Butler University is undergoing a revenue and expenses review by an independently-hired consultant. Michael Leardi is working alongside Bruce Arick, vice president of finance and administration, and Provost Kathryn Morris while collecting the university’s financial data to create a cost of education model. The work group conducting the review will also include Doug Spaniol, vice-chair…
Observing a history of racial diversity
Butler University boasts a rich history of racial acceptance. However, some decades of Butler’s history are also tainted with influence from the Ku Klux Klan and segregation. “Ovid Butler had a very high vision of racial equality, which was, unfortunately, not always upheld,” Sally Childs-Helton, Irwin Library’s rare books and special collections librarian, said. Butler’s…
Stress is the status quo
According to Butler students, being busy is a status symbol. Students are taking on multiple leadership positions and extracurricular activities. Junior Katie Palmer is involved with conferences and special events, has an internship with Butler athletics, has a virtual internship with the state department, is the president of the class of 2014, serves as academic…
Spreading knowledge beyond the classroom
Online courses are becoming more of a staple in higher education and Butler University has decided to follow suit. Recently, Butler added online course options to its curriculum, starting this summer. Massive Open Online Courses—MOOCs for short—have made way in the online learning conversation. MOOCs are online courses available to everyone, regardless of age, said…
$1.5 million to be distributed
The Capital Budget Work Group will begin reviewing requests and prioritizing projects that will fit into its $1.5 million budget this year. The committee is comprised of 11 voting individuals and an ex-officio member who does not have a vote toward recommendations but helps mediate meetings if necessary. Each member represents a different division of…
Learning from fear
In 1996, Ann O’Connor, now an adjunct communication studies professor, began working at a hospital in a remote area of Saudi Arabia. During her five years there, she adapted to the country by learning its language and customs. She wore a burka, followed the Saudi customs set for women and made friends with the local…
Butler stresses out, study shows
The results on mental health from the National College Health Assessment Survey offered to Butler students last spring are being used to help plan programming and outreach. The survey had 436 respondents—69.7 percent female and 29.4 percent male. The survey’s mental health questions asked if students felt a certain way within the last 12 months.…
Officials expecting a smaller incoming class
Butler University’s Office of Admission projects the class of 2017 to be smaller than the record-breaking class of 2016. Tom Weede, vice president for enrollment management, said the goal is a freshman class of 1,050 students. “There have been lots of discussions about whether or not we should grow,” Weede said, “but discussing growth is…
Faculty Senate approves counsel search
A six-person committee is preparing to hire Butler University’s first in-house legal counsel. Over the past six years, the university spent $2.4 million dollars on outside legal counsel, said Ben Hunter, chief of staff. Hunter currently manages Butler’s outside legal contracts at Butler, and he recently completed a study to see if having an in-house…
Pink eye impacts BU
Butler University Health Services is seeing a spike in the number of pink eye cases on campus recently. Dr. Maria Fletcher, Health Services physician, said the clinic was seeing around 11 cases per day as of press time. She said students with pink eye first started coming in after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Health…