From su-infocus at southwestern.edu Fri Dec 1 08:54:24 2006 From: su-infocus at southwestern.edu (su-infocus@southwestern.edu) Date: Fri Dec 1 08:56:01 2006 Subject: [InFocus] In Focus 12/1 Message-ID: <45704220.3070202@southwestern.edu> IN FOCUS: December 1, 2006 * TOP NEWS * *CALENDAR * *2007 WRITERS VOICE SPEAKER ANNOUNCED* *December* *1-3* "Durang, Durang," Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., and Sunday 3 and 7 p.m., Jones Theater *1* Women's basketball vs. Millsaps College, 6 p.m. *1* Men's basketball vs. Millsaps College, 8 p.m. *2* Southwestern University Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m., Georgetown High School Performing Arts Center *3* Men's basketball vs. Rhodes College, noon *3* Women's basketball vs. Rhodes College, 2 p.m. *7* Candlelight service, 5:30 and 7 p.m., Lois Perkins Chapel *9* Men's basketball vs. Texas A&M International, 7:30 p.m. *17* Women's basketball vs. Hanover College, 2 p.m. *19* Women's basketball vs. University of Mary Hardin Baylor, 6 p.m. *28* Women's basketball vs. Concordia (Ill.), 5 p.m. *29* Consolation/championship basketball game, 1 and 3 p.m. *29* Men's basketball vs. Swathmore College, 8 p.m. *30* Men's basketball vs. University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 8 p.m. Amy Tan, author of the 1989 bestseller /The Joy Luck Club/, will be the 2007 speaker for the Writers Voice series sponsored by the A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library at Southwestern. The 2007 Writers Voice lecture has been set for Oct. 23, 2007. Tan has written several other novels since /The Joy Luck Club/, including /The Kitchen God's Wife/ (1991), /The Hundred Secret Senses/ (1995), /The Bonesetter's Daughter/ (2001) and /Saving Fish from Drowning/ (2005). Her first work of non-fiction, /The Opposite of Fate/, was published in 2003. Tan also has written two children's books, /The Moon Lady/ (1992) and /The Chinese Siamese Cat/ (1994). " Tan has received wide public support of her work and also has been well received by literary critics," said Lynne Brody, dean of library services. "Her visit will offer many possibilities for study and discussions in classes." * EVENTS * The Sarofim School of Fine Arts presents the SU Wind Ensemble in concert at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Georgetown High School Performing Arts Center, conducted by Lois Ferrari. The eclectic program will feature Adrien Barthe's "Passacaille," performed by Category 5 Winds, SU's student woodwind quintet; Gordon Jacob's "Introduction and Rondo," played by the eight-member SU Clarinet Choir Malcolm Arnold's "English Dances" performed by the full ensemble. Then senior Walter P. Sterneman III will conduct Sergei Prokofiev's wonderfully absurd and whimsical "Scherzo and March" from "The Love for Three Oranges," and American composer Richard Saucedo's "To This Heartbeat There Is No End," an homage to the unrelenting perseverance of all those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. It will conclude with Guy Woolfenden's "Illyrian Dances" composed with Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" in mind, and Gustav Holst's "Jupiter," from perhaps his most famous composition (and the inspiration for many outer space film scores), "The Planets." The concert is open to the public and is free of charge. For more information, call 512-863-1379. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY HOSTS CANDLELIGHT SERVICES DEC. 7* Southwestern University will hold two Candlelight Services at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, in the Lois Perkins Chapel. The services are free and open to the public. Candlelight is a century-old tradition at Southwestern that celebrates the Christmas season through a service of Advent Lessons and Carols. Liturgists for this year's services will be Southwestern University President Jake B. Schrum, University Chaplain Beverly Jones and Chaplain Intern Aaron Rohre, a 2003 Southwestern graduate. Music for the services will be provided by the Southwestern University Chorale and the Southwestern University Singers, conducted by Professor of Music Kenny Sheppard. The Southwestern University Woodwind Quintet will perform at the 5:30 p.m. service and the String Quartet will perform at the 7 p.m. service. Both services end with audience members lighting candles and processing out of the chapel. Following the 5:30 p.m. service, Southwestern's dining service will be available until 7:30 p.m. in the McCombs Campus Center. The cost is $8.50 for adults and $4.25 for children. After the 7 p.m. service, the community is invited to attend a holiday reception sponsored by Southwestern in the McCombs Campus Center. *FACULTY FORUM* There is no Faculty Forum scheduled for Monday, Dec. 4. MEDIA COVERAGE The /Austin American-Statesman/ ran an article about construction starting on Southwestern's new residential apartment complex. The /Waco Tribune-Herald/ ran an article on Professor Star Varner's exhibit titled "The Mysteries Revisted," which opened in Waco. The /Williamson County Sun/ ran an article on senior Jack's O'Brien's study abroad experience. NOTABLES *Alicia Moore*, assistant professor of education, has been selected to receive the 2006 Exemplary Teaching Award from the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church. Each year the Board