Assembly Meets to Discuss University Projects

Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Linna Jones

Recognizing Education - Peggy Doss, dean of the School of Education, speaks at the Assembly meeting about the school receiving recognition for its math and science content. The meeting took place Thursday, Feb. 18 in the Memorial Classroom Building auditorium.

   MONTICELLO- The Assembly met to talk about University-related news as well as campus activities and updates Feb 18.

   “Usually, we do our announcements last, but you probably noticed we have a small child in here. She is quite enthusiastic now, but I think after an hour in the meeting, she will probably be less enthusiastic,” Marsha Clayton, associate professor of Business Administration, said. “So I agreed to allow Dr. Day to make an announcement now.”

Opportunities

   The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences will host a student forum presented by Phi Alpha Theta in the Memorial Classroom Building at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 23.

   Kyle Day, assistant professor of History, said President Karla Fuqua, Vice President Sarah Pasterniak and Secretary Megan Pope will be giving a presentation on their research and their experiences at the national convention in San Diego, Calif.

   “I would like to cordially invite all of you and your students to attend,” Day said. “It will be a great opportunity for students to see about expanding their horizons and furthering education outside of the classroom."

   Day will be offering extra credit for his students and asked other faculty members to do the same to get the biggest student turnout possible. He will also be putting the information on the student netlist as well.

   Before leaving he gave thanks and said he had to take his daughter to dance class.

   Chancellor Jack Lassiter asked jokingly, “Are you taking lessons?” and the room erupted in laughter.

   Clay Brown, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, and Lassiter talked about the State Dental Association’s Arkansas Mission of Mercy program.

   ArMOM, sponsored by the State Dental Association, will provide free dental work such as extractions, fillings and crowns. The conference workshop brings dentists from all over the state to one location and offers free dental service. The State Dental Association held the event in Springdale and Little Rock attracting close to 5,000 people needing dental work.

   The four day event, held on the University of Arkansas-Monticello campus, will include set up Thursday, May 20, dental work on May 21and 22, and leaving May 23.

   They will need volunteers for equipment setup and break down, volunteer check stations, patient check in, escorting and supply stocking. To volunteer to help, volunteers will have to register at the ArMOM Web site.

     “We begged them, we entertained them and tried to market this campus as the place to do it and why," Lassiter said."We have students and they are in your classes, they need dental care. Yes, it's free. All they need to do is show up.”

   The location of the event will be announced at a later date.

   Brown asked faculty, staff and students to get involved. If anyone under 18 wants to volunteer, they have to fill out a form on the Web site.

   Lassiter talked about the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship. He said to qualify a student would need a 19 ACT score and have taken the core curriculum. The scholarship deadline is June 1.

   The lottery scholarship defines traditional students as just coming from high school. He encouraged nontraditional students to apply early because only $8 billion will be available for nontraditional.

   “So, I’m hoping they find a way to put more money in the nontraditional or even move current students into traditional,” Lassiter said.

   WeevilNet, the new computer convergence system, will be issuing new ID numbers and having a new card and ID picture.

   Brown asked faculty and staff to retake their faculty pictures by going to the ID office in April. There will be a two week period for faculty in April. The new id will be given to them in August.

   “We do not want to be inundated with the week of registration with 3,500 students and 350 faculty and staff members,” Brown said. “If you take your pictures now, we’ll print them during the summer and we’ll have them ready for you in August.”

   He will be sending out emails with the poster campaign, which will give them information of where they will need to go.

   Jay Jones, vice chancellor of Finance and Administrations said they are currently in Phase I of WeevilNet and everything is on budget and on time. WeevilNet will go live at the end of March. Phase II will go live July 1. Phase II includes the human resources component will start up between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Jones said they were excited about the benefits WeevilNet will bring. The student notifications will go to students’ e-mail accounts.

   Brown announced Who’s Who nominations for faculty and staff to nominate students, saying it was past deadline, but they would still accept them. The requirements for Who’s Who include a 2.80 GPA and the completion of 90 hours this past December.

Education and Giving

   The Curriculum and Standards Committee approved a new catalog listings identified as Biology I sx II Medical Terminology. This course will assist entering Allied Health and nursing students with medical terminology and will serve as a background for such courses as anatomy and physiology.

   Teacher Education Committee met Feb. 16. The committee discussed different programs, people and childhood development with other institutions to review the number of math content courses, which are required across the state, because there is a brand new emphasis in math and science in childhood programs.

   Peggy Doss, dean of the School of Education, said she was very happy to report the University of Arkansas-Monticello’s program had recognition as having the strongest content in math and science for childhood students of any institution in the state.

Photo by Linna Jones

'Once a Weevil, Always a Weevil' - Kenneth Mann donated this four-foot obelisk to the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Clay Brown said the obelisk marks the beginning of Weevil Walk.

   They also recently received approval for a special education program and national recognition for exceptional children, which now means all of their programs have received national recognition for standards.

   The School of Education’s Master’s of Arts in Teaching program has been revised to reassure it brings it up to standards. They discussed their ongoing process on writing a proposal for their master’s degrees to have full online approval.

