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A new ranking by The Princeton Review, in partnership with USA Today, names �鶹��Ƶ one of the nation’s top values in higher education for 2009. The report, released Jan. 8, is based on 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs and financial aid. Schools chosen “provide high-quality academics at a reasonable price – either by keeping sticker prices in line, or by offsetting high costs with great financial aid packages.”

In recent weeks, two students have reported attempts by off-campus scam artists to defraud them of cash in transactions involving E-Net Want Ads. E-Net is a great community resource, and problems are rare. Still, users of the Want Ads section should read this note for details of the scams and for ways they can guard against fraud.

A majority of North Carolinians favor laws to ban cell phone use while driving, even though more than half of mobile phone users report doing this regularly, according to the latest �鶹��Ƶ Poll. Respondents to the poll also supported a statewide ban on smoking in public places.

The Campus Facilities Master Planning Committee is hosting two open forums concerning facility needs for the future on March 10 and 11. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.

�鶹��Ƶ Career Services will host the annual Career & Grad School Fair on Tuesday, March 10, from 1-4 p.m. in Alumni Gym. �鶹��Ƶ 75 employers and grad schools are expected. All students and alumni are encouraged to attend.

�鶹��Ƶ trustees approved the 2009-10 fiscal year budget in a meeting held March 3. The board’s action included setting next year’s tuition, room and board, as well as approval of the university’s overall spending and revenue for next year.

Five top executives will participate in a roundtable discussion focused on the Piedmont Triad economy at �鶹��Ƶ on March 4. The event is the latest in a series of regional roundtables sponsored by Business North Carolina, the state’s award-winning business magazine.

The winning �鶹��Ƶ student team from Stanford’s Global Innovation Challenge and �鶹��Ƶ entrepreneurship students visited Aldagen, Inc. in the Research Triangle Park on Feb. 26.

As an experiential prize for being selected as one of the top three student teams in the �鶹��Ƶ Innovation Challenge, students Cory Dowd, Alex Trevisan and Keith Williams enjoyed an afternoon at the home of Dave and Suku Rendall on Feb. 27.