ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome

We are pleased to welcome Nor Othman to the School of Education as the new Administrative Support Associate for the Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations Department (ELC). Nor comes to us from the UNCG’s Office of International Programs. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with us. Monday, January 4 will be Nor’s first day with us.

SOE Building Holiday Closure

The School of Education building doors will be locked December 21st – December 23rd.  

As only a small number of people typically work the week before the winter break and in an effort for those working to feel safe, the SOEB will be locked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before winter break.  You will need to use your SpartanCard to gain building access.

We will be posting signs by the doors to inform students and other University members, that access will be limited to SOE faculty and staff only.  We will post a phone number for people to call if they need assistance.

If you plan on working any of those days, please be sure you have a SpartanCard and that it works in the entry pad located beside the doors.  Here is the link to the SpartanCard Center: http://spartancard.uncg.edu/get-a-card/

Please let Maggie Becker know if you have any questions.  Thank you for your understanding.

 

Standards of Comfort Reminder

As winter approaches we wanted to remind you of the attached UNCG Standards of Comfort Policy which was approved four years ago.  During the heating season, if the temperature in your work area is outside of the range of 69 to 71 degrees F, please call the Facilities Operations Customer Service Center at 334-5684 or fill out an online work order request at: http://facoperations.uncg.edu/worequest.php

Please note that the Standards of Comfort Policy requests that attire be adjusted accordingly for the season and during times when the building is scheduled as “unoccupied”.  The policy also includes the expectation that personal space heaters not be used.  If you feel that the HVAC system in your building is not able to maintain the required temperatures then you may call or submit an online work order request and we will make every effort to resolve the situation.  Our Customer Service Center can also be contacted to have operation schedules and temperature set points modified as needed to accommodate non-standard building operations such as special events.
 

The Coalition of Diverse Language Communities (CDLC) 2015-2016 CDLC Fellows

The following UNCG faculty were awarded $3000 research fellowships from the Coalition for Diverse Language Communities (with support from School of Education Interim Dean Penfield and Vice Provost Shelton) for their collaborative work with members of diverse language communities:

Stephanie Kurtts and Teresa Little, Specialized Education Services, School of Education, UNCG with Andrea Buka, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa for Building Inclusive Educational Practice Across Cultures and Countries

The purpose of this project is to examine the acquisition and implementation of effective inclusive teaching practices through online collaborative activities across teacher education programs in East South Africa (Walter Sisulu University) and North Carolina (UNCG). These culturally responsive practices across cultures and countries can lay the foundation for continued inclusion of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms at the kindergarten through high school levels. This project will provide the teacher candidates and faculty fellows an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of (1) implementation of inclusive educational practices at a global level, (2) share experiences and observations in how teachers understand inclusive practice; (3) and explore how (a) support, (b) resources, (c) procedures, (d) benefits, and (e) global challenges relate to understanding and implementing inclusive practice.

Spoma Jovanovic, Communication Studies, UNCG and Vincent Russell, graduate student, Communication Studies, UNCG for Incorporating Diverse Language Communities into Greensboro Participatory Budgeting

In 2015, Greensboro launched the South’s first Participatory Budgeting (PB) process, which is scheduled to run through May 2016. This grant request seeks to encourage the participation of diverse language communities (DLC) in the city’s inaugural PB process. It also seeks to contribute to the evaluation of the entire process by better understanding the experiences of non-English speaking and English as a second language (ESL) community members in community decision-making. Proceeds from the grant will go towards organizing a training event to mobilize DLC stakeholders for voting in PB, translation/interpretation services for surveys and outreach materials, and travel costs for presenting the research at the International Participatory Budgeting Conference.

 

Rebecca B. MacLeod, Music Education, UNCG; Julia Reeves, graduate student in Music Performance, UNCG; Dixie Ortiz, Undergraduate Student in Music Education, UNCG for Increasing Access to String Instruction Across Cultures

This project provides private string instruction to underserved students and to promote a sense of civic responsibility through leadership and service. This community partnership provides free private string instruction to interested middle and high school students who are willing to give back to younger students in their own community. The program increases communication between school related activities and parents whose first language is not English. Currently the project serves approximately 15 middle and high school students from this community, 50% of whom speak English as a second language. The first languages of these students include: Spanish, Wolof, Muong, and Cambodian. The funds from CDLC will allow the project to increase the number of students who receive instruction.

Sudha Shreeniwas, Dept. of HDFS & CNNC Research Fellow, UNCG; Sharon D. Morrison, Dept. of PHE & CNNC Research Fellow, UNCG; Andrew Young, Volunteer Coordinator at Bonner Center, Guilford College & CNNC research Fellow at UNCG; H’Yua Adrong, UNCG student, President/Leader of the Montagnard American Association for “This is Health for Our Families!” –Montagnard Hypertension Prevention

This project arises in response to requests from Montagnard tribal and religious leaders to conduct a Health Fair for Montagnard refugee community members in Greensboro. Hypertension was identified as a priority by Montagnard community leaders. The funds from CDLC will be used to provide a health fair that will provide community education and resources relevant to hypertension, translated into 3 tribal languages. The fair will be held in early April 2016, based on Montagnard community preference, at their chosen community venue. It will also serve as an opportunity for co-curricular learning for UNCG students in HDFS (Families in Middle & Later Life) and PHE (Immigrant & Refugee Health), PCS majors and Bonner Scholars at Guilford College; and provide health advocacy experience for youth members of the Montagnard American Association.

 

Working Papers on Language and Diversity in Education Call for Papers

Alumni Awards Update: Now Anyone May Nominate a Deserving Candidate Online

This year, we are opening up Alumni Awards nominations not only to our faculty, but to students, alumni, community members, and anyone who knows an alumna or alumnus who is deserving of one of our four awards. The form will be open until March 4 and the winners will be invited to the School of Education’s Commencement on Friday, May 6. If you have any questions, please contact Laura Caroline Spell at lcspell@uncg.edu. The nomination form can be found here.

