Iraqi leaders predict constitution will pass

Nancy A. Youssef, Knight Ridder… Iraqi leaders predict constitution will pass

Nancy A. Youssef, Knight Ridder Newspapers

BAGHDAD, Iraq – As election officials began to count ballots on Sunday, Iraqi officials predicted the nation’s proposed constitution would pass.

Iraq’s minority Sunni Muslims, who controlled the government in the Saddam Hussein era, largely oppose the draft constitution because they fear it gives too much power to the majority Shiite Muslims and that provisions for regional autonomy could lead to the breakup of the country.

If the final results show that Sunnis largely voted against the constitution, the country could become even more polarized along sectarian lines.

President George W. Bush in a statement Sunday congratulated Iraqis on the election. He said he was pleased that turnout was higher and Sunnis participated in greater numbers than in the last election, which Sunnis boycotted. He also noted that violence was lower than in the last election.

Public tuition up 22 percent since 2001, national report says

Alex Abnos, U-WIRE (DC BUREAU)

(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON – The cost of attending a four-year public university rose by 22 percent between 2001 and 2004, according to a U.S. Department of Education report released this month.

According to the annual report, in-state students at public institutions are feeling the brunt of a nationwide increase in education costs.

The average price for an in-state student to attend a four-year public institution increased 33 percent from $11,700 in 2001 to $14,320 in 2004. Out-of-state students saw their total costs rise 27.2 percent from $17,576 in 2001 to $21,621 in 2004.

The cost increases also affected students attending two-year programs at state schools. In-state students in two-year programs saw costs rise from $7,877 in 2001 to $9,257 in 2005, a margin of exactly 30 percent. Increases for out-of-state two-year students rose by 19.1 percent, from $10,077 in 2001 to $11,876 in 2002.

Bush aides illegally bought positive news coverage, say officials

Alexandra Aaron, U-WIRE (DC BUREAU)

(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON – Bush administration officials broke the law when they paid a reporter to favorably portray Bush’s education policies, according to a report released in October by the Government Accountability Office.

The report is the first effort by the congressional agency to investigate the legality of the sponsored news coverage.

The Bush administration paid conservative journalist Armstrong Williams to describe the administration as being “committed to education,” the report said.

The Department of Education is reported to have paid $186,000 to Ketchum Inc., a public relations firm, for hiring Williams to comment on various education issues, including the No Child Left Behind act, the Bush administration’s flagship education program.

Federal proposal targets opinionated profs

Zach Ahmad, U-WIRE (DC BUREAU)

(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON – A new bill in Congress aiming to add political diversity to university classrooms is causing controversy among academics.

Included in the 2005 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, to be voted on by the House and Senate this fall, is an amendment establishing an Academic Bill of Rights meant to maintain an ideological balance in class discussions.

The bill seeks to keep political discussions out of subjects in which they have no place and ensure that students hear “dissenting viewpoints” in the classroom. Opponents call the measure redundant and unnecessary.

The measure is the brainchild of Students for Academic Freedom, an advocacy group founded by conservative commentator David Horowitz. The group said it aims to get schools to take a second look at what they see as a growing political militancy among college professors.