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(10/07/11 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Looking at the night sky, only the faint glow of the moon can be seen. Through the lens of a telescope, every imprint and crater on its surface comes into focus. For one of the first times this semester, the Kirkwood Observatory opened its doors to the public for its weekly open house. Cloud cover had prevented its opening in previous weeks, but a clear sky Wednesday evening permitted people of all ages to enjoy what the observatory has to offer.The line to enter the observatory practically wound its way out the door. A family decked out in IU gear lingered near the entrance. Families herded their young children through the course of the line. All had congregated to the observatory for the same reason: to experience the world of astronomy that so many have grown to love.Randy Hamper, the outreach coordinator in IU’s astronomy department, said the observatory’s rustic, old-fashioned appeal is what draws people’s attention.“When people have an idea of what astronomy is, it’s the idea of an astronomer sitting behind a telescope looking out at the night sky,” he said. Astronomy today has changed in the sense that it is technologically based, Hamper said. Much of the time, an astronomer sits behind a computer screen and takes digital pictures. These likenesses would once have been sketched. “At Kirkwood, it’s still that old, romantic view,” he said.As some people descended the mahogany steps, others were sent up into the darkness, inching the entrance line slowly along.Upstairs, scattered fixtures provided dim lighting in the small space where yet another line wrapped around the circular area.In the middle of everything, a vast telescope was directed toward the night sky, and the crescent moon through a slit in the ceiling. The 12-inch retracting telescope is exactly what everyone had been waiting for.And Hamper claimed this telescope is what he enjoys most about the observatory as a whole.“It’s old. It’s well built,” he said. “It gives you a beautiful view of the night sky.”The telescope dates back to 1901 but was refurbished in the early 2000s, Hamper said.In comparison to most modern telescopes, the Kirkwood telescope is relatively small, Hamper said.Yet to the unknowing eye, “small” would not be a word used to describe it. A set of steps are situated beneath the telescope so observers can easily access the eyepiece. Once the eye is in place, an extremely magnified view of the moon comes to focus. An astronomy graduate student is there to explain what is being viewed and to answer questions about the specifics of the telescope. Craters and ridges along the moon’s surface can easily be seen through the telescope, which magnifies the size of the moon to 150 times what can be seen with the naked eye. Because of this, not all of the moon can be viewed at once using the telescope. After the viewer finishes looking through the telescope and steps down from the post at the eyepiece, the next person has the opportunity to experience the magic of the galaxies.Overall, the Kirkwood Observatory stands as an outlet for knowledge and growth in the IU community, Hamper said. “I think it’s kind of a nice piece of IU history,” he said. “It’s also really important because it enables IU to reach out to the Bloomington area and maybe central Indiana as a whole and give people the opportunity to look through the telescope — the planets, the stars, the galaxies and all the neat stuff that’s out there.”
(10/05/11 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some were interested in studying there in the near future. Others related to the rich culture. Still others wanted to know more about the various IU collaborations made.Whatever the reason, a diverse group gathered Tuesday in the Grand Foyer of the IU Auditorium to listen as President Michael McRobbie spoke about his recent trip to India.David Zaret, vice president of international affairs and part of the delegation to India, introduced McRobbie to the crowd clustered before him.This presidential forum was co-sponsored by Zaret’s office and the Department of India Studies, he said.“This visit was not a tour,” Zaret said, affirming that the delegation of IU deans and other faculty worked hard making connections each day of the two-week visit.McRobbie stepped to the podium, flanked by an American flag and an Indian flag with photos of the delegation behind him. Once initial applause subsided, he began by explaining that although he had stopped briefly in India at the age of four, this trip, beginning in late August and concluding early September, was his first true trip to India. McRobbie also claimed to be the first sitting IU president to visit India.The idea for such a presidential forum stemmed from a similar event about two years prior. The administration visited Korea and invited Korean faculty and students for a reception following the administration’s return.This time, however, McRobbie opened the event to all those interested.He went on to explain the trip was made in an effort to maintain the standards of international engagement so important in today’s society.“The world is becoming completely internationalized,” he said. “There’s no aspect of the world of academia not affected by international engagement.”McRobbie said there were four main components behind the delegation’s visit: increasing study abroad opportunities, increasing the influx of foreign students to IU, supporting faculty research and establishing relationships with international institutions that complement IU.With more than 240 Indian faculty members and more than 800 Indian students at IU, these components were particularly important in India, he said. He cited many prominent collaborations with Indian facilities, including agreements with the India Institute of Technology in Mumbai, the inauguration of the New Delhi chapter of the IU Alumni Association and agreements with the University of Hyderabad, along with other universities.McRobbie expressed excitement about the partnership with Infosys, a technological giant in Bangalore, India. The organization promised to include IU on the recruitment list for fellowships and internships. “I think for IU students, this will provide an exciting opportunity to work with a very dynamic and rapidly growing IT company,” McRobbie said. The delegation had one day off, which it used to tour the area.“We had the opportunity to see the Taj Mahal, one of the truly remarkable architectural features of the world,” he said.Vanashri Nargund, a Ph.D. in the School of Education, is from India and focuses on the Indian education system.“I wanted to know more about what kinds of collaborations happened when he was in India,” she said.The outline of the trip ended and the floor was opened up for audience questions. Concerns included IU involvement in Indian public health and collaborations with Indian arts and religion as well as those involving technology.Nargund stepped up as well, questioning teacher training programs in India and what might be done to improve them.“They’re trying to establish something to train the people who train the teachers,” Zaret answered.