allows the university to designate one teacher to receive this award. Criteria for receiving the award include excellence in teaching; civility and concern for students and colleagues; commitment to value-centered education; and service to students, the institution and the community. Moore has received several previous awards for her work, including the Unity in Action Diversity Award and the 2005 Academic Advising Award. *Todd K. Watson*, associate director of systems and networks, co-authored a paper that was published in the Nov. 1 issue of the /Astrophysical Journal/. The paper titled, "Further Evidence for Variable Synchrotron Emission in XTE J1118+480 in Outburst," was the result of observations conducted in January 2005 at both the McDonald Observatory in West Texas and Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. XTE J1118+480 is a black hole that is consuming an orbiting star and is the first of its type identified in the halo of our galaxy. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.southwestern.edu/pipermail/su-infocus/attachments/20061201/60d53eb8/attachment.html From su-infocus at southwestern.edu Fri Dec 8 08:34:55 2006 From: su-infocus at southwestern.edu (su-infocus@southwestern.edu) Date: Fri Dec 8 08:36:36 2006 Subject: [InFocus] In Focus 12/8 Message-ID: <4579780F.5010200@southwestern.edu> IN FOCUS: December 8, 2006 * TOP NEWS * *CALENDAR * *CARNEGIE FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT * *December* *9* Men's basketball vs. Texas A&M International, 7:30 p.m. *17* Women's basketball vs. Hanover College, 2 p.m. *19* Women's basketball vs. University of Mary Hardin Baylor, 6 p.m. *28* Women's basketball vs. Concordia (Ill.), 5 p.m. *29* Consolation/championship basketball game, 1 and 3 p.m. *29* Men's basketball vs. Swarthmore College, 8 p.m. *30* Men's basketball vs. University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 8 p.m. Southwestern University is one of 62 colleges and universities across the country that have been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for their commitment to community engagement. The Carnegie Foundation is widely respected for how it classifies institutions of higher education. Since 1973, its classifications have helped students and families seeking a particular type of college to attend, and provided the basis by which colleges and universities are compared for rankings such as those done by /U.S. News & World Report/. Until now, the Carnegie Foundation had strictly classified institutions of higher education according to characteristics such as the type of degrees they offered, their size and setting, and the profile of students who are enrolled in them. Southwestern, for example, is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a small, four-year, selective residential college. Earlier this year, the foundation announced that it would create a new elective classification to recognize institutions that collaborate with their larger communities, whether these be local, state/regional, national or global. College and universities were invited to apply for the new classification and to provide evidence of their community engagement. Within the new category, schools could be recognized for curricular engagement, outreach and partnerships, or both. Southwestern was recognized for both. In order to qualify for the new category, schools were required to document that community engagement is indicated as a priority in their mission statement and marketing materials, and that they have an office to support community engagement. Southwestern was one of only three colleges and universities in Texas to meet the qualifications for the new category. The others are Richland College in Dallas and Texas Tech University in Lubbock. For more information on the Carnegie Classifications, visit www.carnegiefoundation.org. Read the entire story here . *SOUTHWESTERN STUDENT RECEIVES GRANT TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ISSUES FACED BY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES * A Southwestern University student has received a $1,500 grant that will enable her to raise awareness on campus about issues faced by students with disabilities. Elizabeth Knox, a junior majoring in communication studies, received the grant through the Associated Colleges of the South. The ACS, of which Southwestern University is a member, provides "diversity mini-grants" to help member institutions foster diversity initiatives on their campuses. While diversity is typically thought of as being related to race and ethnicity, Knox believes it also should be extended to students with disabilities. Knox will use some of her grant money to attend the 2007 Pacific Rim Conference, the one of the top-rated international conferences for people who work in and study the field of disabilities. She will use the remainder of the grant to put on a seminar at Southwestern next April using information she brings back from the conference. Students from other area universities will be invited to attend the seminar along with students from Southwestern. Topics to be addressed at the seminar will include ones such as how to talk to people with disabilities. Read the entire story here . * EVENTS * *FACULTY FORUM* There is no Faculty Forum scheduled for Monday, Dec. 4. MEDIA COVERAGE The /Austin Business