07.26.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Dr. Harms, Dean Bristol Participate in Forum Assessing North Carolina’s Oil Spill Preparedness

Dr. Craig Harms and Dean David Bristol of NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine are participating in a special forum that will assess North Carolina’s preparedness to respond and recover from an oil spill event. Free and open to the public, the forum will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 29, at the UNC Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill.

The “One Health Forum on North Carolina Oil Spill Response, Recovery and Health Effects” includes speakers from state and federal agencies who have expertise in public health, marine science, emergency management, and natural resources. Discussion will focus on the state’s strengths, the required coordination and collaboration among organizations, the training and use of volunteers, and areas that need additional coverage and management.

Dean Bristol and Dean Barbara Rimer of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health will open the forum and welcome participants at 9 a.m. (more…)

07.22.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Young Alumni feel they have already given enough

07.15.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

NC State Increases 2010-11 Tuition

North Carolina State University will increase tuition by an additional $750 for the 2010-11 academic year to help offset state budget cuts of almost $20 million.

The university had raised tuition by $150 for in-state undergraduate students and $200 for all other students.  The total tuition increase will be $900 for in-state undergraduates and $950 for all other students.

“The need is immediate and the options are few,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said.  “This is the second consecutive year of deep budget cuts.  With generous state support, North Carolina universities have historically held their tuition as low as possible while providing a quality education.  But low tuition without quality is no bargain and without this tuition increase, academic quality will continue to erode.”

The new state budget takes $99 million from universities.  In the last three years, the state’s universities have taken a budget cut of $575 million.  This year, the state legislature gave universities the option of raising tuition by as much as $750.  Budget projections indicate NCState could lose up to 200 course sections and 6,500 classroom seats without the tuition increase.

“At some point, we have to stop the erosion or risk long-term damage to one of the state’s greatest assets: its higher education system,” Woodson said.  “But even a tuition increase of this size is no silver bullet.  NC State will still see about a $3 million shortfall.”  NC State will use the tuition increase to restore some of the classroom seats and course sections lost in recent budget cuts, and support faculty and research that have consistently contributed to North Carolina’s economic development, the chancellor said.  Consistent with its historical mission, NC State will set aside 20 percent of the tuition increase to support need-based financial aid.

“Our promise is to continue to protect the academic core and do all we can to ensure students have the opportunity to make steady progress toward graduation,” Woodson said. (more…)

04.24.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

NC Museum of Art is Open!

The artists of the future will make up new things and different nomenclatures and they’ll stand amongst their pictures and they’ll sing and laugh and quote from scriptures and when they go home they’ll dream of brilliant paintings.

Crash Test Dummies

04.14.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

The absurdity of anonymous comments and fictitious sources

I get my share of anonymous comments on the HiceSchool blog and they really don’t bother me.  They tend to be at least somewhat informed and contribute to the discussion.  I’ve noticed that a number of other real “news outlets” receive far more outrageous comments on their message boards.  Check out the comment section following many N&O stories and you’ll know what I mean.

It has gotten so bad that some publications are talking about requiring registration and no longer allowing anonymous comments.

The other thing that gripes me is the “fictitious” source.  You know, the friend of a friend of a friend that some bloggers use to promote their view of a particular issue…and they always support the viewpoint of the blog.  Fortunately fake sources are generally contained to the blogosphere and don’t appear in the formal news media.

A friend with Curley & Pynn communications in Orlando provides his thoughts on anonymous sources in the following contribution.   Right on Dan.

Passion Rules!

1 of Many (more…)

03.24.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Bulletin!

Check back later today for more news about . . .

02.22.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Web2.0 presentation

Met with students at the kick off to Communications Week today.  Had a good discussion around social media; it’s advantages and disadvantages.

As suspcted, only two students in the audience were not on Facebook. More were not on Twitter, but that’s not a surprise. Stats show that Twitter is a mid-30s phenom.  The biggest surprise is iPhone usage.  Few students have an iPhone and fewer still think the iPad will be necessary on campus.   The feeling is that if you have a laptop, and almost everyone does, why to you need an iPad.  Time will tell.  I think the iPad will revolutionize the way we communicate, but then I’m not a student.  Who knows.

Anyway, it has been a very busy day so I’m going to just post my powerpoint presentation here (8MB) for your review…and comment.  Don’t let the opening mislead you.  I intentionally try to make people uncomfortable with the Web and the “don’t tase me bro” video does a great job of doing that.  It still chokes me up 18 months later.  If you haven’t seen it, please watch.  It demonstrates the dark side of social media.  Eight million page views in 24 hours!

Passion Rules!

87 of 100

11.14.09 | posted by Joe Hice |

Russian spam attack, again

The HiceSchool Blog is under attack by Russian spammers.  Fifteen messages today from .ru addresses.  So, do I merely delete or classify them as spam.  My experience has been that when you classify as spam, they just change one letter or number and come at ya again.

This kind of thing almost put the Gator Grotto out of business back when I was blogging for UF.  Unfortunately, after I left Gainesville there was no one left to manage the Grotto so it closed anyhow.  Too bad.  This social media stuff can be a very effective tool in building the network and talking to each other.