Campus:
UB MBA program ranks nationally
The School of Management was placed on Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking of the nation’s best full-time MBA programs, ranking No. 47. The school ranks No. 22 among public universities. There are more than 16,000 business schools worldwide and UB’s School of Management is one of roughly 775 schools recognized by the AACSB International and the only school in the Buffalo Niagara region to be placed in Bloomberg’s ranking.
UB developing MOOC series
UB is currently developing a “101” series of massive open online courses (MOOCs), according to a news release. The series will focus on digital manufacturing and design. The courses is expected to debut in January 2017 on the Coursera platform, which is already home to various MOOCs created across colleges and universities.
The Chicago-based Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) is initiating the project.
The AAUP announces its support for sanctuary campus movement The American Association of University Professors’ national council issued a statement in support of the campus sanctuary movement. The council called for all university administrators and students to “unite against” the rise in hate crimes.
“While colleges and universities must obey the law, administrations must make all efforts to guarantee the privacy of immigrant students and pledge not to grant access to information that might reveal their immigration status unless so ordered by a court of law,” according to the statement.
UB students and faculty have recently called on President Satish Tripathi to make UB a sanctuary campus.
Locally:
Investigation of Canisius College student homicide
Canisius freshman Victoria Brooks and her mother Christie Brooks were murdered during Thanksgiving weekend in their Rochester home. No arrests have been made and investigation is in initial stages.
Refugee resettlement to begin in Niagara Falls in 2017
Roughly 50 refugees are expected to resettle in Niagara Falls next year as part of Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County, according to The Buffalo News.
Jewish Family Service will be the first refugee resettlement in Niagara Falls.
Officials don’t know where the refugees are coming from, but within the past 15 years, the majority of Buffalo refugees have come from Burma.
Nationally:
Trump’s top aide against considering Mitt Romney for secretary of state
President-elect Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and current senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said that she does not approve of Trump possibly selecting former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as secretary of state. Conway said on Sunday in an interview with CNN that Trump’s supporters feel “betrayed” that Romney is even being considered for the position.
"It's just breathtaking in scope and intensity the type of messages I've received from all over the country ... the number of people who feel betrayed to think that Gov. Romney would get the most prominent Cabinet post after he went so far out of his way to hurt Donald Trump," Conway said in the interview with CNN’s Dana Bush.
Conway tweeted that she has already discussed her disapproval with Trump in private.
Trump speaks out against recount efforts
Trump took put out a slew of tweets on Saturday and Sunday calling the current electoral vote recount efforts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania a "scam" that will make no difference in the results of the presidential election.
The president-elect criticized Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who gave roughly $5 million to the recount project, according to CNN. He also spoke out against Hillary Clinton’s campaign, who said they would also participate in the recount effort. Conway referred to those participating in the recount initiative as a "pack of sore losers." Clinton gained roughly 2 million more popular votes than Trump, but still was unable to win over the Electoral College.
Globally:
Fidel Castro dies at age 90
Long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro died on Friday. Castro famously came to power in 1959 after overthrowing the former Batista regime and declaring Cuba a socialist state.
Castro was best-known for his defiance of the U.S. President Barack Obama aimed to heal the bad relations between Cuba and the U.S. by ending an embargo between the two countries in 2015.
Some analysts say Cubans now face an uncertain economic and political future. Fidel, who has been sick for the last decade, ceded power to his brother Raúl Castro in 2008.
South Korean protesters call for president to resign
In South Korea, President Park Geun-hye’s approval ratings have dropped into single-digits and hundreds of thousands of protesters came out Saturday to call for her resignation, according to CNN.
President Park is accused of allowing her confidant Choi to view confidential documents and speeches. Choi is accused of using her relationship with the president to accumulate millions of dollars in donations to her foundations. She is being charged with abuse of power, fraud and coercion, and two of the president’s former aides also face criminal charges.
Park cannot be charged because the South Korean president is given immunity while in power. She has apologized, but refuses to step down and is set to leave office in February 2018.
News desk can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com
