Untitled Document

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Good morning! Here's today's summary of news coverage of Auburn University.
NOTE: Any errors in text are due to formatting by the publication.

Total Clips: 6

	Date	Outlet
Path paver	09/13/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
State universities respond to inquiry, Give partial answers on federal funding	09/13/2006	Birmingham News
Hoover, Spain Park students score above average on ACT	09/13/2006	Birmingham News
Arbitrator's judgement brings funds for park recovery	09/13/2006	Press-Register
UA enrollment tops AU in early tally	09/13/2006	Birmingham News
Vote For The College Football Mascot Of The Year	09/13/2006	WTVQ-TV, Lexington, Ky.


Path paver 09/13/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
Story is about AU Sesquicentennial Lecture with Harold Franklin and Martin Olliff. Long before Vincent Harris heard Harold Franklin was coming to speak at Auburn University, he wanted to learn the history of the man who broke the color barrier at AU. 'As a black man, I wanted to know who laid the foundation for me,' said Harris Tuesday after hearing Franklin address a capacity crowd in the Special Collections Room of AUs Ralph B. Draughon Library. Franklin, the first African-American admitted to Auburn, and author Martin Olliff spoke as part of the universitys 'Auburn Through the Years' lecture series, a celebration of the sesquicentennial year. Although the small room was standing room only, Harris was disappointed more students didn't take advantage of the opportunity to hear from such an important man in Auburns history. He was pleased none the less to meet him. Harris, the former president of the Black Student Union, attended with three other members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the same frat Franklin once belonged. Despite the violent moments of the 1960s, Olliff, who directs the Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture at Troy University in Dothan and has researched and written about this period in Auburns history, said Franklins first day at Auburn was uneventful. Although security forces were present, there were no violent acts or riots. Newspapers reported the day went on with 'dignity and decorum.' It was no different than any other school day. Franklin had finished his bachelors degree from Alabama State College in 1962. He wasnt really looking at Auburn to continue his education but with a wife and newborn baby in Montgomery, he wanted to stay close. 'I really didn't want to come to Auburn,' he said. 'We called it the cow college.' He aspired to be a lawyer, the next Thurgood Marshall, he said. Auburn had yet to admit a black student. Franklin felt a responsibility to be the one to do it. Franklin had to fight to be admitted, suing the university twice. He won and made history on Jan. 4, 1964, when he entered the library to register for classes. He remembers his time at Auburn as uneventful. 'Classes werent that bad,' he said. Franklin, who became a longtime educator, always encouraged his students to think for themselves, vote and help in the community. 'I tried to get them to help others,' he said. 'Thats what life is all about.' Harris gives Franklin a lot of credit for doing what he did. The decision to come to Auburn may have been best for his family and himself but it was also good for Auburn. 'Its so encouraging to have someone like him to come to Auburn,' he said. Timeline 1881 Booker T. Washington founds the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, what is now called Tuskegee University. 1961 Georgia Tech University admitted three black students. University of Georgia admits two. 1962 When James Meredith became the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, he entered with an escort of U.S. Marshals. 1963 Despite Gov. George Wallace physically blocking their way, Vivian Malone and James Hood register for classes at the University of Alabama. 1964 Harold A. Franklin becomes the first African-American student to enroll at Auburn University.
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State universities respond to inquiry, Give partial answers on federal funding 09/13/2006 Birmingham News Mary Orndorff, Washington correspondent		Return to Top
WASHINGTON - Four Alabama universities responded partially to a congressional inquiry about the special federal funding they have received in recent years, according to U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who made public the colleges' responses Tuesday. Coburn, a critic of Congress' increased appetite for directing federal dollars to specific local projects without competition or debate, is investigating the money sent to 113 colleges nationwide since 2000. A month ago he asked them to explain how they sought the funding, how it was spent and its value to the public. "In a time of war and mounting fiscal challenges, taxpayers have a right to know how their money is spent," Coburn said in a Tuesday statement. Of the 113 colleges he asked, 60 gave partial or complete answers, 10 said they are working on responses and the others did not respond. There had been open skepticism about Coburn's motivations and some colleges were reluctant to participate. Coburn said disregarding his request was an affront to Congress, taxpayers and students. "It is indefensible for institutions of higher learning to demand more and more money from the public through tuition and tax dollars while keeping the public in the dark about how they spend public funds," Coburn said. Alabama consistently has ranked high in earmarked funding for higher education. But the four universities gave only partial answers. The fifth, Auburn University, has a response completed and on the president's desk waiting for his final approval, a spokesman said. The University of South Alabama highlighted only one of its projects, the Mitchell Cancer Institute, which received $32.9 million in federal funding over the past 5 years. Because of the short deadline, University of Alabama System Chancellor Malcolm Portera asked Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville campuses to provide details on three of their projects, which is a fraction of what they've received in the last six years. UAB, for example, focused on the Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Complex, named for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who has directed $50 million in federal tax money to its construction so far, and more is pending. Portera told Coburn that it would be "a disservice to our fellow citizens not to aggressively pursue federal, state and private funding support."
