Beat Topic News Story

This is a news story done for my CMJ 237 class, where we're working on our beat topics. I chose the faculty senate and will continue to cover their meetings for the Maine Campus throughout the semester. Somewhat dry, but informational about what UMaine leaders are up to.

http://mainecampus.com/2009/09/24/faculty-senate-gets-upset-stomach-over-campus-dining/

Faculty Senate gets upset stomach over campus dining
By Sara Breau
Posted on Thursday, September 24th, 2009, 1:16 am

The University of Maine Faculty Senate met Sept. 23 to discuss dining services, funding and H1N1 prevention tactics.
Senate member Kathryn Stott addressed dining service availability and convenience to students.
“Why are parts of the Marketplace closing during the evening, when students would likely be there?” Stott asked.
Campus Dining has adjusted dining halls’ hours. An example is Wells Commons, which closes at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoons. Stott suggested long lines in the Memorial Union and at the marketplaces are an inconvenience that is pushing students to dine off campus. Janet Waldron, vice president of administration and finance, said auxiliary enterprises have attempted to keep dining user friendly while adjusting to the suffering economy.
“A part of the issue as we renovate is we’re seeking to alleviate pressure on the Marketplace at noon, but this isn’t working because students aren’t going to the dining halls,” Waldron said.
Faculty is working to devise a plan to encourage students to utilize each of the dining facilities.
“We have to consider cost of operation when deciding whether to keep dining venues open,” Waldron said.
Senate also discussed the quality of dining options. Tina Passman, chair of academic affairs for the senate, mentioned the inconvenience that students in evening classes face in trying to find dining.
“We want students to maintain a good relationship with the library,” Passman said, stating that walking across campus to get to a dining hall during winter does not encourage library attendance. “And there’s no ‘grown-up’ food,” Passman said. Senate members agreed to further examine the situation for solutions.
“We’re very willing to explore other possibilities,” Waldron said.
University President Robert Kennedy talked about funding issues and the restructuring of the University of Maine System’s pricing formula. He said members of the faculty are working with the senate’s executive committee to find solutions to the financial challenges UMaine currently faces.
“The overall funding formula may change,” Kennedy said.
Robert Dana, vice president of Student Affairs, presented his plans for helping UMaine students at risk from emotional or social problems. Dana said about 470 first-year students are considered “high risk” due to academic, social or emotional factors.
“We need to work on reaching out to them,” Dana said. He urged professors to watch for cues that students may be struggling to adjust academically or socially.
The senate also addressed the possibility of an H1N1 outbreak on campus and preventative actions the campus could employ. Wayne Maines, director of safety and environmental management, educated faculty members about plans formulated to prevent occurrence of the swine flu or to contain it if an outbreak occurs. Students and faculty members are encouraged to get a seasonal flu shot, available at Cutler Health Center or through private health care providers. There is a shortage of flu shots this year, according to Maines.
“We asked for 1,500 doses and received 600,” Maines said. This number is still up from last year.
An H1N1 Emergency Response Center has been established. The center adheres to CDC guidelines and is working to educate students about preventative measures that can be taken to help prevent an H1N1 outbreak at UMaine. Primarily, individuals are encouraged to employ simple sanitation techniques such as frequent hand washing. Maines asked that anyone who thinks he or she may be exhibiting H1N1 symptoms stay home from work or school or remain in his or her dorm room if they are a campus resident and to get tested for the virus. Students should also alert university officials if they have confirmed cases of H1N1. Maines recommended individuals get the H1N1 vaccine when it comes out in November. He is organizing a clinic at UMaine that would potentially run for two days: Nov. 9 and 10.
“We plan to have 10 stations set up,” Maines said, citing the fieldhouse as a potential location for the temporary clinic.
Maines said approximately 300 vaccines could be administered per hour, though supplies will be limited. Should an outbreak occur on campus, affected students will have the option to wait it out off campus or be contained to their dorm rooms to avoid spreading the virus to others.
“There are detailed plans in the event an outbreak occurs,” Maines said. These would include increased cleaning of the dorms and specific containment guidelines.
Toward the end of the meeting, the senate majority voted to pass a motion to amend the Faculty Senate presidential term of service. A motion was also passed to set proposed Faculty Senate goals for committees for the 2009-2010 academic year.