Alex Kedler/Chronicle

Columbia’s problems with the two Rs

So tuition is going up. Surprise, surprise. President Warrick L. Carter has been warning us for awhile—the school is more than 87 percent tuition-dependent. Budget-crunches hit and the administration really doesn’t have much choice: They have to pass the savings (or lack thereof) onto us.

But going hand in hand with the tuition problem are the two Rs: retention and recruitment. Columbia has, historically, had problems with both.

The open admissions policy affects retention. Some students who come here have no intention of seeing out a four-year program. Columbia has tried to weed out some of the less serious students with its bridge program, where at-risk students who wish to enroll must first complete a summer skills update. But the problem still exists.
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John West/Chronicle www.johnwestcomics.com

High price tag won’t guarantee prestige

His message came as no apology. In President Carter’s comment in the April 7 issue of the Chronicle, he announced that Columbia students could expect a tuition increase to $14,880 for the 2003-2004 school year. “The bottom line is this: We are increasing tuition. We don’t want to,” Carter said. “We are seeking additional sources of scholarship funds to support our students.”
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Alcohol tax wrong filler for budget holes

(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES—The state of California is considering an alcohol tax known as “Five-for-Life.” It would tax every alcoholic drink sold by 5 cents over the wholesale price and use the money to reimburse emergency rooms and trauma centers for alcohol-related incidents.
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New privacy rule for government to ignore

Most people aren’t aware that the level of privacy of our health records and information will be stepped up this week. Health care practitioners are gearing up to comply with an April 14 deadline for privacy protection regulations imposed under The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (aka the Privacy Rule).
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WHO intervenes in the SARS disease

(U-WIRE) TAMPA, Fla.—Some come with a Burberry or Louis Vuitton label—just don’t say they take your breath away.
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