facebook.com/spartandaily INSIDE Twitter: @spartandaily Instagram: @spartandaily P. 2 A&E: The Blackbird Tavern adds flair to See exclusive online Downtown San Jose content and multimedia at P. 3 Sports: The beginning of the Caragher Era spartandaily.com P. 5 Opinion: Progressive law gives Weather: Partly cloudy SPARTAN DAILY transgender students options H: Serving San José State University 79 since 1934 P. 5 Opinion: A special message from the Construction Update L: 61 Volume 141 / Issue 1 Spartan Daily editors News, P. 6 Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Printed on recycled paper FALL 2013 President Qayoumi outlines priorities in fall welcome By Melissa Lewelling compels us to improve our @melissadanae91 performance in retention, graduation and time to University President Mo- degree.” hammad Qayoumi laid out Humanities professor the school’s priorities and Cynthia Rostankowski said plan of action for the 2013- she thinks the campus 14 academic year and some community “really needs of the issues that face high- to be able to have events” er education at the annual like the fall welcome so fall welcome address on it can be informed of Monday. the campus’s changing Quoting part of his goals. speech from the previous Qayoumi outlined what year, Qayoumi began by he called SJSU’s “critical framing SJSU’s recent ac- priorities” for the year as: complishments of national expanding the school’s tech- recognition for its engineer- nology and online offer- ing, business and journal- ings, streamlining functions ism schools in light of its within auxiliary organiza- need for “transformative tions on campus and a new solutions” to the budget end zone project for Spartan crisis last year. Stadium to help re-brand the While Qayoumi an- school’s athletics program. nounced “positive news” re- In January, SJSU part- President Qayoumi gives a welcome address to students and faculty in Tower Hall Monday afternoon. Carolyn Seng / Spartan Daily garding a 10 percent tuition nered with Udacity Inc., a roll-back for students, a local education start-up, to data surrounding the success need some “breathing room” what is required in a college said. “Some people want to go “modest pay raise” for facul- create a pilot program offer- of the online classes, Qay- to address certain issues. class.” to school because they want ty and a CSU budget increase ing accredited Massive Open oumi and Provost Ellen Junn “What we found is that Fiona Lam, a junior busi- to meet new friends, they from the state, he said the Online Courses to students said in a statement. since the objective of this ness major who attended want to network, and some school is a “long way from for a fraction of the cost of Pat Lopes Harris, director project was to reach out to Qayoumi’s address, said people are just striving to get recovering from the signifi- traditional tuition, accord- of media relations at SJSU, students who don’t go to San while she hasn’t taken any their degree so that they can cant reductions” over the ing to a university state- said that while much of the Jose State, as well as those online courses yet, she can go out to the real world, and past few years. ment. media assumed the pause who do, we got many stu- see the pros and cons of so it just depends.” “Future budget alloca- In July, however, the on online classes was due to dents who had never taken learning online versus in a Results from a report tions will be tied to a number school announced that it poor final test scores, it was a college course before,” classroom. funded by the National Sci- of outcome measures,” Qay- would take a break from the clear from the program’s de- Harris said. “We need to “I feel like it’s basically oumi said. “This approach program in the fall to assess velopment that SJSU would make sure they understand just what you want,” Lam SEE SPEECH ON PAGE 4 EDUCATION PAUL BROWN TTaskask fforceorce toto aidaid AAfrican-Americanfrican-American aandnd LLatinoatino sstudentstudents Faculty By Christiana Cobb stormed topics and developed “We should not see these en- success, then its really important @christianacobb work-groups, where volunteers tities as separate,” she said. “The for us to figure out why,” Poole could focus on the different needs decline in retention rates, the de- said. member San Jose State University’s of African-American and Latino cline in students applying here Photojournalism professor Mi- diverse campus does not come students. and actually coming, the decline in chael Cheers said he doesn’t like to dies at 76 without disappointing numbers The work-groups have brain- African-American faculty who are look at the numbers as an achieve- in graduation and retention rates stormed academic and cultural hired and the decline in the num- ment gap but rather as an opportu- By Christiana Cobb for African-American and Latino topics and