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Colleges of the South > Newsletters > Fall 2004 Newsletter |
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Fall 2004
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Six ACS Science Reform Mini-Grants Awarded Ten ACS faculty received six mini-grants in the first round of course design, re-design and implementation awards in the ACS Reform of Introductory Science Courses for Non-Majors Program. These mini-grants were made possible by funding from the W.M. Keck Foundation of Los Angeles. A total of more than $50,000 in mini-grants was awarded to:
The deadline for the next round of Science Reform course design, re-design and implementation mini-grants will be announced during Fall 2004. Go to the ACS Science Reform website at www.colleges.org/sciencereform/minigrants.html, for mini-grant submission guidelines, reports from completed projects, required forms and additional science reform information and programs. Questions about the course mini-grants may be directed to Leo Pezzementi, biology, Birmingham-Southern College, chair of the Mini-Grant Review Committee, at pezzementi@bsc.edu, or to Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. ACS Receives Grant to Partner with Consortium in South Africa ACS has received a $48,500 planning grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for collaborative efforts with its partner consortium in South Africa. The grant, which will be shared with FOTIM, the Foundation of Tertiary Institutions in the Northern Metropolis, will enable faculty and staff from the two consortia to identify and explore possible areas of cooperation. FOTIM includes in its membership many of the finest institutions in South Africa. The specific focus of the grant is on environmental studies, women’s and gender studies, and technology-assisted educational programs. Although these programs will be emphasized, other possible areas of collaboration will be explored. Beginning this Fall, participants will identify and refine possibilities and establish priorities for such initiatives, leading to a comprehensive plan for future collaboration. In the environmental area, the consortia will explore possible collaboration in establishing and creating new courses, preparing new modules for courses, fostering student leadership related to the environment, working with nearby communities and making campuses sustainable development laboratories. The members of FOTIM offer opportunities for ACS students and faculty to study firsthand eco-tourism, wildlife management and other topics in stimulating environmental settings. Both consortia imagine networks through which strides could be made in fostering sustainable development in both nations. A second area of potential focus is women's and gender studies. A number of institutions in each consortium are interested in this topic. Many faculty in South Africa are devoting their careers to this area and could share important lessons with their American counterparts. Their interest in women and the AIDS crisis gives the matter a heightened sense of urgency. Meanwhile, the ACS women's/gender studies group could enrich conversations. Discussions, research, internships and workshops could have a notable impact. The third area of potential collaboration is in technology. Individuals from FOTIM have expressed interest in learning about the ACS Technology Center, its activities and services, and how they might be linked to faculty and staff at FOTIM institutions. ACS, meanwhile, sees potential in enlarging networks in key technology areas, drawing on the expertise of FOTIM faculty and staff on many campuses. One can conceive cooperation in designing courses and modules, exploring online courses, promoting joint efforts in digital cultures, pursuing collaborative efforts in measuring information literacy and fluency, and conducting joint initiatives in geographical information systems and providing internships, to cite a few examples. Preliminary ideas have emerged from conversations between representatives of the two consortia that began in Fall 2002. Heather Edwards, director of FOTIM, visited with ACS representatives in Atlanta that year. In 2003, her ACS counterpart, Wayne Anderson, met with faculty representatives from FOTIM in Johannesburg. At both meetings, a great deal of enthusiasm was expressed for an effort that could be mutually beneficial. ACS invites suggestions for collaboration and asks for the names of individuals who would like to participate in this initiative. Contact Wayne Anderson at wanders@colleges.org. Once again I am requesting something, this time ideas for a new strategic plan for the consortium to cover the next five years (2005-2010). We want to identify and determine the best ways of providing service to our individual member institutions and their faculty, students and staff. We will take this academic year to reach out for creative ideas, analyze and refine the most compelling suggestions and incorporate them into a comprehensive plan for the future. We do not want the plan to be a formal or static document, but rather an open, flexible and adaptable one that can be adjusted and that can address changing circumstances and opportunities. What successful ACS programs should the consortium build on in the future? How might such programs be refined and extended? What new programs should the consortium undertake? What specific services should the consortium render? In concrete terms, what can and should be done to strengthen academic programs? What should be done to assist in administrative efforts, producing new efficiencies and cost containment? What are ways of better communicating with members of the ACS community? What programs, if any, should we undertake in collaboration with other consortia, organizations, corporations, government agencies or other potential partners? What opportunities for faculty and staff development, course refinement, module development, pedagogical experiences and research should be examined? Some of our ACS community members have told me that they have not suggested ideas previously because they were “way out” or visionary or too expensive. I would encourage them and others not to hesitate to send their ideas our way. Some of the ideas that have seemed the most adventuresome – for example, a virtual classics department – have had a powerful impact on the consortium and member institutions. And, in the case of virtual departments and other imaginative instances, we have been able to attract foundation funding to test, experiment with and implement the recommendations that have emerged. With the strategic plan and these key questions in mind, please send me an e-mail at wanders@colleges.org. We invite, welcome, and need your creative ideas. Wayne Anderson
