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(12/01/11 5:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU President Michael McRobbie plans to name an interim provost by the end of 2011, said Mark Land, associate vice president for University communications, in an email.Once the interim provost is named, a search committee will be formed, Land said. This committee has the task of finding a suitable, permanent provost and making a recommendation to the president. Current Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson announced Oct. 10 she will leave her position at IU in January 2012 to be the University of Minnesota’s senior vice president of academic affairs and provost. Hanson served at IU in various roles, including as a professor and as dean of the Hutton Honors College for 35 years and has been the provost and executive vice president since 2007. She graduated from University of Minnesota with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and mathematics in 1970.Land said there is currently no timetable for how long the search for a permanent provost will take.
(11/30/11 3:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An IU alumnus donated $100,000 to fund scholarships for students in the Hutton Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences last week.The gift, which will be split equally between the two colleges, will provide funding for undergraduate students who plan to study, intern or volunteer abroad in developing nations or concentrate on sustainability and development in industrializing nations, said Matthew Auer, dean of the Hutton Honors College. It will also assist direct admit students in the College of Arts and Sciences.Devesh Shah, who graduated in 1997 with an individualized major in applied mathematics in finance, made the donation through a Goldman Sachs charitable giving program, according to a University press release. “In and of itself, it’s not all that unusual for IU,” said Jocelyn Bowie, director of communications and marketing at the College. “But he’s quite young. For him to be doing this at his age and his stage in life is incredibly generous and noteworthy.”In the release, Shah said he hopes to aid students with a strong academic background who also demonstrate financial need.“With these scholarship dollars, it is my hope that financially needy but academically strong candidates will find a way to pursue activities at IU which will help them stretch their intellect, imagination and creativity,” he said.Auer said he’s looking forward to the study abroad scholarship opportunities that could be made available with the money from Shah’s donation.“We can help get a lot of students overseas and help subsidize their travel in places that are off the beaten track,” Auer said. “This Goldman Sachs scholarship makes it much easier to do.”The Hutton scholarships will be awarded as other honors study abroad scholarships are, through the International Experiences Program, he said. The scholarships offered through the College of Arts and Sciences differ, Bowie said.The donation will be used to support direct-admit students in the College based on financial need and academic credentials. “Education is a lifelong value to an individual, and for students to be able to graduate with little to no debt is an incredible benefit to them,” Bowie said. “When alumni like Mr. Shah are so generous and they turn around and support students, it’s really a huge benefit to the individual students who receive the scholarship help. It’s also a much greater benefit to all of us, all of society."
(11/28/11 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Office of the Dean of Students, tucked away in the Indiana Memorial Union, has been home to Harold “Pete” Goldsmith, IU’s dean of students for the past two and a half years.Goldsmith sat down with the IDS to answer a few questions about his position and why he enjoys it.IDS What is your role as dean of students?GOLDSMITH I think there are primarily three roles. One is to lead the Division of Student Affairs. It has a number of units that provide a wide variety of support services to students. Beyond that, we try to help students remove bumps in the road. If there are issues or concerns, we try to help students overcome that issue so they can get back to the business of being a student rather than being distracted with whatever that issue is. The third thing we do is try to provide experiences that are going to extend or enhance a student’s educational experience, whether that’s community service or volunteerism or student leadership programs. IDS How exactly do you do that?GOLDSMITH We provide a series of courses on leadership. We provide training on leadership development. We advise student organizations, which there are about 750. We just provide a laboratory, really, for students to learn new skills and apply those skills in a leadership environment. Then the volunteer services have to do with, we place students in volunteer activities throughout Monroe County to help them kind of understand real-world issues and real-world solutions to things. IDS What is your favorite part of the job?GOLDSMITH Dealing with students because there are just a wide variety of students that I come in contact with. Sometimes it’s a lot of student leaders, and that’s a lot of fun in terms of trying to help them achieve their goals. Sometimes there are students who have issues, and I’m kind of able to help them get back on track and solve that problem, and that feels pretty good. IDS What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced?GOLDSMITH Certainly any kind of crises are difficult to deal with. Probably one of the biggest we’ve had recently is the Lauren Spierer disappearance. As you know, that’s ongoing, so it really has been an amazingly challenging undertaking.IDS Have you had any moment that has particularly moved you?GOLDSMITH I’ll tell you, one of my favorite moments of the year is freshman induction. When we greet a new class, the notion of the Indiana Promise, the spirit of Indiana — all of that is pretty moving.IDS Why do you think your position is important to the University?GOLDSMITH I think it’s important to the University because we try to help students be successful. Students come to us not just as students but as human beings with lots of opportunity, issues and concerns. What we try to do is facilitate that success. We really add richness to the academic community.IDS What direction do you see the programs in the Division of Student Affairs going in the future?GOLDSMITH Most universities are challenged now with having enough money to get the job done. So, helping to think about things like strategic planning and what our biggest priorities are but also trying to see if there are other ways we can secure money grants, fundraising, increased collaboration with folks across the University.Goldsmith earned his undergraduate degree at IU with a major in government and minors in psychology and sociology. He earned his master’s degree in education in student personnel from the American University and then returned to IU for a doctor of education degree in higher education administration.He then worked with student affairs at Kent State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania and as an administrator in student affairs at Michigan State and Old Dominion universities. Goldsmith has also had work published in student affairs journals and national newspapers.He had leadership positions in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association.