(10/03/11 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During the past year, IU has seen a slight increase in burglaries in on-campus properties and housing and a slight decrease in forcible sex offenses, according to IU’s annual Security and Fire Safety Reports for 2010. Jerry Minger, IU’s director of public safety, said any amount of burglaries should cause students to be more cautious.“I think that students need to realize that in any society, in any environment, crime occurs,” Minger said. “What we’ve seen over the years is when students come to the University, they don’t feel that in an academic environment there will be crimes that occur. They need to realize they need to protect themselves and also their property and their belongings.”These reports became available Oct. 1 and includes resources for similar situations.Students and staff were notified last week through an email detailing the purpose of the reports. Relaying this information is a requirement of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and the safety- and fire-related requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.Minger said these reports are important to keep the University informed.“There’s a wealth of information in regard to safety and security for the community,” he said.The reports contain specific policy statements and crime and fire statistics for the Bloomington campus from the previous three years. They offer procedures to be followed in emergency situations of different types, including fire evacuation and sexual offenses.Crimes initiated by hate were virtually non-existent between 2008 and 2010, according to the report. The majority of these crimes involved intimidation or property damage. “It’s not saying there are absolutely no hate crimes, but what it is saying is that there were not many crimes that were Clery-reportable crimes that were initiated by hate,” Minger said.He said only the specific crimes listed in the report are those that are required to be reported by the Clery Act. The fire reports detail the fire safety systems in place in each residence center on campus and the fire safety policies set as preventative measures. These reports deal more specifically with on-campus housing.Minger said these reports are not meant to alarm students but rather to bring about awareness.“There’s always the need to be safe and conscious about crimes that go on in the community,” Minger said. “This should be an educational factor for people to protect themselves and their property.”
(09/27/11 2:54am)
From tuition to technology, the administration plays a huge role in how IU works for you. If these names are a bit unfamiliar, here’s a few facts to help you brush up.
(09/27/11 2:42am)
The IU chapter has been recognized nationally as the Most Improved of Delta Chi’s 135 chapters in North America for 2010-11.
(09/22/11 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Immigration reform has been popping up on state agendas across the
country. But the Department of Homeland Security is trying to help
international students study in the United States.
Study in the States, sponsored by DHS, aims to simplify the process for
the “best and brightest” university students around the world to study
in the U.S., according to a press release.
“It’s a way to try to make us look more welcoming, which is good,” said
Rendy Schrader, director of international student and scholar advising.
“I just don’t think it’s going to have a huge impact on the type or number of students that we get.”
She said nothing in the process for international students to come to
the United States will change. Rather, it is a way for all necessary
information to be located on one central site.
Essentially, it will allow international students to remain up-to-date
on processes and procedures they must go through in order to study here,
Schrader said.
She said she doubts IU will be greatly affected by the initiative,
attributing IU’s international student population to an international
recruiter and word of mouth.
“IU is very fortunate in that people want to come here and study,” Schrader said.
And although the Study in the States initiative does not represent an
easier method for international students, Schrader outlined the steps a
student outside of the United States must go through if he or she wishes
to study here.
Process for international students to come to U.S. university
An international student applies as any U.S. citizen would by submitting
an application as well as test scores and class standing.
The student must prove he or she has enough funding for a year’s worth of expenses, including tuition.
His or her credentials are then evaluated to ensure equivalency to U.S. scores, as nations have different academic standards.
An immigration form, usually an I-20, is issued to the student and is
then used to apply for a student visa with the U.S. embassy in order to
travel to the country.
What is an I-20?
An I-20 is a document issued by a university that is generated by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS.
A student is permitted to obtain more than one I-20, depending on the number of schools he or she was accepted to.
It is a government-approved document that asks basic questions about the
student’s background and his or her intentions for studying in the
United States (major, reason for coming to the United States, etc.)
It assigns the student with a number, which becomes part of the federal database.
To apply for student visa (after completion of I-20)
Request an appointment with the U.S. embassy. The wait time for an appointment varies depending on the country.
Pay a SEVIS fee.
Bring proof of funding, the I-20 form, a valid passport, the SEVIS
payment receipt, visa application papers and admissions letter to
appointment.
Be prepared for a short interview to test for English proficiency and to
determine if the student intends to return home following his or her
studies in the United States.
Wait one to two weeks before a visa stamp can be put in the student’s passport.
Students must apply for their visas more than 90 days before the scheduled start date listed on their I-20 form.