2004 Drama/Theatre Workshop Update Nineteen ACS faculty and students met at Trinity University, July 15-18, 2004, for the third ACS Drama/ Theatre Summer Workshop. Nine students and 10 faculty members represented Centre College, Furman University, Hendrix College, Rhodes College, Rollins College, Southwestern University and Trinity University. Bob Hupp, artistic director, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, discussed preparing students at liberal arts institutions for life in the theatre. He discussed the importance of reading to become acquainted with the profession through literature, the pros and cons of going to graduate school directly from undergraduate, the importance of students forming connections with professional theatre groups and the importance of students seeing faculty at work. Hupp also led exercises that focused on tips for teaching Shakespeare. Tim Francis, workshop host, Trinity University, and John Ore, Southwestern University, led a hands-on session featuring the latest technology in automated lights. Participants expressed interest in exploring consortial agreements with at least two providers of specialty lighting equipment. One highlight of the workshop was a visit to the nearby Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum (www.mcnayart.org). The museum has a collection of 19th and 20th century European and American paintings and sculptures. Featured artists include Rodin, Cezanne, Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, O'Keeffe and Hopper. Of special interest was the museum's collection of original models, and scene and costume designs covering 500 years of scenic art. For more information about the 2004 Drama/Theatre Workshop, future workshops and other opportunities, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org, or go to www.colleges.org/~drama/index.html. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grants Four ACS member institutions were awarded Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grants. Davidson College, Spelman College, Trinity University and the University of Richmond received a little more than $4 million total to enhance the study of science on their campuses. Among other things, the schools will use the grants to create programs that enrich scientific research, mentoring, summer programs, equipment, faculty, program development and undergraduate studies on the campuses. For more information, go to www.hhmi.org. ACS Technology Center Seeks Faculty to Collaborate in International Relations The ACS Technology Center is seeking faculty who teach international relations to collaborate in curriculum and scholarship. Possibilities include sharing resources, participating in inter-campus simulations or role playing, and/or establishing a dialogue among senior international studies/relations students during their capstone experiences. Interested faculty should contact Nayef Samhat, Centre College, at samhat@centre.edu or Patricia Gray, ACS, at gray@colleges.org. ACS Faculty Participate in Seminar in Turkey Six Global Partners faculty members, including four from ACS, participated in the CIEE seminar in Turkey entitled At the Crossroads: Politics, Religion and Culture in Turkey. The seminar took place June 8-19, 2004. It began in Ankara and ended in Istanbul. The trip included visits to Kayseri, Urgup and Konya. Topics covered included the relationship of Turkey and Europe, multiculturalism in Turkey, women in Turkey and the role of religious education, to name only a few. Faculty members had the chance to make connections with Turkish colleagues, explore or enhance specific knowledge areas and work on research and curricula development. Funding for the seminar and individual travel grants will be available again next year. For more information, go to www.global-partners.org/turkey. ACS Students Invited to Travel to Turkey ACS students are invited to participate in the Global Partners Project’s semester abroad in Turkey program in Fall 2005. The program gives students a chance to travel to Istanbul and Ankara and participate in a field study trip through important modern and ancient sites in Western Turkey. Participants study Turkish language, history, politics, economy and religion, and stay at partner universities - Istanbul Technical University, Middle East Technical University and Bilkent University. The program director is Tom McCollough, Centre College. For more information, contact Teresa Wise, ACS, at twise@colleges.org, or go to www.global-partners.org. Cuba Plástica: Recent Art from Cuba Available to ACS Campuses Art breathes culture, and culture breathes art. With fewer and fewer opportunities to see Cuban culture firsthand, ACS and the University of Richmond Museums are pleased to offer an exhibit of contemporary Cuban art to all ACS campuses. First shown during the April 2004 Latin American Studies Symposium at Birmingham-Southern College and scheduled to be at the University of Richmond this Fall, the exhibit Cuba Plástica: Recent Art from Cuba features 10 Cuban artists. Their works span a variety of media, including video, woodcut and etching paper, screenprint on paper, acrylic on canvas, oils, watercolors, crayon on paper and gelatin silver print on paper. These pieces strive “to transcend politics and engage issues of universal consciousness and art.” The exhibit forms an excellent companion piece with the documentary film Cuba Plástica: It’s Not Easy previously distributed to all ACS campuses and made possible with ACS funding. Organized and circulated by the University of Richmond Museums, the exhibition is made possible with the support of the ACS Collaborative Effort and Program in Latin American Studies. Special thanks to Claudia Ferman and Richard Waller, University of Richmond, for making this exhibit possible. Beginning in January 2005, the exhibit is available to other ACS campuses. For more information and requirements concerning hosting the exhibit, contact either Richard Waller, University of Richmond Museums, at rwaller@richmond.edu, or Teresa Wise, ACS, at twise@colleges.org. Mark Your