Campus Briefs

@ASUW turns down task force

UW Police Chief Vicky Peltzer spoke to the ASUW Board of Directors last night about possibly sending a UW Police Officer to serve on a regional Joint Terrorist Task Force that works in correlation with the FBI. The task force networks law-enforcement agencies and investigates regional and federal crimes.

According to Peltzer, it would be beneficial to the University to have involvement in the task force, but UWPD can't afford to employ a full-time officer to it.

Though UWPD currently showed no intent in joining the task force, several students and ASUW board members expressed concerns with UW's possible correlation with the FBI in counter-terrorist investigations. They felt that joining the task force could cause investigations on campus that violate students' privacy.

The students asked that UWPD impose a policy that would prevent them from engaging in such a task force.

"I can't say that I will never appoint someone to an anti-terrorist task force," said Peltzer. "But I won't appoint someone to a task force if it is not for the good of the University."

Also at their meeting, the board discussed their preparations for Lobby Day, Feb. 27. Lobby Day will provide a chance for students to go to Olympia to ask legislators to increase their support for higher education. In preparation for the event, several board members have already traveled to Olympia to lobby for increased funding for higher education. The board plans to ask UW faculty to excuse the absences of students who chose to participate in the event.

Earlier this week, the ASUW Student Senate passed a resolution supporting the right of gay and bisexual men to donate blood. Currently, the FDA prohibits any men who have had sex with men since 1977 from donating blood. The resolution, sponsored by Pride Dawgs, will be used in efforts to change the current FDA policy.

The presidential-search committee will hold a public forum that will allow groups to show what qualities they think the committee should look for in the next UW President. The forum will take place in Kane 120 Feb. 24 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

-- Steve Boni, The Daily

@ Faculty senate discusses budget

Tuition increases, enrollment acceptance rates and a proposed budget by Gov. Gary Locke were among the issues discussed during yesterday's University of Washington Faculty Senate meeting.

The two-hour meeting focused on student-related issues during its first half.

Locke's proposal was criticized by interim President Lee Huntsman, who called it a big step back and said its lack of revenue enhancements and tax increases, combined with a steep decline in taxpayer support, will make it increasingly difficult for incoming freshman and transfer students to be accepted into UW.

Faculty Legislative representative Jan Sjavik added that Locke's proposal lacks funds needed to remedy the University's problems with providing enough courses in certain departments and ensuring enough spaces are available to the students enrolled in them.

Professor Douglas Wadden added that most tuition increases usually occur enrollment takes place.

Sjavik also spoke of the UW administration's efforts to maintain regional-tuition authority for graduate and non-residential students, opting to not focus on undergraduate and residential student tuition after students successfully rallied against tuition increases on campus.

Faculty members have also formed a partnership with Washington State University to overlook possible bills and budgets proposed by state legislature, a relationship Huntsman sees as highly positive.

The meeting concluded with an announcement that an additional meeting focusing on issues pertaining to UW's academic and economic future (including its search for a new president) would be held in Kane 210, March 10, at 4 p.m.

-- Paul West, The Daily

@New fraternity to promote relationship violence awareness

The Men of Character Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity is on campus this week, sponsoring a fundraiser to combat sexual assault and relationship violence. "These Hands Don't Hurt" (THDH), a national service project organized by the fraternity, will be on the HUB lawn this afternoon raising money to donate to a local shelter for victims of domestic violence.

The Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity does not yet have a local UW chapter, but they are visiting the campus to recruit new members and getting the word out about the kinds of community-service events they are involved with.

"Instead of throwing parties, we promote our fraternity by sponsoring community-service projects," said Jeremy Slivinski, assistant executive director to the fraternity.

The THDH booth is collecting donations from people as they pass by and asking them to make the pledge that their hands will not hurt anyone. The money raised will be donated to "New Beginnings," a shelter where battered woman can take their children.

Located inside the HUB, the booth was up on Monday as well as yesterday afternoon. "Basically, we're trying to promote awareness of the issue," said Seth Godwin, the expansion coordinator for the fraternity. "This is a hard thing for people to talk about, but we're handing out domestic-violence literature and informing victims where they can go for help."

-- Brian Turner, The Daily