(09/20/11 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In an effort to monitor the early stages of substance abuse, the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at IU has teamed with health care services in Indianapolis to screen for certain warning signs.Funded by an $8.3 million federal grant, the five-year initiative aims to incorporate drug and alcohol screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment, also referred to as SBIRT, into primary health care services, according to a press release. “It gives Indiana a chance to actually implement what is a really recommended practice in primary care health settings, which is really just to screen virtually every patient for alcohol and drugs,” said Merrill Hatlen, grant consultant at the center.He said receiving a grant was a very competitive process, and only nine were awarded nationwide.The initiative will begin with a three-year phase in which the practices will be implemented in 10 health centers in Indianapolis, said Jon Agley, research associate and evaluator at the center. Screenings are set to begin in January 2012.“The goal is to develop expertise and a process that is effective,” he said. “Then we can provide technical assistance and have a good understanding of how this process works for community health centers and community mental health centers throughout Indiana.”Following this phase, the goal is to implement SBIRT statewide, Agley said.He also said substance abuse has typically been a topic avoided by many primary care physicians due to a level of discomfort as well as a lack of training. Through this program, the doctors have been provided with interviewing techniques and a process to work with should they suspect substance abuse, he said.“Actually having the mental health services, specifically the screening and preventative services, occur at the primary care clinic is really important, and I think it’s really going to improve,” Agley said.He said in terms of substance abuse, it’s not all black and white. There are stages that many people overlook or are unaware of. With alcohol, for example, people aren’t simply nondrinkers or heavy drinkers, Agley said. There are levels in between these extremes that might put a person at risk of developing a serious medical problem.“It’s really important to be able to identify those people so we can resolve and change their behavior before it really starts harming them,” he said.Agley said they are hoping to measure the cost savings, as well.“It’s one of the best ways to help reduce health care costs,” Hatlen said. “Anything you can do to do any early intervention is just much more cautious.”He said the grant will assist in preventing the final stages of substance abuse.“Essentially, it’s an opportunity to do an early intervention and catch problems before they become full-blown addiction,” Hatlen said. “In that sense it’s fairly revolutionary.”
(09/13/11 2:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It happens to many college students. They work all summer to save some money for the school year and blow a large portion of their hard-earned cash on textbooks for courses.IU students are no exception.After two years of pilot testing, eTexts, or academic materials produced digitally, will be implemented at IU. The burden of the cost of textbooks was a major factor in IU’s recent partnership with the Indiana-based company Courseload, which will provide the software for eTexts, and the University’s agreements with several publishers.“IU’s focus was really two-fold,” said Michael Barton, Courseload director of university partnerships. “One, to reduce the cost of education for students by dramatically reducing the price of textbooks. The second part is how can you use digital tools within eTexts to help improve learning outcomes.”He said IU’s agreements with publishers can potentially bring the price of content down 60 to 70 percent from the list price, and much of the time, eTexts will be cheaper than a used book.Brad Wheeler, vice president of information technology and Kelley School of Business professor, said IU will not require faculty to use eTexts. It is a choice they can make for their specific needs in a course.“If the faculty looks at it and they don’t find it compelling, then everything is still okay,” Wheeler said. “This is not a forced change.”The eTexts will provide students with several options and adaptations, depending on the publishers and faculty members, all in one place, Barton said. “It’s much easier for everyone to be able to manage, when you have everything in one source,” he said. “We just want to make it as simple as possible and use the same set of tools across that content, which is what we are providing to students.”Faculty will have the option to use content directly from a textbook source or original content if they choose, Barton said.“I think that’s the biggest difference between us and our competitors,” he said. “We truly are content agnostic. It doesn’t matter to us if you want to use a textbook or if an instructor wants to use material gathered over the past few years.” The eTexts also allow students to annotate, highlight, write margin notes and ask questions to their professors, Wheeler said. Some include interactive learning as well. All are compatible with different Web browsers and can be used on different portable devices, such as iPhones and tablets, he said. Unlike other digital alternatives, eTexts will allow students access as long as they are enrolled at IU, and will give them the option to print the text prior to graduation, he said. “When people look at that, they’re just really amazed,” Wheeler said.They are an option for faculty use during the spring semester, he said. Students will be informed if the classes they are registering for are using eTexts and the fees involved will be billed to their bursar accounts. “We’re at a place where we can continue to shape the software that we use that works with Courseload and the economics of it,” Wheeler said. “It’s a very exciting time, especially up front in creating these options.”
