Headlines @ U.Va.

U.VA. PRODUCES FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS
U.Va. is one of the top 25 producers of Fulbright Scholars among research universities. The Fulbright Program is America’s flagship international educational exchange activity and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. During its 58 years of existence, thousands of faculty and professionals have studied, taught or done research abroad, and thousands of their counterparts from other countries have traveled here to do the same. Recipients of Fulbright Scholar awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields. At U.Va., nine scholars recently received Fulbright awards. (Fulbright Scholar statistical chart appeared in the Oct. 22 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education)

SABATO OFFERS CRITIQUES ON EXIT POLLING INACCURACIES
Larry Sabato, U.Va. political science professor, said the National Election Pool should “give its money back to the news networks.” NEP, the organization responsible for producing the exit polls for the election on Nov. 2, produced flawed results that put Sen. John Kerry ahead for most of the day. “I used to believe it was possible to structure exit polls in a way to make them accurate,” Sabato said. “I am now starting to wonder if it is even possible.” Exit polling has traditionally played another important function, helping to reveal the real intentions of the voters. Now that this election’s exit polls have produced such faulty results, journalists and analysts will be careful when reporting them in the future. (MSNBC, Nov. 4)

OUT-OF-TOWN STUDENTS CAN ATTAIN U.VA. DEGREE
U.Va. is expanding its academic reach. A new program at Tidewater Community College allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University without traveling to Charlottesville. This semester, 24 students are enrolled in the new Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program at TCC, which allows current TCC students or recent graduates with at least 60 credit hours to take classes part-time and in the evening. U.Va. and TCC administrators and staffers celebrated the start of the first semester on Nov. 4. Professors from U.Va. travel to the community college weekly to teach classes, and students have access to the University’s library system, career counseling services and financial aid programs. (Hampton Roads Daily Press, Nov. 5)

STUDENT-ATHLETE rate of GRADUATION AMONG highest
U.Va.’s student-athletes have the highest graduation rate among the nation’s public schools and the sixth highest rate overall. The
National Collegiate Athletic Association recently released its annual study of institutions nationwide, which revealed that the average public school’s student-athletes graduate at a rate of only 63 percent. U.Va.’s student-athletes far exceed that average, graduating at a rate of 83 percent. The report is produced based on data collected annually by the U.S. Department of Education. (York Dispatch, Oct. 29.)