(11/17/11 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Active Living Coalition of Monroe County awarded 16 local restaurants the “Healthy Restaurant Bloomington” designation this month as part of a community-wide effort to provide healthy choices for those who dine out.While more outwardly healthy restaurants like FARMbloomington made the grade, the list also included some surprising choices. Some bars, including Kilroy’s Bar and Grill and Kilroy’s Sports Bar, received thedesignation. “The idea is to promote local restaurants in our community who also promote a healthy environment in their restaurant and a healthy community around them, which Bloomington local restaurants do a wonderful job of,” said Hannah Laughlin, Get Onboard Active Living program coordinator with IU Health.She said 18 restaurants associated with the Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association were assessed earlier this year based on 32 criteria. The criteria fall within five different categories: promoting physical activity, healthy eating and portion size, community support, a family-friendly environment and whether the restaurant has employee-wellness initiatives.Restaurants had to meet 18 of the 32 criteria to be designated. If they did not meet the criteria initially, resources to do so were provided. The restaurants were then allotted time to implement recommended changes and utilize these resources as directed by the coalition. “It seems to be something that the restaurants are invested in,” said Samantha Schafer, registered dietitian at IU Health Community Health and member of the coalition. “They do want to make our community a healthier place, and this is one way they can contribute to doing that.”Three local restaurants — FARMbloomington, Lennie’s and The Village Deli — are currently being evaluated based on the nutritional information of certain meals they offer, Laughlin said. This second phase of the evaluation process, called the BIRA smart meal, is intended to make smart choices the easiest choices. “Our idea is that diners in Monroe County can come to a Healthy Restaurant Bloomington and know they’ll have an option that is a healthy option,” she said.Registered dieticians like Schafer analyze a restaurant’s menu to see if items meet certain health criteria. If they do, a designation describing the nutritional information of that item will be on the menu. If not, recommendations and suggestions on ways of how to meet the criteria are made. Laughlin said the amount of money people spend eating out has doubled in the last 40 years, and the need to make diners aware of healthy choices is important. “What we really are trying to do is just to educate people about how foods that aren’t prepared at home are sometimes less healthy than foods we would cook,” Laughlin said. “It’s just one more community-wide approach to address the obesity epidemic.”
(11/17/11 1:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Studying abroad in Germany is now more feasible for students who don’t speak German. IU’s Office of Overseas Study will launch a new English-based program taught by IU faculty in Berlin beginning summer 2012.“It’s a program that can allow IU students to spend four intellectually exciting weeks in Berlin, which is one of the most exciting, big cities in Europe and possibly the world right now,” said Michel Chaouli, the associate professor of Germanic Studies who will teach the course. “It is a city where you can get by with an English-only program quite well.”After Chaouli spent a year visiting a researcher in Berlin, he said he recognized what a significant city it is, leading to the idea for the program. “I thought that IU really needs to have a presence there,” he said.Chaouli said IU has some exchange programs with institutions in Berlin, but they are geared more toward graduate students and German language learners.This class differs in that undergraduate students of varying majors are allowed to apply.The four-week program is now set to begin in June. Kathleen Sideli, associate vice president for overseas study, said in an email that the office typically receives 40 to 50 proposals for new study abroad programs. The class is different from a typical course that might be offered abroad because it focuses on the city of Berlin in different contexts, Chaouli said.“The course needs to tie in the experience of being in Berlin to the intellectual material of the course,” he said.He said the class will explore the historical significance of Berlin, from the Nazis to the first noteworthy democracy in Germany. Students will study Berlin through novels, historical documents and their personal experiences in Berlin.“We’ll also take the class into the city itself and study what we’re reading within the context of the city,” he said. Sideli said the program will provide students with more options should they choose to travel to Berlin.“Overseas Study felt that Berlin is an important city in Europe (that) has not been easily accessible to IU students,” she said. “Many students interested in Germany are not proficient enough in the language to take content courses in Germany.”
