| PLU's Neeb Building Awarded LEED Gold
 This fall Pacific Lutheran University's Martin J. Neeb Center received the distinction of being named Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the Neeb Center is the only radio facility in the nation with a LEED Gold ranking. Read more.
Belmont Professors, Students Study Local Wetlands
 Belmont University biology professors Steve Murphree, Darlene Panvini and John Niedzwiecki receive a grant from Nissan to work with students to monitor the flora and fauna on wetland on the Nissan North America campus in Franklin, Tennessee. Read more.
Drury’s Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions Distributes $1.1 million
This year, Drury University’s Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions (OCSS) acquired and distributed more than $1.1 million in grant funding to reduce diesel pollution in Southwest Missouri. Read more.
National Womens Studies Association Annual Conference Hosts Sage Professors
The Sage Colleges were well represented at the recent National Womens Studies Association (NWSA) Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA. Five faculty shared information about RSC's innovative women's studies and academic service learning programs and presented "Women in the World: A Roundtable Discussion of Women's Studies as General Education." Read more.
 Collaboration Among Ithaca College, Hospicare And Area Musicians Produces Healing Music
Area musician and teacher Jayne Demakos brought together students and faculty from the Ithaca College School of Music and Ithaca-area musicians to create a CD for Hospicare and Palliative Services for Tompkins County. Entitled “Beauty Crowds Me,” the CD offers the therapeutic power of music to Hospicare patients and their families. Read more.
 Wagner President, Provost Co-Author Article for Change Magazine
Wagner College President Richard Guarasci and Provost Devorah Lieberman have co-authored an article in the November-December issue of Change Magazine, titled "Sustaining Transformation: Resiliency in Hard Times," which offers a narrative on Wagner's renaissance and a blueprint for institutions that are confronting significant organizational changes. Read the article.
Hampton Receives Grant to Bridge Gap Between Scientists, Teachers
 Hampton University scientists are hosting workshops for educators to improve their understanding of latest scientific developments. The Hampton University Interdisciplinary Science Center (ISC) recently received a $147,749 grant from the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia to fund a yearlong professional development program. Read more.
Sage Awards Student Research with High Potential to Impact Society
The Broughton Graduate Fellowship in Creative Applied Science is given annually to recognize and support students at The Sage Colleges whose research demonstrates high merit in creativity, originality and potential impact on society. Read more.
Hampton University President Appointed to NCAA  Presidential Search Committee
Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey, who is a member of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and its executive committee, has also been appointed to serve on the search committee to select the next president of the NCAA. The six-person presidential search committee will select a national search firm and intend to identify the next president prior to fall 2010. Read more.
Drury University to Offer Certification in Social Media
Beginning in June 2010, Drury University’s Department of Communication will offer the only Social Media Certification at any higher education institution in the four-state region. The intense, two-week certification provides a “hands on” workshop covering marketing, media management, entrepreneurship and culture. In addition, students will undergo a personalized "boot camp" in specific social media and cutting edge technologies. Read more.
 Drake Receives $3 Million Gift for Entrepreneurial Leadership Center
Drake University announced a $3 million gift from alumni Bill Buchanan and his wife, Jean, to establish the William M. and Jean M. Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Read more.
Sage Realigns Graduate Schools Around Core Strengths
 The Sage Colleges have restructured Sage Graduate School around three key areas of strength and expertise to create the School of Education, School of Health Sciences, and School of Management.
The newly formed schools capitalize on Sage's professional degree and certificate programs at the post-baccalaureate, master's, post-master's, and doctorate levels. Read more.
XBOX Project Provides Eye-Opening Experience for University of Scranton Students
 The classroom moved into the real-world for a group of University of Scranton electrical engineering students who reconfigured an XBOX to meet the physical capabilities of a 15-year-old boy with a spinal cord injury. The student-driven project fulfilled the wish of Danny Sampson, a sophomore Central Columbia honor roll student, who was no longer able to play the XBOX games he liked because of his injury. His father, James Sampson, had tried several component adjustments available for the XBOX, but none worked. Read more.
 Belmont's Steve Lasley Wins CFO Award
Steve Lasley, Belmont University's vice president of finance and operations, was named today as a winner in the Nashville Business Journal's (NBJ) inaugural CFO Awards in the Nonprofit category. The awards banquet was held downtown at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. Read more.
 Drake Employee Honored with National Award for Performance Review System
Gary Johnson, associate director of human resources at Drake University, recently received the "Excellence in Human Resource Practices Award" from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Read more.
Sustainability Efforts Earn High Grades for Pacific Lutheran University
 Pacific Lutheran University was one of only 26 institutions nationwide to receive the highest grade awarded from the Sustainable Endowments Institute on its College Sustainability Report Card for 2010. Overall, the university was graded an A-, with A’s granted to many areas such as climate change, energy use, student involvement and food and recycling. Ithaca College earned an overall B+, with A’s in five categories. Read full report. Read more.
Butler Launches New Health Resources Website
 In light of the fact that some consumers have trouble paying for prescriptions and many more have limited or no heath insurance, students and faculty at Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences created a website to help both consumers and health professionals obtain information about Indiana’s numerous health services options. Read more.
Belmont Tops Out New Health Science Building, Home for Schools of Pharmacy and Physical Therapy
 Nearly one year after breaking ground, Belmont University celebrated the “topping out” of its new $30 million health sciences building, which will serve as the future home for the School of Pharmacy, a Belmont program which welcomed its second class this fall. The building, which has an anticipated completion date of June 2010, will also house the School of Physical Therapy and will include expansion space for the Schools of Nursing and Occupational Therapy as well as the Social Work and Psychology programs. Read more. View gallery.
Butler: Putting More Brains in the Game
 Read a reprinted story from the 2008 annual report of Lilly Endowment Inc. detailing how Indianapolis-based Langham Logistics, in need of a strategic plan, tapped into the Butler (University) Business Accelerator, a resource from its College of Business. Read more.
Drury University’s SIFE Team Receives Grant from Edward Jones
The Drury University Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has been awarded $78,000 by Edward Jones Investments to bring the benefits of clean water to developing regions in the world. Read more.
Elon’s Phoenix14News Named Best Newscast in Carolinas
 Phoenix14News, Elon University's weekly student newscast, was named the best student newscast in North and South Carolina Saturday at the Radio-Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas annual awards luncheon. It's the first time Phoenix14News has been recognized with the award, and it comes on the heels of the show's recognition as best newscast in the nation by the Broadcast Education Association in April. Read more.
Hamline Students Excavate Campus History
Hamline University became Minnesota’s first university when it was founded in 1854, so what better place for students to unearth pieces of history. Dr. Brian Hoffman’s archaeology class “Excavating Hamline History” has been busy this fall digging up and sifting through sites near the university’s oldest building, Old Main. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1883, but students have discovered remnants that have been hidden below ground all this time. Read more. Watch Video.
 Valparaiso Women Engineers Win National, Regional Awards
Valparaiso University's female engineering students and faculty have won a national award for their activities through the Society of Women Engineers chapter on campus. Read more.
 Belmont University Announces New College of Law
Belmont University has announced the opening of a College of Law, the first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years. Belmont’s College of Law represents the university’s seventh college and fourth doctoral program. The College will begin classes in fall 2011, and when at full capacity, will enroll approximately 350 students. Read more.
