Female resident reports sexual assault
A State College woman reported she was sexually assaulted March 13 while visiting Ocean Springs, Miss., to aid in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, State College police said.
Police said the woman is not a student, and they have directed the allegation to the Ocean Springs police department.
Investigations begin in frat burglaries
Two fraternities reported burglaries that occurred over spring break, State College police said.
Fraternity members at Pi Kappa Alpha, 417 E. Prospect Ave., told police their house was broken into and the perpetrators set off a fire extinguisher and stole a couch and rug, valued together at $700. At the same time, the fraternity also reported an earlier burglary that occurred over winter break. Police said trophies of unknown value and an $1,800 composite class photo were stolen.
Alpha Zeta fraternity, 360 N. Burrowes St., also reported being burglarized during the break. Police said the perpetrators destroyed a dryer, placed dish soap on the countertops, and spray-painted the walls and pool table.
The burglaries of both fraternities are currently under investigation, and the incidents do not appear to be related, police said.
No connections made in abductions
The Dec. 11 attempted abduction of a 19-year-old State College woman at Nittany Mall is not related to another abduction attempt that occurred in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem on Dec. 31. State College police originally thought the incidents could be connected.
State College Detective Keith Robb said the Bensalem suspect initially sounded similar to the individual described by the State College victim. After speaking with the Bensalem police department however, State College police concluded that the suspects had "significant differences in description."
In both cases, a man attempted to grab the victim in a mall parking lot. Both victims were able to get away, police said.
Faculty Senate debates SRTE future
Penn State Faculty Senate spent much of yesterday's meeting discussing the effectiveness of the Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTE) pilot project, which was implemented in 2005. The project has run for the past three semesters through an ongoing trial period.
Angela Linse, executive director and associate dean of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, delivered a power-point presentation that outlined what the online test would entail.
Students would be sent e-mail messages two weeks before the end of each term. The surveys will be accessible through each student's individual Angel page, and although they can be submitted immediately, students would also have the option to save and revise their surveys for up to two weeks.
Some Senate members expressed concerns of student response to this new format, and whether or not there would be any incentives to complete the survey online.
Linse's presentation at the meeting was intended for informational purposes only, and there was no vote planned. She also made no specifications as to when and how this decision will be made.