(11/08/11 5:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bursts of music pulse in the air. Girls stumble along the streets in stiletto heels, clinging to friends for balance. Herds of boys in button-up shirts roam Kirkwood Avenue, unsure of which bar to hit up next.This is a typical Thursday night in Bloomington, and some members of IU’s administration say it is a problem to be addressed. A possible solution has been introduced to decrease the number of drunken Thursday nights: more Friday classes.Karen Hanson, provost and executive vice president, asked a team of deans and vice provosts to research how many Friday classes students at IU take. “As an institution, we can do some things that ensure our students do not regard Thursday night as a weekend night,” Hanson said. “Making the most efficient use of the campus is the other thing that’s at stake here.”The group presented research to the Bloomington Faculty Council at its Oct. 18 meeting, leaving the idea in the council’s hands for discussion and a decision. “This really is the start of the conversation,” said Harold “Pete” Goldsmith, dean of students and a member of the research group. “There really are no decisions that have been made. The consultation is just beginning with faculty, students and other staff.”Goldsmith found from 2010 to 2011, the number of arrests for alcohol consumption on Thursday nights increased drastically and is comparable to the number on Friday and Saturday nights. He said this could possibly be attributed to the drop-off of students who take Friday classes compared to other days of the week.IU Student Association President Justin Kingsolver said he does not believe additional Friday classes will change the drinking culture of the campus, however.“If they want to solve the alcohol problem, they need to have an alcohol-directed program,” Kingsolver said. “They shouldn’t mess with the academic calendar, our curriculum and our schedules to solve some kind of drinking problem. I think it’s a terrible idea.”Thomas Gieryn, vice provost for faculty and student affairs and another member of the research group, said he views the drop-off in students taking Friday courses as a significant issue. More than half of seniors do not have a Friday class, and Gieryn said the University should become more like the work force with five-day weeks. “Just about every other sector of the economy has a five-day work week, Monday through Friday,” he said. “The weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Why should IU be different?”Hanson said finding ways to utilize classrooms to their fullest extent is always a priority, and more Friday classes would help with this.Gieryn and Hanson acknowledged that many faculty and students have other obligations on Fridays, including research for professors and field work for students. For example, students in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs work in their professional fields on Fridays, and students in the School of Education serve as assistant teachers at the end of the week.For this reason, they said it would be impossible to mandate that every student take a class on Fridays.“We recognize that at various stages of their career, students have responsibilities and interests,” Hanson said. “We want students to be able to adjust their own schedules according to their level of progress through their undergraduate careers.” Goldsmith said many options have been presented regarding the addition of Friday classes. One option is to look at different patterns of classes, such as a class that might meet Mondays and Fridays.“I think the notion of all of this is we want to create an environment that helps students be successful,” Goldsmith said. “That’s kind of the goal here. This is just another way we can enhance or improve the academic environment.”Kingsolver said nothing will change without a mandate.“They can choose to add as many Friday classes as they would like, but ultimately, unless they mandate it, students will not choose to have Friday classes,” he said.
(11/04/11 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In fall 2010, the Bloomington Faculty Council approved changes to the academic calendar, including a one-day fall break, a week off for Thanksgiving and a one-week earlier start date for the fall semester.In addition to these calendar revisions, which will be implemented in 2012, changes have been made to the summer class schedule.“The reason that we did this was in part because the whole academic year calendar is changing,” said Thomas Gieryn, vice provost for faculty and academic affairs.Rather than the model used before — a 14-week block split into one six-week session and one eight-week session — several options are now available, Gieryn said.Three consecutive four-week sessions, two consecutive six-week sessions, two overlapping eight-week sessions and one 12-week session will be offered to students, Interim Registrar Mark McConahay said in an email.“The new calendar should enable more class variety and offerings for students,” he said. “There will be a learning curve for all of us at IU as we adjust to the new summer term and the sessions within them, but in the long run, the new calendar will provide enhanced academic choices and opportunities for students.”Gieryn said a shorter summer session is necessary since the fall semester will begin earlier than in years past. Gieryn said the changes were made prior to President Michael McRobbie’s announcement of a 25 percent tuition discount for in-state students and a dollar value equivalent reduction for out-of-state students.“Honestly, when we developed this new calendar, we didn’t know the president was going to discount,” he said. “We didn’t know the president was going to propose the idea of year-round school.”However, the discount as well as the changes in the calendar are likely to attract more students to take summer courses, McConahay said. “Given the tuition discount and the new calendar, I do think that enrollment in the summer sessions will increase,” he said.Roy Durnal, interim director of the Office of Student Financial Assistance, said in an email that despite the reduced tuition, some students still might need financial aid.He also said changes in financial aid are not likely with the new summer calendar.“We’re still working with all our campus partners to sort out the details,” Durnal said. “At this time, I don’t see that there will be any significant changes in the way students apply for and receive financial aid during the summer.”McConahay said the registration process will remain the same, but he advised students to pay close attention to the meeting dates they register for to avoid conflicts.Gieryn said Bloomington faculty prefer options with varying lengths, and the different term lengths will provide flexibility for students.“There are some great opportunities for students to focus on certain types of classes or knock off general education requirements,” he said. “It’s an experiment. We don’t know how it’s going to work. We hope students will like it.”