Valpo Engineering Adds China to Global Study Programs
 Valparaiso University's College of Engineering is expanding its global presence with the launch of a new program that will give engineering students an opportunity to study and work in the world's most populous nation. The Valparaiso International Engineering Program in China joins the University's existing programs in Germany and France that give engineering students an avenue to develop skills and gain experiences that enable them to succeed in the international marketplace. Read more.
 Quinnipiac University Opens $40 Million North Haven Campus
Quinnipiac University has officially opened its new $40 million, 104-acre North Haven Campus, to accommodate its growing number of graduate programs, as well as the upper division professional programs in the School of Health Sciences. Read more.
 Drake alumnus wins Emmy Award for work in 'Lost'
Drake University alumnus Michael Emerson won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Benjamin Linus on the ABC-TV show "Lost." Read more.
First-Year Hamline Students Start with Service
After a send-off from Hamline University President Linda Hanson and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, more than 400 first-year students headed off to surrounding neighborhoods to volunteer their time on more than two-dozen projects in the community. Read more.
Butler Creates Center for Strategic Communication for Nonprofits
Area nonprofit groups looking for public relations support now have a new resource: Butler University’s Center for Strategic Communication for Nonprofits. Read more.
 North Central College Opens Nation’s First Combined Dorm, Rec Center
Known as the Res/Rec Center, the 201,439-square-foot building conserves land on North Central College’s 59-acre campus in Naperville’s Historic District by combining two large buildings in one. Read more.
Belmont Opens Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Service-Learning
 On September 24, Belmont University opened the Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Service-Learning as the home base for its new undergraduate major in social entrepreneurship, the first of its kind nationwide. Read more.
 Belmont Appoints McDonald as New Provost
Twenty-nine years ago Dr. Marcia McDonald joined the faculty at Belmont University. This week the associate provost was named the new chief academic officer. Read more.
Academic Advising Center Aiming for Student Success at Samford
Through an enhanced orientation process, a success mentoring program and foundation courses that help with the sometimes scary first-year transition to college life, the center will offer students a full-service nudge toward academic success at Samford University. Read more.
 Enrollment Numbers Increase at Many New American Colleges and Universities
The number of incoming students has increased this year, with many campuses seeing their largest classes of incoming freshmen. Read more on member pages:
Ithaca College Selects Integrative Curriculum Demonstration Projects
 Six demonstration projects have been selected for the Ithaca College Integrative Curriculum initiative — known as (IC)² — a concept intended to give students college-wide opportunities to increase the breadth and depth of their educational experience. Read more.
Quality and Value at Drake Law School, According to National Jurist
 Drake University Law School ranks as one of the top private schools nationwide in The National Jurist magazine's "Best Value Law Schools" ranking in its September 2009 issue. Read more.
Quinnipiac Opens $40 Million North Haven Campus
The 180,000-square-foot building, which is wireless, features 12 classrooms, 16 seminar and team-study rooms, and 24 teaching laboratories, including an orthopedics lab, a rehabilitative sciences lab, a clinical skills lab, an intensive care unit, a health assessment lab, a physical exam suite, a physical diagnostics lab, a motion analysis lab and other special amenities that set Quinnipiac University apart from others offering health sciences programs. Read more.
Sage Colleges Transforms, Renovates Campuses
Banging hammers worked side-by-side with buzzing laptops this summer at Sage. Click here for a slideshow of updates at Sage campuses in Albany and Troy.
Federal Grant Will Support Business Education at Belmont
Belmont University’s College of Business Administration (COBA) was recently awarded more than $188,000 in federal grant monies to enhance international business education at Belmont University and to sponsor international business and trade activities in Nashville. Read more.
New American Colleges and Universities Schools Win Honors in 2009 SIFE National Exposition
 The SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team from Drury University finished 2nd place in the 2009 SIFE USA National Exposition, held in Philadelphia, PA May 10th-12th, while Belmont University’s team finished in the top eight of 137 teams from around the nation. Teams from North Central College, Quinnipiac University, Susquehanna University, The University of Scranton, and Valparaiso University also participated. Read about Drury. Read about Belmont.
Belmont University Awarded $575,000 Grant from National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is awarding Belmont University a $575,000 grant in support of scholarships for students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with the intention of attracting women, minorities, first-generation college students and economically disadvantaged students to these disciplines. Read more.
 Pacific Lutheran University Creates New Summer Jobs for Students
This summer, Pacific Lutheran University is adding 20 new student work positions in response to the current tight summer job market. Read more.
 Simmons College School of Management Earns AACSB Accreditation
Simmons College School of Management (SOM) has received accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Read more.
 University of Evansville President Stephen Jennings Announces Retirement Plans
University of Evansville President Dr. Stephen Jennings has announced his plans to retire, effective May 31, 2010. Dr. Jennings became the University of Evansville’s 22nd president on June 1, 2001. Read more.
Butler University Concludes Campaign Above Goal
Butler University will conclude its most successful campaign in its 154-year history, having raised $153,727,258, $28 million above its initial goal. Read more.
University of Redlands Announces New Vice President of  Academic Affairs
The University of Redlands has appointed Dr. David Fite as its new Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Fite currently is Vice Chancellor for Institutional Planning and Assessment at Chapman University, Orange, California. Read more.
Arcadia University Recognized for ‘Study Abroad Plus’
Inside Higher Education, in a May 11 story, described Arcadia University’s new Undergraduate Curriculum as “Study Abroad Plus,” noting that Arcadia and several others “have added requirements that could be described as study abroad-plus, to be fulfilled either through study abroad or another form of experiential, off-campus learning.” Read more.
Valparaiso Campus Project Conserves Energy, Honored for Innovation
A Valparaiso University project that replaced the natural gas and electrical distribution systems throughout campus has won recognition from the nation's leading organization of educational facility managers. Read more.
 Westminster College Announces Four New Academic Programs
Westminster College announced the creation of four new academic programs to begin in the fall of 2009. The new programs focus on specialized fields of study and program designs that are pertinent in today’s world, such as the Spanish culture and language, community leadership, and real-world problem solving. Read more.
Drake University Receives Grant from U.S. Department of Education
 U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, recently announced that Drake University will receive a $100,000 grant annually for five years, for a total of $500,000, from the U.S. Department of Education. The University will use this grant to support the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program, to increase the number of individuals trained in providing vocational, medical, social and psychological rehabilitation services to people with disabilities. Read more.
Pacific Lutheran University Garden Club Connects with Community
 The Pacific Lutheran University community garden is sprouting more than just vegetables this spring, as this year the Garden Club's efforts will really focus on connecting with the community. As the garden grew in its new 10,000-square-foot plot last year the focus was creating a community garden within the PLU community, but now it's time for more growth, Garden Club member Kristi Riedel said. Read more.
 Simmons School of Library and Information Science Ranked Among Top 10 by U.S.News & World Report
The Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) was ranked among the nation's top 10 schools of library and information studies in the U.S.News & World Report's 2010 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools." Read more.
 Drake Law School Ranks Among the Nation's Best in Legal Writing, Intellectual Property
Drake University Law School's programs in legal writing and intellectual property are ranked among the top programs in the nation in the 2010 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools," published by US News & World Report magazine. Read more.
