|
>>Top of Page
  January 14, 2008, V16.13
Welcome back! 21,600 students expected for spring semester
by Randy Weiler
Spring may not have sprung yet, but the spring semester has for MTSU students and faculty.
Classes begin Monday, Jan. 14, for the approximately 21,600 students projected to be registered for the semester, said Dr. Bob Glenn, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services.
"Generally speaking, the trends we see suggest that we may be down slightly, but there are also a number of trends that suggest that students may be waiting longer to register for the spring semester," Glenn said.
"Spring enrollment typically runs from 1,500 to 1,600 students less than the previous fall term," he added. "The fall 2007 enrollment was 23,246. If this trend continues, we should expect approximately 21,600 students to be enrolled for spring 2008."
Spring enrollment totals will be submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents on or around Sunday, Jan. 27, said Dr. Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services.
The spring semester will lead to the May 3 commencement, when what likely will be the largest graduating class in MTSU's history will be introduced publicly in separate 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies in Murphy Center.
In addition to classes and lectures, the winter and early spring months will be full of activities on campus, including:
• Black History Month events in January, February and March. For a full schedule, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm or call the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2987;
• the annual Up 'til Dawn fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, set for Feb. 1-2 (www.mtsu.edu/~uptldawn), and the Groundhog Day Luncheon for the MT baseball program, planned for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, in Murphy Center;
• a performance by Read Gainsford in the 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 Presidential Concert Series. Call 615-898-2493 or visit the School of Music Web site (www.mtsu.edu/~music) for more details and other music events;
• National Women's History Month (March) activities, which can be found by visiting http://womenstu.web.mtsu.edu or calling the Office of Women's Studies at 615-898-5910;
• a lecture by Dr. Joel Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams, who'll speak on "What it Means to be Human: Science, Consciousness and Our Place in the Universe" March 27 in the Distinguished Lecture Series in the Business and Aerospace Building's State Farm Lecture Hall; and
• Scholars Week activities March 31-April 4.
Some of the region's sharpest young minds will visit campus and participate in the Science Olympiad Feb. 23 and the Invention Convention Feb. 29 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Many of Tennessee's top girls' (March 5-8) and boys' March 12-15) basketball teams head for Murphy Center for the TSSAA state tournaments. Visit www.tssaa.org or call 615-889-6740 for ticket and other information;
First Friday Star Parties will be held starting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1, March 7, April 4 and May 2 in Wiser-Pattern Science Hall Room 102.
Spring also will mark the return of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business Executives in Residence (April 11), the President's Celebration of Excellence (April 12; call 1-800-533-6878 or visit www.mtalumni.com for more information), the College of Education and Behavioral Science's Tennessee Teacher Hall of Fame ceremony (www.mtsu.edu/~tthf), Neill-Sandler Scholars at MTSU (April 22) and Tennessee Labor Management Conference (www.mtsu.edu/~tnclmr).
Alumni relations (www.mtalumni.com) will hold Paint the Zoo Raider Blue events in Knoxville (March 29), Memphis (April 12), Atlanta (May 3) and Nashville (May 17).
For athletic events, visit www.goblueraiders.com. For theatre and dance events, visit www.mtsu.edu/ ~theatre.
Spring 2008 dates to remember are:
• Jan. 14--classes begin;
• Jan. 21--M.L King holiday, no classes;
• March 3-8--spring break;
• March 7--spring holiday, university closed;
• April 23--last day of classes;
• April 24--student study day, no classes;
• April 25-May 1--final exams;
• May 3--commencement.
Watch www.mtsunews.com for updates.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Programs to share $1.8M in federal funds
from Staff Reports
MTSU is set to receive $1.8 million in federal funds to enhance its science, aviation and health programs and establish an intermodal transportation hub on campus.
The federal dollars were included in a comprehensive bill signed Dec. 26 by President George W. Bush that will provide annual funding to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation and science-related agencies such as NASA.
"This funding will help MTSU augment its programs, conduct research, and further initiatives that will impact not only the university but also the surrounding community and entire state," said U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon, an MTSU alumnus. "The nurses and teachers educated at MTSU often establish their careers in nearby communities. Ensuring they have the best resources during their education will benefit our families later on."
"This is a great step for a great institution," added U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander. "I'm proud of the work MTSU does in science, aviation and health education, and as MTSU puts this money to work, our entire state will profit. Without the leadership of the dean of Tennessee's congressional delegation, Congressman Bart Gordon, this funding would not have been possible."
Joe Bales, MTSU's vice president for development and university relations, said, "We are extremely grateful to the entire Tennessee delegation, especially Sen. Alexander and Congressman Gordon, for their support of these initiatives. The funding will support a variety of needs on campus, including enhancing our K-12 teacher training efforts and allowing us to develop a major initiative addressing childhood obesity."
MTSU's science, aviation and teacher training programs stand to benefit from the funding. The university will receive $478,000 to recruit high-caliber students and train them to become K-12 math and science teachers.
Another $470,000 will be used for research to better train air traffic controllers and pilots. MTSU researchers will help to determine the best methods to train controllers and pilots to use the next generation of technology. MTSU is one of only 14 U.S. universities that participate in the Federal Aviation Administration's program designed to train the controllers.