Calendars: The next Latin American Studies Symposium will be held at Birmingham-Southern College, April 89, 2005. Global Partners Colleagues Gather for Best Practices Symposium on Pre-Departure and Reorientation Programs for Study Abroad Students who participate in study abroad programs sometimes find it challenging to be adequately prepared for their overseas experiences as well as reconnecting to the campus upon their return. In June 2004, 34 Global Partners colleagues gathered at Birmingham-Southern College for a symposium examining best practices in pre-departure orientation and re-entry programs for study abroad students. Panelists representing schools from across the Global Partners three consortia, ACS, Associated Colleges of the Midwest and Great Lakes Colleges Association, presented a variety of models for orientation and re-entry, including course work, structured meetings, symposia and other innovative practices. Participants also presented posters on particular campus activities and worked on creating a matrix to examine needs, missions, objectives, strategies, activities, outputs and inputs for pre-departure and reorientation programs. Results of the symposium will be distributed this Fall. For more information, contact Anne Ledvina, Birmingham-Southern College, at aledvina@bsc.edu, or Teresa Wise, ACS, at twise@colleges.org. For more information on Global Partners Best Practices and future workshops on recruiting and training faculty for taking students abroad, liberal arts and international education, off-campus study opportunities for science students, and disability issues and study abroad, go to www.global-partners.org/bestprac/workshops.html. REALIA Project Continues to Grow During a June workshop, The REALIA Project doubled its contents and added images for three additional languages. The REALIA Project publishes faculty-reviewed media for the teaching and study of modern languages and culture. This database now contains just over 1,000 images for five languages: French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Russian. The workshop, involving faculty, students and librarians, was a two-pronged effort as participants both cataloged images for the database and developed learning objects for language teaching. In addition, a MERLOT (www.merlot.org) representative attended the workshop, further solidifying the partnership between The REALIA Project and this well-known on-line resource for the higher education community. In August, Glenda Carl, Southwestern University, and Rebecca Davis, ACS, presented the project and newly developed learning objects at the MERLOT conference. In June, Jeff Overholtzer, Washington and Lee University, the project's director, and Teresa Wise, ACS, presented the project at the EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference in Atlanta. Additional presentations will take place at other conferences. To support recent growth, The REALIA Project has also established initial memberships on editorial boards for each language. For more information, go to www.realiaproject.org or contact Jeff Overholtzer at joverholtzer@wlu.edu. Global Partners France Regional Alliance Resource and Program Development Mini-Grants Available Grants will be awarded for the development of resources, teaching materials, learning objects and curricular enhancements that can be shared with other Global Partners campuses. Projects should be completed during Spring or Summer 2005 and be available to other institutions during Fall 2005. The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2004. Proposals should explain how the project will be integrated into the curriculum and the mechanism for assessment. It is important to state how the results of projects can be shared across campuses. Proposals that link existing study abroad programs in any of the four countries are also encouraged. This might involve sharing programs, resources, logistical arrangements, marketing, on-site directors, etc. Innovative arrangements that result in cost sharing or cost reduction are encouraged. For more information, contact Teresa Wise, ACS, at twise@colleges.org. For more information on the Global Partners Regional Alliances go to www.global-partners.org/alliances/france/index.html. Grants for Guest Speakers Available Visitors can lecture, teach short courses or workshops, or present musical or dramatic performances, to name a few possibilities. The task force highly encourages visits that are shared with other Global Partners campuses. Potential visitors are scholars or artists with expertise related to France or the Francophone countries of Belgium, Canada or Senegal. This includes international scholars as well as colleagues within the United States at other Global Partners institutions or beyond. The project will pay for transportation and lodging for the guest, up to $2,000. If the guest visits additional colleges, the project will pay up to $1,000 for expenses for each college. For more information, contact Teresa Wise, ACS, at twise@colleges.org, or go to www.global-partners.org/alliances/france/index.html. Grants for Central Europe or Russian Visitors Available The Global Partners Project in Central Europe is offering grants to assist in hosting guest speakers and visitors from Central Europe and Russia. Proposals are due by October 15, 2004, and April 15, 2005. Potential visitors are scholars or artists from a country in Central or Eastern Europe, or in any of the newly independent states. The project will pay for transportation and lodging for the guest, up to $2,500. If the guest visits additional colleges, the project will pay up to $1,000 for expenses for each college. For more information, contact Daniel Sack, Associated Colleges of the Midwest, at dsack@acm.edu, or go to www.global-partners-org/cerus/ivp.html. ACS Environmental Initiative Offering Competitive Grants The ACS Environmental Alliances are once again gearing up to support faculty, staff and students who do great things for the environment on their campuses. Mini-grants are available through the three ACS alliances, which focus on curriculum and faculty development, student development and engagement, and campus sustainability. Curriculum and Faculty Development Alliance CFD mini-grants emphasize support for innovative interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration in course development. Projects could include any of the following elements, alone or combination.