activities necessary to ber of courses we can offer because nity gap. @christianacobb students compared to Caucasian, assist students including: junior we don’t have faculty who are full- He said that underrepresented Asian and Pacific Islander stu- high and high school outreach, time who can offer these courses.” students don’t have the same ac- Former Vice Provost Paul Brown, dents. parent involvement, mandatory She said there is a link between cess to resources that would aid in who was known to greet his colleagues Provost Ellen Junn said this advising, creating a sense of black retention rates and the lack of sup- their strides toward achievement. with nothing less than a smile, died summer marks the first time Spartan and student community port for African-American stu- “I look at it as an opportunity Monday, July 29. He was 76. she believes the university has on campus and hosting regular dents. gap because they are less prepared William Nance, vice president for launched an open-forum task force weekly mixers in a special place She said it is a matter of provid- and it’s not necessarily their fault,” student affairs, said Brown died of where anyone is welcome to par- for African-American and Latino ing “the support, the information Poole said. “Achievement gap medical injuries, but Nance did not ticipate in the effort to protect un- students. students need and the resources makes it sound like it is their fault.” want to submit too much medical derrepresented minorities, includ- Ruth Wilson, department students need, who come here and Junn said she was surprised that information without family consent. ing Latino and African-American chair of African-American stud- want to be here but don’t have the the task force has received such According to Charles Whitcomb, students. ies, said she is excited about the details and the support structure recognition, acquiring more than a retired SJSU administrator, Brown “This is the first effort that I’ve provost’s interest in examining in place to help them push forward 70 faculty, staff, administration held many positions on campus in- known of this kind in the universi- issues around the retention rates when things get tough.” and community members who are cluding department chair for the ty,” said Dorothy Poole, university of African-American students Junn said since she has become volunteering for the programs. department of recreation and leisure chief of staff for the president’s of- at SJSU. She said she believes it provost, she has wanted to give Fernanda Karp, director of studies, associate dean and interim fice. “This is recognition of a real is important to note that the de- more attention to underrepresent- campus and community relations, dean for the College of Sciences and need here and a call for action and cline in graduation and reten- ed students, but the CSU Chancel- said she is part of the pre-college, the assistant to the provost. assistance put out to the univer- tion rates are occurring at the lor’s office “got the ball rolling” by parent involvement committee “I worked with Paul for 45 years,” sity.” same time that there is a decline calling campuses to focus on clos- and she plans to focus on making he said. “I began as a student of Paul’s Poole said that within the few in support for African-American ing achievement gaps. sure students know their rights and later down the road, he hired me meetings that took place this studies departments at SJSU and “If we see that a group of our for a first job as a lecturer.” summer, the participants brain- other universities. students are not able to achieve SEE DIVERSITY ON PAGE 4 Whitcomb said Brown was his mentor and had a major influence CAMPUS on his personal and professional life, as well as the lives of other young fac- Disability Resource Center is now the Accessible Education Center ulty. “He was the person that I would By Stephanie Wong Art King, the associate vice pres- goals here at SJSU in a seamless partment is a start to change how follow anywhere because I trusted @StephanieJWong ident for student affairs, said Ma- manner.” people view students with disabili- him,” Whitcomb said. “No matter rota studied the subject extensively Although it was Marota’s idea ties. what it meant, he would tell you the The Disability Resource Center and was well prepared for the name to change the center’s name, she According to Marota, although truth, but he would do it with a gen- was renamed the Accessible Educa- change. said she wasn’t alone in the decision the center has a new name, there tleness and understanding.” tion Center in an effort to change “She did her research in terms making process, in both agreeing to will be no changes in the services Whitcomb said Brown found negative stereotypes surround- of best practice and trends in work- make a name change and deciding that the center provides.