Elon University’s Bateman Team Awarded Honors in National Competition
 For the third consecutive year, the Elon University Bateman Team finished among the top 10 teams in the 2009 competition, which featured entries from close to 80 teams from colleges and universities across the nation. Bateman is a national case study competition established by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in 1973 to give university students an opportunity to exercise the analytical skills and mature judgment required for public relations problem solving. Read more.
 Drake to Celebrate New State-of-the-Art Lab
The transition from classroom to work force will be easier for Drake University pharmacy graduates thanks to a number of up-to-date resources in the Donald F. Davidson Pharmacy Practice Laboratory in Fitch Hall. Read more.
Hamline University's Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching Awarded Kellogg Foundation and Minnesota Office of Higher Ed Grants
Hamline University has announced that the Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching, a component of the university’s School of Education, has been awarded $400,000 from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan to promote educational success and racial equity in school districts for vulnerable youth. Read more.
Alabama Power Foundation To Fund Samford University Student Research
The Samford University Fellows Program will award three Alabama Power Foundation Research Fellowships this summer. The University Fellows Program is a highly selective program offering innovative liberal arts courses, unique international study opportunities and undergraduate research support. Read more.
 Grant Funds University of Scranton’s Alperin Center Renovations
Using funds from a $250,000 grant received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education, the University of Scranton’s Kania School of Management recently completed the third phase of development of its Irwin E. Alperin Financial Center, which was dedicated in 2008. Read more.
Sage President Presents Research on "Eliminating Healthcare Disparities"
The Sage Colleges' President Dr. Susan C. Scrimshaw, Ph.D., has focused her scholarly research on the health care needs of underserved populations -- individuals with AIDS, Hispanic and African-American populations and women and children -- and will share her conclusions for how one should meet those needs in a first step toward helping to serve the local populations in Albany and Troy where The Sage Colleges is located. Read more.
Sage Community Health Education Class Reaches Out to Troy Seniors with Services
 How has the economic downturn affected seniors in our community? What do senior citizens fear most when it comes to their health? What do local community resources have to offer in the face of these challenges? Those questions will be answered and issues addressed when The Sage Colleges Community Health Education class hosts a Community Health Fair for Senior Citizens. The Health Education Fair for Seniors is part of a commitment to service learning by The Sage Colleges. Read more.
 Drury University to Offer a Fast Track Master of Business Administration
Drury University's College of Graduate and Continuing Studies and the Breech School of Business Administration will begin offering a Fast Track Master of Business Administration beginning in the fall of 2009. Read more.
 New Elon University Program Connects Law and Humanities
The law touches every field of study, from biology to sociology to literature, and that interaction is the focus of the Elon University Center for Law and Humanities, a new academic initiative that teaches students to use lessons learned in the arts and sciences to examine the way legal questions affect society. Read more.
Thomas R. Rochon To Be Inaugurated As Eighth President Of Ithaca College
 Members of the Ithaca College community will join with representatives from the higher education community and other distinguished guests on Friday, April 17, to celebrate the inauguration of Thomas R. Rochon as the eighth president of Ithaca College. The 3:00 p.m. ceremony in Ben Light Gymnasium will cap two days of festivities surrounding Rochon’s formal investiture. Read more.
Valparaiso Students Drawn to Humanitarian Engineering Minor
A new humanitarian engineering minor launched by Valparaiso University's College of Engineering during the fall semester is gaining momentum, with half a dozen students enrolled in a program designed to put engineering knowledge and skills to work for the benefit disadvantaged communities throughout the world. Read more.
 Valparaiso Student Newspaper Named Indiana’s Best for Third Year
The Indiana Collegiate Press Association has named Valparaiso University’s student newspaper, The Torch, Indiana Division II Newspaper School of the Year for the third consecutive year. The Lighter, Valparaiso’s student literary magazine, also was honored during the Association’s annual convention in Bloomington. Read more.
Student Opinion Honors Recognizes Ithaca College, University of Scranton
 “The Student Opinion Honors for Business Schools”, published by Entrepreneur Magazine and The Princeton Review, places The University of Scranton's MBA program among the top 15 in the nation for general management, and Ithaca College’s program in the top 15 for Operations.
The Student Opinion Honors for Business Schools identifies institutions whose students overwhelmingly agree that it offers superlative preparation in six core business competencies: accounting, finance, general management, global management, marketing and operations. Fifteen schools in each category were selected based solely on surveys conducted by The Princeton Review and completed by more than 19,000 current business school students. Read more on Scranton's site. Read more at entrepreneur.com.
 Drake University Marks Nearly 4,200 Acts as Part of Green Challenge
As part of its recently launched 5,000 Acts of Green campaign, Drake University students, faculty and staff have pledged 4,155 green acts to help the environment, one act at a time. Read more.
Grant Funding From Ithaca College's Linden Center For Creativity Will Support Art Opportunities For Older Adults In Tompkins County
Thanks to the 2009 Linden Center Community Arts Grants — a collaboration between Ithaca College’s Linden Center for Creative Aging and the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County — six local organizations will receive a total of $10,000 in grant funding to support arts activities for older adults. Read more.
University of Redlands Community to Serve Across the Nation for the Second Year
University of Redlands alumni and their families will help organize donated food and clothing, provide care packages for military personnel serving in Iraq, and remove trash along a river bank as part of a nationwide service event that includes 19 projects in 15 cities. Read more.
Samford University Office of Communication Wins National Awards
Samford University's Office of Communication has won eight national awards in the prestigious DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards competition. Read more.
Quinnipiac University to Offer New Bachelor’s Degree in Film, Video and Interactive Media
 The School of Communications at Quinnipiac University will begin offering a new bachelor's degree in film, video and interactive media in Fall 2009. Read more.
Westminster College Offers Students “Best Of” Experience
Only one private college in the country can boast being located in America’s #1 “state to live” and the nation’s “fittest city.” That school is Westminster College. Located in the quaint Sugar House district of Salt Lake City, Westminster provides both educational and recreational opportunities unlike any other private institution. Utah was recently named as the best state to live in by Forbes and the happiest state by US News & World Report. Men’s Fitness also recognized Salt Lake as the country’s fittest city, which means not only is Westminster an educational gem, but a “quality of life” hotspot. Read more.
Dr. Susan C. Scrimshaw Appointed Ninth President Of The Sage Colleges
 Susan C. Scrimshaw, Ph.D., has been selected to be the new president of The Sage Colleges. Donna Esteves, class of 1970 and chair of the board of trustees, accepted the recommendation of the search committee today before a group of students, faculty and staff.
Dr. Scrimshaw, 63, who has been the Colleges' interim president since July 2008, will be the College's ninth president since the founding of Russell Sage College in 1916. She succeeds Dr. Jeanne H. Neff, who served as president for 13 years. Read more.
 North Central College Introduces New Leadership, Ethics and Values Endowed Chair and Chair-holder
North Central College recently named Thomas D. Cavenagh, J.D., the first holder of a newly endowed faculty chair, the Schneller Sisters Professor of Leadership, Ethics and Values. Read more.
University of Evansville’s Institute for Global Enterprise Creates Partnership With Business School in India
The University of Evansville’s Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana has signed an agreement with India’s Globsyn Business School to offer post-graduate global business education courses to corporate leaders in India. Read more.