"New technology is being developed to result in safer, less congested skies," Gordon said. "MTSU can help to ensure the nation's air traffic controllers and pilots keep our skies safe as the new technology is implemented."
The university also will receive $94,000 to fully equip its observatory complex, which is located between the Cope Administration and Davis Science Buildings and Smith Hall. Previous funding secured by Gordon enabled the university to create its "naked eye observatory."
Bales said the university would use the funds for additional equipment for the building that will house the university's telescope. Construction is under way now on a plaza that will connect the telescope to the observatory.
Gordon also secured $335,000 to enable the university to combat obesity in children and teens and $238,000 for improvements to the School of Nursing. The funds for the nursing school will enable the university to add lab equipment that will provide nursing students with hands-on learning experiences.
Bales said MTSU plans to establish a Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth to combat childhood obesity. The center would work with schools and community agencies and operate through MTSU's Health and Human Performance Department.
MTSU also will receive $196,000 to establish an intermodal transportation hub that could link existing and future transportation systems, such as the Raider Xpress campus bus system and the city's Rover buses.
Bales said the funding will be used for initial planning of a hub, which would be located on MTSU's perimeter and serve as a transfer point for riders. It would feature a park-and-ride facility to serve MTSU and the community, and the facility would include restrooms, covered shelters and other amenities.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Plan ahead in '08: Preretirement seminar is Jan. 17
The Rutherford County Retired Teachers Association is sponsoring a free pre-retirement seminar for educators on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at North Boulevard Church of Christ, 1112 N. Rutherford Blvd.
Reservations are required to ensure that participants receive needed materials. Reservations can be made through Monday, Jan. 14, by sending an e-mail with your name, school and telephone number to Sara Gannon at Sarag49@ aol.com or by calling Gannon at 615-890-5050.
Any teacher who will retire under the State Retirement Plan, regardless of Tennessee Education Association membership, will learn beneficial information for retirement decisionmaking.
Seminar participants should enter via the side door marked "Fellowship Kitchen" on the north side of the church.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
In Brief
MAY WE SHOW YOU AROUND?
MTSU's tours office is now located at the information desk on the first floor of the Cope Administration Building. Tours coordinator Betty Pedigo will continue to take tour reservations and provide visitors with campus information from the information desk from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Student-led tours will resume Tuesday, Jan. 22.
RETIRED? HAVE SOME COFFEE!
All MTSU faculty and staff retirees are welcome at the MTSU Foundation House for the monthly Retired Faculty and Staff Coffee. This month's gathering--the only Friday session for 2008--begins at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 18. All other coffees are set for the second Thursday of each month. For more information, call 615-898-5756.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
For the Record:
Help is on the way: ask for NPA!
by Tom Tozer
The beginning of a new calendar year seems an appropriate time to remind the campus community of just how the Office of News and Public Affairs can assist you in promoting an important college or departmental event, touting outstanding research by a faculty member or student, celebrating a significant honor or achievement or just plain showing off the impressive scope of our faculty expertise.
Too, we like human-interest stories that touch the heart and lift the spirit. The professionals in our office are advocates for MTSU. We love our jobs the most when we can tell stories about the university's collective efforts to educate, illuminate and inspire.
However, there are more than 23,000 students and in excess of 900 full-time faculty. Come visit our merry but small band of public information officers in Cope 209, and it should be obvious that not every wonderful story will get told, not every honor will be recognized, and not every moving human-interest story will find its way into the pages of The Record.
We're a little like a MASH unit--we have to perform triage. This story is fantastic. That story is great. This other story is terrific. Still another story is one of a kind. Triage, therefore, becomes a painful exercise, because we know that every person believes his or her event or story is deserving of the utmost attention.
So what are the factors that go into performing triage--of determining which stories and events garner the attention of News and Public Affairs and which must be set aside? The answers are not easy, nor are some of them music to your ears.
First, some stories just don't carry the news weight that others carry. It's a judgment call that we have to make, and we find no pleasure in making that call.
Second, some stories (or events) may only be partially linked to MTSU and may not advance the university to a degree that warrants extensive coverage--another judgment call.
Third, timing is crucial. Some requests that we receive are last-minute, and while we try hard to accommodate even those 11th-hour news items, it just may be too late. If your college or department sponsors an annual event, one that you know will be coming around again in 2008, we need to know about it as soon as possible--even months in advance. If you decide to hold an event, one that will require many weeks or months of planning, then please invite us into that planning process from day one. If it is disheartening to you to receive less publicity than what you think your event deserves, please believe me when I say we are equally disheartened when we have only a few days or weeks to publicize something that deserves so much more time and attention. It is not in anyone's best interests to shortchange the positive news at MTSU. However, and I'm repeating myself, timing is crucial.
Fourth, as inspiring as a story may be, we will, generally speaking, tell the story in The Record once, maybe twice. However, there is no reason to retell a story unless there is a new twist or development that makes it news. We know that your story is important to you, and you want it shared as often and as widespread as possible. But there is usually a long line of eager people pitching their own important stories and events to us.