Priority is given to CFD projects that stimulate the creation of an environmental program or will fill a demonstrable void in an existing environmental studies minor, major or concentration. CFD also prioritizes projects that create or improve an interdisciplinary course, involve collaboration/consultation among ACS institutions and are financially supported by the principal investigator’s institution through matching funds or release time. The alliance particularly seeks applications that include one or more of the following aspects:
For more information, contact Lee Lines at llines@rollins.edu, or Barry Allen at ballen@rollins.edu, alliance co-directors, Rollins College , or go to www.colleges.org/~enviro/proposals/cfd_rfp05.pdf. Student Development and Engagement Alliance SDE seeks applications from individuals and student teams, fraternities, sororities, outdoor clubs, religious clubs and honor societies, to name a few. In addition, this alliance encourages admissions, first-year orientation, career planning and student affairs staff to apply for environmental mini-grants. Funding can be used to buy supplies and materials, such as recycling bins, food to be served during meetings, books and library materials and more. SDE particularly wishes to help and encourage students to forge partnerships with individuals or organizations outside their institution who possess expertise and special resources that would allow students to accomplish goals not possible on their individual campus. An example of a recent SDE grant is Greening Urban Schools, awarded to Mary Helen Ferguson and Lisa Glenn of Birmingham-Southern College. These students established an urban garden/environmental classroom to produce basil for pesto, and a native plants garden at a city high school, with a second urban garden at an elementary school. Both of these schools are proximate to Birmingham-Southern College’s Woodlawn EcoScape, a garden built and maintained by Birmingham-Southern College students and community members in an abandoned city lot. For more information, contact David Anderson, alliance director, Centre College, at david@centre.edu. For additional information, go to http://web.centre.edu/sde/documents/RFP.pdf. Campus as a Laboratory for Sustainability Alliance Many ACS campuses are beginning to consider building new facilities that are LEED-certified (Leaders in Energy & Environmental Design). CLS particularly seeks proposals that will help a campus get started with this program, which is run by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). For example, a facilities manager who wishes to attend the USGBC conference might apply for a grant to pay for travel or for registration fees. In addition, proposals that encourage physical changes on the campus, such as increasing recycling, using cafeteria waste for composting, lowering paper use, increasing energy efficiency and the like are welcome. Transportation management, watershed studies, campus audits, waste treatment, green purchasing and campus design are among recent projects funded by CLS mini-grants. For more information, contact Jeanne Jackson at jjackson@bsc.edu, or Roald Hazelhoff at rhazelho@bsc.edu, co-directors, Birmingham-Southern College , or go to www.colleges.org/~enviro/proposals/cls_rfp_guidelines05.pdf. ACS Environmental Alliance Participants Curriculum and Faculty Development Alliance Alliance Participants
Campus as a Laboratory for Sustainability Alliance Alliance Participants
Student Development and Engagement Alliance Alliance Participants
Environmental Mega-Conference Planned The ACS Environmental Initiative and Morehouse College will host a "mega-conference" February 11-13, 2005. The conference will showcase many of the programs supported by the environmental initiative, including some that have been active since its inception in 1998. By hosting a mega-conference, ACS hopes to reach out to members of the ACS community who have not been active in environmental programs, in order to recruit them to apply for ACS grants or to become fellows and alliance members. The conference will provide opportunities for networking, as well as exposure to new ideas and creative energy that will celebrate, support and invigorate those who already carry the environmental banner on their campuses. Sessions are being planned on the following topics:
In addition, community service with partners in Atlanta is planned. Representatives from several foundations will be invited to attend. Visitors from a South African higher education consortium, the Foundation of Tertiary Institutions of the Northern Metropolis (FOTIM), with which ACS has begun collaboration, will meet ACS colleagues and learn more about what ACS does. An internationally known environmental keynote speaker will kick off the proceedings. If you are interested in making a presentation at the conference, or if you know of faculty and staff who should be invited, contact Elizabeth MacNabb, ACS, at emacnabb@colleges.org. 2004-2005 ACS Environmental Fellows The academic deans have approved the following 2004-2005 ACS environmental fellows.