 Susquehanna University Wins Awards For Communications
Susquehanna University has recently won awards for its work from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Association of Communicators in Education (CUPRAP) and the American Graphic Design & Advertising competition. Read more.
University of Redlands Campus Diversity & Inclusion Honored by National Student Affairs Association
The University of Redlands Office for Campus Diversity & Inclusion was honored by the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) for its cycle of programs addressing the needs of first generation students.
The Office for Campus Diversity & Inclusion has been awarded the Silver Excellence Award in the International, Multicultural, Cultural, Gender, LGBTQ, Spirituality, Disability, and related category. The awards were presented at the association's conference on March 10 in Seattle. Read more.
Dr. Mark Schwehn Named Provost of Valparaiso University
 Valparaiso faculty member, Dean of Christ College, and alumnus, Dr. Mark R. Schwehn, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valparaiso University. Dr. Schwehn succeeds Dr. Roy Austensen, who will return to full-time teaching following a year's leave of absence. Read more.
Drake University Launches 5,000 Acts of Green Challenge
 Drake University is launching a weeklong challenge March 23-28 to get students, faculty and staff to each commit to making one change that will help the environment. The program, 5,000 Acts of Green, is a collaborative environmental campaign spearheaded by students in Drake's Environmental Action League as part of another project in Canada called One Million Acts of Green. Read more.
Drury University Receives Grant to Expand the Summer Scholars Program
 The Community Foundation of the Ozarks gave Drury University $23,390 to expand the Summer Scholars program for African-American students in Springfield. The Summer Scholars program was founded in July 2008 by three Drury professors to give 15 male African-American middle school students a residential college experience. Read more.
Elon University Adopts Principles of Responsible Management Education
 In another sign of its commitment to teaching ethical values, Elon University’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business has formally adopted the Principles of Responsible Management Education, which connects the university with an international group of business schools that encourage social responsibility in the creation of a sustainable global economy. Of the New American Colleges and Universities institutions, Pacific Lutheran University and Simmons College have also signed up to the PRME initiative.
The University of Scranton Among 11 Colleges in the Country Awarded Funding Through AAUW Campus Action Project
The doors to a college education just opened wider for 50 female high school students in the Scranton area. The University of Scranton was among 11 colleges in the country awarded funding through the 2008-09 Campus Action Project of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), for a Mentoring Pilot Program for Female High School Students. The Campus Action Project supports programs focusing on issues raised by AAUW's Education Foundation 2008 research report, Where the Girls Are: the Facts About Gender Equality in Education. Read more.
Iowa Supreme Court Holds Special Session at Drake Law School
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| Drake law student Erin Grundy. |
The first cases heard by the Iowa Supreme Court next week may attract a larger audience than usual. Students at Drake University Law School will have the opportunity to see how attorneys represent their clients before the court during oral arguments starting at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 10, in the courtroom of Drake's Neal and Bea Smith Law Center, 2400 University Ave. Read more.
Elon University Opens the New York Stock Exchange
 President Leo M. Lambert, Love School of Business Dean Mary Gowan, five business students and other friends of Elon University sounded the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on March 9 on a day when Wall Street celebrated Elon's academic achievements. Read more.
Pacific Lutheran University Unveils Its New Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer
 It looks like a rather fat, squat water heater. A water heater with a $743,000 pricetag. But to the professors of Pacific Lutheran University’s chemistry department, the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer is a dream come true. Read more.
Wagner's Port Richmond Partnership Honored
Former President Bill Clinton recognized Wagner College's Port Richmond Partnership at the annual Clinton Global Initiative University in Austin Texas on Feb. 14. Receiving a citation from President Clinton on behalf of Wagner was President Richard Guarasci. You can read about the CGI University, and follow a link to a video of the presentation here.
Kimrey Named Samford’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
 Samford University Dean of Admission and Financial Aid R. Phil Kimrey will become Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Samford, effective June 1. The new vice presidential position will combine the leadership of Samford's student affairs and admission/financial aid divisions. Read more.
Pacific Lutheran University Scholarship Makes Study Away Possible for Low-Income Students
 A new $2 million scholarship fund will increase study abroad opportunities for low-income students at Pacific Lutheran University. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave the university a $1 million challenge grant to initiate the endowment fund a year ago. Since then, a matching $1 million has been raised from donors. Read more.
Belmont School of Business Named to BusinessWeek Top 100
 For the second year in a row, Belmont University’s undergraduate School of Business achieved a Top 100 national ranking in BusinessWeek’s annual report on “The Best Undergrad B-Schools” in the U.S. Belmont (No. 84) and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (No. 82) are the only two Tennessee programs to make the list, and Belmont was one of only six private schools in the South to be included. Read more.
Internships to Educate Drake Students in Independent Pharmacy Ownership
Drake University has developed a new summer internship program for pharmacy students, designed to promote entrepreneurial leadership in community pharmacy ownership. The program is funded in part by the McKesson Corp. and Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Co. Read more.
University of Redlands Students Can Explore Human-Animal Relationships in New Minor
University of Redlands students interested in animal-related careers can now minor in a newly established Human-Animal Studies program that explores the relationships between people and animals. Read more.
Valparaiso Spring Break Trips Combine Faith, Service
After turning in their mid-term exams and papers this Friday, Feb. 27, four groups of Valparaiso University students are putting their faith into action during spring break service trips to Mexico, the Gulf Coast and Appalachia. Another group will visit two schools in Nicaragua where they'll have a chance see how cultural and environmental differences influence what goes on inside the classroom, as part of a two-week service learning course.
-Spring break trips combine faith, service
-Nicaragua
 Elon University Habitat for Humanity Dedicates 18th House
The Elon University campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity dedicated their 18th house on Sunday, February 15th. Each year the chapter raises the full sponsorship amount and provides the labor to build one house. Read more.
Susquehanna University to Implement Unique, Cross-Cultural Study-Away Requirement
All new students at Susquehanna University will be required, beginning this fall, to participate in a unique cross-cultural program called GO (Global Opportunities), that will expose them to different cultural experiences either in the United States or abroad. Read more.
Westminster College Announces $1 Million Kresge Challenge Grant
Westminster College has been awarded a $1 million challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich., to support fundraising efforts for the new Meldrum Science Center. The Kresge Challenge grant is added to another $1 million challenge grant from the George S. and Dolores Doré Foundation. Read more.
North Central College Celebrates Lincoln’s 200th Birthday
 North Central College opened its archive of Abraham Lincoln to the public on Feb. 12 when students and staff gathered to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the nation’s 16th president.
The celebration, jointly sponsored by North Central College’s history department and library, offered a peek at the college’s rarely seen archive of Lincoln materials. The archive includes a handwritten 1859 letter and a presidential telegram to Union Army Gen. Philip Sheridan, congratulating him on a successful battle.
Though the college has had the collection for years, Emily Prather, the technical services coordinator who oversees the college's special collections, said interest grew as Lincoln's 200th birthday approached. Prather said she is making it her goal this year to make sure more people know about the museum's special collections, including this one and an archive of past presidents' signatures.
The College was founded in 1861 during Lincoln’s presidency and will celebrate its sesquicentennial in 2011.
UE President Stephen Jennings Named NAICU Secretary
The University of Evansville is proud to announce that President Stephen Jennings has been chosen as Secretary of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).