Finally, a question we often must ask ourselves regarding an MTSU news item or event is, "Will we will get more mileage out of it if we pitch it to the media and persuade them to cover it?" Some news is of interest primarily to the campus community. Other news and events may deserve attention from external media. That determination may be part of the triage process. Sometimes, due to time constraints, what doesn't find its way into the pages of The Record will, nonetheless, garner light through other media outlets.
The Office of News and Public Affairs is a comprehensive repository of information. Visit www.mtsunews.com and discover our list of faculty experts, campus safety and weather information, audio clips, podcasts of our weekly radio program "MTSU On the Record," daily installments of "Today's Response," "MT Record" TV segments (monthly) and archives of The Record (biweekly), The Alumni Record (quarterly), as well as MTSU news releases. We offer several communication vehicles to help you get the news out about your achievements and events. While you're there, click on "Staff" to find out who in our office covers your area. Visit our Web site often, and call us at 615-898-2919. Happy New Year!
Tom Tozer is director of the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Celebrate a new year--give gift of life at blood drives
from Staff Reports
Here's an easy resolution to keep this new year: help others by donating blood at one (or more) of the six drives set for spring 2008 at MTSU.
The busy holiday season prevented donors from adding a stop at the local Red Cross to their to-do lists and boosted the need for blood to help save lives in travel-related accidents, organizers said. That combination depleted the local Red Cross's already-low supplies of blood, leaving it once again at crisis levels.
To replenish supplies and ensure plenty of help for emergencies around the community, MTSU students, faculty, staff and friends again are being asked to roll up their sleeves for the spring blood drives planned on campus.
"We (American Red Cross) always need help to maintain an adequate blood supply" said Linda Decker of the Red Cross's Donor Resources Development Office, "but during the winter months, we really have to call on our donors and community members more than ever.
"We almost always start off a new year with very little blood on our shelves due to the reasons stated above, and we struggle into the spring with having enough blood to supply our hospitals. It's always an uphill battle to keep enough blood on our shelves while building up the inventory for the spring and summer months. MTSU has always been instrumental in helping the American Red Cross in this effort, and we look forward to another great year with the college."
The first of the spring 2007 blood drives is set for Thursday, Jan. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Rooms 322 and 318 of the Keathley University Center.
Other blood drive dates are:
• Monday, Feb. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building (sponsored by the School of Nursing);
• Thursday, Feb. 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., KUC 322 and 318:
• Wednesday March 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., KUC 322 (sponsored by the campus chapter of the Association of Secretarial and Clerical Employees);
• Monday, April 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., CKNB (School of Nursing); and
• Wednesday, April 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., KUC 322.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be feeling healthy on donation day. They also can't have donated blood in the previous 56 days.
For more information about the blood drives, contact 615-898-2590. Reminders also will be included in The Record's Campus Calendar.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
'Freed Voices': Dance concert celebrates diversity
by Lisa L. Rollins
Freed Voices: A Dance Concert Featuring Choreography and Performance by African-American Guest Artists," will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 and at 2 p.m. Jan. 20 in MTSU's Tucker Theatre to explore and celebrate diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
More than 30 members of MTSU Dance Theatre, as well as four internationally and nationally known guest artists, will be featured in the performance.
The production's featured guest artists--Zelma Badu-Younge, Erica Wilson-Perkins, Ursula Payne and Travis D. Gatling--were individually commissioned to create works for the student performers, as well as perform solos during the upcoming concert event, said Kim Neal Nofsinger, director of dance at MTSU.
"The dances created encompass a myriad of views and perspectives on the African-American experience," Nofsinger explained. "Following each concert, there will be a feedback session featuring the four choreographers that is moderated by Dr. Maura Keefe, a nationally recognized dance scholar."
Guest artist Badu-Younge, for example, "created a commissioned work for 'Freed Voices' based on the oldest North American slave narrative known," Nofsinger commented. "It is the story of Marie-Joseph AngŽlique, commonly known as AngŽlique, who died June 21, 1734."
A Portuguese-born black slave in New France, later known as the province of Quebec in Canada, AngŽlique was tried and convicted of setting fire to her owner's home, burning much of what is now referred to as old Montreal.
"In creating her solo, Badu-Younge used issues of race and gender as key components to the development of movement material," Nofsinger explained, "(and her) lecture and master class focuses on her creative process and learning excerpts from the culminating solo."
Nofsinger said the residency program that brought each of the African-American guest dancer-choreographers to campus to create works for dance students took place between July 2007 and January 2008, with each artist spending a week at MTSU working with student performers.
During their respective residencies, each choreographer also taught master classes, presented lectures and staged choreography based on their understanding of the black experience in the United States and how it has been shaped by slavery and issues of discrimination, Nofsinger said.
"For the creative process of their choreography, each artist has or will use slave narratives and personal experiences as primary sources," he noted. "The choreography created by each of these artists will be performed by local professional dancers or by members of MTSU Dance Theatre."
The MTSU dance director said that in association with the guest artists' return for the Jan. 19-20 concert, each choreographer will teach additional classes, present lectures and workshops and participate in a panel discussions and audience-feedback sessions.
"The focus of these events for the community and university will be on their creative process, research and the resulting work," Nofsinger said of the dance-related education events, which are free and open to the public.
Tickets to the Jan. 19-20 dance concert performances are $10 per person, with group rates available. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid university ID.
