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Graduate Schools /
University of Arizona |
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| Table of Contents |
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Current state of the university |
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- Current funding considerations have led to a State-wide reorganization of the programs offered at each of Arizona's
Universities. Known as "Focused Excellence," this reorganization aims to focus the mission of the University of Arizona upon
research through eliminating and merging less popular and low-revenue academic departments.
- Other state higher education re-alignment plans call for the University of Arizona and Arizona State University to remain
academically elite, research oriented universities while creating several "regional" university systems from Northern Arizona University, UA South [2]
 in Sierra Vista, and ASU West [3] in Phoenix.
- Additionally, the University of Arizona is the only remaining PAC-10 conference school to not award plus and minus grades for
courses. Currently, grades are given on a strict 4-point scale with "A" worth 4, "B" worth 3, "C" worth 2, "D" worth 1 and "E"
worth zero points. Discussions with students and faculty may lead the U of A towards using a plus-minus grading system in the
future. Administrators say that the change could occur as early as Fall 2006. [4]
- Uncertainty currently surrounds the future of common commencement
ceremonies for the entire student body. Critics of the large ceremony argue that the event has become marred by misbehavior
of graduates; the administration has vowed to cancel undergraduate commencement in favor of individual college convocations if
behavior does not improve. Partially at issue is the tradition in which graduates fling tortillas into the air (in a manner similar to throwing mortarboards) during the ceremony. Critics of this behavior argue it is disruptive, potentially dangerous,
offensive to Mexican Americans, and insensitive to the plight of the hungry and needy. Proponents of tortilla throwing argue it
is a harmless and fun tradition.[5] The future of commencement ceremonies at
the University of Arizona will remain uncertain pending the decision of the university administration. Behavior at the December,
2004 ceremony will likely be the deciding factor.
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| Interesting Fact |
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| Since 1990, the percentage of college freshmen who believe that marijuana should be legalized has doubled. |
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| Did you know... |
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| The MyPlan.com Jr. College Database provides detailed profiles on more than 1,100 different community colleges in the U.S. |
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