Journal/ ran an article on Southwestern's plans for new student apartments. NOTABLES *Ben Pierce*, professor of biology and holder of the Lillian Nelson Pratt chair, had a manuscript titled "Illustrating Probability in Genetics With Hands-On Learning: Making the Math Real" accepted for publication in the /American Biology Teacher/. The manuscript is co-authored with colleague Brenda Honeycutt from Armstrong Atlantic State University. Pierce signed a contract with W.H. Freeman Publishers to co-author a new genetics textbook that uses a novel case study approach. The book will be co-authored with Susan Elrod at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.southwestern.edu/pipermail/su-infocus/attachments/20061208/5209132e/attachment.html From su-infocus at southwestern.edu Fri Dec 15 08:54:24 2006 From: su-infocus at southwestern.edu (su-infocus@southwestern.edu) Date: Fri Dec 15 08:56:06 2006 Subject: [InFocus] In Focus Message-ID: <4582B720.2080102@southwestern.edu> IN FOCUS: December 15, 2006 * TOP NEWS * *CALENDAR * *SOUTHWESTERN RANKS ABOVE PEER INSTITUTIONS IN NATIONAL SURVEY OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT* *December* *19* Women's basketball vs. University of Mary Hardin Baylor, 6 p.m. *28* Women's basketball vs. Concordia (Ill.), 5 p.m. *29* Consolation/championship basketball game, 1 and 3 p.m. *29* Men's basketball vs. Swarthmore College, 8 p.m. *30* Men's basketball vs. University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 8 p.m. *January* *6* Swimming vs. Austin College and University of the Incarnate Word, 2 p.m. *14* Women's basketball vs. Colorado College, 6 p.m. Results from a recent national survey show that students at Southwestern University rank above students at peer institutions - and significantly above the national average - when it comes to being engaged in their academic endeavors. The findings come from the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which was sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and administered by the Indiana University Center for Survey Research. The NSSE is given annually to first-year students and seniors. This is the fifth year that Southwestern has participated in the study. Forty-five percent of eligible Southwestern students responded to the 2006 survey. Nationwide, about 260,000 students from 523 four-year colleges and universities participated in the survey. The survey measures five areas that are associated with high levels of learning and development: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment. Southwestern was in the top 10 percent of schools nationally in the areas of student-faculty interaction and enriching educational experiences. It also ranked above its peer group in the other three areas. The section on student-faculty interaction asks students questions such as whether they have discussed ideas from their classes with faculty members outside of class, worked with faculty members on research projects outside of class or talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor. The section on enriching educational experiences asks students whether they have participated in complementary learning opportunities such as co-curricular activities, internships, community service or volunteer work, study abroad or a senior capstone project. "The survey gives us an idea of how well we are doing from the students' perspective," said Provost Jim Hunt. Colleges and universities can use the NSSE to identify areas where changes are needed in policies, curriculum and allocation of resources. For example, as a result of student responses to NSSE, Southwestern has implemented additional social and recreational opportunities on weekends, more comprehensive health and wellness services, and living/learning communities. In addition, budgets for social activities with students and faculty have been created, collaborative research opportunities continue to develop, and community-based learning opportunities are expanding. The NSSE also is one of several new instruments that can help consumers differentiate between schools. "Prospective students and their parents can use the survey to help them find a college or university that provides enriching educational experiences that meet their goals and objectives," Hunt said. To see the results of Southwestern's 2006 NSSE survey, visit www.southwestern.edu/nsse. For more information on the National Survey of Student Engagement, visit www.nsse.iub.edu. * EVENTS * *FACULTY FORUM* There is no Faculty Forum scheduled for Monday, Dec. 18. MEDIA COVERAGE The/ Austin Business Journal/ ran an op-ed piece by President Jake Schrum titled "College education still remains a bargain." Read the article online at http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2006/12/11/editorial1.html The /Austin American-Statesman/ and the/ Williamson County Sun/ ran stories on Southwestern's inclusion in a new Carnegie Classification for colleges that demonstrate community engagement. NOTE This will be the last edition of /In Focus/ for the fall semester. The first issue of the spring semester will be published Jan. 12. Southwestern University will be closed from Dec. 22 through Jan. 1. Happy Holidays! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.southwestern.edu/pipermail/su-infocus/attachments/20061215/1c74a745/attachment.html