Former senator to receive honorary degree
Three receive Quality of Life Awards
Employees' dependents get tuition break
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AU REPORT |
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| Headlines Former senator to receive honorary degree Three receive Quality of Life Awards Employees' dependents get tuition break |
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Happy Holidays!
As the university community prepares to celebrate the approaching holiday season, we can all look forward to a time of celebration with our families followed by the promise that a new year brings.
A strong sense of community makes Auburn University a special place. I have been impressed this year with the devotion that so many of you have shown to this university, by the caring nature of Auburn people, and by the dedication to quality that the faculty and staff display on a daily basis. These strengths have shone through whenever Auburn has been tested, and they give us great hope for the future.
I extend heartfelt appreciation to all of you for your contributions to the betterment of Auburn this year. As you prepare to celebrate this holiday season with family and friends, I wish for each of you a season of joy and peace and a new year that brings prosperity to all.
Best wishes,
William F. Walker, Interim President
AU to present honorary degree to Howell Heflin
Auburn University will award an honorary degree to former Alabama Chief Justice and former U.S. Sen. Howell T. Heflin at its fall graduation on Dec. 15.
Interim AU President William Walker said the honorary Doctor of Science degree recognizes the retired senator for a lifetime of exemplary service to Alabama and the nation and for the pivotal role Heflin played in the rapid development of Auburn's research programs during the 1980s and '90s.
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Walker noted that honorary degrees are a rarity at Auburn, which has awarded only 150 in its 145-year history. The degrees are reserved for individuals who have had an exceptional and lasting impact on the university and the state, he noted.
"Howell Heflin is one of the most distinguished Alabamians of his generation," Walker said. "In selecting him for this honor, the Board of Trustees took special note of his leadership in the reform of Alabama's judicial systems and his stature as one of America's most respected members of Congress for three terms totaling 18 years."
Walker said the honorary Doctor of Science degree also calls attention to another important aspect of Heflin's congressional service -- his championing of federal programs to spur the development of emerging areas of science. Those programs have had a major impact on the development of Alabama and the nation over the past two decades, Walker added.
"Sen. Heflin was a leading advocate in Congress for Auburn's programs in science and agriculture at a crucial time for the development of those programs," Walker said.
"With his backing, Auburn received the financial support it needed to develop programs in space power, biotechnology and other fields to a level at which they achieved national prominence," he added. "Those programs have helped secure Alabama's place in the most advanced areas of the nation's space and defense programs and helped ensure that Alabama will remain a leading agricultural producer in the 21st century."
The son of a Methodist minister, Heflin graduated from Colbert County High School in Leighton and Birmingham-Southern College before joining the U.S. Marines during World War II. Twice wounded, he earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his combat service in the Pacific Theater.
After the war, he earned a degree from the University of Alabama Law School and was an attorney in Tuscumbia from 1948-71, serving as president of the Alabama State Bar Association in 1965-66.
Elected Alabama chief justice in 1970 on a promise to reform the state's then-antiquated, notoriously slow judicial system, Heflin led a successful movement to rewrite the Judicial Article in the Alabama Constitution. That judicial reform package improved the quality and operations of Alabama's court system and was a model for judicial reform in other states.
In 1978, after his term on the Alabama Supreme Court ended, Heflin was elected to the first of three terms in the U.S. Senate from Alabama. In that role, he became a nationally recognized champion for a strong national defense, continued space exploration and new initiatives in agriculture.
Fall semester graduation set for Dec. 15
Auburn will award an estimated 1,626 degrees at its fall semester commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
Of the degrees AU will award, 1,349 are bachelor's degrees, 225 are master's, 51 are doctorates and one is a specialist degree.
The College of Business will award the most undergraduate degrees with 297, followed by the College of Liberal Arts with 244 and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering with 144.
The College of Education will award 139 undergraduate degrees; College of Agriculture, 70; College of Human Sciences, 66; College of Sciences and Mathematics, 51; College of Architecture, Design and Construction, 34; School of Nursing 16; and School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, 11.
Since its founding as East Alabama Male College in 1856, AU has awarded more than 189,000 academic degrees at its main campus.
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Three chosen for Quality of Life Awards
The AU College of Human Sciences presents its International Quality of Life Awards for 2001-02 on Monday to North Carolina physician Jack McConnell and Montgomery philanthropists Winton M. "Red" and Carolyn Blount.