Free dance-related events include:
• Thursday, Jan. 17, 4:20-5:45 p.m.--Master Class in Modern Dance, featuring Travis Gatling, Fairview Building 140.
• Jan. 17, 6-8 p.m.--Workshop No. 1, "Claiming and Denying Identity: The Obligation of Cultural Identity and the Desire for Individuality in the Creative Process of Today's Artist," featuring Erica Wilson-Perkins, Fairview 140.
• Friday, Jan. 18, 99:10-10:05 a.m.--Lecture, "Beyond the Footlights: The Impact of the Female Dance Soloist on Perceptions of Women," with dance scholar/ moderator Maura Keefe, Honors Building 106.
• Jan. 18, 10:20-11:15 a.m.--Panel Discussion, "Issues of Performing Race and Gender," moderated by Keefe, HONR 106.
• Jan. 18, 1-3 p.m.--Workshop No. 2, "Womanist Theory in Performance," featuring Ursula Payne, Fairview 140.
• Monday, Jan. 21--Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, no regular classes and university offices closed.
• Jan. 21, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.--Master Classes, Fairview 140.
For more information about the upcoming dance performances or master classes, panel discussions or workshops, contact Nofsinger at nofsinge@mtsu.edu or 615-494-7904.
Master classes and workshops have limited capacity; to register for them, please contact Nofsinger at nofsinge@mtsu.edu.
Photo page 3 |
FREE AS A BIRD--Junior speech and theatre major Steven Tate of Nashville leaps into the air as part of his performance in "Freed Voices," a dance concert celebrating diversity.
photo by Martin O'Connor |
@@@
Image of broken chains at the feet of the Statue of Liberty (top) courtesy American Memory at the Library of Congress
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
'Super Tuesday Lecture' Jan. 29
from Staff Reports
Dr. Michael Nelson, the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, will present "MTSU's Super Tuesday Lecture" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building.
A member of Rhodes' political science faculty since 1991, Nelson is the author of more than 200 articles published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Politics and Political Science Quarterly and in periodicals such as Newsweek and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Prior to accepting his current professorship at Rhodes College in Memphis, he taught at Vanderbilt University for 13 years.
Dr. John Vile, chairman of MTSU's political science department, said Nelson's upcoming visits promises to deliver a presentation by someone who is considered "the gold standard" when it comes to presidential discourse.
"He's one of the leading presidential scholars in the country," Vile said of Nelson. "He's spoken here before ... as part of the Windham Lecture series, and he will be as up-to-date and honest on the issues as they come."
A former journalist, Nelson has authored several books, including his most recent titles, How the South Joined the Gambling Nation: The Politics of State Policy Innovation and The American Presidency: Origins and Development, 1776-2007, as well as 2006's The Presidency and the Political System and The Elections of 2004, which was released in 2005.
For more information on Nelson's upcoming lecture, please call 615-898-2534 or 615-898-2351.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Campus Rec seeks new logo
from Staff Reports
MTSU Campus Recreation is holding its first contest for a student-designed logo through Friday, Feb. 8.
The new logo will be the prelude to the late-summer opening of the expanded facility. Logo contest rules require submitting the entry on 8-by-11-inch poster board or other presentation board at the Recreation Center.
Students entering the logo contest must be enrolled in spring 2008 classes at MTSU to be eligible. Each student may submit one entry.
The winner will be recognized at the annual spring banquet in March. The winner's name will be placed on a rendering in the Recreation Center; other prizes will be announced soon.
"It's a good opportunity for student artists to compete for something that will be used on campus for several years," Jenny Crouch, Campus Rec marketing coordinator, said.
Campus Recreation houses six basketball/volleyball courts; six racquetball courts; a three-lane indoor track; 4,000 square feet of free weights; selectorized machines and cardiovascular machines; an indoor swimming pool with water slide and diving board; a rock-climbing wall; a 4-foot-deep outdoor swimming pool and sun deck with four sand volleyball courts; and a challenge course with an Alpine climbing tower. It currently offers fitness, aquatics, intramurals, outdoor recreation, challenge course and climbing wall programs, sport clubs and accessibilities.
For more information, call 615-898-2104.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Photo page 4 |
EXL trailblazers
TIMELY RECOGNITION--Faculty trailblazers for MTSU's experiential learning program pose with their honors after a Nov. 15 reception by the EXL Scholars Program to recognize the first group of EXL Mentors. Shown are, from left, Drs. Lynn Hampton (sociology and anthropology), Susan Hopkirk (English), Amy Sayward (history), EXL Director Dr. Jill Austin, Drs. Wendy Beckman (aerospace), Karen Petersen (political science) and Don Roy (management and marketing). Not pictured is Dr. Daniel Prather (aerospace). The EXL Mentors completed a yearlong program that required them to attend two Learning, Teaching & Innovative Technology Center Showcase Series seminars in fall 2006, attend a one-day seminar in spring 2007, develop plans for an experiential learning project for a course they teach, present the EXL project at the LT&ITC Share Fair in fall 2007 and agree to serve as mentors to faculty who want to participate in the EXL Program. Faculty interested in becoming EXL Mentors should contact Austin at jaustin@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2992. For more information on the recent LT&ITC ShareFair, see page 6.
photo by Andy Heidt
|
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Prepare for adventure with 2008 Summer Reading selection
What can one person accomplish? MTSU's 2008 Summer Reading Program selection, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, has the answer.