(11/02/11 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alcohol use has decreased and marijuana use has increased among Indiana youth, according to the 2011 annual Indiana Youth Survey conducted by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center.The 21st report, titled “Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use by Indiana Children and Adolescents,” allowed schools across the state to participate if they chose. The IPRC surveyed minors in grades six through 12 about drug use, gambling habits and risk and protective factors — such as supportive families — in their lives, said Courtney Stewart, coordinator of research translation at the IPRC. “It kind of gives us a really nice snapshot of what’s going on in the state,” she said. Between February and March 2011, the surveys were administered in 478 schools in Indiana, with a total of 168,801 public and non-public school students completing them, according to the report.Of the surveys completed, 152,678 were deemed usable, according to the report.Barbara Seitz de Martinez, deputy director of the IPRC, said the data collected provides the decision-makers in Indiana with ongoing knowledge of trends and emerging issues.“Having this data allows you to decide what steps to take to achieve progress or to maintain success,” she said.Stewart said information pertaining to particular schools is available should they decide prevention programming is necessary.The data in the report indicated a decrease in youth alcohol use since 1993, the first year the survey was conducted, she said.Stewart also said data from the past three years shows a steady increase in marijuana use.“It gives us a direction to go in,” Stewart said. “We’re going to need to look at some new ways of getting the words out about marijuana and the dangers.”She said it can be speculated that this increase might be due to attention on medical marijuana in the media, which can make the youth believe it is OK to use.“The less harm that they perceive, the more likely they are to use it and not worry about consequences,” Stewart said.Seitz de Martinez said the survey helps to localize any issues that emerge and to plan for the future. “If we can delay the initiation of alcohol use, if we can prevent the initiation of tobacco use, we are going to improve the quality of life of many people,” she said.
(10/31/11 12:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s Board of Trustees approved a discount in summer tuition during a special meeting Friday in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. The discount would mean a 25 percent reduction in tuition for in-state students. Out-of-state students would receive a reduction equivalent to the dollar amount reduction in-state students receive. The discounts will apply at all IU campuses, Trustee MaryEllen Bishop said. “The trustees are always looking for ways to continue to cost-cut,” Bishop said. “With these economic times we live in, we all have to do it.”President Michael McRobbie presented the plan to the trustees after he announced it Oct. 24 at a news conference on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus.The discount will be applied beginning in the summer 2012 session and will save students as much as $1,050 on the Bloomington campus if taking a full course load, according to a press release.Trustee Pat Shoulders said the discount will help in the retention of students and utilization of campus facilities. “I think that in this time, where there’s pressure on tuition and the cost of college, it makes sense for us to try to come up with creative ways to utilize our buildings, help kids graduate and lower the cost of college,” he said.Bishop said she is unsure if there will be a substantial increase in enrollment this summer, but she expects changes in the coming years.“This first summer, we’ve got to work through the details and keep the doors open,” she said.Shoulder said the discount and the change in the structure of IU’s summer session to be more like a traditional semester may be the first steps toward making university education a year-round endeavor. “It probably will be a model for other universities,” he said. “I think they’ll all begin to follow this, and I think it’ll help to rethink the traditional semester structure of higher education.”