   Doss said their middle level childhood problems assessments are now being posted on the NCATE Web site as examples for different programs across the nation.

   “We are also working with Lake Village Schools through a supplement education services grant. We will be providing tutoring for different public school children after school with our faculty as well as our interns,” Doss said. “Lake Village asked us to do that over the spring. Last year, we did do this and their students did make A's”

   They received two grants; an $8,000 grant to study education needs of children with Autism and received telephone confirmation for a $16,000 grant.

   Brown presented information for Advancement/Development. They received three additional fully endowed scholarships and the donation of a four-foot obelisk. Kenneth Mann donated a four-foot obelisk with the inscription of “Once a Weevil, Always a Weevil.” The obelisk marks the beginning of the Weevil Walk.

   “If you haven’t seen it drop by there and look at it, it's very nice and just adds to the beautification of our campus,” Brown said.

Academic Appeals

   Chris Wright, instructor of Political Science, presented information from Academic Appeals. He said all members of the committee were present.

   They heard 27 appeals from students to the jury in January. They approved nine regarding the stipulation of hours. Three required no action because they had the nine hour option. They appeared before the committee, but chose not to pursue the appeal.  Seven who did appear before the committee were denied and the last nine were denied.

UAM –College of Technology

   This fall the Crossett campus will conduct an experiment of going to four-day class schedules.

   “This will be an experimental thing. I know we do it during the summer, but we will be attempting to do it this fall also,” Linda Rushing, vice chancellor of the College of Technology – Crossett, said. “So with the exception of nursing not operating on that program, all programs are on that schedule. All programs have been provided with the exceptions of the ones we are currently working on. So we hope that this will be a good thing. Our staff and faculty are excited about having a quiet Friday.”

   They have a new architect on call and reported in one of their meetings the Hamburg School District donated the Hamburg Adult Education Center building to UAM. They are planning to renovate the facility in the Hamburg area so it can be put to other uses.

   Bob Ware, vice chancellor of the College of Technology – McGehee, said their EMT program received national accreditation.

   He announced UAM-COTM plans to host a Centennial 5k run/walk in honor of UAM's Centennial year. He said 52 people have signed up, including some from the UAM campus. The first 100 people will receive T-shirts, the winner will receive a medallion and the overall winner will win a brick on the Weevil Walk.

Improvements and Honors

   Middle level education, speech communications, political science, art, music and chemistry on the UAM Campus, as well automotive service technology and welding on the COT campuses, passed the Arkansas Department of Higher Education’s Liability Appeal Program. Ray received the news Dec. 23 about the approval appeals.

   “That doesn’t mean, for example, we can just stop working on our programs, we gotta  really work on all of our programs to ensure they maintain sufficient numbers,” Provost R. David Ray, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs said. “In fact some numbers came up in some areas,  Speech Communications, for example, was removed from the non-liability list, also the welding program. So, we are really pleased about that.”

   Ray announced the executive council, at the recommendation of the Academic Council, approved a 4 1/2 day class schedule for the regular summer school session of 2010.  The four day schedule will add 15 minutes to each class.

New Beginnings

   Lassiter announced the “Hornaday Award” for faculty awards from Dan and Charlotte Hornaday. This endowment will provide $30,000 and plan to give two separate awards. The donors promised to donate $30,000 next year to go custodial and professional staff.

   Don and Charlotte Hornaday created scholarships for this institution, gave individual gifts and supported the Forensics Team in the past.

   Lassiter talked about three new committees; the Marketing and Public Relations Committee, Student Housing Committee and Tower Committee.

   The Marketing and Public Relations Committee will look into the way UAM markets itself. Mary Whiting, director of Admissions, chairs the committee and will be working with several members from the Monticello, McGehee and Crossett campuses. They will be looking at how UAM markets the campus.

   They will also be advertising on FOX channel 16 and CW Arkansas on channel 38 aimed at perspective students. They are looking at three ads. They will also be developing a new program, which will highlight the campus. The program will allow students to ask questions and find what they are looking for on campus. If anyone would like to help, contact Whiting.

   The Student Housing Committee will look at current housing, but also if the university will need future housing and whether or not we will need new residence halls.

   Other announcements:

• The Office of Advancement mailed 15, 530 alumni magazines.
• Brooke Flemister, a UAM Alumna, joined the staff of Alumni affairs. She worked as an admissions representative on the Fayetteville campus.
• The alumni trip to Ireland will be Oct. 26- Nov. 4. For more information call the Office of Advancement.
• Alpha Chi will attend a Super Regional Convention in March. The chapter will have a record number of people giving presentations. For a convention service project, they will be donating new children books to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
• Kay Walter announced that the new Philological Review will be arriving at the University of Arkansas at Monticello Monday, Feb. 22.
• The annual Wellness Fair will be held March 13 and the Career Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the John F. Gibson University Center Green Room, March 31.
• Marie Walker, assistant professor of Social Work, joined the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences as a new faculty member.

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