1 LIFE&ARTS PAGE 12 SPORTS PAGE 7 SXSW provides various free-food options Women golfers use more than the NEWS PAGE 9 driving range to improve their swing Ford Foundation CEO returns to UT TOMORROW’S WEATHER High Low THE DAILY TEXAN 72 48 Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900 www.dailytexanonline.com Parking changes pending action. nue generated by pay stations West Campus spaces may TODAY: University Area Partners The University Area Partners, — which will take over about meeting require resident permits a neighborhood association rep- 400 spaces that are currently resenting the businesses, proper- free — will go toward funding WHERE: St. Austin’s Catholic or payment in the future ty owners and churches around sidewalks, increasing sidewalk Church, 2026 Guadalupe St. By Bobby Longoria the University area, has proposed lighting and installing side- WHEN: Noon Daily Texan Staff a Parking Benefit District plan to walk foliage, said Brian Dono- Scrambling to find parking in the City Council that aims to con- van, a member of UAP and its West Campus with only minutes vert all free parking in West Cam- counterpart, the Central Austin meeting Monday night. “We left before class may become even pus to either paid or residential- Neighborhood Plan Advisory need a clarification of the bound- more difficult for students and permit parking. The UAP will dis- Committee. aries of the area that will be af- Catalina Padilla | Daily Texan Staff cause an added grievance to sur- cuss their proposal at a meeting “There should be a lot more fected, instead of just calling it In order to increase parking-meter revenue for the city, free parking rounding neighborhoods if a pro- today at 12. clarity about UAP’s plan soon,” spaces in West Campus may have meters installed soon. posed parking plan is put into Under the UAP plan, reve- Donovan said at a CANPAC PARKING continues on page 2 DIIA begins P AIDS restructuring with leader’s resignation By Shabab Siddiqui Daily Texan Staff A structural change in a University program de- signed to increase teaching effectiveness will not provide any immediate changes, but it could pro- vide some long-term benefits. The Division of Instructional Innovation and As- sessment — also known as DIIA — will now report to the provost’s office after the restructuring plan was announced last week. The division previously reported to the Continuing and Innovative Educa- tion department. Judy Ashcroft, who served as both director of DIIA and dean of Continuing and Innovative Edu- cation, resigned from the director position to focus on her role as dean. Provost Steven Leslie said the change had been discussed for almost a year and al- lows Ashcroft to focus her efforts on one area, while bringing DIIA back to the office it started in. DIIA was formed in 2001 as a way to find innova- tive ways to increase teaching effectiveness through technology and assessment. The department runs several services, ranging from teaching faculty members how to use new forms of technology in their classes to conducting end-of-semester course- instructor surveys. Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff “I think we have had very visionary leadership An Austin resident and activist living with HIV listens to Tracy Jones discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS on the black community. At the New Hope from Dr. Ashcroft, and we’re really continuing the Missionary Baptist Church on Monday, the first day of the week of prayer for the healing of AIDS, Carlos Carter. “If I know one person who is suffering structure that she has put in place,” Leslie said. with HIV or AIDS, that means I’m suffering with HIV and AIDS,” Jones said. “We need to understand when one of us suffers, we all suffer.” “We’re going to continue on creating excellence and focus on the needs of students better.” Robert Bruce Jr., who currently serves as assis- tant dean of Continuing and Innovative Education, will serve as the new interim vice provost of DIIA. A three-person steering committee comprised of Playwright returns to University amid controversy vice provost Gretchen Ritter, Undergraduate Stud- By Julie Bissinger ty for a series of short residencies an- said. “Having Mamet come back is in planned,” Curtis said in the e-mail. ies Dean Paul Woodruff and Graduate School Dean Daily Texan Staff nually for four years, said Danielle Si- violation of the University’s antidis- “In fact, the student response has been Victoria Rodriguez will be responsible for establish- The Harry Ransom Center sched- gler, curator of academic affairs for the crimination policy.” overwhelming, and we regret that we ing priorities for future DIIA programs, Bruce said. uled a workshop to be led by director, center. According to UT’s Nondis- can accommodate