April 18, 2007

HEARTBREAK AT HARTLAND

A story of hope pending

I hope that the University of Utah will continue to bring together local, state, and federal decision makers who will develop policy and programs that increase the availability of affordable housing for the residents of Utah.

~Rosemarie Hunter, Director, UNP
Click here to read an interview with Rosemarie Hunter

Hartland Apartment is home to nearly 1,000 African, Latino, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern residents and for the past few years, University Neighborhood Partners (UNP), the U’s collaborative project with the Westside community, has had a unique partnership with its residents. A few years ago, UNP organized an education/community center in one of the vacant apartments—which quickly expanded to two—and Hartland owners made the space available at no charge.

The UNP/Hartland Partnership Center developed teams of faculty and students from the U of U and other community organizations to provide myriad social and educational programs, so most of the support system for Hartland families is community-based—a neighbor may also provide transportation to work or to child care; the person in the apartment above may translate and assist with paying bills.

In March, new owners increased the monthly rent by $50 to $200. They also said that Section 8 vouchers, which subsidize rent, would no longer be accepted. After some lobbying by concerned groups, the owners and housing authorities were able to reach an agreement that vouchers from current residents would be accepted. It is still unclear if Section 8 vouchers will be accepted from new residents. In addition, approximately 40 percent of Hartland residents are supported by a rental assistance program known as HODAG (an old HUD program) which ends in August. There is no replacement program.

The situation at Hartland is not about a change in ownership. It is about the increasing lack of affordable housing along the Wasatch Front and across the nation. It is about social justice.
~ Rosemarie Hunter

“As Hartland residents are forced to move to new locations, their support systems become fragmented,” says Rosemarie Hunter, UNP’s director. And the situation at Hartland is not unique. There are several similar apartment complexes currently on the market. “This is just one example of what is happening all across the valley,” says Hunter. “With affordable housing in Salt Lake City continuing to diminish at alarming rates, refugees, immigrants, and native Utahns do not have adequate access to affordable housing. The situation is now a crisis.”

Heartland Apartments
Interview with Rosemarie Hunter

It is important that the readers understand that the UNP/Hartland partnership is not a service program. The professors and students who are at Hartland are teaching and learning with the residents. It is a sharing of information. New knowledge and skills are developing daily for students, faculty, and residents.

~ Rosemarie Hunter, Director, UNP

FYI: What are you hearing from residents at Hartland?

ROSEMARIE HUNTER: Hartland has a diverse population…about half of the residents have refugee status, but the other half are immigrants and native Utahns. Many of these families have had to leave their homes and families in the past so there is concern and anxiety. The most difficult part is not knowing what will happen—and when. Will the notice come tomorrow? Next week? Next month? How much will the increase be? The daily uncertainty is stressful. At the same time, Hartland residents are proactively asking questions, wanting information, and verbalizing their concerns directly with management.

FYI: How many families are being affected by this rent hike?

HUNTER: All Hartland residents will receive a rent hike…it will affect everyone. More than 300 families are at risk of losing their residence.

FYI: What’s the current situation?

HUNTER: The situation changes daily. Approximately 30 residents have received non-renewal lease notices so far. The UNP/Hartland Partnership Center has been successful in slowing things down and working with management to identify families at risk of not having their lease renewed. Faculty and students from the U’s occupational therapy and social work programs have been effective in working one-on-one with families to address areas of concern and working collaboratively to find solutions. At the same time, this is a large complex and we are dealing with an affordable housing crisis. We have some of the best professionals and students on site to address these issues.

FYI: What is your greatest fear?

HUNTER: Families and friends live as a community and support each other so most of the support system for Hartland families is community-based—a neighbor may also be your transportation to work or your child’s ride to day care while you attend classes; the person in the apartment above you may translate for you and assist you with paying your bills. As Hartland residents move to new locations, their support systems become fragmented.

Housing authorities have informed us that there are approximately 7,000 people on the Section 8 waiting list for affordable housing. Depending on the agency, this means a 12- to 24-month wait. When people hear about this wait, they become discouraged and don’t get on the list—and it’s crucial that families who are in need of affordable housing are connected to housing agencies and added to this process.

