Author: The UTD Mercury
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Petition protesting Title IX changes garners over 2000 signatures
UTD’S chapter of the political organization Deeds Not Words is petitioning against the Department of Education’s changes to how Title IX is enforced on college campuses. In 2017, the Department of Education withdrew Obama-era sexual harassment policies under Title IX. One year later, Secretary of Education Betsy Devos released a new proposal, featuring specific changes.…
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Remote Learning: the benefits, the drawbacks
Spring 2020 provided a glimpse at online instruction and how students and teachers adapted to changes in learning conditions; now, instructors are facing another semester of partially — or fully — virtual classes, along with the advantages and disadvantages that come with it. At the June 24 presidential town hall, UTD provost Inga Musselman said…
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Student enrollment concerns in fall 2020
For various students, changes and uncertainty about fall 2020 campus functionality brings up many unforeseen issues including financial problems and difficulty performing well in studies. In a survey conducted by The Mercury, 9% of respondents said they would not be willing to stay enrolled at UTD if the upcoming semester was online, primarily citing reasons…
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‘I feel that I’m not being seen or heard’
When classes transitioned online, psychology junior Labiba Zarin Halim said she was not adequately accommodated and is concerned about how the OSA will function in the fall. Halim is deaf, and the OSA typically provides her with accommodations including a Signed Exact English interpreter, extra time on her exams, preferential seating to view her interpreter…
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‘If those 90 days pass, they lose their status and they’ll have to go home’
International students who graduated in May 2020 face questions about their employment and residency status amidst a shifting market. After completion of UTD’s graduate program, many international students choose to stay in the United States to pursue employment for up to a year past their graduation. This Optional Practical Training (OPT), designed to complement their…
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UTD Presidential Town Hall – 6.24.2020
Click here for town hall recording Note from the editor: Although the university should be providing their own recording of the town hall, we wanted to give you access to my recording in the interim. (While I tried to limit background noise as much as possible, Teams notifications, typing sounds and my dog barking obnoxiously…
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‘You have a responsibility. Everyone has a responsibility.’
Tamara Havis is a computer engineering senior. Chizuruoke Ukachi-Nwata is a junior majoring in speech-language pathology and audiology. Axum Taylor is a junior majoring in interdisciplinary studies, with a concentration in public health. Taylor said she was responsible for creating a petition to UTD to stand in solidarity with black students, and that the petition…
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Dallas faces rise in domestic violence cases during shelter-in-place policies
Following the first wave of COVID-19 in the U.S. and the subsequent period of social distancing, an increase in cases of domestic violence has been observed across the country. In light of that, UTD faculty and staff shared their opinions on resources available through the university for students facing domestic violence. In the three weeks…