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"Some college administrators seem so distracted with fund raising, academic infighting, and community initiatives that they set up their emergency communications departments very poorly. Training is poor to nonexistent, secretaries are pressed into service with tremendous responsibilities for running 'notification systems' 24/7 and on weekends because no one else knows how to do it and the administration won’t pay for additional staff. Procedures are seat-of-the-pants and dependent on HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion), except when something like Virginia Tech happens and there is some sort of scramble to do something different." --Donna
Most Colleges Avoid Risk Management, Report Says
New Allegations in Admissions Controversy at U. of Illinois Suggest Ex-Provost Played a Role
Linda P.B. Katehi, the incoming chancellor of the University of California at Davis, has insisted she knew nothing of the admission of politically connected applicants at Illinois.
Sonoma State U. Foundation May Lose $350,000 on Loan to Former Board Member
The foundation will be forced to issue fewer scholarships in the 2010-11 academic year because of a diminished endowment, a university official said.
Court Overturns $2-Million Verdict for Former Coach at U. of Louisiana-Lafayette
The coach, one of the few African-Americans in big-time college football, was fired after three losing seasons. He sued, saying he had been dismissed because of his race.
The notorious vermin have forced Colorado State University at Fort Collins to cancel its annual Great Sofa Roundup, which allows students to donate unwanted couches.
Water-Main Break Damages Library at University in St. Louis
Summer classes at Harris-Stowe State University resumed today, but the library remains closed.
College Suspends Student for Working in Gay Pornography | 58
President Obama's Visit to Notre Dame Carries Barely a Hint of Controversy That Preceded It | 58
Drug Sting Nabs 21 Students at U. of Illinois | 57
Faculty Members and Union Protest Staff Layoffs at Temple U. as 'Cruel' | 57
North Dakota Board's Vote Puts 'Fighting Sioux' Mascot on Thinner Ice | 57
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November 15, 2006
Scientists Warn of Nanotech Risks and Urge Action by Government and Researchers
A group of top nanotechnology scientists says that governments must take immediate steps to minimize the potential risks posed by the burgeoning nanotechnology field, which could grow into a $100-billion market within 10 years.
In a commentary to be published on Thursday by the journal Nature, the researchers say “the scientific community needs to act now if strategic research is to support sustainable nanotechnologies, in which risks are minimized and benefits maximized.” The commentary offers five challenges for researchers over the next 15 years. For example, researchers must start, within the next 12 months, strategic programs to study risks. And within the next five to 15 years, researchers must develop ways to measure the toxicity of nanomaterials.
The commentary drew bipartisan support from leaders of the House Science Committee. Its chairman, Sherwood L. Boehlert, a Republican from New York, and Bart Gordon of Tennessee, its top Democrat, issued a news release today saying the Bush administration had moved too slowly in preparing and financing research into the risks posed by nanotechnology. “There is too much at stake to dally,” said the statement. “Nanotechnology is an area of research that could add billions of dollars to our economy, but that won’t happen if it is shrouded in uncertainty about its consequences.”
Several authors of the Nature commentary will discuss the issue on a live Webcast on Thursday from 9 to 10 a.m., Eastern time, at the Web site of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Posted on Wednesday November 15, 2006 | Permalink |
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