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Campus parking is a common dilemma among commuter colleges, but University students and administrators view the problem through separate lenses, especially regarding the need for a fee increase like the one proposed last week.

For staff tasked with finding solutions to a budget shortage that forced energy cutbacks and hiring freezes in recent years, parking fees can serve as an important source of revenue.

The territories that serve as the center of two major religions are set to become the center of learning for a group of students chosen for a study trip to Israel and Palestine for the spring semester.

Martin Slann, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said he believes the trip will give students a new perspective of Israeli and Palestinian culture and help them grasp the importance of Middle Eastern education.

Perhaps few students are more familiar with the online classroom experience than Dr. Sharon Thompson, who received her doctorate in nursing degree after being diagnosed with terminal cancer on Oct. 13.

With Labor Day weekend came an extended break not only for students and faculty, but also for campus dining staff.

For three days, each of the University’s food vendors — including the Met, C-Store, Chick-Fil-A and Subway — were closed.

“There was no food whatsoever on campus,” said David Herb, sophomore marketing major and Ornelas Hall resident assistant. “Some people didn’t have cars, so they couldn’t really get any thing else.”

Hindrances in financial aid processing for the fall semester have left the student body wondering the cause of delays.

“The biggest problem was the delayed decisions made by the state legislature,” said MarQuita Hackett, financial aid director. “This year everything was kind of at a standstill and we knew there was going to be some federal programs that were going to be eliminated, but we really weren’t sure about any state programs being funded. So we had to come up with a plan of how we would award financial aid to students.”

University students named Tiffany Allison president of the Student Government Association in the organization’s spring election.

Kortlan Porter and Rene Hernandez earned another term and will serve once again as vice president and parliamentarian, respectively.

Allison, who beat candidate Michael Suarez by a narrow 167-to-132-vote margin, said her victory came as a welcomed surprise.

“It was completely unexpected,” she said. “I was confident that I would be able to do a good job but was unsure if the student body felt the same way.”

University administrators named Dr. Martin Slann of Pembroke, North Carolina as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Slann said he is ready to take on the position and hopes to join the University two to three weeks before his official start date on July 1.

“I’m probably as excited as anyone could get,” he said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Slann visited the campus in February when he introduced himself to faculty and staff via a presentation and question-and-answer session.