The public views this crisis as unique to the Hartland complex, or unique to refugees and immigrant populations, but this is just one example of what is happening all across the valley. Refugee, immigrants, and native Utahans do not have adequate access to affordable housing. I’ve heard that there are several apartment complexes similar to Hartland currently on the market.

FYI: What are you hoping will happen, and what is realistic, to expect?

HUNTER: I hope that the University of Utah will continue to bring together local, state and federal decision makers who will develop policy and programs that increase the availability of affordable housing for the residents of Utah.

We are aware of what is occurring at Hartland because the University is part of its community. Currently, there are 46 students from seven different departments and college placed at Hartland for training and research, and faculty and staff from across the University supervise and guide the teaching and learning.

Challenges of affordable housing have always been present and are increasing. A situation like Hartland happens every single day. But the University is a now a witness to the effects of the lack of affordable housing on Salt Lake City residents. The University needs to continue to collaborate with residents and community partners to address the issues and be part of the solution. As a Research 1 institution, the University has the opportunity—and the obligation—to utilize its research and scholarship to inform social policy that will address the issues of affordable housing.

April is National Poetry Month

Katharine Coles was named to a five-year term in 2006 as Poet Laureate of Utah. She teaches creative writing and literature, directs the Creative Writing Program, and co-directs, with Fred Adler, the annual Utah Symposium in Science and Literature. Coles has published three collections of poems, The Golden Years of the Fourth Dimension, A History of the Garden, and The One Right Touch, and two novels, Fire Season and The Measurable World. Her fourth poetry collection, Fault, will be published in 2008 by Red Hen Press.

Coles will give a reading of her work April 26 and a workshop April 27 in Moab. For more information on Coles, click here.

Here is a sonnet, the fourth section of one of her poems called “Good Eye.”

4. So: happiness. I think all the time
Of luck. Once, I raised my eyes to see
A flock of southbound geese inscribe the moon:
V for virtue, voracious, velocity’s
Swift kick to the ribs, for the flight
Of beating ghosts, for geese wheeling
To their private star, some small light
Only they can read by. How do they feel it?
A signal on the brain, in the heart—
Call it lodestar, magnet, pulling them
Across the helpless heavens. I’ve no such art,
No sure sign how to travel home.
So I wander, happy. And why not?
How lost can I be? My tiny planet?

~Katharine Coles, Utah Poet Laureate

 

FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE LECTURE
Why are Bacteria Winning the Antibiotic War?

Lucy Shapiro
Wednesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology Building

Antibiotics, widely used since the 1950s, now are often ineffective because bacteria have developed resistance to the medications. New antibiotics cannot keep pace in this biological arms race. “Furthermore, there is an increase in relevant infectious diseases around the world due to overpopulation, globalization, and urbanization,” says Lucy Shapiro, professor of developmental biology at Stanford University. “This results in a lethal combination of emerging diseases and loss of effective antibiotics. We are rapidly reaching a critical stage.” Shapiro will discuss this challenge and how scientists are facing it at this season’s final Frontiers of Science lecture on April 18.

AIDS, SARS, West Nile virus and avian flu are stark reminders that new diseases are emerging and old ones are reappearing in new places. “Multiple factors have contributed to this escalating scenario,” says Shapiro. “The world is now a global village, there is a loss of control of national borders, there are significant populations of aging and immune-compromised people, there are drastic changes in global ecology, and migration pathways of animals and insects are changing due to urbanization and global warming.”

This global threat has economic and political implications. “Large networks of epidemiologists and scientists worldwide are now working to coordinate detection, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious disease flare-ups in order to contain the threat of pandemics,” says Shapiro.

The Frontiers of Science lecture series is celebrating its 40th year in 2007, making it one of the longest-running lecture series in the U’s history. It is now co-hosted by the College of Science and the College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The law firm Workman Nydegger of Salt Lake City is sponsoring the April 18 event. For more information call 581-3124.