For more information, contact Elizabeth MacNabb, ACS, at emacnabb@colleges.org 2005 Diversity Gathering Scheduled Under the theme Relationships and Communication: Diversity is Not an Option in the Real World, ACS students, staff, administrators and faculty will meet April 1-3, 2005, at the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas, for the third consortial diversity gathering. This event will be an opportunity for participants to discuss ethnic diversity issues, to generate awareness of such issues and enthusiasm for addressing them, and to provide a model that can be adapted for individual campus dialogue experiences. Under the facilitation of Marichal Gentry, associate dean of students, Middlebury College, six questions will guide the conversations:
William Winter, the former governor of Mississippi, will be the keynote speaker on April 1. To maximize the benefit of this experience, the ACS Diversity Initiative Planning Team, which is coordinating this event, urges campus teams to include at least three students who represent diversity on their campuses, the diversity officer, the Chief Student Affairs Officer, the Chief Academic Affairs Officer and at least one faculty member. Additional team members are welcome to participate. Selection of campus team members will be coordinated through each institution’s Office of Academic Affairs. The deadline for registration is March 11, 2005 . For more information, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. New Cost Containment and Diversity Venture ACS will venture into new cost containment and diversity promotion areas when it submits a consortial banner ad to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The ad will run in late September or early October 2004. Under the name of each participating ACS member institution, the advertisement will list anticipated tenure-track faculty openings for the remainder of 2004 and for 2005, and a campus website where more information about the openings will be found. In addition, the ad will promote the consortium and the member institutions' commitment to diversity and on-going efforts to create a "diverse learning community where individuals and the campus community as a whole may safely and respectfully explore unfamiliar ideas, convictions and practices.” Information for the ad is being coordinated through the Academic Affairs Office on each campus. The deadline for sending material to the ACS office is September 15, 2004 . For more information, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. ACS Representatives Participate in National Coalition Building Institute Pilot Preview Twenty-one participants, including two students, from five ACS institutions, took part in a National Coalition Building Institute’s (NCBI) model of Leadership for Diversity Training May 22, 2004, at Furman University. Robert Dungey, director of the Canada NCBI office, and Idella Glen, director of multicultural affairs at Furman University and a trained NCBI trainer, facilitated the workshop. With an active NCBI campus chapter already on campus, Furman University was the ideal host as participants could talk with persons who use the model on a regular basis. After exploring different prejudice reduction models, the Diversity Planning Committee chose to promote the NCBI model because of its focus on leadership development and its component that is tailored to the higher education experience. Objectives of the NCBI Leadership For Diversity Program include:
Participants said they were energized by the open and honest dialogue that took place, the possibilities for community building, the straightforward model and the opportunity to learn more about it. They also expressed interest in exploring the possibilities of starting NCBI campus chapters. In addition to Furman University, participating institutions were Davidson College, Rhodes College, Rollins College and Southwestern University. ACS continues to pursue grant funding for its diversity initiative in order to share the NCBI model and other diversity-related resources and opportunities with its member institutions. For more information, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. Now Showing on the ACS Virtual Gallery…Seven oil and acrylic paintings by Leslie D. Aldridge, a studio art major and 2004 graduate of Millsaps College. The works were created for her senior exhibition and use bright colors to capture such ordinary images as a soda can, a pill bottle, hearts, a cheeseburger and bottle caps. Leslie received the best senior art exhibition award and the William D. Rowell Memorial Award in Art. Leslie is from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and plans to attend graduate school in studio art. Go to http://dev.colleges.org/museum/lobby.php?museum=2 to view Leslie's exhibit, along with those from 2002 and 2003. Click on 2004 Gallery Exhibits to view Leslie's creations. ACS invites all member art departments to showcase student and faculty studio art works on the ACS Virtual Art Gallery . For more information, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. Millsaps College Takes Unique Approach to Diversity Issues Millsaps College has three programs that help the college tackle issues surrounding diversity: the annual Multicultural Festival, the multi-cultural diversity meeting and monthly theme-based programs. The annual Multicultural Festival includes everyone, and students are encouraged to develop festival ideas. During planning, students interact and gain positive working relationships while forming new friendships. The objective is to promote recognition of differences and the discovery of commonality. Another intent is to promote the talent among students and a sense of pride and togetherness. The 2004 Festival, with a theme Imagine 2004, marked the 11th anniversary of this event. Events included a "Fiesta" with cultural exhibits, and a variety of foods, fashion, talent and music. Weekly multicultural diversity meetings investigate diversity issues as students, staff and faculty exchange ideas and opinions. The conversations promote tolerance and straightforwardness toward sensitive questions. Local community members also, at times, participate. The meetings serve as an arena to hear the voices on campus to determine current or underlying concerns or problems revolving around diversity issues. Passages, Poetry, & Pastries is a monthly theme-based diversity program defined and planned by a volunteer group designated monthly as coordinators. Input is sought from all cultures on campus. Students, faculty, staff and sometimes members of the local community read or present. The program often integrates music, food, dance