The Beacon, August 27, 2008 Florida International University
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Florida International University FIU Digital Commons The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) Special Collections and University Archives 8-27-2008 The Beacon, August 27, 2008 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Florida International University, "The Beacon, August 27, 2008" (2008). The Panther Press (formerly The Beacon). 181. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/181 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections and University Archives at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Forum for Free Student Expression at Florida International University Vol. 21, Issue 8 www.fi usm.com August 27, 2008 LUAU PALOOZA ELECTION GAME SECURE NETWORKING WOMEN’S SOCCER BBC annual fest hits Gamers, politics meet on Xbox LIVE Employers looking at profi les Coach expects improvement AT THE BAY PAGE 4 OPINION PAGE 5 LIFE! PAGE 6 SPORTS PAGE 12 President FUTURE HOUSE opens up Representing America in Beijing about recent LIANET CHAO electricity and 60 percent less water is ing the house, the engineers used the Contributing Writer now a reality. “Home Biology 101” theory, which Unveiled at the Beijing Olympics, uses energy effi ciency, indoor air qual- Envision a future, decades from “Future House USA,” was made pos- ity, storm water management, reduced budget cuts now, where the power of technology sible by FIU College of Engineering water consumption and recycling. The will completely transform how a typical professors and students. theory goes hand in hand with the en- DANIELLA BACIGALUPO AND American house uses energy. The FHUSA project began with the ergy saving features of the house. CHRISTOPHER NECUZE A house with solar operated faucets, goal to reduce the pollution and limit Beacon Staff home appliances that use 85 percent less climate change in China. When design- HOUSE, page 3 The Beacon met with University President Modesto A. Maidique to talk about the effects EFFICIENCY ZERO CARBON of this year’s budget cuts, among other FIU New window technology FOOTPRINT NON-TOXIC developments. Creates energy on-site re- refl ects 99 percent of Equiped with bamboo, ZERO NET ENERGY Q: Will the budget Ultraviolet rays and create sulting in zero operational cork, recycled tile and All energy generated with maximum insulation. carbon footprint. carpeting and non toxic make it more diffi cult solar panels and fuel cells. materials, adhesives and to hire and retain facul- Storm water run-off is col- 3.5 hours of sunlight can laminates. ty-- are there fears they lected in gutters and collec- run Future House for one Uses as little as 70 percent tion barrels. day. of about 1,000 kilowatts will leave? a month used by a typical A: There are several Florida home. key jobs a leader has, and MAIDIQUE one of the most important ones is hope. My goal is to help engender hope, so that we will lose a few but not many. This is going to be another tough year but in 2010, in 2011, we are going to pick up again, so don’t leave me because we had a bad year. Q: Still, is FIU trying to create new incentives? A: We can’t just arbitrarily set salary. We are making a proposal to the Faculty Union that includes giving incentives to the faculty mem- bers that are doing the best work, but we can’t do that alone. We can only do that with the con- sent of the Union and the Provost. Q: How will the College of Medicine help FIU? A: A medical school attracts research and private dollars like no other university program and therefore makes the whole University more prestigious, more recognized and acts like a ris- ing sea that lifts the whole ship. Q: How is the College of Medicine going? A: We were credited faster than any other university that has gone for preliminary accred- itation; we hired some folks with 130- 140 com- Low salaries result in fewer tenured faculty bined years of experience in medical schools; we have thus far raised about $40 million for EDUARDO MORALES in universities elsewhere in the country. This the medical school and this year we’ll eclipse Contributing Writer problem has caused Florida to rank last nation- FIU Faculty - Student that and make it look like child’s play. We ex- ally in tenured and tenure track faculty per full Ratio Stats pect about 3,000 applications for 40 slots. time equivalent (FTE) student, with one faculty Over the years, it has gotten a little harder for Q: What makes our College of Medicine member for every 27.3 FTE students. This dis- •36,000+ students Florida professors to afford a living. It doesn’t unique? plays a stunning decline of 45 percent from the help that raises are a dime a dozen. A: We hope to train culturally sensitive doc- state’s ratio in 1989-1990. •1,588 faculty The state’s economy has been in a declin- tors. We hope that a doctor has Peruvian ori- At FIU, the statewide budget crisis has top ing state and professors are looking for more •54 percent full - time faculty gin and has family in Miami and will stay; that administration worrying about hiring new fac- work hours and, ultimately, to demand raises to we’ll have doctors of Cuban origin and from ulty and retaining current professors with in- •Faculty/ Student Ratio 21:1 cover increasing bills. According to the Board the Islands. We hope to have a refl ection of creasingly dwindled funds. of Governors, Florida professors “have only re- *Lowest national ratio Miami in our medical school and populated “This is going to be another tough year but ceived a salary increase in two out of the last disproportionately, not totally, from residents in 2010, in 2011, we are going to pick up again fi ve years. A $1000 bonus was received in two works and will be proposed to the Faculty of South Florida. years and no new compensation will be re- so don’t leave me because we had a bad year,” Senate. Non monetary incentives include re- ceived during 2008-09.” President Modesto A. Maidique said. warding faculty doing the best work by redis- Q: Do you think it was a mistake to ac- Because of the lack of incentive, professors Still, the University is doing it’s best to cre- from Florida have taken up other offers to work ate incentives. A salary increase plan is in the FACULTY, page 2 MAIDIQUE, page 2 2 The Beacon – August 27, 2008 NEWS www.fi usm.com Florida proposes plan MEET YOUR DEAN to increase faculty wages FACULTY, page 1 The problem presents something of a dom- ino effect for the state. If respected professors tributing existent resources. become a rarity in Florida, students will then The Board of Governors has decided to take disperse and universities will see a drop in at- action and the Florida Legislature asked for a tendance. This means less money going to edu- budget increase of $65,411,604. The money cation and to the SUS and eventually, the state would specifi cally be used to pay for a 4 per- itself. cent raise that would be received by faculty Some professors are beginning to see other members during the next fi scal year, which be- ways in which this situation may be affecting gins July 1, 2009. This comes after a year with the future of the state’s current generation. no raises or bonuses. “We rank ab- Universities are giv- solutely dead last en the fl exibility to use “I personally like the low- in money spent the money how they on students and please, however, it must est possible tuition so that tuition,” said be used to retain existing economically disadvan- John Makemson, faculty. taged families can send a professor in “The faculty and the Biological VICTORIA LYNCH/THE BEACON staff would receive a 4 kids to school.” Sciences depart- NICE TO MEET YOU: Mechanical engineering major, C.J. Calabrese, meets with his percent pay raise,” said ment. “I person- John Makemson, Professor school dean, Amir Mirmiran during “Meet your Dean” in the Graham Center Ballrooms Bill Edmonds, director ally like the lowest Biological Sciences department Aug. 25. of communications for possible tuition the Board of Governors. so that economi- “It doesn’t necessarily cally disadvantaged families can send kids to have to be done across the board, it could be school. Because of this, we have lots of courses done in some other fashion. We haven’t worked that fi ll up after the fi rst couple days of registra- University refutes verdict, that out yet. The institutions will probably be tion making it impossible for students with a given some leeway to use that money.” later appointment for registration to get needed While the budget increase has not been courses. If we had more faculty and classrooms, values new football stadium passed yet, it is the beginning of Florida’s at- this would not be such a terrible situation.” 5,000 African-American students and we have tempt to catch up with the rest of the country. This is especially evident in the English MAIDIQUE, page 1 According to statistics given in the excerpt a higher percentage of black faculty than virtu- department. One of the requirements in earn- cept money from Pharmed? mentioned previously, the State University ally any of the high research universities.