(10/28/11 3:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With a little more than three months left at IU before beginning her new job at the University of Minnesota, Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson has a lot left to accomplish, she said.From further discussions about the New Academic Directions report to continuing her regular duties, Hanson said she will remain busy until she leaves. “I’m going to be working full tilt right to the end,” she said. “I made a list — as soon as this change became official — of things I didn’t want to drop the ball on as we were going through this transition.”Initiatives in the works
(10/26/11 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Crowds flocked to the front seats of the Whittenberger Auditorium in the
Indiana Memorial Union; stragglers scattered in the back rows.
Fragments of conversation about differences in religion fluttered
throughout the room until Ania Tondel, IU Students for Life president,
stepped on stage to introduce the speaker.
Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., approached the
lectern to tremendous applause to speak about her experiences with and
views on abortion Tuesday.
“I’ll say it before you tonight: A woman has the right to choose what
she does with her body,” she began. “The baby is not her body.”
King, who works with the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, then delved
into the topic she claims is the civil rights issue of the 21st century,
describing her mother’s pregnancy situation first.
When King’s mother became pregnant, she contemplated an abortion, King said.
The words of her future father-in-law, however, stopped her from going through with it.
“That’s not a lump of flesh,” King’s grandfather, Dr. Martin Luther King Sr., said to her mother. “That’s a girl.”
So, Alveda King was born.
Her decisions differed from her mother’s during her first pregnancies.
While her first resulted in a miscarriage, King said she opted for
abortion with the next two.
At this point in her life, she considered herself pro-choice.
After leaving her husband and becoming pregnant again, her point of view
changed. She had a discussion similar to the one between her mother and
grandfather.
“I wouldn’t abort a baby again, but I can’t tell anybody else not to do it,” King said.
She proclaimed a need for abstinence, which was followed by applause.
King then opened the floor for a question-and-answer session, where she responded citing her own experience as proof.
“Numbers don’t lie. Statistics don’t lie. Facts don’t lie,” she said.
“It’s hard for people to accept it. For me, I went through it.”
Jessica Edwards, a freshman majoring in elementary education, said she
attended the speech as a requirement for a public speaking class. She
also said she found the topic fascinating.
“I always like to hear opinions because they bring things forth in a different light,” she said.
(10/25/11 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU President Michael McRobbie announced Monday the University’s plan to reduce both Indiana resident and nonresident undergraduate tuition for summer-semester students.Indiana residents who are enrolled at any of the eight IU campuses will receive a 25-percent discount in tuition for summer courses, according to a press release. Nonresident undergraduates will receive an equivalent dollar discount in their tuition.“The economy is very difficult,” said Mark Land, associate vice president of University Communications. “We’re looking for ways to make college affordable to as many students as possible. This obviously provides a really powerful opportunity for undergraduate students.”The plan, set to begin in summer 2012, will provide financial relief to students, promote year-round college attendance and decrease the time it takes for students to earn their degrees, according to the release. “This large tuition discount is being offered to IU students in order to provide important financial relief for students and their families and also a significant financial incentive for attending IU year-round,” McRobbie said in the release. “Greater attendance in the summer will allow IU to make more efficient use of its facilities. It also will provide an affordable option for students who want to complete their degrees at IU on a faster track than the traditional model.”He announced the plan at a news conference on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, claiming it will allow University facilities to be used more efficiently, according to the release. The discounts will mean about $1,050 in savings on the Bloomington campus for students who take a full course load, according to the release. “Every college and university should be looking for ways to help students get more education for their dollar,” Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said in the release. “IU’s idea to maximize use of its facilities year-round is a good one, and one that should be imitated at all of our schools. I hope to see campuses full of hardworking students next summer.”Land said the discount will apply regardless of the amount of credits taken. The Bloomington faculty fostered a new, longer summer session last year as well, to allow for more flexible and creative use of the summer period, according to the release. This will be supported by the tuition discount plan.Land said this initiative will begin this summer and will be more like a regular semester, rather than two shorter summer sessions.“We’re just looking to give students more flexibility,” he said. “This really is more than a tuition cut. It’s a mechanism for making things happen, and we’re really trying to give students a lot of options here.”IU’s Board of Trustees will meet at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union to vote on the tuition reduction.
