President Barack Obama’s recently announced student loan relief plan has Butler University students hoping for change—the kind that doesn’t involve an increase in tuition prices and loan interest rates. More than 80 percent of Butler students receive financial aid, and each year the university awards more than $3.8 million to help meet this need. Even…
BUPD adds new vehicle, operations center
Butler University Police Department added a brand new Dodge Charger to its fleet to replace a car with upwards of 100,000 miles on it. BUPD Police Chief Ben Hunter said the new vehicle was the best option for the department and the university. “We looked at three different cars, and the Charger was the cheapest…
Service-learning classes fulfill core community requirements
Changes in Butler University’s core curriculum sparked an increase in the number of service-learning courses offered to students as they start to enroll for the spring 2012 semester. More than 30 of Butler’s courses offered for the spring 2012 semester have service-learning components. The core curriculum now includes a service-learning requirement for any sophomores, freshmen…
Danko looks to learn about university structure through campus interviews
Butler University President Jim Danko has held 19 informational meetings and tours with university administrators and faculty to “immerse” himself into Butler’s community and academic affairs. These meetings included visiting the six academic colleges and talking with the provost, associate provosts and representatives from the administrative departments. Danko had the head of each department send…
Knowing after 9 steps
Just a mouth swab and about a 20-minute wait can tell a Butler University student if he or she is HIV positive. That test, along with one for gonorrhea and chlamydia, is available on-campus for free through a partnership with the Damien Center. Butler teamed up with the Damien Center, an organization that provides HIV/AIDS…
Commencement speaker on minds of students, administration
It may still be the middle of first semester, but students and the administration are already looking ahead to commencement. Determining a commencement speaker is not a simple process—cost, connections and nominations all come into play. Butler University’s Board of Trustees takes nominations and then decides who is worthy of and eligible for an honorary…
Deans, provost collaborate as they await new colleague
Editor’s Note: Stavitsky has since removed his name from consideration because he accepted another offer. Open sessions with Stavitsky are canceled. College of Communication dean candidates begin arriving on campus next week for open sessions. When they do, they will find a university that has a busy community of existing deans. They’re teaching courses, working…
Johnson Room undergoes first renovation in two decades
Some 2,120 square feet, 30 colors, seven iconic Butler University structures, a turtle named Heather Locklear and an “I SPY”-esque grasshopper now adorn the walls of Robertson Hall’s recently renovated Johnson Room. Chris Blice and Jon Edwards of Blice Edwards Decorative Arts were brought in by Rowland Design to paint the massive mural encompassing the…
Alcohol taskforce gathering information to send to administration
In response to an increased number of alcohol-related hospital visits, the Butler Alcohol Taskforce is gathering information and plans to present recommendations to administration about potential changes to Butler University’s alcohol policy by the end of the semester. During last week’s Homecoming, some students worried that Butler would be cracking down on the festivities, often…
Social media jobs on the rise
Social media jobs are a relatively new and growing option for college graduates who consider Facebook and Twitter secondary majors. Jennifer McConnell, career adviser in Butler University’s internship and career services department, said social media jobs are not uncommon today. “There has definitely been an increase [in social media jobs],” McConnell said. “It has really…