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Drury’s Center for Community Studies Finds Planning Solutions for Cities
Since 1984, Drury University's Center for Community Studies has helped nearly 80 communities, governments and not-for-profits with design and planning issues. In some cases, such as Webb City, the work of the Drury students helps a community receive grants and funding. “We prepare communities so they can apply for that funding and they can go to an architecture or planning firm and tell them what they want for their community,” says Jay Garrott, director and professor of the Center for Community Studies.
 Drury's Center for Community Studies is a required course for fourth-year architecture students in the five-year Bachelor of Architecture program. Each semester, small student groups travel to communities, listen to the community's goals, and then the students devise plans to reach those goals. The plans are then presented to the community in the hopes that they can be used to make the desired improvements. The plans include written recommendations, schematic drawings, photographs, presentation boards and a PowerPoint presentation. A six-student team typically works 30 hours a week on each project over the course of a 15-week semester. That's 2,700 hours of in-kind work. Read more.
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| John Gonas |
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| Nick More |
Two ANAC Professors Chosen as Top
in Their States
Belmont University’s Dr. John Gonas, an assistant professor of Finance in the Undergraduate and Massey School of Business, and Westminster College’s Dr. Nick More, associate professor of Philosophy, were named the 2008 professors of the year for the states of Tennessee and Utah, respectively, by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education administers the U.S. Professors of the Year Awards Program. Drs. Gonas and More were selected from nearly 300 top professors from around the United States. Read more.
What if a Park Bench was Your Bed?: Hamline Students Learn About Hunger and
Homelessness
More than a dozen Hamline University students huddled together last Thursday night, learning—at least a bit—about the cold and bleak reality Minnesota homeless people face.
With the help of the Office of Service Learning and Volunteerism, students began to educate themselves and their peers about homelessness. Their ultimate goal? Finding ways to help reduce the number of people who live without shelter in the Twin Cities. Read more.
Hampton Journalism Students Cover National Election
 Two students in the Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications worked with Emmy award-winning news show “Dan Rather Reports” on Nov. 4 to provide national broadcast coverage of local election happenings. In addition, disciplines within the Scripps Howard School converged that night to report on the 2008 Presidential Election, offering students the experience of working in a full operating newsroom.
On Nov. 4, Michele Byrd and Leon Hendrix, III, both broadcast journalism majors, filed a three-minute news report illustrating Election Day happenings throughout the city of Hampton, aired in high definition on “Dan Rather Reports” on HDNet. By visiting local polling stations and interviewing area voters, the students' video served as the eyes and ears of Hampton, Va., on Election Day. HU is one of a small handful of universities from across the country that participated in this opportunity. Eight swing states (Ohio, Virginia, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Colorado and Florida) as well as the candidates’ home states were represented. Assistant Professors W. Chris Leonard and Reggie Mitchell served as advisors for the students. Read more.
College Helps Engineers Entering Workforce
A Valparaiso University engineering professor and his students are helping out young engineers entering the workforce through a collaborative effort with Infineon Technologies AG.
Dr. Mark Budnik, Jenny professor of emerging technology in Valparaiso's College of Engineering, has been working with Infineon since 2004 on its "Bridging Theory into Practice"
series of books and online resources.
"The focus of our work is to bridge the gap between what is taught in undergraduate engineering programs and what those new engineers actually do in the workplace," Dr. Budnik said. "There are some areas undergraduate engineering students regularly struggle with when they get into the real world, and this book helps in that transition." Read more.
Drake Law Student Wins Legislative Seat
 Erik Helland, third-year Drake
University Law School student and
lifelong resident of Iowa District 69,
recently won a legislative seat in
District 69 in the state house race
with more than 60 percent of the
votes cast. House District 69 covers
the cities of Grimes, Johnston, Polk
City, Saylorville, Alleman, Elkhart
and part of Sheldahl in Polk County.
"This is my dream district, where
I've lived and spent my whole life,"
said Helland, 28, who will fill the
state representative seat after Walt
Tomenga. "We have the fastest
growing community in central Iowa
and a diverse and robust
agricultural industry, where my
family has farmed for seven
generations." Read more.
Elon Law Students Assist with "Wills for Heroes"
 Elon University Law students joined the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association, local volunteers and law students from around the region on Oct. 25 for “Wills for Heroes,” a day set aside to draft legal documents for more than 300 emergency responders.
Now in its fourth year of sponsorship by the bar association, “Wills for Heroes” provided an opportunity for Elon Law students to witness firsthand estate planning performed by local attorneys for police, paramedics, firefighters and their spouses. Read more.
