Author Archives: John Moritz

Englert annouces search for permanent provost

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Acting President Richard Englert, on the behalf of future President Neil Theobald, announced Wednesday the start of an internal search process to find a new provost and senior vice president of academic affairs.

Theobald will take over the role of president beginning on Jan. 1. A search committee formed by the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Human Resources will propose a new candidate to Theobald no later than Feb. 1, according to a press release sent by Englert.

Nominees will be chosen from current tenured professors by a search committee composed of tenured and tenure track professors, deans, a university officer, Student Body President David Lopez or someone of his choosing, one graduate student nominated by the Graduate School, and a non-faculty staff member chosen by Englert.

Candidates are expected to have teaching as well as administrative experience, and experience with funded research projects, according to the press release.

Acting Provost Hai-Lung Dai has served as provost of the university since July 1, when Englert left the position to take over as acting president. The press release did not mention Dai.

Englert said the need to to fill interim dean positions as one of the main reasons for begining the search for a new permanent provost. There are currently five interim or acting deans at four colleges and University Libraries.

“The provost is one of the most important roles in the university, after that of the president. The provost provides vision and leadership for and oversight of our academic units and our core mission,” Englert said.

Sorority pledges announced on steps of Bell Tower

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Sorority rushes became pledges tonight after officially receiving their bids during an event held in front of the Bell Tower.

Hundreds of sisters, clad in the pinks, blues, and greens representing their respective sororities crowded in front of the Bell Tower while the pledges, who had been informed whether they received a bid earlier in the afternoon, lined up on the steps of Paley Library dressed mostly in sweatshirts.

As their names were announced through a megaphone above cheering crowds, the new pledges were led around the back of the Bell Tower and onto the steps where they presented their lettered T-shirts before rushing into the awaiting arms of the sisters of their sororities.

Afterwards, each sorority held a different event where pledges were told of the next steps in the process to become sisters.

Pa. Rep. wants to see Obama come to Main Campus

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Rep. Bob Brady, D – Pa., of the First Congressional District, which includes parts of Temple’s Main Campus east of Broad Street, said he would love to have President Obama visit Temple.

In a conference call, which also included Pennsylvania School Education Association President Mike Cossey, and City Councilman Bob Merski, the group spoke in support of President Obama’s plans for higher education, especially in the state of Pennsylvania.

When asked if the president had plans to visit Main Campus, Brady told The Temple News, “I would love to have to have him, we are fighting to get the president in the city of Philadelphia as many times as he’d like, and Temple would be a great place for him to go.”

Pennsylvania, a state with 20 electoral votes, is considered a swing state in the upcoming election.

Obama leads the polls in Pennsylvania with 49 percent for the president, according to the latest poll from Real Clear Politics.

Police investigating robbery-homicide near Health Sciences

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Temple police sent out an advisory to students and faculty informing them of a robbery homicide that occurred around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning near the Health Sciences Campus.

The incident occurred on the 3200 block of North 15th Street between Allegheny and Westmoreland Avenues. The victim was not a Temple student or employee, according to the advisory.

The email, sent at 1:56 p.m., stated that campus police “were just recently made aware of the exact location of the incident.”

At the time of the advisory, no arrests had been made and police are looking for a black male, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and riding a bike.

Anyone with information related to the crime can contact the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-3334.