(10/25/11 2:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s marketing initiatives are well executed, according to a recent report that outlines the marketing approaches of all eight campuses.Dan Smith, dean of the Kelley School of Business, presented this report to the Board of Trustees when it convened Oct. 13 and 14, Board Chairman William Cast said.“Universities really aren’t different from any other organization when it comes to marketing,” Smith said. “If we at IU want to attract the best students and the best faculty, and not to mention outside support for students, for scholarships or to support research, IU absolutely must be endowed in a meaningful way.”Smith said IU President Michael McRobbie asked him to look into the University’s marketing efforts and offer recommendations on ways to improve effectiveness and efficiency.Smith said he spoke with leaders of the IU campuses to understand how the schools market their programs. He then combined this feedback with information from marketing leaders in the president’s office and his own observations and experience.Through his research, Smith found an increase in student applications, student quality, research funding at IU and recruitment of students by companies and government corporations.“It suggests that something is working well here,” he said. “It’s clear that, collectively, our marketing efforts are making an important, positive difference with respect to many of the University’s most important goals.”Cast said the report defines what can be done in order to make marketing efforts more coherent overall. Smith also emphasized the importance of using marketing to indicate IU’s differences compared to competing universities.“We have to communicate those differences in the marketplace,” he said. “It’s really critical for us to have a compelling value proposition and to articulate it vigorously to the marketplace.”Smith said although he did not execute the report to instigate changes in IU’s marketing, he believes there will be improvements nonetheless. “The purpose of the report was not to change the marketing strategy of IU, per se,” he said. “That being said, as a result of executing these recommendations, I think we can expect the marketing activities and the marketing strategies of various units on our campuses to evolve.”
(10/18/11 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some students want a degree in fields other than biology, Spanish or statistics.The Individualized Major Program, an option through the College of Arts and Sciences, permits students to pursue self-designed, interdisciplinary majors.Paul Aarstad, assistant director of the program, explained more about how to get involved. How does it work?Each student is assigned a faculty sponsor to consult with in designing a curriculum that meets the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree.The designed curriculum is then reviewed by a committee of faculty members selected by the program leaders. This committee offers advice and proposes changes to the curriculum if needed and may approve the major. Every student is also required to do a final project.What is the application process?Students must present a curriculum plan which includes all proposed courses for his or her specific individualized major and for the B.A. requirements. A semester-by-semester plan of courses the student has not yet taken is also necessary.There is a written component, as well, called the admissions statement, which identifies the major and explains how this major could not be accomplished through existing major or degree programs. The statement must prove that the major has academic validity and is established in the liberal arts. Aarstad said the statement must also prove the major is a good fit for the student. Who is eligible to apply?Any student who has finished the first semester of freshman year and has a 2.5 GPA or higher can apply. Applications are accepted in spring and fall.How long has the program been in place?The IMP has been established at IU since 1969.Why is the program important?Aarstad said the IMP allows students to put their interests into a major program that might be offered at other schools but not at IU.“It serves a purpose at the University in terms of retaining students who might otherwise go elsewhere,” he said.He also said it is important that students have options.“It is important for students to choose their direction, and if that direction isn’t served by an existing major or program, we’re here to help with that,” Aarstad said. “Students who participate in the design of their own curriculum tend to learn more deeply and are better able to apply their education to contemporary problems.”
(10/18/11 2:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s School of Education has added new scholarships to its Direct Admit Scholars Program in an effort to create a more diverse, high-achieving group entering the education field.As much as $12,000 in scholarships will be available from the school for qualified students during four years of study, according to a press release.“I think, overall, it’s going to increase the quality of our students,” School of Education Dean Gerardo Gonzalez said. “We’ll have more diverse students, higher academic achieving students, and they will be continuing on in the school at higher rates. That’s exactly what we want to see.” Katie Paulin, director of undergraduate recruitment and professional community in the School of Education, said the additional scholarships will assist in recruiting such students. “With the challenges in education today, we certainly want to make sure that we are preparing excellent educators,” she said. “By recruiting students who are strong academically and who represent the population that they’ll be teaching in, we can produce the types of teachers that we want to be producing for our classrooms.”Gonzalez said the scholarships will also encourage students to pursue a career in teaching, despite financial issues.“Everyone knows education is not a field that people go into to become rich,” he said. “Students who go into teaching do so because they’re passionate about it, they care about children, they see the value of the teaching profession.”The Direct Admit Scholars Program is relatively new and is currently recruiting its fourth class, Paulin said. About 170 students among the three current classes began with the program.Paulin said the program allows for many unique opportunities the students will benefit from, such as academic advising within the School of Education, mentors who are currently enrolled in the school and special events and programs. “We really view our job as engaging students and nurturing them as they work toward their goal of becoming the best-prepared teacher that they can be,” Paulin said.Gonzalez said there is national concern about improving teaching, and he believes this program and the additional scholarships will increase the standard of teaching. “This is a way that Indiana University is contributing to assuring that we have a very well-prepared teaching workforce, which ultimately would mean significant improvements in education across the board,” he said.