Butler Students Use Fall Break to Give Back
 Instead of spending fall break catching up on sleep, 37 Butler University students traveled eight hours to Neon, Ky. to do community service work with H.O.M.E.S. Inc., as part of Fall Alternative Break (FAB). H.O.M.E.S., which is an acronym for Housing Oriented Ministries Established for Service, works to rebuild homes in impoverished communities.
While FAB participants have been going to Neon for more than 10 years, the projects have been different every time. On this particular trip, students split into groups and worked an average of eight hours a day building roofs and wheelchair ramps, and doing landscaping.
“It was nice to break into groups because we got to work on a smaller level and complete a lot of different projects at once,” FAB Co-President Jacqui Mahuren said. Read more.
Drake Students Ape Around, For the Sake of Learning
 Nearly 40 Drake students were captivated while Azy the orangutan unwrapped a piece of bubble gum with his lips at a recent visit to Great Ape Trust of Iowa.
"This field trip was a truly amazing experience," said Mathew Kalapurayil, a first-year pharmacy major from Lincolnwood, Ill." My fellow classmates and I were thoroughly impressed at the level of comprehension the apes demonstrated." Read more.
Top Business Schools Found at ANAC Institutions
 Last week five New American Colleges and Universities were recognized in The Princeton Review’s 2009 editions of the “Best 296 Business Schools.”
Elon University, Ithaca College, Quinnipiac University, The University of Scranton, and Valparaiso University were acknowledged in the annual guide of top graduate business programs based on data provided by schools and a survey of 19,000 business school students across the nation. The Princeton Review did not rank the schools in a single hierarchical list from 1 to 296, or name one business school best overall. Instead, the book has 11 ranking lists of the top 10 business schools in various categories. Read more.
Drake's Law School Cited as One of Nation's Best
Drake University Law School's faculty, administrators, library and career services drew praise from students surveyed for The Princeton Review's latest ranking of the nation's best law schools.
"Receiving very positive comments from our students comes as no surprise," said Benjamin B. Ullem, dean of the law school. "What students appreciate most about Drake is reflected in what was reported. Our experienced and accessible faculty, collegial student body, outstanding library, practical training and lawyering opportunities are just a few of the attributes students associate with Drake." Read more.
Ithaca Students Get Hands-on Experience Providing Occupational Therapy Services to Uninsured
To help the Ithaca Free Clinic facilitate health care to uninsured residents of Tompkins County, occupational therapy students and faculty from Ithaca College are providing their services to IFC clients. The new partnership began this fall.
 “The Ithaca Free Clinic recognizes that there are many people in our community who lack access to healthcare because they don’t have medical insurance,” said Julie Dorsey, assistant professor of occupational therapy and faculty liaison in the partnership. “By partnering with the clinic, Ithaca College and the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance are taking part in a win-win situation — our students get hands-on opportunities to develop and use their skills and the clients at the clinic get much-needed rehabilitative service.” Read more.
ANAC Members Selected for National 'Bringing Theory to Practice' Project
 Five New American Colleges and Universities — Butler University, Drury University, Elon University, Wagner College, and Westminster College — were chosen as models of liberal education and will participate in the Bringing Theory to Practice Project. Read the press release from Wagner College.
Business Simulation Tests Skills of Valparaiso Students
Approximately 100 sophomores in Valparaiso University's College of Business Administration will demonstrate their ability to solve problems and make decisions under the watchful eyes of area business executives in the coming weeks.
Business students currently are preparing for Valparaiso's half-day Assessment Center business simulations on Oct. 3 and Oct. 17, which place them in leadership roles that allow them to practice responding to real-life business situations. As part of the annual exercise, local business executives observe the students' actions and offer one-on-one feedback on the soft skills – such as communication, body language and teamwork – that are critical in the workplace, but often difficult to evaluate in a classroom setting. Read more.
Entrepreneurship Programs at Belmont, Simmons Gain National Top
25 Ranking
Entrepreneurship programs at Simmons College School in Boston, MA, and Belmont University in Nashville, TN, have been named among the top 25 entrepreneurship programs in the nation by Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review, which jointly surveyed more than 2,300 schools. The sixth annual ranking reveals the nation’s Top 25 undergraduate and Top 25 graduate programs for entrepreneurship. Belmont ranked 23rd in the undergraduate category, and Simmons ranked 22nd in the graduate category.
The schools were evaluated based on key criteria in the areas of academics and requirements, students and faculty, and outside-the-classroom experiences. Read more.