(09/12/11 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A hush came over the small crowd gathered in the Indiana Memorial Union Dogwood room Friday afternoon. Lois Wise, director of the West European Studies Center, stood to introduce Gene Coyle, adjunct professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and former Central Intelligence Agency agent. He had prepared to speak about a crucial time for the CIA — the days leading to and following Sept. 11, 2001.He began by outlining the basics of his career in the CIA, which included 30 years of service beginning in 1976. He also clarified that the views he expressed were not the official views of the CIA.Coyle then described the mood and atmosphere of the CIA in the years prior to 9/11. The Counterterrorism Center was in place years before the tragic day, he said, but when offered a position in this area, he declined.“CTC wasn’t considered a very job-enhancing place to be,” Coyle said, adding that it had a reputation of little responsibility. Some had suggested cutting the CIA altogether following the Cold War, he said.And although there were terrorist threats and attacks carried out by al-Qaida before 9/11, not much was done to prevent what was coming next.“Through 2001, the CIA put out lots of warnings,” Coyle said. “It just wasn’t too high on the Bush administration list.”On Sept. 11, Coyle was working on the community management staff in Washington, doing future planning. He heard news of the first plane crash via radio and believed it couldn’t be more than an accident, he said. CIA personnel evacuated the office due to security protocol. Then word that a plane had crashed into Pentagon came out. All staff was sent home immediately, Coyle said. The following morning, Coyle reported a collective feeling of failure among CIA workers. But there was more of a collective urge to get revenge.“Everybody wanted to get in on the action,” he said. He added that retirees called to offer help.Although he had had heart surgery about seven months prior, Coyle wanted to help in any way he could. He went through the travel clearance process, which included providing DNA samples and updating his will. The week following 9/11, he was sent overseas. Although he could not disclose the exact location of his travels, he shared two experiences that moved him in different ways.The first was an encounter with a British couple in a restaurant. The two approached him, asked if he was American and expressed their support. Coyle fought back tears as he expressed his gratitude for such international support.The second memorable encounter was an interview with two people who were sentenced to life in prison for a terrorist operation. They were filled with passion and hatred, he said, and didn’t seem to care at all about spending a lifetime in a jail cell.“These people were really looking forward to dying for the cause, and that’s what was scary,” he said. He brought his speech to a close by defining the CIA’s shift after 9/11. Coyle said he fears the loss of the classic relationship outreach. He said those newly recruited may not know how to carry it out, since they will be focused on anti-terrorism efforts.“It’s an ugly business — doing counterterrorism work,” he said.
(09/07/11 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior and finance major Jasmine Slivka traveled halfway around the world and brought back an organization entirely new to the United States.After studying at the University of Sydney in Australia last semester and working with an international program called 180 Degrees Consulting, she decided to establish a branch at IU — the first in America.“When I finished consulting in Australia, they approached me and said they were looking for a branch in America, and they really wanted IU to be the first,” Slivka said.180 Degrees is an organization that allows students to consult for local nonprofits, she said. Teams of students will help the nonprofits with their organizational issues, such as business planning, event coordination and fundraising.“Lots of nonprofits lack the necessary resources to reach out to large consulting firms, so we offer the same service,” Slivka said.These nonprofits are looking for fresh, innovative approaches to running their businesses, Faculty Advisor Jan Hillier said.“I think that there’s a lot of nonprofit organizations here that could use some outside ideas on ways that they can improve and develop,” she said. “We have many students here at IU that would love to engage with some of these organizations.” The names of local nonprofits involved have yet to be finalized, but organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jill’s House have applied for 180 Degrees’ consulting services. Hillier said students will be selected for 180 Degrees and split into consulting teams of about five people each. They will then undergo a structured training program.“I’ve seen the training program, and it is consistent with what we teach at Kelley,” she said.Following training, students will be required to meet with their consulting groups as well as with the nonprofit organization they are paired with several times IU senior and finance major Jasmine Slivka traveled halfway around the world and brought back an organization entirely new to the United States.After studying at the University of Sydney in Australia last semester and working with an international program called 180 Degrees Consulting, she decided to establish a branch at IU — the first in America.“When I finished consulting in Australia, they approached me and said they were looking for a branch in America, and they really wanted IU to be the first,” Slivka said.180 Degrees is an organization that allows students to consult for local nonprofits, she said. Teams of students will help the nonprofits with their organizational issues, such as business planning, event coordination and fundraising.“Lots of nonprofits lack the necessary resources to reach out to large consulting firms, so we offer the same service,” Slivka said.These nonprofits are looking for fresh, innovative approaches to running their businesses, Faculty Advisor Jan Hillier said.“I think that there’s a lot of nonprofit organizations here that could use some outside ideas on ways that they can improve and develop,” she said. “We have many students here at IU that would love to engage with some of these organizations.” The names of local nonprofits involved have yet to be finalized, but organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jill’s House have applied for 180 Degrees’ consulting services. Hillier said students will be selected for 180 Degrees and split into consulting teams of about five people each. They will then undergo a structured training program.“I’ve seen the training program, and it is consistent with what we teach at Kelley,” she said.Following training, students will be required to meet with their consulting groups as well as with the nonprofit organization they are paired with several times
(09/07/11 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington High School South sophomores Katie Heeter and Alex Rice can’t imagine a time when they weren’t friends.“I’m pretty sure we have pictures from every single year doing anything,” Heeter said.By “anything” she means activities any typical duo would do — exploring pumpkin patches during a cool autumn day, dressing up in ridiculous costumes for trick-or-treating in October or simply goofing around.Yet their friendship is anything but ordinary. As a baby, Alex was diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental disability. Through the years, Heeter said she has witnessed discrimination against people like Rice. The hatred didn’t sit well with her.“I have seen, not just within our school, but within our community, (others) not including people with developmental disabilities, making fun of them, using the r-word, and I know it’s not right,” she said.Her solution was to form a branch of Best Buddies at her high school. Best Buddies is a nonprofit program which pairs a student who has a developmental disability with another student to form a one-to-one friendship.“Alex and his mom kind of brought it up to me last year, about wanting to start a chapter and, obviously, being his best friend since forever, I thought it was a good idea,” Heeter said.She went to Best Buddies Indiana in Indianapolis to initiate a branch at BHSS, but her request was waitlisted due to a deficit in Best Buddy personnel for the amount of programs in the state.“We had to wait until they closed a chapter where we would have an opening,” Heeter said. “Toward the end of the school year last year they closed a chapter, and we were next up.”Heeter has planned for a call-out meeting on Sept. 22. There will be a match party to follow where intellectually or developmentally disabled students will be paired with other students at BHSS.She said the pairs are required to contact each other at least once a week and spend time together at least twice a month. However, she said most pairs contact each other several times a day and hang out more than what is required of them — like any other friendship.“The people who join obviously aren’t going to discriminate against someone, so you just start from the basics — talk to them and learn what they like and what you like and just go out together like any normal friendship would,” Heeter said. The chapter at BHSS will fundraise and host events, such as the annual March campaign called Spread the Word to End the Word and the Friendship Walk in April, Heeter said.“It’s important, I think, because people with disabilities are widening their social circle. They’re meeting friends,” said Sarah Baldini, state director of Best Buddies Indiana. “Not only are they doing things that are fun and recreational, (but) they’re also learning appropriate social behaviors so once they do get out of high school, they can hold a job and be able to interact with individuals.”For Rice, the beginning of this chapter signifies a chance for others to experience what he has had his entire life.“I hope that everyone can develop a special bond with a buddy and treat them equally,” Rice said. Having a buddy doesn’t just have a influence on the student with the intellectual or developmental disability, Heeter said. Heeter said she has been so grateful to have Rice in her life as well.“He’s always happy and upbeat, no matter what,” she said.