FYI Mystery Photo Contest!
What is it? Where is it on campus?

Photo by Ann Floor

Send your answer (be specific!) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by noon on Thursday, Apr. 19 for a chance to win two tickets to Tiempo Libre on May 2 complements of Kingsbury Hall. From their native Cuba, Miami-based Tiempo Libre brings high-energy timba, a mix of Latin, jazz, and seductive rhythms to the stage. (Good luck staying in your seat when this hot young Latin band gets going.)

The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer. The winner will be listed in the May 2 FYI News.

Thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the prize!

This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.

Last Issue’s FYI Mystery Photo Contest Answer Click on photo for larger image The Apr. 4 FYI Mystery Photo was of the stairway on the southeast side of the Student Services Building. We received 141 correct answers and from those randomly chose the winner. Congratulations to Becca Wehunt—the lucky winner of the April 4 FYI Mystery Photo Contest! Becca has been an undergraduate research assistant in the biology department for almost a year and also serves as the student president of the Bennion Center. She will graduate this May and has plans to attend medical school. Becca received two tickets to Cirque Eloize Rain, courtesy of Kingsbury Hall. Many thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the prize. And thanks to everyone who entered the contest!

UVSC is now UVU
What does it mean for the U?

In the last 15 years Utah Valley State College (UVSC) has grown rapidly, in order to meet the needs of Utah County with its growing population. The demand for university-level education in that area has intensified as Brigham Young University has drawn an increasing percentage of its students from around the nation and from other countries. In time it is likely that UVSC, now Utah Valley University (UVU), will come to look a good deal like Weber State University to the north with a heavy emphasis on undergraduate education and a few high-demand graduate programs.

This past session, the Legislature appropriated $8 million in ongoing funding to support the move to university status. It is unclear whether those funds would have gone to higher education if the funds had not been used for that purpose. UVU may receive another, albeit smaller amount of mission-change funding next year. Longer term, UVU’s share of higher education funding will more likely be the result of factors such as enrollment growth or program initiatives rather than university status in itself.

Thanks to John Francis, senior associate vice president for academic affairs, and Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning, for providing this information.

Congratulations & Kudos

Hatch Prize
The University Teaching Committee has selected Gene Fitzgerald, professor of Languages and Literature, as the 2007 recipient of The Calvin S. And JeNeal Hatch Prize in Teaching.

Distinguished Professors
The following faculty members have been named Distinguished Professors for 2007: Brenda Bass, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry; Mary Beckerle, Distinguished Professor of Biology; Cynthia Burrows, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry; James O’Connell, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; and Anil Virkar, Distinguished Professor of Material Science and Engineering. In addition, it was recommended that Arthur Brief be appointed a Presidential Professor of Management as much of his work has been done outside the University of Utah.

Early Teaching Awards
Five faculty members have been named to receive the Early Teaching Award. They include Steven Burian, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Jonathan Butner, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology; Nancy McLaughlin, Professor, College of Law; David Morton, Assistant Professor/Lecturer, Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy; and Paula Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Family & Consumer Studies.

Marriott Library Journals

• Marriott Library Urges all to sign petition
Access to federally funded research in peril
In response to an alarming decline in access to publicly-funded research in the United States—in large part because of increased prices charged by publishers of journals—a petition is being sent around the country supporting public access to research funded by the United States government. The petition also calls for the reintroduction and passage of the Federal Research Public Access Act. You are urged to sign the petition, available at www.publicaccesstoresearch.com.

• Journals Review at Marriott Library
Researchers and others are encouraged to assess the journal titles under review for subscription renewal online and send comments by June 10. For more information, call 587-9167.

Know Your U: History 101
A Little More on Cottam's Gulch

In response to the Know Your U: Cottam’s Gulch article by Paul Mogren in the April 4 FYI, we received additional information from Brent Howcroft, a computer technician for Student Affairs, who spent the year 2000 as a seasonal gardener on staff at Red Butte Garden.