The memoir, touted by NBC's Tom Brokaw as "thrilling" and "one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time," details Mortenson's quest to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mortenson, the co-founder (with Dr. Jean Hoerni) and executive director of nonprofit Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace, has dedicated his life to promote community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
His quest began in 1993, when to honor his late sister's memory, Mortenson climbed Pakistan's K2, the world's second highest mountain in the Karakoram range. While recovering in a local village called Korphe, the Montana resident met a group of children sitting in the dirt writing with sticks in the sand and made a promise to help them build a school.
Dr. Laurie Witherow, MTSU's Academic Support Center director and coordinator of the Summer Reading Program, is encouraging faculty to incorporate this latest text into their fall 2008 syllabi.
"Three Cups of Tea would be a perfect starting point for discussions on a wide range of topics and is especially recommended for use in communications, education, geography, psychology, sociology, political science and history courses," Witherow said. "Students come to us in the fall expecting to discuss the Summer Reading selection in classes from a variety of perspectives and use it as the basis of assignments.
"All new students are required to read the book prior to their arrival on campus in the fall, so Three Cups of Tea may be perfect as the basis for an early writing or other assignment. This program's success depends on the involvement of faculty who make use of the Summer Reading selection in fall classes, so let us know if you'd like to use the book in your classes this fall. We want our freshmen to recognize that one person can make a difference; they can make a difference."
Incoming freshmen are expected to read the book before fall classes start Aug. 25, and all University 1010 classes once again will discuss the selection.
Witherow is eager to hear suggestions now from professors on the best use for the book in their classes; she can be reached at lwithero@mtsu.edu or at 615-898-2339. Mortenson also is scheduled to address attendees Sunday, Aug. 24, at the annual University Convocation beginning at 2 p.m. in Murphy Center.
Three Cups of Tea may be purchased on campus and at local bookstores. It's available in hardback and paperback, and online sellers also may have used copies.
Faculty interested in using Three Cups of Tea in their classrooms this fall may contact Sumer Patterson at the Academic Support Center (615-898-2339 or spatters@mtsu.edu) to receive a review copy for evaluation.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Photo page 5 |
Distinguished educators
A REAL-TIME HONOR--MTSU Faculty Senate President Dr. Kevin Smith, left, joins the 2007 Distance Learning award winners--Dr. Vincent Smith (business communication and entrepreneurship), Jo Ann Nolan Batson (information technology), Dr. Stephen Lewis (business communication and entrepreneurship) and Dr. Leigh Ann McInnis (nursing)--as well as Dr. Mike Boyle, dean of the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, during the 12th annual Distance Learning Appreciation Luncheon in the James Union Building. Batson, a systems analyst for the Information Technology Division, received the Staff Appreciation Award, while professors Smith, Lewis and McInnis were named as Distinguished Educators in Distance Learning. A tradition since 1996, the Department of Academic Outreach and Distance Learning in the college presents the awards to faculty and staff who have excelled in using alternative delivery methods and promoting the scholarship of distance learning through research and presentations.
photo by Andy Heidt
|
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Thomas departs for WIU; Miller now interim vice provost
from Staff Reports
Dr. Diane Miller has been appointed interim vice provost for academic affairs in the wake of the departure of Dr. Jack Thomas for a position at Western Illinois University.
"We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Diane Miller as interim vice provost for academic affairs," said Dr. Kaylene Gebert, MTSU executive vice president and provost.
"Dr. Miller has extensive administrative experience and a broad knowledge of MTSU academic programs and goals. She has been serving as director of the McNair Scholars Program and the Undergraduate Research Center and will continue with these activities in a reduced role."
Thomas, who came to MTSU in 2004 and served as senior vice provost for academic affairs and professor of English, assumed his new duties Jan. 1 at Western Illinois. WIU has an enrollment of about 13,000 students.
"I have had a great experience here at MTSU as senior vice provost for academic affairs," Thomas said. "I am thankful for the opportunities President (Sidney A.) McPhee and Provost Gebert have given me at MTSU.
"I have wonderful colleagues (and) great friends. I extended myself throughout the university and community that includes my church, First Baptist on East Castle Street. However, this is a great opportunity for me at Western Illinois--an opportunity that the Lord has opened for me."
A national search for the vice provost position will get under way early this spring, Gebert said.
McPhee and Gebert shared remarks at a Dec. 13 reception honoring Thomas.
"Dr. Thomas has been a highly competent, loyal member of MTSU's leadership team," McPhee said. "We have no doubt that he will bring the same energy and dedication that he has brought to MTSU to his new position at Western Illinois University. We know that he will be very successful in his new post and wish him the very best."
"These four years have gone fast, but ... much has been accomplished," Gebert said, adding that the accomplishments include a new Academic Master Plan, new programs and the implementation of new promotion and tenure policies.