(09/06/11 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU President Michael McRobbie has been lauded for opening doors for IU on the international stage. For the first time in at least four decades, a sitting IU president traveled to India to increase study abroad opportunities for IU students, promote IU as an ideal location for foreign exchange and forge business partnerships.“This trip to India is very important to the University as we continue to raise our international profile and prepare students to become leaders in an increasingly global society,” McRobbie said in a press release.McRobbie, along with various IU deans and professor Sumit Ganguly who is the Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations, began their 11-day trip Aug. 27. The last of the group will return by Thursday. They have connected with Indian universities, particularly the University of Hyderabad, which is in Indianapolis’ sister city. IU officials met with some of India’s political officials, including Indian Vice President Shri M. Hamid. Mark Land, associate vice president for university communications, said in an email that these connections will assist in achieving a better understanding of Indian education and ways IU can have a greater influence in India.“This trip is part of the president’s plan to raise our profile in key international locations,” Land said.IU signed partnership agreements with four universities and the Confederation of India Industries, which is “the country’s largest advocacy group,” Land said.He said IU continues to look for further partnership opportunities with other Indian universities, as well.“Partnering with good Indian schools allows us to raise our profile in India and grow as those universities do,” Land said. “India is a large market and one in which IU historically has not had much of a presence.”McRobbie announced during the trip that IU will donate a 12,000-volume political science library to India’s O.P Jindal Global University, according to a press release. “We at Indiana University are delighted that this gift will be used to build upon O.P. Jindal’s own library and to more firmly connect our universities, faculty, students and graduates,” McRobbie said in the release.Robert Schnabel, dean at IU’s School of Informatics, said he was fascinated by the country’s goal to increase college enrollment by 30 million. “It will be very difficult to build the number of new universities in India required to accomplish this,” he said. “Thus, it is possible that there will be increasing demand by talented Indian students to do their undergraduate education outside India, including in the U.S.”There were also two alumni events throughout the trip. One was in Mumbai and the other in New Delhi, which is IU’s newest alumni chapter, Land said.He said IU’s faculty will also see a positive outcome from the trip.“Our faculty benefit from the possibility of increased research and teaching opportunities in India,” Land said.In any case, the establishment of a relationship with India was the main goal of the trip.“I hope that this trip will lead to a significant increase in IU’s interactions with India in many ways — IU students going to India on exchange and other programs, Indian students coming to IU and joint educational and research relationships,” Schnabel said.