and demonstrations. Program themes have included Out of India, Exotic Passages from Africa, Rhythms and Rhymes, Cross-Cultural Faiths, Women and Oppression and Middle Eastern Winds and Sands. For more information, contact Sherryl Wilburn, Millsaps College, at wilbuse@millsaps.edu. Teacher Education Summit Update On April 23, 2004, the Education Department at Birmingham-Southern College hosted the third annual Teacher Education Summit. Clint Bruess, Birmingham-Southern College, chaired the meeting. Topics included the sharing of documents and practices regarding admission procedures and forms, teacher education publicity material, departmental guides, and issues and challenges facing teacher education departments, including state and regional accrediting requirements and the national No Child Left Behind program. In addition, technology resources were shared in the areas of e-portfolios, lesson planning, classroom management, special education and reading. Participants continue to pursue a pilot undergraduate education research symposium for 2005, to be held in conjunction with the 2005 Teacher Education Summit. A pilot symposium is intended to:
Topics of interest for future Teacher Education Summits include:
Participating schools at the 2004 summit were Centre College, Furman University, Hendrix College, Millsaps College, Southwestern University and Washington and Lee University. For more information, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. Millsaps College to host second ACS Science Reform Workshop Science literacy, course design and course assessment will be the three topics explored at the second science reform workshop on September 18, 2004, at Millsaps College. Such questions as "What is science literacy?" and "How can the goals of science literacy inform course design?" will be considered. Interwoven with the dialogue on science literacy and course design will be a discussion of course assessment, including the question: "How can I know my course does what I want it to and meets departmental requirements?" In addition, there will be a poster session in which the 2004 mini-grant recipients and several science reform projects already underway at ACS institutions will be showcased. This workshop is funded by the W.M. Keck Foundation of Los Angeles, as part of the ACS Reform of Introductory Science Courses for Non-Science Majors. Leaders for the workshop are Jeanette Norden, Vanderbilt University, and Linda Nilson, Clemson University, author of Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. Biographical information on both of these internationally known professionals may be found at www.colleges.org/sciencereform/workshop/index.html. Each ACS member institution is invited to send two science faculty who teach introductory science courses for non-majors to this workshop. For more information, contact Beth Bowser, ACS, at bowser@colleges.org. ACS Technology Center Develops Interfaces for Fedora and CONTENTdm Two ACS Technology Center software initiatives underway in Summer 2004 focus on creating interfaces to make existing software more usable by small liberal arts colleges. ACS summer software engineering interns created a web-based client for the Fedora Open-Source Digital Repository Management System (http://fedora.info). It will provide for basic collection management and allow interested institutions a low-barrier entry into getting started with Fedora. The Fedora system allows for the storage, indexing and retrieval of digital artifacts. Fedora is part of a larger and long-term vision of how libraries will manage digital materials. For the first release, the Fedora development team has concentrated on a core infrastructure of services. It is hoped that ACS and NITLE institutions will use Fedora to create and maintain institutional repositories. ACS Technology Center staff have also collaborated with staff from the Midwest Instructional Technology Center to develop an online application, called Oasis, designed to be used in conjunction with CONTENTdm, a digital assets management (DAM) system used by The REALIA Project (www.realiaproject.org). Oasis creates a lightweight online application that acts as a staging area for CONTENTdm files, specifically for those that are submitted remotely. Currently, users must submit files via the CONTENTdm acquisition station, which must be installed on a local computer, is not cross-platform, and has proven difficult to support remotely. Oasis will facilitate submission for The REALIA Project, as well as other users of CONTENTdm. For more information, contact Eric Jansson, ACS, at ejansson@colleges.org. Sunoikisis Offers Fifth Year of Advanced Language Intercampus Courses Sunoikisis will sponsor two Fall advanced language collaborative courses. These courses allow advanced students of classical languages to study with a larger group of peers and learn from a wide range of faculty. Students will participate in a weekly online discussion moderated by faculty members from participating ACS institutions, and weekly tutorials with faculty members at their home institutions. Fall 2004 classes include a Greek course on comedy and a Latin course on literature from the Late Republic. Sunoikisis faculty are also developing curriculum for a gateway course that would introduce majors to the discipline of classical studies. For more information, go to www.sunoikisis.org or contact Rebecca Davis, ACS, at rdavis@colleges.org or at 512-863-1734. ACS Technology Center to Sponsor Strategic Planning Workshop The ACS Technology Center will sponsor a one-day strategic planning workshop September 23, 2004 in Atlanta. Among those to attend are teams of CIO and IT directors, along with one or more college officers. The goal of the workshop is to discuss the basic principles and tools for strategic planning, with a focus on IT planning on individual campuses for cost savings and productivity, as well as the support of teaching and learning. Participants will consider leveraging consortial membership in the strategic plans. They also will have the opportunity for input into directions for the ACS Technology Center and how it can be of increased strategic value to the campuses. For more information, contact Suzanne Bonefas, ACS, at bonefas@colleges.org. Third Annual ACS New Music Festival and Technology Workshop Update The third annual ACS New Music Festival and Technology Workshop was held at the ACS Technology Center , July 23-27, 2004. Forty-four participants attended, including 15 ACS undergraduate composers. Sessions during the workshop dealt with the growing number of online music resources created by the ACS music collaborative and also addressed