Jennings, who has been active in NAICU since taking his first college president job in 1983, joins Bellarmine University President Joseph McGowan (president), Clark University President John Bassett (vice-president), and Howard Payne University President Lanny Hall (treasurer) on the Board of Directors. The NAICU also named 15 new Board members this week. Read more.
Study Abroad in India: New Pune Program Features Internship Opportunities
 For students who want to study abroad in India, the Alliance for Global Education launched "Contemporary India: Development, Environment, Public Health" in January 2009. Pune, a bustling city of 3.5 million people considered India's academic center, features a wealth of cultural, academic and internship opportunities for ambitious, adventurous U.S. undergraduates.
The Alliance for Global Education, LLC is a not-for-profit partnership of the Arcadia University Center for Education Abroad and the Institute for Study Abroad at Butler University, formed with the vision of opening non-traditional destinations to an ever-growing and more diverse U.S. undergraduate population. Read more on Arcadia's site. Read more on Butler's site.
Samford's Spring Enrollment Up Over Previous Year
Samford University's spring 2009 semester enrollment increased over spring 2008. Total enrollment for 2009 is 4,298, up 61. The increases primarily were in graduate programs.
"The enrollment increase is welcome news for the university and represents the positive results of our faculty and staff efforts to retain our students," said Samford President Andrew Westmoreland. Read more.
North Central College Receives Biology Grant
 North Central College was awarded a $40,000 grant to purchase equipment that will help biology students conduct field studies.
The grant was awarded by LI-COR Biosciences, a Lincoln, Neb.-based company that is a leader in the design and manufacture of instrument systems for biotechnology and environmental research through its LI-COR Environmental Education Fund (LEEF).
The North Central College grant was secured by Dr. Christine L. Weilhoefer, assistant professor of biology. The money will be used to acquire a LI-COR Portable Photosynthesis and Fluorescence system, a piece of equipment that will facilitate more meaningful inquiry-based learning by allowing students to collect data on a variety of plant and environmental parameters in the field rather that being constrained to a lab. Students will be able to measure plan photosynthesis, plant stress physiology and plant, animal and soil respiration.
This is the third year of the LEEF program sponsored by LI-COR.
Two Presidents Named to Board of AAC&U
 Drake University President David Maxwell, and Elon University President Leo M. Lambert have been named directors of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality and public standing of undergraduate liberal arts and sciences education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Drs. Maxwell and Lambert will serve two-year terms on the Board of directors of AAC&U. They join Butler University president Bobby Fong, who has held the position of Treasurer for AAC&U since 2004.
Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,150 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.
AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.
Periclean Scholars Partnership Brings Community Clinic to 10,000 Ghanaians
 January 10, 2009 marked the grand opening of the Kpoeta Community Clinic, a joint effort between the people of Kpoeta, Ghana and Elon University’s 2010 Class of Periclean Scholars. The project was launched in April 2007 when visiting Fulbright Scholar Dr. Francis Amedahe proposed that the 2010 Periclean Scholars partner with the people of his home town of Kpoeta to construct a community clinic. Amedahe explained that the 10,000 people of Kpoeta lacked year round access to health services because the seven-mile long dirt road between Kpoeta and the nearest health facility was impassible during the rainy seasons, which constitute half of each year. His community had attempted to build a clinic using their own resources, but at their rate of construction, they would require many years to complete it, which would translate into many lives lost during the rainy seasons.
The 32 member 2010 Periclean class jumped on the opportunity to improve access to health care for rural Ghanaians. Their support sped up the construction of a 10-room community clinic considerably and enabled the people of Kpoeta to have a nurse posted in their village by the Government of Ghana by late 2007.
 The 2010 Pericleans raised more than more than $18,500 to contribute to the $6,000 raised locally for the clinic. This, with the uncompensated labor of the people of Kpoeta enabled the clinic to become operational and to secure a promise from the Government of Ghana to post a midwife to the clinic and to provide basic medical supplies.
Four 2010 Pericleans and their faculty mentor were present for the clinic’s grand opening. Another seven to eight 2010 Pericleans intend to visit Kpeota when they study abroad in Ghana over the next year.
The next phase of the Kpoeta Community Clinic project will focus on KEEPING the medical professionals in the remote peasant farming community. More than half of all medical personnel trained in Ghana leave Ghana for higher pay and nicer accommodations in the U.K., U.S.A., and elsewhere. One of the main ways the Government of Ghana has suggested to keep its medical personnel is for communities hosting them to offer more incentives, especially through the provision of basic, but quality housing.
Simmons College Opens its First Building to be "Green" Certified
 This week, Simmons College celebrated the opening of its new School of Management and Academic Building - the college's first structure built in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards - with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new five-story building houses the Simmons School of Management, the nation's first MBA program designed specifically for women. It includes four state-of-the-art general-use classrooms, four School of Management-specific classrooms, an executive education conference room, and a "green" landscaped roof plaza.
The opening of the 66,500-square-foot building, which houses the Simmons School of Management, formerly located on Commonwealth Ave., marks the first time in the college's history that all five of its graduate schools are co-located on one campus at 300 The Fenway. From the use of sustainable and recyclable building materials, to highly efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation systems and water fixtures, the new building is as environmentally responsible as it is eye-catching. The building is expected to use 34% less water and 38% less energy than buildings of similar size.
Berger Addresses ACE Internationalization Collaborative
 Dr. Michael L. Berger, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Arcadia University, delivered the closing plenary address at last week’s annual meeting of the American Council on Education’s Internationalization Collaborative in Washington, D.C. The Collaborative is an invitational forum, which currently has 96 institutional members. International teams from community colleges, comprehensive universities, liberal arts colleges, and research/doctoral institutions come together at the meeting to share their practices and to advance the national dialogue about internationalization. Berger’s address was titled “Mining the Internationalization Mother Lode” and explored how colleges and universities might better infuse comprehensive internationalization throughout academic and student life on their respective campuses.
Searching for a High-Quality, Low-Risk Investment? Try Education
 by President Stuart Dorsey
University of Redlands
It has been suggested to me on several recent occasions that now must be a good time for a college president to be an economist. My first thought was of Larry Summers, an outstanding economist whose brief tenure as president of Harvard University ended unhappily. (We all wish him much greater success as the head of President Barack Obama’s economic team.) I believe there are advantages to economic training for anyone in a leadership position, but forecasting is not one of them. Of course, I like to believe that my hunches about where the economy is headed are a bit more educated, but there is so much uncertainty now that the admonition about fools versus angels goes double. Indeed, my economic philosophy and experience cause me to doubt any consensus prediction. Most are extrapolations, whether they are based on complex econometric models, intuition or Ouija boards. On a recent morning I filled up the tank for $1.75 per gallon. $1.75 in California! As you listen to doomsday scenario forecasts, it is worth keeping in mind that just a few months ago “conventional wisdom” had oil topping $200 per barrel. Those speculators who supposedly were driving up oil prices must not be faring too well. This summer most economic reporters were writing about the return of 1970s style stagflation— simultaneous high unemployment and high inflation. Now we are worrying about deflation! Read more.