"Jack has lent strength to our diversity activities, including establishing a new institutional diversity office and recruiting an exceptional group of Geier dissertation scholars and visiting professors," Gebert said. "He has handled student and faculty issues with grace, diplomacy and, at times, a firm hand. We have built a strong team concept of management with academic affairs and have had fun at the same time."
Western Illinois President Al Goldfarb announced Thomas' hiring in December, noting that he was "the top choice in a field of exceptional candidates."
Thomas was elevated to senior vice provost at MTSU in July 2006 after being vice provost for academic affairs for two years. He also served as interim dean of the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning.
Miller, who received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee, a master's degree in mathematical sciences from then-Memphis State University and a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, taught in high schools in Knoxville and Memphis and at Arkansas State University, University of Missouri-Columbia and Louisiana State University.
In 1990, she became a Senior Research Fellow for the Science and Mathematics Education Center at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. She returned to the United States in 1992 for a one-year appointment at Texas Tech University before joining MTSU's mathematical sciences faculty in 1993.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence extended by Dr. Gebert in asking me to return to the vice provost position," said Miller, who served in the interim post from February 2002 to June 2004.
"I have received many congratulatory e-mails and phone calls from members of the faculty since the announcement was made. I am humbled by the broad base of support coming from my colleagues across campus. I will do my best to serve the university in all responsibilities assigned to me."
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
ShareFair showcases innovations
from Staff Reports
In increasing numbers, MTSU faculty members are trying out new teaching styles, integrating new instructional technologies, and making coursework more experiential.
The annual ShareFair, hosted by the Information Technology Division and the Learning, Teaching & Innovative Technologies Center, showcased some of the new approaches Oct. 31 by inviting more than 20 faculty members to share their classroom activities with the MTSU community.
Barbara Draude and Faye Johnson, co-directors of LT&ITC, said they believe students benefit from interactive, engaged learning environments.
"Students who take responsibility for their own learning and actively participate in it will take that discipline into the workplace where, now more than ever, employees must know how to keep themselves motivated and their skills updated," Draude added.
Examples of ShareFair included English instructor Sandra Cavender, who shared podcasts she created for her "students on-the-go"; chemistry professor Ngee Sing Chong, who showed how his students conduct chemistry experiments with professional equipment in remote locations with computers; and aerospace professor Wendy Beckman, who explained how a popular video game and a standard joystick can build crucial decision-making skills when training new pilots.
Marketing professor Dr. Don Roy insists that when his students are selling 100 tickets to the Predators' games on commission, they arrive at a much better understanding of the concepts of basic sales and marketing than when reading case studies or listening to lectures.
"Outcomes are always unpredictable in these activities, but the lessons are always valuable nonetheless," Roy said. "Why did one student sell more tickets than another? Students become very competitive and find they must apply the techniques required to reach the goal."
Each month the IT<C holds workshops and seminars designed to support and enhance instruction in MTSU classrooms, giving faculty a chance to interact with colleagues and experts in the field to stimulate ideas for teaching-learning environments. For example, the center's Teaching Excellence Showcase features three seminars this semester:
• "Course Design," by Dr. Becky Alexander (elementary and special education), offered Monday, Feb. 11, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Peck Hall 106;
• "Discussion Techniques," by Drs. Jane Williams and Dorothy Craig and Kathy Patten (educational leadership), Wednesday, March 19, from 11:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. in PH 106; and
• "Teaching Critical Thinking Skills," Dr. Cate Stogner (human sciences), offered on a TBA date in April from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in PH 106.
To learn more, call 615-494-7671 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~ltanditc.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Honors College spring schedule chock-full of events:
Visiting artist creates own canvas
Washington Post illustrator Patterson Clark will teach the Spring 2008 Visiting Artist's Seminar (UH 3200), a one-week, one-credit class open to honors students with upper-division standing.
This year's seminar is "Sustain-able Papermaking with Alien Weeds."
An award-winning visual journalist and environmental artist, Clark holds a permit to remove invasive plants from National Park Service land and since 2003 has been experimenting with methods of converting exotic weeds into paper, pigment and other art materials, including pens, brushes, charcoal and printing blocks. Harvesting invasive plants can, he says, yield an abundance of raw materials while relieving native vegetation from the burden of rampant exotic species. Students in his five-day papermaking workshop will collect and process the fibers of selected local invasive plants. Participants will use their resulting sheets of paper for drawing, printing, writing or sculpture that in some way refers to the process of papermaking with weeds.
This highly interdisciplinary workshop will involve studying and harvesting invasive plants (such as mulberry trees and kudzu), making paper and other art materials from the plants and creating works of art from the paper. Students will be exposed to a variety of art techniques and will get information about biology and nature.
Students from diverse disciplines--including art, journalism, English, agriculture, biology, philosophy, chemistry and environmental science--are encouraged to enroll. Those interested in art and the environment may benefit from and enjoy this course.
The Visiting Artist's Seminar, an interdisciplinary course taught by an established artist, is offered every spring by the Honors College in cooperation with the College of Liberal Arts. While speakers frequently visit campus to speak to students, the Visiting Artist's Seminar couples that inspirational experience with a hands-on component that lasts an entire week and requires intensive student participation. It's taught at an introductory level so students from any field of study can participate. The seminars are limited to 15 students; prerequisites are upper-division standing and a 3.25 grade-point average.