Presented annually since 1994 in a ceremony at the United Nations Building in New York, the awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to communities at home and around the world.
McConnell is a nationally recognized physician and medical researcher who has dedicated his retirement to helping the medically underserved. The Blounts have devoted their lives to enhancing Alabama through contributions to the arts, business and education.
"The International Quality of Life Awards are a remarkable opportunity for Auburn University to recognize those individuals who are not only inspiring role models for our students, but also for our communities and the entire world," said William Walker, interim president of Auburn.
June Henton, dean of the College of Human Sciences, said, "The greatest lesson today's young men and women can learn from the exemplary lives of the people we are honoring is that a quality education, indeed a quality life, is not just a matter of the mind, but also of the heart."
As a medical researcher, McConnell made significant contributions in the development of an early version of the polio vaccine, of pain relievers and of the first commercial MRI system used in the U.S.
In 1993, he opened a free South Carolina health clinic for the medically underserved, named the Volunteers In Medicine. Since then, he has assisted with the development of 17 other clinics around the country. VIM health care clinics are staffed by retired medical professionals who care for the working uninsured.
"Anyone of Dr. McConnell's extraordinary accomplishments as a biomedical researcher would certainly qualify as a Quality of Life recipient," Henton said. "However, what truly distinguishes him is the role he has assumed as an innovative health care advocate and champion for those who do not have a voice in society.
"In light of the horrific events that have shaken our country recently, it is very symbolic that our honoree has devoted his life to healing and saving lives. His tireless efforts to improve the human condition are an inspiration to us all."
Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, Winton M. "Red" and Carolyn Blount, are an inspiring duo, but their lives as individuals are just as noteworthy. Winton Blount served as Postmaster General under President Richard Nixon and on the U.S. Advisory Committee on Enforcement of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Carolyn Blount played an active role in the development of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. The Blounts also have sponsored scholarships, musical auditions and other opportunities for young people.
"As citizens of Alabama, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to Winton and Carolyn Blount for the countless ways they, both as individuals and as a couple, have touched and enriched our lives," Henton said.
Past recipients of the award include Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity International; Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of Capetown, South Africa; and Don Logan, chairman and CEO of Time, Inc.
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AU steps up effort to remove mold in buildings
Facilities workers last week began a cleanup of mold in Samford Hall as part of a stepped-up effort to improve air quality in campus buildings, says Debra Sharpe, associate director of Safety and Environmental Health at AU.
The workers moved to Samford after completing a cleanup of mold in Miller Hall. Sharpe said mold conditions in Samford are less severe than in Miller. Unlike Miller, which was closed during the cleanup, offices in Samford have remained open.
"There's not large areas of growth of Stachybotrys as there was in Miller, but there's enough of several different kinds of mold that we need to get it out of there," she said. "They should be able to accomplish the work without closing the building or parts of it."
Members of a local environmental consulting firm, Suncrest Labs, mapped the areas of mold for removal by Facilities workers. Those areas are mostly around overhead chilled water pipes and the air conditioning units served by the lines, she said.
Workers at night are stripping away and replacing damaged insulation around overhead water lines, removing the mold and applying treatments to retard regrowth. They are cleaning air conditioner units during the day.
The work started last week in extensive areas of the basement, but other floors of Samford will also be cleaned of mold, Sharpe said.
The problem in Samford and many other buildings on campus can be traced to obsolete air conditioning systems, she said. She noted that those systems are more susceptible to surface condensation -- the sweating that occurs when pipes carrying cold water come into contact with warmer air.
The Office of Safety and Environmental Health is examining other buildings for environmental air quality problems. Sharpe said the university has stepped up its cleanup of buildings with mold problems, but, she added, the longterm solution to those problems will lie with the planned replacement of obsolete air conditioning systems with the central units being u sed in the newer campus buildings.
Dependents of faculty, staff to get break on tuition
Dependents and spouses of AU faculty and staff will be able to attend Auburn for half-price when spring semester starts on Jan. 8.
The Board of Trustees approved the tuition benefit for dependents of AU employees on Nov. 16 at the request of faculty-staff organizations, a university committee and the administration.
Trustees also approved a 10 percent increase in employee health insurance rates, effective Jan. 1. Executive Vice President Don Large noted that the increase, which had been widely discussed in recent weeks, was recommended by a university committee as necessary to meet the rising costs of health care. The university is self-insured with a plan administered by Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Alabama.
