mitted multiple, demonstrable errors, both legal and factual.”
A1 McSurely, Sanders’ lawyer in the suit, said that because
the case is now going before the Chatham County Superior
Court, he is confident the decision will be in his client’s favor.
“We have real judges now,” McSurely said. “It started out
before a real judge, an administrative law judge who ruled in
our favor. Then it went to the State Personnel Commission,
which is made up of political appointees.”
McSurely said the principal argument of the appeal is that
Chess was able to see witnesses testify firsthand, something
the SPC did not do when it overturned the original decision.
“The fundamental argument we are making is that the
administrative law judge watched the demeanor of the wit
nesses from the University, and the key question is whether
they were lying, not being honest about their feelings about
Ms. Sanders,” McSurely said. “Then you have somebody who
wasn’t there making decisions - it just isn’t fair.”
The appeal states that the SPC did not provide adequate
See SANDERS, Page 2
Budget Cuts Likely
To Affect Library
System's Operation
The loss of funds could cause a reduction
in libraries' hours of operation but would
not affect the reopening of the Undergrad.
By Erin Ganley
Staff Writer
Potential budget cuts to the the UNC system could force
UNC-Chapel Hill libraries to cut services and jobs as part of
the University’s effort to scale back costs.
According to a plan based on 4 percent budget cuts sub
mitted to UNC-system officials earlier this week, the library
system stands to lose funding in the next fiscal year, along with
faculty and staff positions and summer instruction.
Depending on the severity of the budget cuts, the library
system might have to cancel journal subscriptions, buy fewer
books and shorten operating hours, Joe Hewitt, director of
academic affairs libraries, said Thursday.
Gov. Mike Easley has stressed the importance of protect
ing instruction despite likely cuts to education, but Hewitt said
the library system plays an important role in the University’s
academic program.
“Libraries are an inherent part of instruction; you can’t
have instruction or research without strong libraries,” he said.
“Libraries are considered part of the instructional budget.”
The first cuts would be in the library’s operational budget,
Hewitt said. This would mean, for example, that no new com
puters or equipment would be purchased for the information
commons on Davis Library’s first floor. “We would cut hours
in Davis and the Undergraduate Library last,” Hewitt said.
But it is likely that some night and weekend hours in the
nine departmental libraries would be cut back, he said.
Diane Strauss, assistant University librarian for public ser
vices, said the fall opening of the newly renovated
Undergraduate Library will not be affected by budget problems.
But Strauss said the cuts could affect new programs that
had been planned for the library.
The new Undergrad will not be able to offer instruction on
information resources and video-editing technology, officials
said. “We will have the equipment, but we won’t have the
expert technicians to give instruction,” Hewitt said.
Both student and faculty research also could be hindered
See LIBRARIES, Page 2
IB
UNC Schools Rise, Drop in U.S. Rankings
By Christen Broecker
Staff Writer
The U.S. News & World Report’s lat
est graduate school rankings have
brought mixed results for UNC’s pro
fessional programs.
In the 2003 report, the UNC School of
Law fell from 23rd to 31st while Kenan-
Flagler Business School’s ranking rose
from 18th to 17th in the nation. The
School of Education fell from 18th to 24th
in the nation, and the School of Medicine
rose from 24th to 22nd in research and
remained 6th for primary care.
UNC School of Law Dean Gene
Nichol expressed in a statement his dis
appointment in the rankings but pointed
out the school’s consistently high peer
approval. “The survey indicates that the
Tuition Protest Small, Enthusiastic in Raleigh
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Erin Byrd and her son, Hasusson, 2, protest tuition increases on the steps of the Legislative
Building. Byrd fears future hikes will affect whether she is able to send her son to college.
Daum Taps Cabinet,
Forms 2 Committees
By Lizzie Breyer
University Editor
Student Body President Jen Daum
named her Cabinet members Sunday,
bringing together the final elements of
next year’s stu
dent leadership.
Daum named
chairmen and
vice chairmen for
nine committees,
a communications director and several
executive assistants after an extensive
selection process.
Along with Student Body Vice
President Aaron Hiller, Secretary
Rebecca Williford, Treasurer Michael
Vollmer and Chief of Staff Rebekah
Burford, Daum interviewed more than
50 applicants for the 29 positions.
I agree with no man's opinion. I have some of my own.
Ivan Turgenev
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
Feeding the Hungry
Newly opened Panera Bread gives
leftover goods to charitable causes.
* See Page 3
nation’s lawyers, judges, deans and pro
fessors continue to regard the UNC
School of Law as one of the top 20 in the
country,” he wrote. “Almost all people
who know about Carolina’s law school
believe we are making real progress.”
UNC Provost Robert Shelton said
one- of the primary causes that played
into the law school’s decline in rank is
the decade-long trend of budget cuts
that the school has experienced.
“One of the concerns we have overall
is that year after year we take budget cuts,
and our dollars per student will decline,”
he said. “But I think in areas where we
have direct (budgetary) control, the num
bers are going in the right direction.”