As with any story, there is much more about Walter P. Cottam that should be noted. Cottam, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology, was the organizer of the State Arboretum of Utah and co-authored the book Oak Hybridization at the University of Utah (State Arboretum of Utah, Publication No. 1: 1982) which was a summary of data from an oak hybridization project at the U between 1961 and 1971. In what could be considered the most extensive and successful controlled hybridization project of this genus in the United States, 43 different inter-specific hybrid combinations and three inter-subgeneric hybrids were produced, the majority of which were new to science.

In addition to Cottam’s Gulch, Cottam’s Oak Grove, located inside the boundary of Red Butte Garden near its maintenance facility and green houses, recognizes this distinguished teacher, researcher, and eminent ecologist for his accomplishments in fostering conservation and organizing the State Arboretum of Utah. The historic planting of trees in Red Butte Garden, so carefully nurtured by Cottam, was officially dedicated by U of U President David P. Gardner on September 24, 1977, as the Cottam Hybrid Oak Grove of the State Arboretum of Utah.

Cottam was responsible for cataloging and placing name tags on many of the unique foreign and domestic tree specimens that add character and beauty to the older buildings around campus. He is also world famous for his work in developing new species of Gamble Oak Trees, many of which display their oversized leaves and drop outrageously huge acorns in the fall. So stroll through the campus, enjoy and admire the Gamble Oaks, and watch for the name tags on the older trees on campus. Then thank Walter P. Cottam for his years of genius and dedication to beautifying our campus.

~Brent Howcroft

Bulletin Board

Note: After the next FYI on May 2, we’ll be on hiatus for the summer—
back again in late August when fall semester begins.

• U Golf Course Super League
Don’t be a Noonan. Join the U Golf Course Super League!
Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the U Golf Course will be U Super League madness from now until fall. And you should join. The new league is open to all faculty, staff, and students; costs a mere $30 to join; plays on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (take your pick); has men’s and women’s divisions; pays out one third of the field each week; and is way more fun than work or class! Go to the course, or call 581-6511 to sign up. But first, click on this link for a fun message about the Super League.

• Open Enrollment Ends April 30
Applications due March 28
By now, you should have received your 2007 open enrollment benefits package in the mail. New features this year include an employee wellness program, a college savings plan, a new flexible spending account administrator, and a new life insurance carrier.

Remaining open enrollment Q & A sessions will be held:
• Wednesday, April 18, University Hospital (1st Floor Bridge) 7 – 9:30 a.m.
• Thursday, April 19, Olpin Union Building (East Ballroom) 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 20, University Hospital (1st Floor Bridge) 9 – 11 a.m.
• Monday, April 23, Ambassador Building (500 E 200 S) 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 27, Human Resources Office (420 Wakara Way) 2 – 4 p.m.

For more information, contact Human Resources Benefits Department at 581-7447 or benefits@hr.utah.edu. Also check online at www.hr.utah.edu/ben/.

• Sustainability Office in the offing?
The Daily Utah Chronicle recently reported that a student-led effort to encourage environmentally-friendly efforts on campus has prompted administrators to create a new office of campus sustainability which could be up and running as soon as July. The office, which will be partially funded from student tuition, will develop new ways to minimize the U’s environmental impact, publicize measures the U is already taking to become more sustainable, and encourage student participation in its efforts. Lindsay Clark, a student with Sustainable Environments and Ecological Design (SEED), the campus group that created the proposal for the new office says, “We’re doing a lot more than people know about.”

• Big bucks for HCI
A recent ASUU fundraiser, Rock the U Dance Marathon—in its first year—brought in a record-breaking $93,000 to benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Similar first-year dance marathon fundraisers at colleges around the country bring in between $10-15K.

• Become an organ and tissue donor
More than 95,000 people are on the organ transplant waiting list, but the number of registered organ and tissue donors in Utah ages 19-26 is on the decline. BioSAC encourages the U community to register as donors. Stop by the Olpin Union April 18 or visit www.idslife.org to learn more. One donor can improve the lives of up to 58 people.