Wagner College and University of Scranton Recognized for Community Engagement
Wagner College and the University of Scranton have been awarded the Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
According to the Carnegie Foundation, “‘Community Engagement’ describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” Through an extensive voluntary application process, the Carnegie Foundation recognized universities for success in Curricular Engagement (the connection of teaching, learning and scholarship to community); Outreach and Partnership (the extent of focus of institutional resources on community collaboration); or both. Wagner and Scranton were among 119 institutions awarded the Community Engagement classification this year.
Numerous examples of Wagner College’s depth of engagement include:
- A unique curriculum model, the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, that includes community service components for all first-year and senior students
- A total of 80,000 hours invested each year by Wagner’s students in a wide variety of general and special-focus community activities
- A roster of Wagner community service partners that includes 33 community agencies, two churches, three nursing homes and five public schools
- Two consecutive annual citations from the White House Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth
- The designation of a full-time, professional staff position in Wagner College’s Center for Leadership & Service, which coordinates the college’s many community engagement activities
Read more.
Final Forum of Winter Term '09 at Elon Explores Service
Some helped the homeless in Washington. Others repaired
drywall and cleaned debris from hurricanes in
Louisiana and Texas. All learned more about service. Elon University students shared their experiences in
recent courses in a forum held Jan. 27 as part of the
Winter Term 2009 theme “Emerging Futures: Foresight
for Global Good.”
The Tuesday forum, “The Future and Public Service,”
followed previous programs that explored politics and
economics, information, war and peace, and the arts.
More than 300 students and 17 faculty members took
part in the five forums. Students in “Volunteerism, Social
Justice and Civic Engagement in the Wake of Hurricane
Katrina” traveled to New Orleans this month to
assist in rebuilding efforts.
“The most important thing is that they’re gaining an understanding of the importance of this kind of
work,” said Ocek Eke, an assistant professor of communications who led the course “Volunteerism,
Social Justice and Civic Engagement in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina.”
“Getting an education is not just about later making money,” he said. “It’s also about learning to be of
service to others and realizing the commonalities we all have as members of a democratic society.” Read more.
President Clinton Invites President Guarasci to Speak
Former President Bill Clinton has invited Wagner College President Richard Guarasci to speak at the second Clinton Global Initiative University, to be held at the University of Texas at Austin from Feb. 13 through Feb. 15. President Guarasci will speak to a gathering of more than 1,000 students during a session entitled “Human Development as Urban Development in City Slums.”
The Clinton Global Initiative University program, launched in 2007, is a function of the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together world leaders to take action on global challenges. Each year, President Clinton hosts the CGI University meeting for students and university officials to discuss solutions to pressing global issues.
CGI University is more than just an event. It is a growing community of young leaders who take real, concrete steps toward meeting the world's challenges. Throughout the year, as a prerequisite for attending CGI University, students and university officials develop their own “Commitments to Action,” which are specific plans that address a pressing challenge on their campuses, in their communities, or in different parts of the world.
Commitments range from installing energy-efficient light bulbs to establishing campus bike share programs, from distributing life-saving water filtration kits to designing medical backpacks for nomadic doctors in Africa. Since the inaugural meeting, nearly 1,000 commitments have been made by students around the world.
For more information about the Clinton Global Initiative University program, visit the CGI Web site at clintonglobalinitiative.org.
Study Abroad Director Works on Iraqi Education Effort
 Valparaiso University is supporting an ambitious attempt by Iraq to help thousands of its citizens earn college degrees and rebuild the nation's educational system, following participation by the director of its study abroad programs in ceremonies launching the Iraq Education Initiative.
Valpo was one of 18 institutions of higher education with representatives participating in the first delegation of American higher education officials to travel to Iraq in decades for a series of activities that took place Jan. 19 to 22.
Julie Maddox, director of Valpo's study abroad programs, said the initiative's pilot program aims to send 500 Iraq students abroad next fall using revenue from the country's oil sales. Following the pilot program, the Iraqi government then hopes to provide scholarships that will send as many as 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students abroad each of the next five years.
"One of the key aspects of this program is that it's something the nation of Iraq is starting on its own initiative because the leaders understand the importance of education in rebuilding their country," Maddox said. "Partnering with Iraq in this project also supports Valpo's commitment to international education and service."
"One of the biggest selling points of Valpo is that we have the Interlink program on campus, which offers intensive English language instruction," Maddox said. "Students who may be nervous about their English language skills can come here and work on those skills and gain a greater comfort level living in an American community before they begin their other courses."
She also noted Valpo's extensive experience in international education. Last year, that experience was recognized when Valpo was named a winner of the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, and in the as fall the University set a record for international student enrollment, with 245 students from 50 countries in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Princeton Review and USA Today Name Elon One of Nation’s 100 “Best Value Colleges”; Kiplinger’s Names Elon One of Nation’s Top 50 Best Values in Private Universities
 A new ranking by The Princeton Review, in partnership with USA Today, names Elon University one of the nation’s top values in higher education for 2009. The report, released Jan. 8, is based on 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs and financial aid. Schools chosen “provide high-quality academics at a reasonable price – either by keeping sticker prices in line, or by offsetting high costs with great financial aid packages.”
50 private colleges and universities and 50 public schools were selected for the ranking. Elon has consistently been ranked by Princeton Review in its annual “America’s Best Value Colleges” guidebooks, which have been published since 2004.
 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has also ranked Elon on its list of the nation’s top 50 best values in private higher education and the #1 University in the total costs category. The 2009 ranking is published in the magazine’s February edition, and is the third consecutive top-50 ranking of Elon by Kiplinger’s. Schools were judged on six quality measures and seven financial measures, with quality of academic programs counting for two-thirds of the total score. Factors include student SAT scores, student-faculty ratio, graduation rates, total costs, financial aid and average student debt.
Kiplinger’s says Elon and the other top-value schools “deliver the goods during tough times,” providing a “top-quality education at an affordable price – usually with generous financial aid.”
To learn more about the Kiplinger's ranking, click below:
Elon's ranking on kiplinger.com
2009 Best Values in Private Colleges
View Best Values Rankings
Wachovia Foundation Contribution to Support HU Business Students
 The Wachovia Foundation, in its ongoing effort to support education and community development, has made a contribution to the Hampton University School of Business. The $476,000 contribution will directly support the creation of Wachovia Foundation Financial Services Scholarships and a Virtual Trading Room.
The Wachovia Foundation Financial Services Scholarships will provide 23 three-year scholarships for rising sophomores in the HU School of Business financial services program.
 A Virtual Trading Room will serve as a vital link between classroom learning experiences and business practices, and serve as a bridge between the classroom and financial markets. The 40-seat room will be equipped with a powerful computer, dual-monitor at each work station, and the software needed for simulated trading, deal capture, settlement, analytics, pricing, portfolio management, derivatives pricing, and other finance-related challenges.
Samford Hosts Chinese Educators For Look At American School Practices
A group of 27 middle and high school English teachers from China will spend the next two weeks at Samford University attending an educational workshop on best practices in American schools.
The teachers, all from the Beijing area of China, will attend sessions led by faculty of Samford's Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies. Topics range from the relevance of different learning styles in the classroom to technology.
The project is a joint effort of Samford and the Consortium for Global Education (CGE), an organization of Baptist-related institutions, with support from the Chinese government's Chaoyang Education Committee.
Students travel to Washington for Seminar on Presidential Inauguration
 Fifteen Quinnipiac University students will travel to Washington, D.C., Jan. 10-20, to take part in a special seminar on the presidential inauguration.