(09/01/11 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>New IU student trustee Cora Griffin wowed IU-Purdue University Indianapolis personnel even before she was admitted. “The summer before her senior year, she and her mother stopped by the booth (at the state fair), because they wanted to know more about IUPUI,” said Andrea Anderson, director of communications and development and Griffin’s mentor at the university. “I was very taken aback by how put together this young woman was — this lively senior in high school who was very mature and knew what she wanted.” Now, after four years of involvement and leadership in several student organizations on campus, particularly with the IUPUI Student Activities Programming Board and the IUPUI Student Foundation, Griffin has taken a step greater than the others — one that brings her into a position where her voice will be the voice of all IU students. Appointed by the governor’s office in July, the graduate student in IUPUI’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs will be the student representation when important decisions are made for the next two years.And those close to her have faith she will excel in this role.“This is a woman who I think can make a tremendous impact and make Indianapolis better, make Indiana better and make Indiana University better,” Anderson said. “I just hope that she continues to do that.”The IDS sat down with Griffin to ask her how she got there and what she plans to do in her new role. IDS: From where did your interest in student government stem?Griffin: I was always active in high school. When I came to IUPUI, I wanted a chance to be involved and really help with impact and understanding the system.IDS: What were you interested in about the student trustee position?Griffin: I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to understand the IU system, and I’m really able to represent the student voice. 100,000 students are being represented by your voice. I think that’s a great opportunity and a responsibility to give back to all students on all campuses. So it’s something that always really appealed to me — just being able to understand that student perspective. Knowing that I wanted to go into higher education and foundation work, I thought that this would be a great learning opportunity. So it’s kind of a mixture of two things — the student interest and the kind of involvement I had had through my undergraduate career, and also knowing the direction I wanted to go to learn more for my career. It just really made a lot of sense to apply.IDS: How long will you be on the Board of Trustees?Griffin: As a trustee, I have all of the responsibilities of any other trustee. You do need to maintain student status, so the student trustee is a two-year appointment opposed to the other trustees, who are either elected or appointed, but they are three-year terms. Mine is just a year shorter, because it works better with the student cycle. Two years is a little bit easier of a commitment for how our classes and things like that work. IDS: What are your responsibilities as the student trustee?Griffin: We are the authority of Indiana University, so we work with President McRobbie. Specifically as a student trustee, my responsibilities are to serve on committees as well, which is part of the trustee role, but I also get to work with the AUSA, which is the All University Student Association. That’s comprised of the presidents of the different campuses. So I get to work with them and just kind of be a resource for that group. In that way, I can still stay very involved with students. IDS: What is your main goal for this position?Griffin: My main goal, I think, is to learn as much as I can about the IU system. And also, as an IU student, I was able to study abroad, experience internships and give back to the community and academically excel. I want to ensure that those opportunities are available for current students and also future generations. IDS: Do you have anything else you would like to say about your new position?Griffin: I think I’m just very honored about this appointment and excited to work on behalf of the students.
(08/31/11 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The School of Public and Environmental Affairs is partnering with charity Good360 to investigate how unsold, donated items influence nonprofit organizations, showing collaboration in sustainability and philanthropy.Through research, the pair aims to quantify the effects of donations, Diane Henshel, an associate professor in SPEA said.According to a press release, those involved in the research have thus far “focused on evaluating the effects of community nonprofit Framing Hope, a partnership between Good360 and The Home Depot Foundation in which unsold merchandise from Home Depot stores is donated to participating nonprofit organizations.” Good360 “solicit(s) product donations from corporations and distribute(s) them to tens of thousands of qualified nonprofits in its network” to carry out its product philanthropy, Kara Kozimor, Good360’s director of communications, said in an email. “Product donations that help charities fulfill their mission are a way for them to stretch their budget,” Kozimor said. SPEA’s collaborators then measure the influence of these donations specifically based on how much they help users, how the nonprofits benefit from them and the effects on environmental sustainability.“(Good360 is) very interested in seeing what the implications are from a very widespread perspective, and that’s why we have people looking at it from all these different perspectives,” Henshel said. Her capstone class of master’s students has focused primarily on the “sustainability implications,” she said. They have been working on identifying the extent to which donations have kept unsold products out of landfills, she said. This includes the quantity of donations, associated costs and the financial effect on the people who receive donated products.This research deals with the emerging field of green philanthropy, or the ways people or businesses give to nonprofits with sustainability in mind. “(It’s) how people or businesses give with environmentally sustainable purposes or outcomes,” SPEA nonprofit management professor Beth Gazley said in an email. “Here we are looking at both the business case and the environmental case for businesses like Home Depot that make in-kind gifts,” she said. “Eventually, our research will be useful to make the case that all kinds of giving, cash and in-kind, have environmental purposes.”Gazley said after a year of collaboration, there are no solid long-term statistics that measure a difference between Home Depot’s products being sent to nonprofits rather than to landfills.“I believe the most beneficial aspect of the project for Good360 is the documentation and research that will build the business case behind product philanthropy and explain the leveraged value of product giving,” Kozimor said.
(08/30/11 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With additional money coming from the tuition increase for the 2011-12 academic school year, IU is allocating these funds in a manner different from other institutions, IU Chief Financial Officer Neil Theobald said. “We are the most decentralized budget system of any public university in America,” he said. “All of the money goes out to the schools. There’s no money kept centrally.”Theobald said at other institutions, the money goes directly to the university and is then divvied up amongst the different programs and schools. At IU, however, tuition money is distributed between the academic schools. This depends on “a formula that includes the number of student credit hours they generate and the market share,” or how the credit hours change between the schools, said Larry Singell, dean of IU’s College of Arts and Sciences, in an email. For example, if a student takes an English course, a portion of his or her tuition money goes toward COAS. The remainder of the tuition is divided equally among the schools that house the student’s classes. The University then uses “assessments,” or operational taxes, for nonacademic costs. The tax rates for each school vary based upon items such as the size of the faculty and the number of students in each particular school, Theobald said.The amount then allotted from these taxes for the various nonacademic areas in IU vary as well, Theobald said. “We have different formulas for the different support units — physical plant, library, dean of students, dean of faculty, provost’s office,” he said. Each school can then use the money remaining after taxes for its respective field of study. The COAS, however, faces a different plight in that there are several departments within the school. There are no specific guidelines that require the COAS to provide a certain department with more money and another with less, Singell said.“The College does not treat each of the units as separate revenue-generating units,” he said. “Instead, it attempts to take advantage of the various and different strengths of the departments in the College to maximize the collective reputation of the College and its ability to deliver a first-class liberal arts education.”
