The Parking Services Office is implementing several changes this spring and summer that will affect payroll deduction as well as handicapped, reserved and event parking.

University employees who are planning to discontinue their payroll deductions for parking services have until Tuesday, May 31, to cancel. Failure to meet this deadline will result in continued deductions. To cancel, send an email to ncatpark@ncat.edu with the subject "Cancel Payroll Deduction."

To ensure that the handicapped parking spaces on campus are being used by the appropriate patrons, Parking Services will institute a new Handicapped Parking Procedure. Beginning Sept. 1, the applicant must provide Parking Services with the following: (1) a valid driver's license, (2) a valid state registration and (3) a handicap placard. Upon verification, applicants will be issued a handicapped validation sticker at no cost. 

In an effort to facilitate a more structured and organized parking system, Parking Services will be changing the identification and location of assigned reserved spaces throughout the campus. All reserved spaces will be repainted, renumbered and clustered together. Reserved space owners will be notified with more details and provided a temporary reserved permit that will correspond with the proposed changes. This project will begin Friday, May 27, and continue throughout the summer. 

Beginning July 1, Parking Services will no longer suspend ticketing for events that do not involve the participation of the entire university. Events such as athletics and Homecoming are exempt. Departments will have the option of preregistering (invoice or prepay) their event or allowing visitors to pay upon arrival. More details regarding this new policy are forthcoming.  

For additional information on these changes, contact the Parking Services Office at (336) 285-2027.

Great seats are now available to N.C. A&T employees for the upcoming 2011 football season.

Employees have the opportunity to purchase up to four season ticket books at a reduced price in the reserved sections at Aggie Stadium. Season books are regularly $150; however, the discounted employee price is only $135.  

Tickets are on sale now through August 1. Tickets may be purchased via check or with a VISA, MasterCard or American Express card.

A new option this year is for employees to purchase season tickets through a12-month payroll deduction plan. Each season book will only cost $11.25 per month.  Payroll deductions will begin with the July pay period, and the deadline to take advantage of this offer is June 5.

"I look forward to rebuilding the football program and Aggie pride as I lead the 2011 Aggies," said Rod Broadway, new head football coach. "We want to see more A&T faculty and staff at the games supporting the team."

Don't want to miss the experience of Aggie football. Get your tickets today!

For more information on employee season tickets visit www.ncataggies.com and download the Employee Authorization Form, or call the Athletics Department at (336) 334-7686.

CHAPEL HILL, NC -- The 17-campus University of North Carolina has announced a three-year, $3-million grant from the Oak Foundation of Geneva, Switzerland, that will enable UNC campuses to better meet the needs of students who learn differently.  

The STAR project (Supporting Transition, Access and Retention) will provide a network of comprehensive services for students who historically have slipped through the cracks of the education system—students who are capable of successful college attendance and graduation, but who often struggle academically because they learn differently. Using the principles of a system developed at North Carolina State University called "Universal Design for Learning" and other resources, the project will also help faculty on UNC campuses identify and incorporate more effective strategies for teaching students with varying learning styles.

The grant will fund implementation of programming on three UNC campuses: East Carolina University, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a third campus yet to be determined. The longer-term goal is to expand the program to three additional UNC campuses and also to engage campuses within the North Carolina Community College System.

In announcing the grant, UNC President Tom Ross said, "We know that North Carolina's economic future hinges on our ability to get more of our young people better educated and equipped to compete for the jobs of tomorrow. This grant will help us make our campuses places where talented students who learn differently can get the services they need to be successful in college and in life. We are grateful for the Oak Foundation's support of our efforts and look forward to an ongoing collaboration."

Research suggests that 15 to 20 percent of today's students have what are now referred to as "learning differences"—developmental strengths and/or weaknesses that can cause smart, talented students to struggle in the classroom. In spite of demonstrated abilities, learning differences cause these students to attend and graduate from college at lower rates than their peers. UNC aims to become the first public university system to intentionally meet the support needs of students who learn differently and the instructional development needs of the faculty who teach them.  

The Oak Foundation commits its resources to address issues of global social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged.

The oldest public university in the nation, The University of North Carolina enrolls more than 220,000 students and encompasses all 16 of North Carolina's public institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees, as well as the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics, the nation's first public residential high school for academically gifted students.