The seminar, "Campaign 2008: The Presidential Inauguration," examines the new presidential administration and the impact of the media on American politics. Political science professor Scott McLean is leading the trip, which includes a visit to Capitol Hill, lectures and other special events related to the inauguration.
 "For over a decade now I have been leading students to Washington for academic seminars and leadership development opportunities. Time and again, I see students who participate in these off-campus seminars deepen their learning and expanded the horizon of their own leadership potential," says McLean.
"By experiencing how Washington works from the inside, the students will learn more about the processes of government, media and politics by being in Washington. But more importantly they will also gain more appreciation for why it matters," McLean says.
Michael J. Renner Named Drake's New Provost
 Michael J. Renner, who previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, will become Drake University's next provost on June 1, 2009.
The provost is Drake's chief academic officer. Dr. Renner will succeed Ronald Troyer, who is retiring in June after a 28-year career at Drake.
Dr. Renner served as Mansfield's provost and vice president for academic affairs for three years, where he is also professor of psychology. He also was the founding dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. Dr. Renner previously spent 13 years at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he was professor of psychology and held numerous administrative positions. He served as interim associate vice president for sponsored research and faculty development, interim associate dean, institutional research fellow and laboratory director.
In addition, Dr. Renner has taught at Memphis State University, the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, the University of Wyoming, California State University and the University of California, Berkeley.
An expert in animal behavior and neuroscience, Dr. Renner has published more than 70 scientific journal articles, chapters, books and abstracts and presented approximately 60 papers and symposia.
Dr. Renner received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Boise State University, a master's degree in developmental psychology from the University of Oklahoma and a Ph.D. in biological psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Steven D. House Selected as Next Provost of Elon University
 Steven D. House, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and associate vice president for academic affairs, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Elon University. His appointment by President Leo M. Lambert comes after a four-month national search.
House will serve as the university’s chief academic officer, overseeing all of Elon’s academic, academic support and student life programs. He will begin his duties June 1, 2009, succeeding Gerald L. Francis, who will move to the position of executive vice president for the university. Francis has served as Elon’s provost since 1994.
As dean of Elon College, House has provided leadership for 17 academic departments and 19 academic programs. House helped develop the Elon College Fellows Program and collaborated with the Division of Student Affairs to expand Elon’s living-learning communities.
He has worked closely with faculty to develop Elon’s application to shelter a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at the university, assessing where academic programs needed to be strengthened, developing an action plan and implementing changes.
House is a member of Elon’s budget committee, director of the Elon College Fellows Living-Learning Community Committee, and has served on numerous other university committees. House also currently serves as a member of the university’s strategic planning committee.
House earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1977 from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. He completed his doctorate in physiology with honors six years later at the University of Arizona. He served at Columbia University from 1983 to 1986 as a postdoctoral fellow in physiology and cellular biophysics.
After working as an associate research scientist at Columbia, House joined Seton Hall University in New Jersey in 1987, teaching courses in biology, physiology, pharmacology and anatomy. An active scientist and researcher, House has authored scores of articles and presentations on blood flow regulation during health and disease. He received a major National Institute of Health research award on microvascular cell dynamics, and received a visiting expert award from the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Republic of China, and the Grega-Zacharkow Young Investigator Award from the Microcirculatory Society.
Drury’s Department of Languages Receives a $20,000 Grant
Drury University's Department of Languages has received a $20,000 grant from the C.W. Titus Foundation to fund ten scholarships for foreign language study abroad.
Ten Drury students will receive up to $2000 each to help cover expenses directly related to study abroad education, including travel to and within the host country, tuition, food, lodging and educational supplies.
The goal for these scholarships is to increase the understanding of international cultures not only for students, but also for the region. Students will be required, upon their return, to share their educational and cultural experiences with Drury and the larger community.
Campus Grotto Names Elon Top Private College – Financially
 Campus Grotto, a national college news site that covers topics such as student finance, college rankings and other topics related to college life, has named Elon the nation's top private university when it comes to affordability.
Campus Grotto examined recent studies by Kiplinger magazine, and noted the following in naming Elon the #1 university in affordability: With total costs averaging $30,000 per year, you can receive a top education at a private school for minimal cost. The average cost after aid is awarded is $22,000, and the average debt carried by students is $21,000.
Visit their site to find out more about the Campus Grotto story.
Sage President Re-elected to Council of the Institute of Medicine
 The Sage Colleges' President Susan C. Scrimshaw, Ph.D., has been elected to serve another term on the Council of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies, the governing body of the IOM. Her term runs from 2009 through 2011.
The IOM is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization chartered in 1970 as a part of the United States National Academy of Sciences. It provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large with a mission to serve as adviser to the nation to improve health.
Scrimshaw and her father, Nevin S. Scrimshaw, were the first father-daughter members in the IOM. Nevin Scrimshaw is a food scientist and Institute Professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Susan Scrimshaw, who took over as Sage President in August, chaired the IOM's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in November.
Fisher Nominated for Tennessean of the Year
 Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher was nominated this week for 2008 Tennessean of the Year by The Tennessean.
The newspaper pointed to the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate and how the event brought a national spotlight to Nashville as part of the reasoning behind his nomination. In addition, the article noted, "Fisher has raised Belmont's profile since his arrival in 2000, increasing enrollment from 3,000 to 5,000 students, launching nursing and pharmacy programs, and working with recording-industry mogul Mike Curb to build the state-of-the-art Curb Event Center, site of the debate." Click here to read the article.
Davis Education Foundation Awards $250,000 Grant for Critical Thinking and Writing Program
 The Davis Education Foundation has awarded Quinnipiac University a $250,000 grant to develop "Critical Thinking and Writing in the Majors," a program that will add deeper critical thinking and writing applications to upper-level undergraduate classes. Robert Smart, a professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, will work closely with Suzanne Hudd, associate professor of sociology and vice chair of the Writing Across the Curriculum program, to develop the program, which is expected to be launched in the Fall 2009 semester.
President Gives Talk, National TV Interview in China
 Valparaiso University President Mark Heckler spoke to academic leaders throughout the world on Dec. 10 as one of three university presidents – including the only one from an institution of higher education in North America – on a panel at the Confucius Institute Conference in Beijing.
Approximately 120 university presidents attended the conference and will participate in a forum on the development of Confucius Institutes and global education. President Heckler served on a panel that includes Dorothy Kelly of the University of Grenada in Spain and El-Zayat Ali of Suez Canal University in Egypt, with Alfons Labisch of the University of Dusseldorf in Germany as moderator. President Heckler discussed "Confucius Institutes and World Multiculturalism."
In his remarks, President Heckler noted that during the past year since the opening of Valpo's Confucius Institute, it has chosen the arts as the best way to pique increased interest in Chinese language and culture. From this initial interest, the University has worked to foster business relationships and to engage the local community in both formal and informal Chinese language instruction.
"It is our belief at the Confucius Institute at Valparaiso University that music and the arts are our most valuable tool in growing mutual understanding and respect among the nations and for fostering a deep appreciation of Chinese culture and language," he said. "Our approach is rooted in Confucian philosophy, in the belief that 'Harmony is the most valuable of all things'."