(08/25/11 2:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Many observers were skeptical after the IU Board of Trustees announced a tuition increase and a 12 percent raise for President Michael McRobbie this summer.Trustees, however, deemed it necessary because McRobbie has improved IU, making it a more competitive university among the Big Ten.In 2004, IU tied for the lowest ranking Big Ten school in the U.S. News and World Report ranking of national universities and had the highest freshmen acceptance rate of Big Ten schools. A March 2005 article in Indianapolis Monthly questioned IU’s academic success and progress and expressed concern about the institution’s future. The articles were published after former IU President Myles Brand stepped down from office abruptly in 2002. Adam Herbert replaced Brand in 2003, 18 months before the Indianapolis Monthly article was written.“This is not to blame any particular person — it was just a time when things were not going well,” said William Cast, the chairman of the Board of Trustees.On July 1, 2007, McRobbie became IU’s 18th president, and he has changed the tone of IU’s campuses, IU Trustee Patrick Shoulders said.“President McRobbie came at a time when IU was ready to take the next step forward,” Shoulders said. “He’s a dynamic and decisive leader, willing to take risks and make decisions.” McRobbie began at IU as the vice president for information technology for Brand. During the next five years, he advanced through the positions of vice president for research, provost, and vice president for academic affairs. IU faculty confessed a lack of confidence in the administration, at which point McRobbie was elevated to the presidential position, Cast said.Many people believe the reorganization of IU and the realignment of the administration can be attributed to McRobbie’s selection for the presidency, Cast said.The athletic program has developed competitively, particularly due to a new athletics director, Fred Glass, who was selected during McRobbie’s tenure, Cast said. IU athletics have benefited from their inclusion in the Big Ten Network on television as well.The academic standards for admissions have increased with McRobbie’s leadership as well. Cast said prior to McRobbie’s presidency, an SAT score of 900 out of 1600 might have been acceptable. Now, the low end of the average SAT scores is about 1200.“We’re a big school and to have that average for the size of our freshman class is a great improvement,” Cast said.McRobbie has carried out projects significant to the Bloomington campus, Shoulders said. He led and funded the completion of the IU Cinema, initiated the construction of the new Cyberinfrastructure Building at 10th Street and the Bypass and modernized IU’s residence halls to remain competitive with other universities.An initiative for a School of International Studies is also in the works under McRobbie’s direction, Cast said. In December 2009, The Daily Beast selected Indiana as one of the hottest schools of the decade, citing IU as having the largest percentage of out-of-state students among Big Ten schools. “That perception across the country that Indiana is on the move means that things have gone well under President McRobbie,” Cast said.Cast explained that there are not enough qualified people in the market for presidents in research universities such as IU, and money will be offered elsewhere to tempt presidents to leave current positions.“I think he’s exactly the right leader at the right time,” Shoulders said.
(08/23/11 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s more to completing a degree than students’ actions, experiences and characteristics, a recent IU study found.While most research about graduation rates focuses on the students, the new survey, conducted by the Project on Academic Success at IU and the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice at the University of Southern California, explored the policies and programming different institutions nationwide are implementing to improve student persistence.“That’s a real missing piece of the puzzle in terms of our understanding of what institutions can do to help increase the odds of more students who persist until they graduate,” said Don Hossler, professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the School of Education and a principle researcher in this project. The survey focused on what is actually being done among universities rather than what might or might not necessarily be working, Hossler said. For example, the survey found most schools evaluate their retention rates on a regular basis, among other efforts, according to a press release.“Universities should pay attention to organizing to address student persistence issues for many reasons,” said Gerome Lucido, executive director and professor of research at the center and a principle investigator in an email. “But the study shows that they appear to be in the early stages of doing so and that numerous approaches are in play.” The survey also cited that many institutions have an administrator of some sort who concentrates on the school’s retention, yet those involved in the survey believe this is not enough. An administrator may be in place, they said, but universities are not supplying them with enough power or resources to initiate new programs and make a difference in the graduation rates. “I think the sad part about it is we are seeing that some institutions are still not paying enough attention to their own policies and helping the students be retained,” said Vasti Torres, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the School of Education and the director at IU’s Center for Postsecondary Research. “If retention is important and a priority, then an institution can make sure that dedicated efforts are there.”Hossler said the survey itself may not have a huge effect on improving student persistence, but rather it will provide a “catalyzing effect.” This may cause institutions to pay more attention to what they are and are not doing and perhaps give them a push in the right direction.“We might say that, thus far, it is unclear if institutions are making the requisite investment in guaranteeing students’ success in an organization,” Hossler said.Lucido said further research is a must.“More needs to be done to identify best practices and to create mechanisms to determine the effectiveness of those practices,” Lucido said in an email.The project and the center are now working on a persistence survey for two-year community colleges in the U.S.