the interests of student composers in their preparation for graduate schools and careers in music. Participants also attended the ACS New Music Festival. This year the festival featured more than 30 works played in six concerts. Luna Nova, the ACS New Music Ensemble, performed four new works by members of the ACS Composers Forum, a number of recent works by other faculty members, important contemporary classics including Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, and compositions by four winners of the ACS student composition contest. CDs and DVDs of these concerts will be available for use in music classes in the coming academic year. For more information, go to www.colleges.org/~music. Winners Announced for ACS Student composition Contest Three ACS students have won the student composition contest. Judges were Pulitzer Prize winner Lesley Bassett, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan; Claude Baker, chair of music composition at Indiana University, and Chester Biscardi, chair of the music program at Sarah Lawrence College. The 2004 winners of the student composition contest are: 1st Place: Robby Simpson, Birmingham-Southern College, marche militaire américane for piano, clarinet, and snare drum 2nd Place: Andrew Ley, Centenary College of Louisiana, Rhythmic Landscapes for piano 3rd Place: Laura Daigle, Centenary College of Louisiana, Dances in a Song for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion Winners had their works performed at the ACS New Music Festival, July 23-28, 2004. The performances will be archived in streaming audio on the ACS music website at www.colleges.org/~music. In a letter to the presidents of the ACS member institutions and other NITLE colleges, Pat McPherson, vice president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, expressed ongoing commitment to the "Centers Strategy" with its collaborative approach to technology integration in liberal arts colleges. At a July meeting of the NITLE Board and Council, discussion focused on the plan to help regional technology centers, including the ACS Technology Center, become sustainable organizations able to serve participating colleges in the future. The plan builds upon affiliation with a new organization called Ithaka Harbors, created to serve and support various technology-enabled scholarly communications projects initially funded by Mellon, including JSTOR, ARTstor and others currently in development. This move aims to secure the future of NITLE and create opportunities for liberal arts colleges to connect with and contribute to the development of important digital resources for scholarship, teaching and learning. As part of this new arrangement, the relationships between the regional centers and NITLE will be reconceived. Each center will continue to serve its regional network of colleges, with a strong voice for regional advisory committees, and regional programming will be responsive to the particular interests and needs of regional constituents. At the same time, NITLE will become responsible for overseeing the regional centers, and directing, managing and supporting coordinated programming and resources delivered through the centers. In this centralized structure, the centers will connect with important programs emerging from the regions, with the other organizations gathered under Ithaka, and with expertise drawn from across the nation. Foundation support for NITLE will continue and will subsidize the next phase of its operations. However, the new plan will, for the first time, also require cost-sharing from participating institutions, beginning in 2006-2007. At the close of the NITLE Board meeting, the gavel was passed to Wayne Anderson, ACS president, who will chair the NITLE Board. NITLE will hold a conference November 7-9, 2004, near Chicago. Each ACS president has been invited, along with another senior administrator or faculty member. Delegates will join the NITLE leadership, including national and regional advisory groups who have helped steer NITLE's development, in celebrating NITLE's achievements and Informing its plans for the future. The conference will follow closely upon the announcement of specific arrangements for continuing participation in NITLE, so institutional leaders can learn more about the benefits of membership and help shape this organization. The conference will include sessions showcasing more than two dozen successful NITLE and regional center programs and projects, opportunities for regional conversations, a chance to confront outside perspectives on the future of education, and discussions of strategic uses of NITLE and the regional centers in order to leverage technological resources to help ensure the continuing vitality of the liberal arts college sector in higher education. Coalition for Networked Information ACS sent six delegates to the April 14-16, 2004 meeting of the Coalition for Networked Information in Alexandria, Virginia. ACS participants formed part of the NITLE delegation and also met to consider the impact of what they had learned on liberal arts colleges and directions for NITLE. The following ACS members participated: Diane Graves, library director, Trinity University; Bob Johnson, dean of information services and chief information officer, Rhodes College; Kathy Monday, vice president for information services, University of Richmond; Bob Paver, associate vice president for information technology, Southwestern University; John Stuckey, director of university computing, Washington and Lee University; and Suzanne Bonefas, ACS director of technology programs. Emerging concerns discussed by the delegates include institutional repositories and project management. New Media Consortium Conference Update Twenty NITLE delegates attended the New Media Consortium (NMC) conference June 16-20, 2004, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and reported back to NITLE members. ACS representatives included Kenneth Abernethy, Furman University; Bob Johnson, Rhodes College; Bob Shive, Millsaps College; and Suzanne Bonefas, ACS. The delegates generally agreed that this conference is valuable to both faculty and technologists for individual professional development. NMC also provides access to communities of practice and, through its Horizons project, to emerging technologies. The participants emphasized that the conference gives visibility to the liberal arts college sector, and provides opportunities for faculty and technologists to develop collaborations within NITLE. Post-conference survey results and summaries of sessions are available at http://nitle.org/ptnr_nmc_2004_report.php. NITLE will offer a workshop on GIS Across the