The 2008 seminar will meet Feb. 4-8 from 3 to 5:40 p.m. daily. It will culminate with a gallery or studio exhibit and public presentation of the artist's and students' work. The Honors College will host a reception during the exhibit so that the audience may speak informally with the artist and the students about their projects.
The 2008 Visiting Artist's Seminar is supported by the University Honors College, the Distinguished Lectures Committee, the Virginia Peck Trust Fund, the English Department and the Art Department. For more information, contact program coordinator Dr. Claudia Barnett at cbarnett@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2887.
Reprinted with permission from the Fall 2007 edition of the Honors Alternative, the University Honors College newsletter.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Spring Lecture Series investigates 'The Mind'
from Staff Reports
The theme of MTSU's Spring 2008 Honors Lecture Series is deceptively short for such a mysterious topic: "The Mind."
After an introductory discussion and honors students' study-abroad presentations Jan. 14, the lecture series will begin Monday, Jan. 28, in the amphitheater (Room 106) of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building.
All lectures are free and open to the public and are held from 3 to 3:50 p.m. each Monday, with the exceptions of Jan. 21 (Martin Luther King Day), March 3 (spring break) and April 23 (last day of classes).
The lecture schedule includes:
Jan. 28--"A Brief History of the Brain," presented by Dr. Scott Carnicom, associate dean of the Honors College;
Feb. 4--"Stress and Coping in Sport: What Elite Athletes Can Teach Us about Effective Coping Skills," presented by Dr. Mark Anshel (health and human performance);
Feb. 11--"Developing Minds Through Higher Education: The Role of the University," presented by Dr. Kaylene Gebert, executive vice president and provost;
Feb. 18--"I'm Just Talking to Myself! How the Mind Uses Self-Talk," presented by Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (psychology);
Feb. 25--"Dyslexia: How the Brain Reads and What Happens When It Doesn't," presented by Stuart Bernstein (Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia);
March 10--"Acquisition and Expression of Language: A Brain-Based Approach," presented by Drs. Shelley Thomas (foreign languages and literatures), and Will Langston (psychology);
March 17--"Sex and the Brain: Neurobiology of Mating," presented by Dr. Amy Jetton (biology);
March 24--"The Mind of the Renaissance Individual," presented by Dr. Ed Beemon (history);
March 31--"Social Conformity, Group Think and Violence: Social Activism in the 1960s," presented by Dr. Ben Austin (sociology and anthropology);
April 7--"On the Neurobiology of Truth," presented by Dr. Ron Bombardi (philosophy).
Honors thesis presentations will wrap up the series on April 14 and 21.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
State council conference set here Feb. 15-16
MTSU's University Honors College will serve as host Feb. 15-16 for the annual conference of the Tennessee Collegiate Honors Council, the organization of all private and public honors colleges and programs across Tennessee.
The event will kick off Friday, Feb. 15, with a 6 p.m. banquet in the James Union Building's Tennessee Room, followed by a student mixer at the DoubleTree Murfreesboro Hotel from 9 to 11 p.m.
Saturday's faculty and student presentations, which will be conducted in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, kick off at 9 a.m. with an hourlong break for lunch at noon and conclude at 3 p.m.
About 150 faculty and students are expected to attend the conference, and MTSU students and faculty are being encouraged to attend.
For more details, please visit www.mtsu.edu/learn/honors.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Photo page 7 |
Tune in today!
NEW YEAR'S EDITION--Sophomore Shyanne Coe, left, and freshman Jade Brinkman examine a new biodegradable milk container as they prepare to interview Tim Redd, director of MTSU's farm laboratory. Their story on milk production at MTSU is one of six produced by students in Lisa L. Rollins' media writing class for the January edition of "Middle Tennessee Record." Watch their stories on local Cable Channel 9 daily at 5 p.m., Sundays at 1:30 p.m. on NewsChannel5+, or anytime via www.mtsunews.com on YouTube.
photo by News and Public Affairs |
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
Scholars Week sets submission deadline of Feb. 11
from Staff Reports
Faculty and students are preparing for Scholars Week 2008, which will be held March 31-April 4, organizers said.
A key date to remember is Monday, Feb. 11, which is the deadline for online abstracts for poster and multimedia presentations to be submitted to http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11202/Scholars_Week/ScholarsForm.asp.
Planned activities will include talks, readings, performances, posters and multimedia, as well as invited speakers and luncheons.
Faculty members are being asked to encourage all students to participate--either as presenters or observers--in events during the week, said Dr. Andrienne Friedli, professor of chemistry, assistant to the vice provost for research and committee technical chair.
For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~research/scholars week.html.
>>Top of Page
January 14, 2008, V16.13
People Around Campus:
Doctoral candidate takes 'time out' to advance sport
by Gina K. Logue
In rugby, the ball can be advanced only by running or kicking it forward. Only lateral passes are allowed.
In a sense, that rule characterizes the career path of MTSU student Jeremy Bettle. Instead of consuming a vast area in one gargantuan aerial display, as American football players do, the British native grinds it out at his own pace.