(10/13/11 2:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU has been chosen as the site for the country’s first Turkish Flagship program.
The Language Flagship, a project of the National Security Education
Program within the United States’ Department of Defense, selected IU as
the sole location for its program in Turkish and other Turkic languages.
Kemal Silay, director of IU’s Turkish studies program and chair of
Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies in the IU College of Arts and
Sciences, has been appointed as the leader of the program.
“As the director of the Turkish Flagship Center, I will put all I know
about the Turkish language and its associated cultures into the heart
and soul of the program in order to transform it into a national
success,” he said in an email.
The Language Flagship is a partnership between the national security
community and higher education that attempts to address the national
need for knowledge in certain languages and regions.
The program is established with a three-year $1.5 million grant, according to a press release.
IU’s Turkish Flagship Center will aim to train about 15 undergraduate
students per year in Turkish, Silay said. To do so, an outreach
coordinator may be hired in the second year of the program.
“It’s very much focused on undergraduate education and achieving
language learning at a very high level,” said Christopher Atwood, chair
of the Central Eurasian studies department.
The program is unique in that it allows students the opportunity to use
Turkish as a bridge to another Turkic language, Uzbek, according to a
press release.
“It is certainly a turning point not only for Indiana University but
also for Turkish Studies in the United States,” Silay said. “It is an
academic and educational distinction that IU-Bloomington was chosen for
such a prestigious award.”
The flagship program is currently being organized and set up, Atwood said.
He said the first group of students will likely begin the program by the
start of next school year. To be considered, students must express
interest in the language and be advancing through Turkish classes.
Incentives, including financial aid and study abroad opportunities, will
hopefully draw students to the program as well, Atwood said.
The Turkish Flagship has been established at IU at a very opportune time, he said.
“Turkey is a rising country with more and more influence in the world,”
Atwood said. “It’s very timely that we have the Turkish Flagship.”
(10/11/11 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Karen Hanson, IU-Bloomington’s provost and executive vice president, will leave IU on Feb. 1 for a position at the University of Minnesota.Monday, U of M President Eric Kaler named Hanson as the university’s new senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. This appointment is subject to approval by U of M’s Board of Regents, which will meet later this week.“We know she’ll be a loss for Indiana, but we’re just very happy she saw an opportunity to come to Minnesota and contribute on our journey to excellence,” said Tim Mulcahy, U of M’s vice president for research and the chairman of the provost search committee. “We think the experience she got at Indiana and everything we’ve heard about her from the folks at Indiana just reaffirm in our minds that she’s a great choice for what we’re looking for.” The search for U of M’s new provost began in the summer, after current Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Tom Sullivan announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2011 calendar year.Since Hanson and many of her family members attended U of M, she said she found the opportunity to apply too interesting to overlook.“It was the campus I grew up on,” she said. “It’s my home state, and it’s a great university with an enormous array of resources and a lot of interesting opportunities, so it was too interesting to pass by.” ter the search committee reviewed materials of and compared their information to the goals, traditions and aspirations of U of M, the group interviewed 16 individuals, Mulcahy said.In September, the search for a new provost was narrowed to five candidates who were then invited to spend a day on campus. The committee received feedback from campus and turned it over to Kaler, who decided on Hanson. “I think we had a pool of very strong candidates, Karen among them,” Mulcahy said. “We really believe that she is the total package, and she’s really going to help us take the next steps that we’ve laid out for ourselves for this institution.”He also said Hanson will bring strong leadership skills, a depth of experience and a background of information from a public research university, all of which are important to U of M. Hanson has served at IU for 35 years and has been the provost and executive vice president since 2007. Hanson said the majority of her time at IU was spent as a faculty member.“I think that’s important for a provost to understand what it is to be a faculty member, the many demands on faculty, productivity for research and to understand what it is to contribute meaningfully to the education for our students,” she said.IU President Michael McRobbie released a statement concerning Hanson’s new position, expressing his gratitude for the time she spent in Bloomington. “The University of Minnesota is an outstanding institution, and I understand the undeniable appeal of returning to one’s alma mater in a key leadership position,” McRobbie said in the release. “I have every confidence that Karen will make the same type of positive difference at the University of Minnesota that she has made at Indiana University.” IU has not yet begun its search for Hanson’s successor, Associate Vice President for University Communications Mark Land said.“It’s going to take a little while to move forward,” he said. “This wasn’t something that we necessarily expected to happen.”Land said the focus should remain on Hanson’s accomplishment for now.”We really kind of want today to be Karen’s day,” he said.