The tuition benefit applies to any employee of the AU System, which includes the main campus, AUM, AAES and ACES. Large said the administration estimates 350 to 400 persons a year will receive the benefit, which will amount to $815 per semester for eligible dependents and spouses taking 10 to 15 hours. Those who receive scholarships administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid will see the university match for tuition reduced by the amount of the scholarship.
The Office of Student Financial Aid will certify eligibility. To establish eligibility, the office will ask each applying faculty or staff member to produce a birth certificate for each dependent student or a marriage license for a spouse.
Other documents may be requested in some circumstances, such as adoption. In most cases, the office will use the same requirements the university uses to determine eligibility of dependents and spouses for the AU health insurance plan.
Application forms are available at the Office of Student Financial Aid in Martin Hall and at the office's web site web site.
The Bursar's Office has issued bills to students for the first installment on the spring semester tuition. AU Bursar Fred Bobo said persons anticipating the tuition waiver should pay the full amount of the first installment by the due date of Dec. 14. The adjustment will show up on the December bill, when most of the eligible students will owe little or nothing.
Students will need to apply only once for the benefit, Bobo said. After that, they are recorded in the system, and future adjustments will be automatic. In addition, future bills will reflect the tuition discount when they are mailed, he said.
For further information, contact Mike Reynolds in Financial Aid or Bobo or Nina Goodman in the Bursar's Office.
AU, UA, ASU join forces for funding effort
Auburn and the University of Alabama may be rivals on the football field, but the presidents of the two institutions and their football coaches said last week they stand together with other state colleges and universities in their joint support for fair funding for education.
UA President Andrew Sorensen and AU Interim President William F. Walker were among several higher education leaders who gathered Tuesday on the Statehouse steps in Montgomery for a news conference to show their support for increased education funding.
Joining them were Joe Lee, president of Alabama State University; David Housel, AU athletic director; Mal Moore, UA athletic director; and L.C. Cole, head football coach at Alabama State.
Looking ahead to the 2002 session of the Alabama Legislature, the presidents called for an end to the practice of prorating education budgets in response to declines in the economy.
"Bill Walker and I share a strong commitment to fair funding for education in this state," Sorensen said. "Alabamians deserve the best education possible from kindergarten to postgraduate studies. We can only achieve that goal with strong support from the governor and the Legislature."
"Increased education funding is critical to our state's economy and to our future," Walker added. "We are still struggling with the serious effects of proration in last year's budget. Additional budget cuts would be disastrous for higher education."
Sorensen said the presidents support the efforts of the governor, the Alabama Legislature and the business community to find a solution to the threat of proration in the 2002 budget.
"We support the efforts of the state leadership to address loopholes in current tax law. We must find ways to address the shortfall in the Education Trust Fund," Sorensen said.
Walker said the presidents encourage all Alabamians to join the effort to create tax fairness and establish a more stable base of funding for the Education Trust Fund.
Moody's boosts AU's bond rating on eve of new offering
In an assessment of the financial strength of Auburn University, Moody's Investors Service has upgraded AU's General Fee Revenue Bonds from A1 to Aa3. The Aa3 rating is the highest for any academic institution in Alabama, matching the bond rating for the state of Alabama.
Moody's also upgraded the rating for AU's Athletic Department revenue bonds from A2 to A1.
"The higher ratings reflect the investment community's increasing confidence in the financial status both of the university and its athletic department," said Don Large, AU executive vice president. "The Board of Trustees' strong fiscal oversight of scarce resources during the 1990s to the present was instrumental in our success."
The higher ratings will translate to wider markets and lower interest rates on a pending $75 million issuance of general fee revenue bonds for the university and a $26 million offering for the athletic department, said Large.
The Board of Trustees on Nov. 16 approved issuance of the bonds. Trustee Robert Lowder of Montgomery said it was important to note that AU's bond rating was upgraded in an economic environment where most companies and institutions are seeing their bond ratings downgraded.
Large said the bond market is at its most favorable point for issuance of new bonds since 1993, and the higher bond ratings will earn even more favorable rates for the university.
Moody's cited four strengths of AU in upgrading its bond rating. These strengths include Auburn's strong student market position in the Southeast, low relative debt, impressive operating performance despite the state's financial problems and solid debt service coverage from pledged revenues.
The AU bond issue will finance infrastructure improvements to the university's heating and cooling systems, while the Athletic Department bonds will finance expansion of and improvements to existing athletic facilities.
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