The 26-year-old doctoral candidate from Leicester put his educational life on hold to work with USA Rugby, examining videotape of scrimmages and matches and analyzing players to help them improve their skills. In September, the Americans made it to the World Cup in France, playing England, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa, the eventual tournament winner, before being eliminated.
"It was a great personal experience," Bettle says. "We are so far ahead of where we were. It was impressive."
Bettle says his interest in rugby began around age nine, when he began playing in junior leagues. He likens these children's groups to tag football in that kids don't play the full-contact rugby their elders do. However, he insists that early involvement is the key to staying healthy.
"The earlier you start, the less likely you are to get hurt," Bettle says.
For those who have never seen a rugby scrum, it vaguely resembles one of those NFL piles immediately following a fumble, except the players are standing up instead of lying down. An American audience might be intrigued to learn that the players wear no protective equipment, even on the most sensitive parts of the body. Even so, the game has a mental component and employs considerable thought in both the training of players and the execution of strategy.
In 2002, Bettle completed his bachelor's degree in sport and exercise science at Leeds Metropolitan University. In 2003, he came to MTSU on the recommendation of his biological father, who has lived in the United States for 15 years. Bettle studied the school's rugby club team for his master's degree in exercise science, which he completed in May 2005.
Dr. Jennifer Caputo, professor of health and human performance at MTSU, says Bettle took time out from his studies while he had an assistantship at the university, a highly unusual move.
"That just demonstrates his love for rugby because he got the opportunity and couldn't pass it up," Caputo says. "We wanted to have him teach exercise physiology for us, but he just didn't have the opportunity before he left, unfortunately."
In fact, it was in pursuit of his doctoral degree that he made contact with USA Rugby. As Bettle was exploring the physiology of his sport on an academic level, he asked the team for a chance to do some research. As it turned out, they were willing to pay him for his combination of mental and physical skills. They offered him a job, and he took it.
"At any time when you're just starting out, you're moving around a bit," Bettle says.
Interrupting his education to help the Americans gain a foothold in a sport which is all but alien to most American sports fans was less of an internal conflict for Bettle than watching USA Rugby play his fellow Brits in the World Cup.
"It was a little strange, but it was more important to watch our guys do well than to watch England play," Bettle says.
When he calls USA Rugby "our guys," Bettle means it, and the "guys" are as diverse as America itself. The 30 players, each of whom performs on both offense and defense, range from a Chicago stockbroker to an Aspen rancher.
Of course, Bettle didn't just fall in love with a country and its people. He fell in love with one particular American, the former Deana Michelle Simms of Lebanon, Tenn., whom he married in July 2005.
Jeremy continues to work for USA Rugby and now works for a California physical therapy firm. He expects to complete his doctoral degree by December 2008.
Photo page 8 |
ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE--Doctoral candidate Jeremy Bettle, right, walks past a line of well-wishers with his wife, the former Michelle Simms of Lebanon, Tenn., at their July 2005 wedding.
photo by Janette Edmonds, courtesy of the Bettles
|
>>Top of Page
Campus Calendar - January 14, 2008, V16.13
>>Top of Page
Campus Calendar Jan. 14-28, 2008
TV Schedule
"Middle Tennessee Record"
Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday-5 p.m.
NewsChannel 5+: Sundays-1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other cable outlet airtimes.
Every Wednesday
Gender Circles
Weekly conversations on diversity with emphasis on gender issues
1-3 p.m., JUB 206 (JAWC)
For information, contact: 615-898-2193.
Monday, Jan. 14
Spring 2008 classes begin.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
Guest Recital: Laura Ann Ross (oboe) and Jackson Henry (piano)
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Jan. 16-31
EARLY VOTING for the Feb. 5 presidential primaries
Go to www.rutherfordcountytn.gov/election/ for locations and times; visit www.state.tn.us/sos/election/absentee.htm for absentee voting information.
Thursday, Jan. 17
Faculty Bassoon Recital: Maya Stone
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Jan. 18-19
Winter Music Education Conference
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Friday, Jan. 18
Retired Faculty/Staff Coffee
9:30 a.m., Foundation House
For information, contact: 615-898-5756.
Saturday, Jan. 19
Track & Cross Country "Blue Raider Invitational"
Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-2103.
Men's Basketball vs. New Orleans (ESPN Regional)
6 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-2103.
Sunday, Jan. 20
"MTSU On the Record-Political Imagery"
Guest: Professor Chris Harris
7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcast available at www.mtsunews.com.
Sunday, Jan. 20
Women's Basketball vs. New Orleans
2 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Monday, Jan. 21
Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
No classes; university closed.
Jan. 24-25
MTSU Opera: "The Magic Flute"
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Thursday, Jan. 24
Women's Studies Research Series: Dr. Ron Aday, "Grandma Lifers in Prison"
3 p.m., JUB 100
For information, contact: 615-898-5282.
Friday, Jan. 25
Women's Tennis vs. Tennessee Tech
2 p.m., Racquet Club of Murfreesboro
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Saturday, Jan. 26
MTSU Flute Festival
8:30 a.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Women's Basketball vs. North Texas
7 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Jan. 27
Men's Basketball vs. North Texas
2 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Submit your campus event calendar items (at least three weeks in advance of the event, please) to gfann@mtsu.edu or via fax to 615-898-5714.
>>Top of Page
|