Shelton said he thinks that, in gener-
See RANKINGS, Page 2
Williford said that the field was com
petitive and that all the applicants were
well-qualified. “It was very tough to
decide,” she said. “There were so many
good people applying.”
This year, Daum established two
new committees: women’s affairs and
environmental issues.
Junior Kim Benton, co-chairwoman
of the Women’s Affairs Committee, said
she wants to focus the new group on
awareness and prevention of sexual vio
lence, a cause to which she said she is
extremely committed. “I want to teach
women on campus where they can go,
what rape is - there needs to be a lot of
education done on campus, and not just
for women,” Benton said.
The position of communications direc-
See CABINET, Page 2
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Check out a full list
of the newly named
Cabinet officers and
their positions online.
Take That!
Women's lacrosse upsets
top-ranked Hoyas, 11-10.
See Page 10
Volume 110, Issue 25
k
College Rankings Comparison
Both the UNC School of Law and School of Education dropped, eight spots and six spots respectively, in the 2003
U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings. Other UNC program rankings generally remained steady from 2002.
law Medicine - Primary Care Business
1. Yale University 1. University of Washington 1. Stanford University
2. Stanford University 2. Oregon Health and Science University 2. Harvard University
3. Harvard University 3. University of California at San Francisco 3. University of Pennsylvania
31. UNC-Chapel Hill 6. UNC-Chapel Hill 17. UNC-Chapel Hill
Education Medicine - Research Other Ranking UNC Programs
1. Stanford University 1. Harvard University Biological Sciences (27th) English (18th)
2. Harvard University 2. Johns Hopkins University History (13th) Political Science (15th)
(tie) University of California at Los Angeles 3. Washington University in St. Louis Psychology (17th) Sociology (sth)
24. UNC-Chapel Hill 22. UNC-Chapel Hill Chemistry (14th) Computer Science (17th)
SOURCE US NEWS&WORLD REPORT DTH/ BRIAN WASSON
By Rachel Leonard
Staff Writer
RALEIGH - College students and
supporters called for a halt to tuition
hikes and demanded campaign finance
reform at a rally held Friday afternoon
in front of the Legislative Building in
Raleigh.
Organizers had estimated a larger
crowd than the 25 who attended, but
those at the rally were joined at times by
teenagers visiting the state capital with
school groups.
Although the N.C. General Assembly
does not officially convene until late
May, some members of the appropria
tions committees began to work on next
year’s budget two weeks ago.
Holding signs reading, “Don’t bal
ance the budget on my back!” and,
“Democracy for Sale,” students and
passers-by listened to speakers protest
ing what they see as a link between ris
ing tuition at state universities and the
need for campaign finance reform.
One toddler wore a sign reading,
“Help! At this rate I will never be able to
pay for college!”
The rally was organized by Dennis
Markatos, a former UNC-Chapel Hill stu
dent and youth coordinator for the N.C.
Common Cause Education Fund, in
response to the recent UNC-system Board
of Governors vote to increase tuition.
The BOG voted March 6 in favor of
a systemwide 8 percent tuition increase
for in-state students and a 12 percent
increase for out-of-state students.
The board also voted to increase
tuition at UNC-CH by S3OO, thus rais
ing tuition by $486 for in-state students
and $1,778 for out-of-state students.
Because all tuition increases must be
approved by the General Assembly, stu
dents and speakers centered their
protest on the legislature.
Andrew Payne, UNC-system
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Members of CHispA's jQue Rico! turn on the heat Saturday night in the Great Hall
during CHispA's 11th annual Noche Latina. The program featured
dancing, music and skits celebrating Hispanic culture.
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Tuesday: Mostly Cloudy; H 76, L 50
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Association of Student Governments
president, accused state legislators of
ignoring their constitutional mandate to
fund higher education.
“We’re sick and tired of these games
that they play,” he said. “You’re either
with us or you’re against us. If you’re
against us, you better get out of the way
because come November you’re not
going to be put back in office."
Holding a poster reading, “Honk for
Campaign Finance Reform,” UNC
alumna Kristine Soriano waved to a
man driving a blue plumber’s truck as
he tooted the horn.
“We need to get our priorities
straight,” she said. “Big money is so
accessible to corporations, but educa
tion has to scrape the bottom of the
bucket just to get enough money.”
Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, spoke
in favor of campaign finance reform,
telling students that the writers of the
Bill of Rights guaranteed free speech
regardless of wealth.
“I don’t think they thought some
body should have $25 of free speech
while someone else had $25,000 of free
speech,” she said.
Chris Fitzsimon, executive director of
the Common Sense Foundation, said
the message to the legislature is simple.
“Don’t make students pay for tax
breaks. Don’t make families pay for
loopholes,” he said. “Don’t put a college
education out of the reach of North
Carolina families.”
Markatos said the rally was successful
despite the low turnout because it helped
get the participants’ message across.
“We want to face this problem right
now,” he said. “It’s all a matter of
money - are we going to get money
from students, or are we going to get
money from responsible taxation?”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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