• Have you had cancer?
Study participants wanted
The Division of Physical Therapy is conducting an IRB-approved research study to determine the impact of an easily-tolerated exercise program for older adult cancer survivors. Participants must be at least 65 years old; a survivor of breast, colon, lung, prostate, lymphoma, ovarian, bladder, or esophageal cancer with no evidence of disease; and at least six months post-treatment. For more information, call 581-5407.

• Summer camps and classes for kids
Pre-school to high school
Enrollment is now open for summer classes (“SummersCOOL”) and week-long day camps (“Club U”) which run June 4-Aug. 17. From recreation, art, and technology to music, science, and languages, options abound! All benefits-eligible faculty and staff receive 15 percent discount on tuition. For more information, call 581-6984 or see www.youth.utah.edu.

• Marriott Library Book Sale to move
The Marriott Library’s Book sale will be moving to a new location in the Records Center and Archive Building on Guardsman Way (Building 213) on May 4. In preparation for the move, all items are currently half price. For hours of operation or more information, call 581-7526.

Upcoming on Campus

• Earth Week 2007
Now through April 21
Earth Week 2007 events are now in full swing. Plan to participate in the remaining activities.

• April 18, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Olpin Union Patio
Recycling table showcases new ideas for improved campus-wide recycling program.

• April 19, 6:30 p.m., Union Theatre
Award-winning documentary, Crude Impact, examines the relationships between humans and our use of oil. Discussion will follow with Post Carbon Salt Lake, a local group concerned with the issue of Peak Oil.

• April 20, 3 – 7 p.m., Red Butte Garden
A nature hike through the natural areas in Red Butte Garden

• April 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., OSH 175
A conference titled “Sustainable Living: Securing our Future,” with a keynote presentation by Smitu Kothari, an expert on global climate change in India and the U.C. Kothari is a visiting professor at Cornell and Princeton universities; an editor and political organizer whose latest book is Ecological Justice: Nature, Culture and Democracy. Registration is free and includes lunch. Register online at www.aidemocracy.org/seed.cfm or at the door.

Earth Week events are presented by The Stegner Center at the Quinney College of Law, The Environmental Studies Program, A.I.D., and SEED. For more information, call 518-8717.

• Annual Spring Football Game
Saturday, April 21, 1 p.m., Rice-Eccles Stadium
The annual Red and White Spring football game is aways a favorite. For ticket information, call 581-UTIX.

• Antiques Roadshow: Salt Lake City
Mondays in April at 7 p.m. on KUED-7
April 23: Appraisers examine a rare 1851 first edition of The Pearl of Great Price.
April 30: At the Utah Museum of Natural History, appraisers learn about the world of the rock hound and the market in minerals. The programs are repeated several times throughout the week. For more information, see www.kued.org.

• U of U to host NCAA championships
April 26-28, Jon M. Huntsman Center
The Utah Women’s Gymnastics Team will host the 2007 NCAA championships at the Huntsman Center April 26-28. For more information contact Head Coach Greg Marsden at gmarsden@huntsman.utah.edu.

• Free admission day at Red Butte Garden
Friday, April 27
Arbor Day is Friday, April 27 and admission to Red Butte Garden is free from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. thanks to Salt Lake County voters and to the Zoo, Arts, and Parks funds.

• Commencement
Friday, May 4, Jon M. Huntsman Center
Commencement/convocation exercises will be held Friday, May 4 for all U graduates except for College of Law graduates (May 11) and School of Medicine graduates (May 19). Questions? Call 581-7852 or click here.

• 2007 Small Business Supplier Showcase
Thursday, May 10, 8 a.m. – 12 noon, Olpin Union Ballroom
U employees are invited to network with representatives from Salt Lake area small businesses. A procurement business forum, from 9 – 11 a.m. in the Saltair Room, will address procurement and supply management changes; small business requirements for federal contracts; and the purchasing card program with a demonstration of the new bank system, PaymentNet. To register, visit http://fbs.admin.utah.edu, then click on Training, then Best Practice Workshop, then one of the Supplier Showcase links. Questions? Call 581-7241 or send e-mail to pcard@purchasing.utah.edu.

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