(10/11/11 1:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington Faculty Council is a body of elected members from the IU campus who represent the faculty. In September, the BFC outlined several initiatives at its meetings. The Fostering Learning, Achievement and Graduation Early Alert System is one that has become an option for faculty this fall on the Bloomington campus.What is FLAG EAS?It is a University-wide initiative that aims to provide data for IU campuses to improve student retention. However, FLAG EAS is a system for all students to increase engagement in the classroom setting, not only those considered to be at risk.“It’s a system to provide quick feedback to students and also to advisors to identify those students who may be having academic difficulties,” said Kurt Zorn, associate vice provost for undergraduate education and IU contact for student retention and success.What are the goals of FLAG EAS?FLAG EAS has two main goals for the IU system. One is to increase student retention and graduation at IU. The other is to provide a means by which faculty can offer feedback to students. “We wanted to do something that was as seamless as possible, and what this allows the faculty member to do is to communicate with the student directly,” Zorn said.What is currently being implemented in Bloomington?Right now, the initial phase of the program is optional and aims to collect data from faculty. This phase is called the Student Performance Roster, which is a way to assess students’ attendance, performance and participation in classes.“We’re not talking about grades here,” Zorn said. “We’re talking about lack of attendance or poor performance on quizzes and not participating in class discussions.”What is the purpose of the following phases? Phases two and three are meant to take the process one step further by setting up advising for the students, Zorn said. When will the system be complete?The program is set to be fully developed for use in fall 2012.
(10/11/11 1:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Imagine sitting in a classroom, staring at a chalkboard jumbled with strange figures and symbols and listening to a teacher whose words do not make sense.Imagine experiencing this confusion day in and day out, simply because English is not the primary language spoken at home. A $1.9 million federal grant awarded to the IU School of Education at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis will fund a project to combat this confusion by improving instructors’ ability to teach English as a second language. “We’re trying to transform the mainstream classroom to have the optimal conditions that promote language learning and academic achievement,” said Annela Teemant, associate professor of education and the principal investigator for the project.The project, called “IUPUI ESL Partnerships: Building Capacity Across and Within Institutions,” focuses on schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools system and the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, according to a press release.Teachers involved will participate in intensive ESL coaching.They will also attend a five-day summer workshop to learn various techniques and new teaching methods to approach teaching English language learners in the classroom setting, Teemant said. “The only way to provide students with the best opportunity to learn is to have teachers who understand how to combine the best of language development practices with the best of content delivery,” she said.Fifteen elementary teachers and 30 secondary math and science teachers will have the opportunity to add an ESL certification to their current teaching licenses through this grant, Teemant said.The process takes 16 months, according to a press release.Teemant said since there has been such an increase in the population of non-English speakers, having this certification can be very beneficial for the students.“There isn’t a teacher in the school system today, especially new teachers who are entering, who will not be working with English language learners,” she said. “It’s the single largest population experiencing growth, especially in Indiana.”Marilee Updike, ESL coordinator for IPS and a district partner on the grant, agreed, said the schools in the Indianapolis area is no exception to the greater scope of the nation.“Our numbers of children from other countries are doing nothing but going up,” she said. “The demographics of the nation are reflected here, so we have the same issues as everybody else.” Teemant said the new teaching styles positively influence all students, not only English language learners. “The biggest change we see is that students are taking responsibility for their learning and their voice,” Teemant said. “Their thinking — their ideas — become part of the curriculum. Teachers are asking students to build on what they already know and apply it to important concepts that are in their textbooks.”Updike said the project fosters a genuine understanding between teachers and students that will benefit the students overall.“Any student is going to benefit from being taught by someone who understands how he learns,” Updike said.
(10/10/11 3:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson was named the senior vice president and provost of the University of Minnesota today, according to a U of M press release.A University of Minnesota alumna, Hanson will begin her post Feb. 1. She will remain at IU until that time. She received bachelor’s degrees in philosophy in mathematics from U of M in 1970. She received her master’s and doctorate degrees in philosophy from Harvard University in 1980.Hanson has served in her as provost and executive vice president since 2007 and has worked as a professor of philosophy and dean of the Hutton Honors College.“Karen’s departure leaves a void both on the Bloomington campus and on the Indiana University leadership team,” IU President Michael McRobbie said in a press release. “I have every confidence that Karen will make the same type of positive difference at the University of Minnesota that she has made at Indiana University.”A search for IU’s new provost is pending and there are no specific deadlines for that search set at this time, McRobbie said in the release.