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Hoover, Spain Park students score above average on ACT 09/13/2006 Birmingham News Erin Stock		Return to Top
Mentions average ACT score for 2006 AU freshmen class. Both the Hoover High School and Spain Park High School classes of 2006 scored better than the state and national averages on the ACT - the most popular college entrance exam in Alabama - according to recently released test data. On the SAT, another college entrance exam that only about 3,900 Alabama seniors took last year, test-takers from the two Hoover schools averaged a score closer to the state's average. Hoover and Spain Park students in the Class of 2006 scored an average of 22.6 and 22.8 on the ACT, respectively, while the average student in Alabama earned a 20.2 out of 36 possible points. On the SAT, seniors at Hoover High last year gained a composite score of 1,704 out of a possible 2,400, and Spain Park students averaged a 1,682 score. The state average fell between those two figures at 1,691. The ACT is meant to measure college readiness, said Ron Dodson, director of secondary curriculum for Hoover, and schools use it to evaluate applicants. The average ACT score for the 2006 Auburn University freshmen class was 24.8, according to the university's admissions office. Dodson said he would like to see the Hoover school system's average in the 23-24 range. One of the best ways to do that is by encouraging students to take preparatory ACT and SAT exams as sophomores, he said. "The long-term game plan is to get the kids thinking about college earlier and give them some individual feedback on how they're doing," he said. About three years ago, the schools started paying for and administering those tests -PLAN and PSAT - during school. Encouraging students: Doing so has encouraged more students to take the exams, Dodson said. And even though more are taking the ACT, the scores have not dropped but remained steady. This year's Spain Park seniors reflect the initiative to get students thinking about college earlier, said Christy Hudgens, a college specialist for the school. "Up until last year, and this year really, we were just trying to teach our kids, `You have to take this test; this is when you have to take it,'" Hudgens said. But now, Hudgens said most of the seniors in classes she has visited this year report they have taken the SAT or ACT at least once, and many of them have narrowed down their choice of schools before meeting with her. Statewide, about 32,900 students who graduated last year took the ACT. That included about 400 students from Hoover High and about 240 from Spain Park High. Many years ago, Ivy League and East Coast schools preferred the SAT because it was the test they had been using for years, said ACT spokesman Ed Colby. That is no longer the case, but that perception still persists, he said. "Both tests are accepted by virtually all colleges across the country," Colby said. The ACT is a curriculum-based test that measures what students have learned in school, Colby said. It is more popular in the Southeast, Midwest and Rocky Mountain West. The SAT is seen as an evaluation of reasoning skills, Dodson said. But less than half as many Hoover High students took the SAT, and even fewer Spain Park students did. The smaller pool of test-takers - and the greater likelihood the students are at the top of their classes - explains why Hoover students do not always outscore the state average, Dodson said. He said he is not concerned about the scores, but they are always working to raise them. "The real point is: Are the kids getting into the colleges they want to, and are the colleges seeking them?" Dodson said. "That's still very much the case at both high schools."
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Arbitrator's judgement brings funds for park recovery 09/13/2006 Press-Register Bill Barrow, Capital Bureau		Return to Top
Story on Gulf State Park with mention of AU. MONTGOMERY -- Officials with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are scheduled to meet today with a contractor to plan the demolition of Hurricane Ivan-damaged structures at Gulf State Park. The razing of damaged structures should begin soon after, Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley said Tuesday, though he declined to offer a specific time frame. The recovery will be aided by about $10 million in insurance payments and federal aid, a total that includes more than $900,000 guaranteed by an arbitrator's judgment in the Conservation Department's dispute with its insurers, including the state insurance fund. Lawley's department runs Alabama's state parks. The state insurance fund is administered by the Risk Management Division of the Alabama Department of Finance. Arbitrator Jim Ridling's judgment also would require hundreds of thousands of dollars for additional claims to replace specific structures, including the fishing pier -- provided those structures are rebuilt within certain guidelines. Ridling, a retired Montgomery insurance executive, was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley to handle the case. The total available insurance payments are about $30 million less than the Conservation Department's damage estimates. Nonetheless, Lawley said Tuesday that the $10 million is still money that would not be available for park improvements without Ivan. Meanwhile, the anchor of the park's redevelopment plan -- a new resort and conference center that is a joint project with Auburn University -- is on hold, pending the outcome of an October trial in a lawsuit filed by a private developer seeking to halt the deal. Lawley described the park Tuesday as looking "about like it did the day after" Ivan came ashore during the early morning hours of Sept. 16, 2004. The insurance dispute and multiple lawsuits have stymied any significant rebuilding effort. Still, Lawley expressed optimism about the park's future. "It's a grand old complex," he said, "and it's still going to be used for the people of Alabama." The department's damage estimate after Ivan was more