University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III has issued a statement that gives background information on University policies and practices with regard to market-competitive compensation for employees, with special attention to the circumstances of employees whose salaries fall at the lower end of the wage scale. It covers both U.Va.’s own employees and employees of contractors who work in the University. “These persons’ commitment and hard work make the University a vital and generative institution, and define quality in every sense. They deserve the best compensation we can provide consistent with the law and relevant market conditions,” said Casteen. Full story.

U.Va. News Services

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s book, “The World Is Flat,” sets a familiar theme: once mired in poverty and political stagnation, China and India have become serious players in the global supply chain, helping to “flatten” the world’s playing field. U.S. efforts to re-adjust to new economic, social and political realities are well under way, and once again, higher education figures as a principal player in a drama of global proportions. Internationalization efforts are already changing how students learn, how professors teach and conduct research and how administrators lead. Full story.

Inside UVA/Photo:Brooke Faulkner