North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 2009 Page: 1 of 8
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Multimedia
Arts & Life
Sports
Views
Martial arts school trains
Facebook's "25 Things"
Freshman speedster off to a
Rev. Paul Carpenter
students En freestyle fighting
attracts national attention
fast start for the track team
speaks about the Bible
ntdaily.com
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Thursday, February 19, 2009
Volume 93 I Issue 18
Sunny
60° / 38°
N- i th Tex; i I) ailv
News 1,2
Arts & Life 3,4
Sports 5,6
Views 7
Classifieds 8
Games 8
Qntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
business college receives re-accreditation
By Mary Pharris
Senior StaffWriter
The College of Business
earned its re-accreditation in
January from the Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business International.
Accreditation by the asso-
ciation ensures that busi-
ness schools meet key criteria
like managing "resources to
achieve a vibrant and rela-
tive mission" and producing
"graduates who have achieved
specified learning goals,"
according the accredita-
tion's Web site. The college
has been accredited since
the early 1960s, said Grant
Miles, director of assess-
ment and accreditation for
the college.
"It indicates that we meet
standards that are recognized
worldwide now of excellence,"
said Finley Graves, dean of
the college.
The maintenance of the
accreditation process, or
re-accreditation, happens
every five years, Graves said.
Each year the college gathers
various reports, and then after
five years, the reports as a
whole are submitted to the
association, he said.
Making the grade
The association's visitation
team visited the NT campus in
October, Miles said. The team,
composed of deans from other
colleges of business, spent a
few days on campus meeting
with the faculty and adminis-
tration, and had the opportu-
nity to ask questions regarding
the reports. The visitation
team's report is then sent to
a re-accreditation committee
that gives final approval on
the process and also makes
sure schools are being held
to the same standards, Miles
said.
"I think in many ways [the
team is] trying to see if what
you wrote in the report is an
accurate reflection of what
you're really doing," he said.
Accreditation is important
because it allows students,
parents, alumni and employers
to know that NT's business
graduates receive a quality
education, and the college is
meeting the correct standards
in preparing students for busi-
ness careers, Graves said.
The process also benefits
the college because it allows
the college to receive feedback
on its practices, Miles said.
"It's a nice way for us to
kind of get both validation
and ideas," he said.
Pros and cons
Miles said the college
excelled in several areas,
according to the team's report.
The college's management
of faculty; undergraduate
programs such as the case
competition in graduating
seniors' business policy class;
raising the college's cumula-
tive grade-point average to
2.7 for admission to upper
level business classes; and
"We sailed right through. It
was wonderful to do that."
—Finley Graves
Dean of the College of Business
the college's advising system,
especially with transfer
students, are a few of the areas
mentioned, he said.
The college still needs to
work on its assessment skills
to ensure students are really
learning and to understand
what specific skills and abili-
ties do students need to have,
Miles said. The college has
tackled this by administering
more tests and surveys and
looking at specific projects
in terms of performance in a
particular area, he said.
"Two people can both get
a 'B' but be strong or weak
in different areas," he said.
"Assessment tries to move you
beyond just the grade."
Both Miles and Graves said
the accreditation process
is really a group effort that
requires the support of the
college's administration and
faculty members.
"We sailed right through,"
Graves said. "It was wonderful
to do that."
ov. Perry issues legislative state school overhaul
By Courtney Roberts
Senior StaffWriter
Gov. Rick Perry declared
a legislative emergency on
Feb. 3 for the protection of
mentally disabled residents
at the 13 Texas state schools,
primarily to overhaul secu-
rity and establish a governor-
appointed ombudsman
to investigate injuries and
deaths.
As the largest state school
in Texas, the Denton State School
came under investigation by the
U.S. Department of justice, which
eventually released its findings in
December.
The Justice Department started
investigating allegations of abuse
and neglect at the Lubbock State
School in 2005, which led to new
policies in the Department of
Aging and Disability Services,
which oversees Texas state
schools, said Sen. Jane Nelson
(R-Flower
Mound),
who wrote
the bill.
According to the
investigative report,
at least 114 facility
residents died from
September 2007 through
September 2008. Of those resi-
dent deaths, at least 53 were
related to pneumonia, respira-
toryfailure or bowel obstruction
— "preventable conditions that
are often the result of lapses in
care or a failure to put medical
i nterventions in place in a timely
manner," the report stated.
From January to September
2008, residents were hospitalized
on at least 1,409 occasions, with
many of the cases coming from
preventable conditions.
Denton State School superin-
tendent Nancy Condon had no
comment and referred all ques-
tions to the school's media rela-
tions at the Texas Department of
Aging and Disability Services.
"We are still in the process of
negotiating with the Department
of Justice," said Laura Albrecht, a
spokeswoman at the department.
"We have always worked with
the state legislature to improve
the quality of care of our indi-
viduals."