only one student for Additionally, a Faculty Council advisory committee playwright and writer David Mamet, The playwriting workshop, “A Jour- crimination Policy, discriminato- every 10 who applied.” will be created to help in the process. despite an outcry over the alleged ney Towards Meaning,” was original- ry verbal contact is not allowed. Playwriting graduate student Bruce said moving DIIA back to the provost’s of- racist remarks he made at last year’s ly scheduled to take place today and This policy extends to on-campus Martin Zimmerman also attended fice will allow DIIA to review programs more close- workshop. Wednesday, but Mamet cancelled due visitors. Mamet’s workshop last year and said ly and better serve students, faculty and staff. When Mamet visited UT in 2008 to illness. Officials do not know if the Greg Curtis, humanities coordina- his statements about Muslims and “DIIA researches and promotes teaching excel- and 2009, he made some remarks re- event will be rescheduled, said Alicia tor for the Ransom Center, sent out a other Middle Eastern people were of- lence and innovation in all of the University’s col- garding Muslims and people of Mid- Dietrich, spokeswoman for the center. mass e-mail to all graduate students fensive and could not be misinterpret- leges and schools,” Bruce said. “When you consid- dle Eastern descent that angered some Playwriting graduate student Ben who responded to the workshop’s in- ed as sarcasm. er that we’re here to work with all faculty, students students and faculty. Snyder attended Mamet’s workshop vitation. Curtis told the students that “This type of thing can turn into and staff, it makes sense for us to align with the cen- The Ransom Center currently hous- last year. Mamet would return to campus, de- a damaging educational experi- tral academic office.” es all of Mamet’s work completed “I am offended and shocked that spite their disapproval. ence when undergraduates can’t sort Ritter said one of the first things DIIA will be through 2007. To support his archive, the University would invite [Mamet] “There seemed to be no reason DIIA continues on page 5 he has agreed to visit the Universi- back to speak to students,” Snyder why the visit shouldn’t proceed as MAMET continues on page 2 Aaron Walther and Lara Alliances look to next phase of elections Grant, former candidates for Eliminated candidates election between the Minator Aze- the Student mi/Justin Stein executive alliance Government show support for Parks and the Scott Parks/Muneezeh Voting executive alli- and Kabir campaign Kabir alliance. ance, discuss “I’m very glad Aaron and I Vote in the executive alliance their platform By Audrey White ran,” Talbert said. “It was already runoff today and during the first Daily Texan Staff exciting with two really organized tomorrow at www.utsg.org SG debate. Now that he is no longer a part campaigns, but I think because of of the election, former Student us, more people that never would Government presidential candi- have voted got involved in the date Aaron Walther has stowed process. That is a good thing.” and vice president will be facing away the wheelchair he used dur- Students can vote in the runoff issues that students care deeply ing his Texas Travesty-sponsored today and Wednesday at utsg.org. about, such as budget cuts, and campaign as a paraplegic Russian. The last presidential runoff took because the Legislature will be in Austin Talbert, another former place in 2002. Melinda Sutton, session in the spring of 2011. candidate, has resumed spend- deputy to the Dean of Students, “It is more important now than ing as much time as possible in said this year’s runoff shows a in a long time to have leaders the Cactus Cafe, his favorite cam- heightened interest in SG. that not only say they are going Tamir Kalifa Daily Texan Staff pus spot. “A lot more students feel as to bring change, but who have The executive alliances of Tal- though they can make a differ- actually done that and who stu- bert and running mate Joe Zi- ence in the University,” Sutton dents can trust to continue doing tively representing the voice of lot, Parks touts a platform focused are dedicated to creating change mowski as well as Walther and said. “We’re seeing more students that when they need it most — students and putting into action on diversity. Parks said the work in SG. running mate Lara Grant earned feeling empowered and becoming and next year is when students what we heard should be some- he has done to promote sustain- “With our work in advocacy, 12 percent of the vote between involved in the SG process.” are going to need it most,” he thing all students can take com- able transportation as well as Ka- we’ve learned the importance of them in the campus-wide general Azemi said this election is cru- said.