Wilson Thanks Patrick for SupportIn a statement issued on January 23, UMass president Jack Wilson expressed appreciation for the increase in UMass funding proposed by Governor Deval Patrick in his 2009 fiscal year budget submission. Patrick is proposing $489,758,814 in funding for the University of Massachusetts, which would represent an increase of $20.7 million, or 4.4 percent, over the appropriation for the current fiscal year”This is a noteworthy expression of confidence on the Governor’s part”, said Wilson, “This additional funding will aid UMass in its ongoing quest to take its rightful place alongside the finest public universities in the nation and will enrichthe academic experiences of each of our 61,000 students.”
New Brady Scorecard Shows Massachusetts Has Made Progress In Common Sense Gun RestrictionsMassachusetts has made good progress in passing laws to keep criminals and other dangerous people from easily obtaining guns, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The new redesigned scorecards are being released today for all 50 states.
Massachusetts earned 54 points out of a total of 100 and tied for third place for the state with the strongest gun laws.The Brady Scorecards are designed so that states can score up to 100 points across five major categories of laws: Curbing Firearm Trafficking; Strengthening Brady Background Checks; Child Safety; Banning Military-style Assault Weapons; and making it harder to carry Guns In Public Places.
New Company Offers Textbooks for RentAs students set out this week to find the best deals on their textbooks they’ll have a new way to save. Chegg, an Internet-based company, rents textbooks to students for a fraction of what it would cost to buy them, making it an option for students who know they will only be using their books for one semester. Chegg estimates that users save up to 70 percent on the price of each textbook. Spring 2008 will be the first semester that the program will be open to students from any American university. (By Dara Stephens of the Pipe Dream (SUNY-Binghamton))