Curriculum at Furman University on January 5-9, 2005. The program will demonstrate the substance and value of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in liberal arts contexts. This workshop offers faculty an introduction to GIS and may be followed up with a more discipline-specific study of GIS. The workshop will be the seventh introductory GIS workshop offered by NITLE. For more information, go to http://gis.nitle.org/workshopsGISAC.php. Fall Retreat Planned for IT Staff ACS will hold its fifth meeting for information technology staff on September 30 - October 3, 2004, at the ACS Technology Center. Participants will meet in two separate groups - User Support and Networking/Systems Support - to report on IT issues at their campuses, follow up on last year's meeting and discuss new issues and solutions. IT personnel from all ACS member institutions are invited. As in past meetings, there will be time for brainstorming, learning from colleagues at similar institutions and informal discussion. For more information, go to www.colleges.org/~support1/, or contact Rebecca Davis, ACS, at rdavis@colleges.org. Birmingham-Southern College faculty Jeanne Jackson and Kent Andersen presented the paper Retelling Leadership through Unconventional Stories in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the fifth Leadership Association conference. The conference focused on the importance of international understanding. Centenary College of Louisiana's Frost School of Business launched its new Center for Family-Owned Business. Among other things, the center will offer library resources on family business issues, and education and training programs on strategic planning, growth strategies, succession planning and the legal, management and financial issues unique to the family-owned enterprise. Centre College graduate (2004) Jackie Smith was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English to French-speaking students on Martinique Island in the Caribbean. Furman University's Bingham Lafayette Vick, Jr., music, received the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award (Governor's Awards for the Arts), the highest honor South Carolina gives in the arts. The award recognizes individuals and organizations for achievements and contributions as leading supporters and advocates of the arts in South Carolina. The chemistry and physics departments at Hendrix College have been awarded a $100,000 matching grant from Research Corporation for a research and recruitment project. Liz Gron, chemistry, and Bob Dunn, physics, were the principal investigators. Gron also received two other grants, both of them for green chemistry projects. She received $34,000 from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, and $50,000 from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. For the third time in four years, Morehouse College has become national champions of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. Students from 64 Historically Black Colleges and Universities competed. During competition, students answered questions on history, science, literature, religion, arts, social sciences, popular culture and African-American history and culture. Morehouse will receive $50,000 for materials for future teams, as well as funding for a newspaper program, which provides students free issues of USA Today and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rhodes College's Eric Gottlieb, mathematics and computer science, has been named a Fulbright Scholar. He will teach and conduct research in Chile during the 2004-2005 academic year. Rhodes College's Susanne Hofstra was one of 12 professors from the United States who participated in the seminar, Teaching About Islam and Middle Eastern Culture, at the Center of Oriental Research in Jordan. Hofstra learned about Jordan's history, geography and culture through tours, seminars and social gatherings. Pedro Bernal, chemistry, Rollins College, has fine-tuned a water filtration system for a source of inexpensive potable water for people in the Dominican Republic. Bernal has spent several years working with the filtration system. Bernal and Rollins College students traveled to the Dominican Republic in June to measure the filters' effect on the health of residents and to study water and sanitation. Southwestern University received a $60,000 grant from the Undergraduate Science Research Program for collaborative work between faculty and students in chemistry and biology. The Merck Company Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science sponsor the program. Maha Zewail-Foote, chemistry; Martin Gonzalez, biology; Maria Cueas, biology; Max Taug, biology; Emily Niemeyer, chemistry; and Gulnar Rawji, chemistry, will collaborate with students on projects. Spelman College has been working with Mangosuthu Technikon in South Africa to increase staff and infrastructure development in: 1) grants and contracts, 2) marketing and communications, and 3) alumni development. Administrators from Spelman and Mangosuthu traveled to each other's campuses to facilitate workshops, engage in workplace shadowing and develop strategies and systems geared to strengthen Mangosuthu's capacity to increase institutional visibility and fundraising. The culminating event was a conference, Progress Through Partnership: Sustaining Development in the New South Africa, in July in South Africa. The conference allowed administrators from institutions of higher education across two continents to learn about project accomplishments, share strategies and raise awareness about the role higher education plays in fostering sustainable development. The University of Richmond was awarded a $3 million grant for the continuation of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. Since 1991, the Pew Initiative has produced reports, issued briefs and sponsored conferences to examine controversial issues raised by applying genetic engineering to agriculture. The health care administration department at Trinity University has established the Center for Leadership Development in Health Management, to enhance efforts to prepare future leaders for the health services management field. The center is intended to help the health care administration program. Its objectives are to recruit and select a diverse and qualified group of students for studies that lead to a master of science degree in health care administration, to develop and maintain quality residency placements that integrate theory with practice and provide a foundation for a student's professional career, and to provide professional and career development activities.
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