The Dartmouth computer science department has implemented the College's first paperless office, according to department administrator Joseph Elsener. A digital document management system called eDrawer will replace paper-based recording and filing, reducing waste and saving money, Elsener said. Those in the department with security rights will be able to access and edit files on the system, which will hold both administrative documents and student files. The department's goal is to achieve sustainability, cut costs and improve department services by reducing the production of multiple documents and facilitating easier access to data, according to Elsener. The eDrawer software was purchased in August 2008 and is expected to pay for itself, saving approximately $4,000 in its first year of use, he added.
Researchers at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry found that the university spent an additional 40 cents for every dollar of outside grants to support newly recruited scientists, according to Inside Higher Ed. The Rochester study, published in Academic Medicine this month, followed the basic research of 25 assistant and full professors who were hired by the university between 1999 and 2006. Over this time, the researchers obtained $99.7 million in grants. Rochester spent an additional $39.9 million of the university's endowment and fundraising money to meet expenses, such as start-up packages and other benefits for new faculty, that were not covered by the grants alone, according to the study. The findings suggest that universities should be "cautious" about expanding scientific enterprises in the current economic climate, according to David Guzick, dean of medicine and dentistry at Rochester.
A new ski jump is expected to be completed by Feb. 14 for the 85th Harris Hill Ski Jump in Brattleboro, Vt., according to the Rutland Herald. The competition will feature a new 90-meter jump to replace an older structure which was deemed unsafe in 2005. Construction costs for the $575,000 jump were covered by the community and a $318,000 donation by the New York City-based Manton Foundation. The original wooden jump was built in 1922 by Fred Harris, a member of the Dartmouth Class of 1911 who helped found the Dartmouth Outing Club and establish Winter Carnival. The 2009 ski jump event organizers hope that the modern ski jump will attract world-class competitors and restore Brattleboro's reputation in the ski jumping world, Liz Richards, one of the leaders of the fundraising effort, told the Herald.