President Heckler and Jianyun Meng, director of Valparaiso's Confucius Institute and a lecturer in foreign languages and literatures, were also featured during a 30-minute program on Chinese national television on the diversity of American universities, and the importance of comprehensive private universities such as Valparaiso in the American higher education system.
President Heckler traveled to China at the invitation of the Chinese government to participate in the third annual Confucius Institute Conference, a gathering of hundreds of international delegates and Chinese officials examining global education and how to build relationships with China.
Valparaiso was selected in 2008 as the first faith-based university in the United States to host a Confucius Institute. Valpo's Confucius Institute is focusing on the development of exchanges between northern Indiana and the province of Zhejiang – which became Indiana's sister province in 1989. During the fall semester, the institute has sponsored the inaugural Great Lakes Confucius Institute Music Festival and a delegation of Northwest Indiana officials to China to explore business partnerships. Valparaiso's Confucius Institute also sponsors a number of Chinese language and cultural courses and events for the public.
Hamline’s Center For Global Environmental Education Honored for its Work
 Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education was awarded a prestigious “Excellence on the Waterfront” award for its role in helping to create the Grand Excursion 2004, a comprehensive event involving 55 cities along the Mississippi River. The Grand Excursion was a commemoration of a riverboat excursion in 1854, which marked the opening of the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
The Center for Global Environmental Education filled 875 old fashioned steamer trunks with resources about the Mississippi River—from books, maps, and water quality testing kits to Ojibway music recordings and bald eagle hand puppets. The trunks’ contents allowed students and teachers to tie a broad range of subjects, such as history, science, economics, art, music, literature and geography to the study of the Mississippi River. Historical and cultural artifacts unique to individual communities were also added to give students and teachers a greater understanding of their local connection to the Mississippi and the Grand Excursion.
“This was a powerful experience for hundreds of thousands of students from the Twin Cities to the Quad Cities,” said Tracy Fredin, director of the Center. “Historically, communities had somewhat turned their backs on our country’s rivers. The Grand Excursion helped us refocus our attention to the Mississippi, a nationally significant resource.”
Drake and Qwest Partner to Enhance Grow Bulldogs Program
 More students at Phillips Traditional Elementary School will have the opportunity to learn from Drake University students and athletes, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Qwest Foundation. The grant to Drake's School of Education will support the University's Grow Bulldogs program at Phillips school. The nine-week program is designed to help teach urban elementary students lessons in math, reading, writing, social studies and health. The lessons are based on Drake sports concepts such as using jersey numbers to teach addition and subtraction.
Grow Bulldogs is a partnership between Drake's School of Education, Athletic Department and Phillips school. Drake athletes and education students visit first- and fifth-grade students every Friday. For Drake students, serving as an engaged citizen is an integral part of the Drake experience.
Drury University Receives Grant for Music Therapy in Barry and Lawrence Counties
 For the fifth consecutive year, Drury University's Center for Music Therapy and Wellness has received a grant from the Lawrence and Barry County Tax Boards for the Developmentally Disabled to provide music therapy to disabled residents in those areas. The $122,640 grant funds a music therapy clinic in Monett, Mo. that is a satellite of Drury's Center for Music Therapy and Wellness.
The Monett clinic was first established in 2004 with a $38,736 grant. Since that time, funding has increased because of the growing numbers of residents requesting music therapy services, says Michael Cassity, Drury professor and director of music therapy.
Clinical documentation and parental evaluations indicate that residents increase in skills such as language, socialization, following directions and attention span following the initiation of music therapy services. Parents and guardians also report the residents seem happier and enjoy the music skills they are learning. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is an established health care profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals.
T.H.E. Journal Honors Elon Alum for Work with School Technologies
T.H.E. Journal, a 90,000-circulation monthly magazine for K-12 administrators, technologists and educators nationwide, has named Elon University alumna Melissa Walker one of its 2008 Innovators for her work as the lead teacher of K-8 technology integration with the Alamance-Burlington School System.
Walker, a 2005 alumna, was lauded by the magazine for working with Elon professors Judith Howard and Barbara Taylor to bring Elon students into local classrooms as part of their college curriculum. Once there, students would use technologies – iPods, interactive whiteboards, etc. – to teach young children. To read the full story on Walker’s work, click here.
School of Education Develops Innovative Reading Course
A course for pre-service teachers enrolled at Elon University culminated Dec. 10 when students visited a local Barnes & Noble to assist local parents purchase books for their young children who struggle with reading in local schools.
The upper-level course, “Teaching Struggling Readers,” was offered with a new dimension for the fall 2008 semester. Over the past four months, Elon pre-service teachers in this course not only learned the theoretical underpinnings for how to teach struggling readers, they also practiced their craft with struggling readers who were brought to campus by their parents.
Pre-service teachers, students and parents worked as a team to tackle the various reading difficulties the children face.
Sponsored by a grant from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, and in collaboration with Barnes & Noble and the university’s Office of Civic Engagement, $1,500 worth of books were purchased for 16 elementary school children.
“Working with parents and students has been incredibly productive for our pre-service teachers. They have had to stretch themselves beyond their texts to become very diagnostic in their approach to teaching reading,” said Jean Rohr, an assistant professor of education who led the course. “Our pre-service teachers have not only developed strategies for working with struggling readers, but they have had to make important decisions about how to work effectively with parents.
“I really enjoyed the tutoring sessions and regret that it is coming to an end because I can see the progress my son is making,” one mother said. “I also think this is great practice for the young teachers as they begin their journey as educators. My son struggled so much last year I am still amazed at how enthusiastic he is to come to Elon on Wednesdays to read.”
Westminster College Announces Grant from E. L. Wiegand Foundation
Westminster College announced today that the E. L. Wiegand Foundation of Reno, Nev., has awarded a grant in the amount of $300,000 to name the physics integrated classroom/laboratory in the college’s new Meldrum Science Center. The E. L. Wiegand Physics Lab will be located on the ground floor of the $27-million facility, scheduled to open in spring 2010.
Designed by VCBO Architects and to be built by Big D Construction, the 60,000 sq. ft., four-story, Meldrum Science Center will be LEED Gold-certified. There will be 14 open and flexible classroom/ laboratories and five dedicated undergraduate research laboratories.
UE Receives $375,000 From Lilly Endowment Inc. to Fight "Brain Drain"
Efforts by the University of Evansville to reverse the "brain drain" in Southwestern Indiana received a large boost this week, thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Endowment has approved $375,000 to extend UE’s Initiative to Promote Opportunity through Educational Collaborations. The program, which launched in 2003, is aimed at connecting UE graduates with meaningful employment inside Indiana. With the help of a 2003 grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., the program already has made dramatic progress toward that goal.
During the first cycle of UE’s Initiative to Promote Opportunity through Educational Collaborations – and, specifically, over the last four years – the University not only has succeeded in keeping young Hoosiers in Indiana, but has actually brought new talent to the state. During that time period, 55 percent of incoming freshmen have been native Hoosiers; within the same parameters, more than 63 percent of UE graduates have taken jobs inside Indiana.
The grant also allowed UE to increase its experiential learning programs. In the 2002-03 academic year, 740 students completed such programs; this year, 1,716 will complete experiential learning programs, marking a 131 percent increase. In all, 76 percent of all graduating students participated in some type of experiential learning program in the 2006-07 academic year. |
