AU in the News

Showcasing AU programs, professors, students and alumni in the news
Week of April 12 - 18

Campus Safety
One year after the Virginia Tech tragedy, college campuses nationwide have upgraded their campus safety practices, developing systems to send out alerts to students in the event of an incident on campus. At American University, students will be able to send an alert to campus police when dealing with an emergency. According to the university police chief Michael McNair, the campus police will use a GPS system in phones containing a particular service program to locate a student. “If they hit the panic button, then it automatically sends an alert to the campus police,” he said. The campus emergency system was featured by many local news outlets, including WTTG, WAMU-FM’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, WTOP-FM and APTV. (4/15/08)

The Media and Islam
In Western media today, the terms "Islam" or "Muslim" are often associated with the word "terrorist." Since September 11, 2001, mainstream American media often has focused on Islamic political fundamentalism rather than on the Muslim faith or Muslims around the world. The topic was discussed before a live audience of more than 200 people at American University's American Forum on April 14. "I find it baffling and distressing," said panelist Akbar Ahmed, former ambassador for Pakistan to the United Kingdom and the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at AU. Ahmed stressed the idea that the media should not point to sacred text of any religion as proof that a given faith encourages violence. "There are verses in the Bible, in Judaic and Hindu texts to do precisely what Osama Bin Laden does, which is taking verses from sacred texts and using them for his own political vision," added Ahmed. He pointed to the fact that the media does not say Christianity is behind the IRA or the KKK. The American Forum was carried by WAMU 88.5 and was covered by Voice of America Television and the Kuwait News Agency. (4/14/08)

Higher Demand for Online Classes
More and more students, particularly at community colleges, are opting for online courses as opposed to attending in person, reports the Washington Times. However, although more than 100,000 students at four-year institutions signed up for the courses, according to James Lee, professor in American University's School of International Service, there are still students to whom the option should not be available, such as students living in on-campus housing. (4/15/08)

Environmental Filmmaking
Filmmakers with expertise in wildlife documentaries often take risks in order to learn more about the habitat and to better educate the public, wrote Chris Palmer, a professor at American University and founder of the school’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking, in an article for Washington Life. “As everybody knows, we have immense environmental challenges,” he said. “Powerful images and films (as we saw with 'An Inconvenient Thuth') can help.” (4/16/08)

Religion in Politics
Faith is taking a front seat in the presidential race, as churchgoers from both major parties are a driving force during the elections, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “One thing they have had that most other constituencies don't have is a shared sense of place: the church,” said Leonard Steinhorn, a communications and history professor at American University in Washington. “They can go and look each other in the eye and ask if they've taken grandma to the voting booth.” (4/16/08)

John McCain’s More Conservative Side
Because he often opposes fellow Republicans and works with Democrats, Sen. John McCain is viewed as more independent than the conservative he really is, the Associated Press reports. "We are surely in a time of deep economic insecurity for a majority of the American people," said Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate. "We are also in a deeply unpopular war. Where there are these differences, and strong differences, they could be in the Democrats' direction." This article appeared in more than 50 news outlets. (4/14/08)

A New IRS Employee Representative?
The National Treasury Employees Union has opposed President Bush’s nomination of Kenneth Carfine, fiscal assistant secretary of the Treasury Department, as a representative for Internal Revenue Service employees, reports the Government Executive. “The statutory criterion for the seat I hold on the board is 'a representative of employees,” said Robert Tobias, director of public sector executive programs at American University and current IRS employee representative. “I am unaware of any experience the Treasury executive has representing employees.” (4/15/08)

2009
Mar	6	13	20	27
Feb	6	13	20	27
Jan	4	9	16	23	30
2008
Dec	5	12	19
Nov	7	14	21
Oct	3	10	17	24	31
Sept	5	12	19	26
Aug	1	8	15	29
July	4	11	18	25
June	6	13	20	27
May	2	9	16	23
Apr	4	11	18	25
Mar	7	21	28
Feb	1	8	15	22	29
Jan	4	11	18	25
2007
Dec	7	14	21
Nov	2	9	16		30
Oct	5	12	19	26
Sept	7	14	21	28
Aug	3	10	17	24	31
July	31
June	30
Feb	2	9
Jan	5	12	19	26