Residential Services is asking graduate students living in 15 townhouses on McCart Avenue to move out and allow undergraduate students to take their place, a university official said.

Craig Allen, director of Residential Services, said that 16 townhouses housing 32 people on Sandage Avenue were converted from graduate to undergraduate housing last year. Juniors and seniors occupy those townhouses now, he said.

"Our first and foremost priority is undergraduate student housing," Allen said.

According to a report published on ESPN's Web site, head football coach Gary Patterson is meeting with Auburn University director of athletics Jay Jacobs about the Tigers' open head coaching job Thursday.

Neither TCU director of athletics Danny Morrison nor Jacobs could be reached for comment.

But according to the secretary in Patterson's office, the coach has been in town all day and attended a luncheon Thursday.

Pond Street Grill will be closing after dinner on Wednesday a university official said Thursday.Craig Allen, director of Residential Services, said the future of the building, located in the Worth Hills...

As the football team prepares to head to San Diego for their bowl game against No. 9 Boise State University, the Frogs are still practicing and preparing both mentally and physically.

Head football coach Gary Patterson said Wednesday's practice was not as intense as Tuesday's, but the team still got some things done.

"We introduced some things we needed to," Patterson said. "The only difference was there was more teaching today."

The Faculty Senate is looking into whether undergraduate students grading other undergraduates' work is a concern at the university after an online survey generated mixed feelings from faculty members, a Faculty Senate official said.

Keith Whitworth, Faculty Senate secretary, said Robert Garnett Jr., associate professor in economics, sent him an e-mail expressing this concern. The concern was then brought to the Faculty Senate open forum at the October meeting, he said.

The open forum allowed for a five-minute discussion on the issue, Whitworth said.

The university is providing transfer students with opportunities to get connected with the campus community, a campus official said, although a national survey shows transfers often fall through the cracks.

The National Survey of Student Engagement stated that transfer students reported less interaction with faculty, a less-supportive campus environment, less "active and collaborative learning," and fewer "enriching educational experiences."

But Rachael Taber, senior nursing major and transfer student, said she was happy with her transfer experience.

Cheers to the university for adding new majors and minors and continuing to give students more choices. In the immortal words of "Schoolhouse Rock," "Knowledge is power!"

Jeers to the new meal plan. The administration failed to listen to student concerns from the conception of the plan. Now the lack of flexibility of the plan has robbed previously popular Pond Street Grill of business and students of options.

The university endowment lost about 17 percent of its market value this year soon after the financial crisis gained momentum in June, according to the chief investment officer.

James Hille, chief investment officer, said he told the Board of Trustees investment committee that from January to the end of October the endowment went from $1.2 billion to about $1 billion. Hille said the figure isn't exact, but said the loss is about $200 million.