ANAC Cited in AP Article on Linking Liberal Arts Education with Professional Studies
Read this story in USA Today.
Incoming Freshmen Embrace Civic Engagement
With an emphasis on civic engagement, several ANAC members kicked off the academic year with service projects. In local communities, incoming freshmen rolled up their sleeves and got to work – no books required. Below are a few of those endeavors.
— Michelle Apuzzio
 Belmont's Welcome Week 2008 Provides Nashville 1,000+ Volunteers for Service Projects
The largest incoming class in Belmont University history made its mark on their new hometown this morning with the annual SERVE project, which stands for Students Engaging and Restoring through Volunteer Experiences. More than 1,000 new students, including members of the School of Pharmacy's inaugural class, left campus at 9 a.m. to volunteer their time at 32 different ministry and charity organizations in the Nashville community. Read more.
Scranton is a 'Catalyst for Change,' President Tells Incoming Freshmen
 On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the University’s faculty and administration, it is my privilege to formally accept these students and admit them to full membership in The University of Scranton Class of 2012. As a sign of your new status as members of this academic community, I ask you now to put on a centuries-old symbol of university identity, your academic gown. Four years hence, you will wear this same honorable symbol, adding to it a hood signifying the achievement of a bachelor’s degree. Congratulations and welcome. Read more.
ANAC Professors Shed Light on Preparing Professors
Read this story on InsideHigherEd.com.
Chronicle Story Highlights North Central Professor
In its April 25, 2008 issue the Chronicle of Higher Education profiled “The Mathematics of Square Dancing” at North Central College. In an article titled “A Course in Combinatorial Choreography” writer Paula Wasley examines how associate professor of mathematics David J. Schmitz uses square dancing to illustrate “math in motion.” Read more (Note that the Chronicle site requires a subscription or an online pass).
 ANAC Graduate Programs Improve Their US News Rankings
Law, pharmacy and physical therapy are rising stars at Associated New American Colleges. Read more.
ANAC Scores Third Consecutive Award in International Education
This marks the third year in a row that an Associated New American College has garnered the esteemed Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. This year Valparaiso University has won the prestigious award. Arcadia University in Glenside, PA, and Elon University in Elon, NC, were honored with the award in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Read more.
Simmons College, Boston, New ANAC Home
 Simmons College will house the national office of the Associated New American Colleges (ANAC). Beginning Nov. 1, the new office will be located at Simmons College, Main College Building, 300 The Fenway in Boston. ANAC Executive Director Lynette Robinson, former vice chancellor and deputy secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, may be contacted at 617-521-2025, or by email.
It is the first time the ANAC will reside on the campus of one of its member institutions. The ANAC serves a combined total of more than 80,000 students nationwide.
“I am delighted we will become the new national headquarters for this progressive consortium of distinguished colleges and universities that are leading the way in the integration of liberal arts with professional studies and civic engagement,” said Simmons College President Susan Scrimshaw. Read more.
New American Colleges and Universities Receive National Recognition
When it comes to undergraduate education, ANAC schools represent the highest quality among the 574 comprehensive master’s level institutions in the United States according to the U.S. News & World Report. In the 2008 edition of America's Best Colleges, 19 out of 21 members of the Associated New American Colleges were ranked among the top 25 master’s level institutions in their respective regions and another was listed as a Best Liberal Arts College; of those, nine were identified as "Great Schools, Great Prices,” seven were cited for "Programs to Look For" — programs that are most likely to lead to student success. Four - Elon, Drury, Valparaiso and Wagner - were recognized for outstanding First Year Programs. Two, Belmont and The Sage Colleges, were recognized for graduating students with the least amount of debt. Valparaiso was cited as having one of the best undergraduate engineering programs in the country.
 Ten ANAC institutions were also recognized in the 2008 Princeton Review’s 388 Best Colleges, which uses student surveys to rate institutions on a number of dimensions. Of the ten ANAC institutions mentioned, several were cited as the best in a category: Valparaiso - best college library category; Elon - schools that “run like butter;” Drury, Hampton and Westminster - Best Value; and Wagner and Elon - most beautiful campus. In Princeton Review’s 2008 Best Colleges by Region, 18 ANAC institutions were featured.
The continued acknowledgment of ANAC members in national publications is tangible evidence of the effectiveness of the New American College model, which offers students the academic breadth and depth found in "national universities" and the experience of working closely with faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment found in many liberal arts colleges. ANAC institutions have been leaders in integrating knowledge and practice in order to prepare students to be global citizens and informed leaders and it is significant that they are now being recognized as such. |
