News at Other Colleges

PALO ALTO, Calif.--Stanford University will stop poisoning ground squirrels living in its arboretum, according to the Stanford Daily.

For years, the university has poisoned the animals to preserve oak and eucalyptus trees.

After months of discussion, the facilities departments has decided to place a 60-day "moratorium" on the poisoning. The moratorium will continue until the department can offer clear evidence that trees in the arboretum have actually been harmed.

"There's a balance between doing the right thing environmentally [for the squirrels] and preserving the heritage trees," said one school official.

The poison causes internal bleeding and two days of intense pain when ingested by the squirrels.

While poisoning ground squirrels is a common practice among large institutions, the school is now searching for more humane methods to control the population.

ITHACA, N.Y.--Cornell University hopes to slash bureaucracy, eliminate add/drop forms and give students access to myriad information databases as part of "Project 2000," the school's vision for the next century to be implemented next year.

According to the Cornell Daily Sun last week, the plan calls for a complete overhaul of the school's present information system, lending greater support for faculty and students, determining grades and profiles, reducing dependency on paper and allowing more on-line access.

"I think this a university administrator's fantasy," Government Professor Isaac Kramnick told the sun. "Perhaps someday we'll never have to see students. Faculty could stay in their private offices, which is where they really want to be anyway, and instead of dealing with students, they could get to know their network ID's".

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--A soaking flood in one of Yale's residential colleges Sunday was the work of a Vandal, the Yale Daily News reported yesterday.

Officials believe a vandal probably pulled a pipe from a wall at Morse College, sending gallons of water down stairwells, drenching four floors and two entryways.

The University said students have no right to claim damages in the incident. However, college masters are working to compensate students for property loss.

Some students have claimed that the Physical Plant's slow response to the burst contributed to the flood damage.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--A student employee in the registrar's office at the University of Michigan has been implicated in a federal crime for the fraudulent use of alumni records.

According to The Michigan Daily last week, the student used at least one alum's social security card to apply for an Ameritech calling card.

The FBI admitted that it has knowledge of the case, but would not comment further.

The university confirmed that an investigation is underway.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn.--The University of Pennsylvania may earmark $5 million for the recruitment and retention of minority faculty and students, reported The Daily Pennsylvanian last week.

The proposal drawn by university President Judith Rodin also includes a fundraising effort--in the neighborhood of $20 million--for programs important to diversity, and an additional $250,000 to fund research on the educational benefits of diversity on a college campus.

The new plans do not set any hiring quotas.

Reaction to the proposals have been lukewarm, with many encouraging Rodin to iron out some wrinkles before moving forward.