(05/02/11 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Inclement weather Thursday forced IU’s Samaritan’s Feet Club to reschedule its dodgeball game to Friday, leaving little time to publicize the change.The organization wanted to break the world record for the largest dodgeball game, which currently stands at 2,012 people, while raising money for shoes for children around the world who cannot afford them. “It was unfortunate that we had to cancel on Thursday,” club President Broderick Thompson said. “It was really hard to postpone it until Friday and still get people to come out, especially with finals week coming up.”Vice President Mary Carter estimated that about 100 people showed up.“It wasn’t as good of a turnout as we wanted it to be,” Carter said. “It wasn’t what we expected, but it was a good time.”She said those who were there played two rounds of dodgeball. This failed attempt at breaking the record follows a previous attempt in August, when about 700 people showed up to play. “The timing was just unfortunate with that rain on Thursday,” said Michael Rolland, co-creator of Btownmenus.com and contributor to Samaritan’s Feet. “I think that took a lot of momentum out of this.”Carter said another attempt may be made at some point in the future but that decision would be up to the club’s incoming executive board.“It’s a shame to see that we haven’t succeeded in breaking this goal yet,” Rolland said. “I think we just need to go back to the drawing board and figure out a different way of approaching getting the student body really excited about this.” Despite the weather and lack of participation, Carter was positive about what the organization accomplished with this event.“We still fulfilled our purpose, and that was to give back to Samaritan’s Feet to help provide shoes for kids around the world who didn’t have any,” Carter said. “We were able to provide shoes for kids, so we actually got what we wanted.”
(04/28/11 1:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In August, IU’s Samaritan’s Feet Club kicked off the school year by attempting to beat the world record for the largest game of dodgeball set by a Canadian university. IU missed that mark by a few hundred people.Today at Bill Armstrong Stadium, the organization will try yet again to beat the current record of 2,012 people in a single game of dodgeball to benefit Samaritan’s Feet, an organization that donates shoes to children who go barefoot each day.Registration will begin at 6 p.m. and will run until around 6:30 p.m., when the game is set to begin. Entry is $1, and all proceeds will go directly to Samaritan’s Feet, club President Broderick Thompson said. “We just figured dodgeball would be a good way to combine fun and philanthropy,” said Mike Rolland, co-creator of Btownmenus.com and contributor to Samaritan’s Feet.Participants are encouraged to wear either a cream or crimson colored shirt to create two opposing teams, Thompson said.He also stressed the importance of following any rules laid out, or the record will not count should it be set.Vice President of the Samaritan’s Feet Club Mary Carter said emphasis should be placed on what the event is for, not solely on breaking the record.“It’s not just about the dodgeball game,” Carter said. Thompson agreed that learning about Samaritan’s Feet is an important aspect of the event. “I think more important than the money we raise is the knowledge that a lot of people will learn about Samaritan’s Feet,” Thompson said. Rolland said in the end breaking the record will be very beneficial in getting the word out about the organization.“I’m hoping to spread the awareness on more of a national and then worldwide scale and hopefully, if we break this record, that could help start that,” Rolland said.
(04/20/11 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Graduating seniors may have one last opportunity to prove their worth beyond GPAs and résumés. Undergraduate students have a new opportunity to improve their chances of employment with the Certified Business Laureate Exam, a standardized test for those entering the work force.“We are one of the first to introduce an internationally standardized test to the undergraduate business population,” said Eddie Earnest, director of university marketing and sales for the CBL exam.Guy Friedman, founder and CEO of www.cblexam.com, said he fostered the idea when he noticed that graduates applied to jobs based solely on their GPAs, the region they live in and the school they attended.“This is a way to get a consistent measure and allow top students to differentiate themselves across all campuses in the country versus specifically within their own school,” Friedman said.He said the test can be taken by students of any major but it will be particularly recognized when applying to jobs in a corporate world.Friedman also said the test includes sections on finance, marketing, accounting, Microsoft Office and a writing portion, which he claims are the core competencies for anyone entering a business-related field. “It’s more about the basics that every business would just want you to know when you walk through the door,” Friedman said.He said if a student signs up to take the test within the next week, costs will be reimbursed should the student not find employment by October. If the student is employed by this time, however, the CBL exam costs $250. All prep materials are free and can be found online, he said.“I’m not guaranteeing that we will get you employment, but I don’t want to penalize students that don’t have a job after they graduate,” Friedman said.Timothy Baldwin, a professor in the Kelley School of Business, said standardized tests similar to this one are present in many work fields and for many majors.“I think that general concept is a good one and businesses has been criticized over the years for saying there is nothing like that,” Baldwin said. “We’d like to think that a Kelley degree is indicative of the ability to do all those things and it’s a little redundant, but if an individual wants to have that credential out there I don’t see any problem with that.”When a student takes the exam, scores are sent out complimentarily to businesses that CBL is affiliated with, Friedman said. Many companies in Indiana, though, have yet to recognize the test as a factor in employment, or have not heard of the test at all, according to several sources. An Indianapolis representative at Kforce, a business that provides career resources for job seekers, said it is not working with or using this exam. “It would be difficult to guarantee that our brand recognition has reached a point where every recruiter or hiring manger out there has an understanding of the CBL exam,” Earnest said.Baldwin said with standardized exams like this one the concept will not be widespread immediately.“It’s going to take some time to have some meaning,” Baldwin said.Friedman said the exam is not meant to replace any portion of the hiring process, but rather to act as support to all other aspects. “We’re not trying to replace interviews or replace college degrees,” Friedman said. “It’s really a supplement to just show employers that you have that hard knowledge.”