 

Make nomination for Gladys Strawn Bullard Award

It’s the time of year to solicit nominations for the Gladys Strawn Bullard Award. This prestigious award honors faculty, staff, and students who provide outstanding leadership and service to the university. The Bullard Selection Committee asks your support in forwarding the online Bullard nomination material to those in your division who would have knowledge of faculty, staff, and students who meet the criteria for this award. The deadline for submitting nominations is Jan. 15, 2016.

The online nomination form is available at http://web.uncg.edu/hrs/bullard.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Gwen Evans, HR consultant/committee chair. She can be reached at gdevans2@uncg.edu.

 

RTI University Scholars Program Application for 2016-17 Academic Year

RTI International is one of the world’s leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. The RTI University Scholars Program provides support—one-half of each Scholar’s salary and fringe—for distinguished academic researchers to spend scholarly leave time at RTI International, actively collaborating with our experts. The goal of the program is to foster collaboration and catalyze opportunities for externally funded, joint projects in the future.

General Qualifications

The ideal applicant is an academic faculty member with a commitment to collaboration and a strong research record in one of the following fields:

• Health and pharmaceuticals
• Education and training
• Surveys and statistics
• Advanced technology
• International development
• Economic and social policy
• Energy and the environment
• Laboratory testing and chemical analysis

 

2016-2017 Eligibility and Priority Areas

For the 2016-2017 Academic Year, the program is open to faculty from Duke University and UNC’s sixteen university campuses. Priority areas are:

• Data science
• Education and workforce development
• Energy and resource management
• Food and agriculture
• Health, including Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

 

Working Environment

RTI provides a stimulating environment for individual and collaborative research. Scholars are expected to serve most of their residency at our headquarters in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, but may serve a portion of their time in any of our U.S. regional or international offices. Successful applicants will be provided with a temporary laptop, workspace, RTI email address, and access to IT support, conference rooms, and a reference library.

Application Process

By January 06, 2016, applicants should submit to RTI_UnivScholarsProg@rti.org the following:

1. Brief cover letter in the body of the email
2. Proposal (PDF attachment) that

• Describes the proposed collaborative research project (maximum 1,000 words)
• Identifies the name and title of RTI host researcher
• Clearly states the proposed duration of the residency

3. Full curriculum vitae (PDF attachment, no limit on length)
4. Proposed budget in Excel, explicitly delineating the approximate amount of support requested from RTI (salary, fringe and any other costs, such as travel, if applicable)
5. Letter of support from proposed RTI collaborator(s)
6. Letter of support from applicant’s department chair.

Applications should not exceed 8 pages, excluding the applicant’s CV. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are not selected for a given year may reapply in a subsequent year, and Scholars may apply for subsequent residencies.

Selection Criteria

An interdisciplinary panel of RTI staff will review submissions. Major considerations in the evaluation process are the likelihood that the period of residence will result in collaborative work of significance and alignment with RTI’s research, mission, and priorities.

Contact

Email Dr. Jacqueline Olich, Director, University Collaborations, RTI International jolich@rti.org with questions.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

International New Year’s Celebration

January 14, 12:30-2 p.m.

 

TECHNOLOGY

Blackboard End of Life

Blackboard at UNC Greensboro is going away in January 2016, including all the courses, organizations, etc that currently live in Blackboard.  This means that everyone has two months to export and store courses, data, etc from Blackboard at UNCG.

You have the option of transferring courses over to Canvas live courses or development shells or storing Blackboard materials in a zip drive for future use.

Useful Links:

Migrating from Blackboard Learn to Canvas

Transferring Materials from Blackboard to Canvas

Blackboard Files Export: Video

If you have any further questions about this issue, please contact Samantha Harlow (slharlow@uncg.edu), School of Education Instructional Technology Consultant and Canvas Support.

Upcoming Technology Training

• Google Drive December 2, 2015
• Box Basics December 10, 2015
• MS Office 365 December 16, 2015
• Cloud Based Storage Solutions at UNCG January 12, 2016

 

6-Tech Tips: Protect Yourself Against Phishing

http://itsnews.uncg.edu/2013/12/16/6-tech-tips-protect-yourself-against-phishing/

Classroom Technology Support

Contact classroom technical support at 334-5207 for technical and training assistance in UNCG classrooms and conference rooms.
 

 

 

Easier Now to Schedule and Reserve a “Meet Me” Conference Line

http://itsnews.uncg.edu/2015/11/16/easier-now-to-schedule-and-reserve-a-meet-me-conference-line/

 

STUDENT/ALUMNI/FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Brian L. McGowan (TEHE) co-edited a book titled, Black men in the academy: Narratives of resiliency, achievement, and success. Anchored in an anti-deficit approach, this book delineates stories of achievement, resiliency, and success for Black men in various aspects of the academy, such as Ph.D. students, professors, and mid to senior level administrators. Critical to this book are stories of how the contributors have overcome personal and educational challenges in their lives as well as emphases on the factors that have helped them succeed.

McGowan, B. L., Palmer, R. T., Wood, J. L., & Hibbler, D. F. (Eds.). (2016). Black men in the academy: Narratives of resiliency, achievement, and success. London, UK: Palgrave McMillan.

 

December Doctoral Graduate and UNCP Lecturer, Dr. Mary Ash and Drs. Carlone & Matthews, all in TEHE, just published the following article:

Ash, M., Carlone, H., & Matthews, C. (2015). “Almost a herpetologist” The iterative influence of four Lumbee male high schools students on an informal summer herpetological research field experience. Journal of American Indian Education 54 (3), 54 – 75.