than $41 million. That figure was not based on actual cash value. Rather, it considered the cost of replacing the existing facilities to meet new, more stringent construction codes. The insurance dispute also involved private reinsurance companies that do business with the state. Such companies offer coverage to protect insurers and government financial agencies against potential losses. The state insurance fund, with the affiliated reinsurance companies, provided the park's primary coverage, but the policy did not cover flood damage. The park had separate coverage from the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program. Still, state insurance fund managers have in the past extended flood coverage to the park without charging a premium. Ridling's order noted that the fund extended some flood coverage to the park on Sept. 14, 2004, as Ivan approached. After the storm, the park received $3.7 million from its primary insurers, plus about $4 million from its National Flood Insurance Coverage. Lawley said the park is also eligible from some other federal money for reconstruction. Lawley said park officials are set on rebuilding the pool, one of the park stores and the fishing pier. He said they aren't yet sure whether they will build the pier east of its original location, as they have said since Ivan. Ridling allowed for $654,441 to rebuild the pier. To qualify for recovery money under the order, Ridling is requiring the construction be under way by at least Aug. 17, 2007, for some structures and Feb. 17, 2008, for others, including the pier. The other big-ticket items -- the convention center ($272,688 allotted for reconstruction; $250,735 for contents) and the hotel and service buildings ($494,172 for reconstruction; $ 58,914 for contents) -- will not be rebuilt in a way that will qualify them for the additional payments. Lawley did say that the concrete and other materials from the demolition of those buildings will be used in fashioning reefs within the park borders. That reef program, Lawley said, qualifies for additional federal money under a grant program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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UA enrollment tops AU in early tally 09/13/2006 Birmingham News Thomas Spencer		Return to Top
TUSCALOOSA - The University of Alabama will have more students on campus than Auburn University for the first time since 1949 if an early count for the fall holds steady. Auburn, which started classes a week before UA, last week announced an official enrollment of 23,544. Although UA won't release final numbers until later this week, preliminary numbers put about 23,800 students on campus this fall, The Tuscaloosa News reported Sunday. "We are not striving to be the biggest institution," Provost Judy Bonner said. "We are striving to be the institution of choice for the best and brightest. We are experiencing growth, but it is planned. And the emphasis is on quality." Auburn had grown faster than UA, hitting an enrollment of more than 20,000 students in 1988. UA had never had more than 20,000 enrolled when Robert Witt became president in 2003. It set an enrollment goal of 28,000 students by 2013. Witt and his staff have aggressively recruited inside the state to bring top students to Tuscaloosa. UA had more in-state students in its freshmen class than Auburn in 2004, reversing a lopsided trend. UA had 2,576 Alabama freshmen in 2005, compared to 2,464 at Auburn. In 2001, Auburn had 2,447 in-state freshmen while UA had 1,800. Auburn, whose trustees approved an additional $3 million to its scholarship fund to recruit top students, has been working toward an enrollment goal of 25,000. "The goal of 25,000 was established years and years ago, and that's still a very general goal the university has," said John Fletcher, assistant vice president for student affairs over admissions at Auburn. "Auburn is really interested in enrolling the best-prepared students we can into our university, and we certainly have a goal of reaching those milestones." He said Auburn is drawing up a strategic plan that includes identifying areas where it will recruit aggressively. "We certainly are aware of Dr. Witt's desire to grow to 28,000," Fletcher said. "For Auburn University, we need to assess where we are, and through that process decide as a university where we want to be."
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Vote For The College Football Mascot Of The Year 09/13/2006 WTVQ-TV, Lexington, Ky.		Return to Top
This story also appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. The polls are now open for the Capitol One National Mascot Of The Year. U.K.'s Wildcat has been named to the fifth annual Capital One All-America Mascot Team. The team is made up of 12 college football mascots. Starting today, fans can cast their votes online at www.capitalonebowl.com for their favorite mascot. The winner will be announced during the Capital One Bowl on January 1. The contenders this year: Air Force Academy - The Bird University of Maryland - Testudo Auburn University - Aubie University of Oklahoma - Sooner Georgia Tech - Buzz University of Tennessee - Smokey North Carolina State - Mr. Wuf University of Wisconsin - Bucky Badger Syracuse University - Otto Washington State University - Butch T. Cougar University of Kentucky - Wildcat Western Kentucky University - Big Red This is the way the voting works. There are 11 weekly head-to-head match-ups between the All-Americans. Then the six mascots with the best win/loss records will face-off in online playoffs starting in November. This year's mascots were chosen from Division IA and IAA athletic programs with college football teams. They made the squad after being ranked on mascot "musts" such as interaction with fans, originality and pedigree. In addition to the bragging rights, The Wildcat will receive $5,000 for its school's mascot program. The Mascot of the Year will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship to help fund its school's mascot program.
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