Experiences with the State
School
Since 1960, the Denton State
School on State School Road
has served as an intermediate
care facility for
all stages
of mental
disability
byproviding
r eha-
^ Lubbock
w Stat*5cfioo1
State School
State School
El Pato
Sute
S jn Arcelo
State School
State School
State School
bilita-
tion and
medical
services. As a
result of House
Bill 2292, the School
transitioned services
from the Texas Department
of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation to Texas Department
of Aging and Disability Services
in September 2004.
Elaine Robinson, a supportive
home living team leader at the
Denton County Mental Health
and Mental Retardation Center,
remembers certain instances
working in the girls' behavior
dorm at the Denton State School
as a nurse's aid and community
supervisor in 1984.
"We used a lot of restraints,"
she said. "The only bad thing I
remember when I was out there
for the first of the three times was
we did have one consumer die
while in a restraint."
Robinson said that the
consumer, or patient, was held
down by the staff when she aspi-
rated.
"She vomited and it aspirated
into her lungs, but no one saw
her do it," she said, "It could have
been prevented if she had been
lying on her side but back in the
'80s, the staff was taught to lie
the consumer down on his or
her back."
Inadequate staffing is also
another reason, Robinson said,
that has caused
the school to
struggle, espe-
cially with the
employment
turnover.
"When
they have
a turnover,
they end
up hiring
whoever can
be employed and
you can see the differ-
ence between the people
that want the paycheck more
than those who want to help
work with the consumers," she
said.
Richard Smith, the depart-
ment chair of NT's Behavior
Analysis and Research Center,
said in his 15 years of working
with the school, his undergrad-
uate and graduate students have
always had a positive experience
through the behavior analysis
class program.
"I would say that Texas in
general has struggled to main-
tain currency with the state of
the science in terms of the treat-
Photo by Clinton Lynch/Photographer
Serving more than 700 residents and providing jobs for more than 1,300 employees, Denton State School is one of the
largest state schools in Texas.
24
By the Numbers
204
hours residential
services are provided
640
residents in the
Denton State School
acres on
the campus
$67.4
million
schools budget for
fiscal year 2009
1,500
staff at the Denton
State School
13
state schools in
Texas
Graphic Courtesy of Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services
ment of behavior problems...
that's why there's involvement
with the Department of Justice
now," he said. "Although it is a
mix for a tough time for the state
school and all the people associ-
ated with it, I think the outcome
is going to be very positive with
the state looking to us to provide
some leadership."
Where the bill is going
In the next week, the Senate
Committee on Health and Human
Services will have a hearing so
that the public can comment on
the legislation.
"This is the first step in
the legislative process, which
requires that the bill receive
enough support to pass in the
Senate," Sen. Nelson said. "Then
it will go to the House for consid-
eration and, hopefully, to the
governor for his signature."
After the investigation report,
Denton State School authorities
had no comment on whether
they were going to immediately
begin implementing improve-
ments in areas where the Center
for Medicare and Medicaid
inspection cited the school for
deficiencies.
"We are always trying to
conduct continuous improve-
ments at all the state schools,"
Albrecht said.
Dodge dispels rumors o leaving
Poll lists Dodge
for Westlake
High School
By Keith MacPherson
Sports Editor
When Derek Long, former
athletic director and head
football coach of Austin
Westlake High School, retired
last month, rumors swirled
on whom his successor might
be.
One of the names brought
up was Mean Green football
head coach Todd Dodge. A
poll by the Austin American-
Statesman had Dodge as the
second leading possible coach
to most likely be Westlake's
next head coach.
Yesterday Dodge dispelled
those rumors in a prepared
statement to the Daily.
"Although it is flattering to
know that my body of work
as a head coach is respected
enough to be mentioned
when openings like this arise,
I am totally committed to the
University of North Texas
and rebuilding this football
program," Dodge said.
Dodge also said that he
would return next year as
head coach and looks forward
to the challenges ahead.
"I am dedicated to
returning Mean Green foot-
ball to a place of prominence
in the Sun Belt Conference
and making this team a
subject of pride for all of the
students, alumni and fans,"
he said.
Al Bennett, assistant
athletic director at Austin
Westlake, said he believes
that Dodge applying for the
job would be unlikely
"I think it would be far-
fetched to think he would
come down here," Bennett
said. "We can't offer the type
of money [NT1 is paying him
now."
Dodge was hired to replace
former head coach Darrell
Dickey in December of 2006.
His contract with NT runs
until August of 2012.
He has close ties to Austin
Westlake as his father-in-law,
Ebbie Neptune, spent 21 years
as athletic director at the
high school before retiring
in 2003.
Todd Dodge
A passion or ighting
Photo by Khai Ha/Staff Photographer
NT student Connor Patrick hones his fighting skills several days a week
at Texas Elite Mixed Martial Arts. "I just love to learn how to fight," said
Patrick, a mass communications and rhetoric freshman. "It's just kind of a
weird passion that drives me."
o
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North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 2009, newspaper, February 19, 2009; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145662/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.