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June 2007 A Monthly Update for Faculty and Staff @ Union Institute & University
@ the President’s Desk Leading Change: Moving Across the Street By now, all of the offices in our Cincinnati headquarters have been consolidated into the “440 building,” which, in part because of its soaring tower, has become a symbol of Union Institute & University in Cincinnati and across the nation. In addition, our Vermont colleagues are in the process of moving to Stone Hall on the Montpelier campus. While not all of the cartons have been unpacked, we should all be back in the business of serving our learners, fellow staff, faculty, and friends without delay. On my first day after the move, I spent a bit of time walking around the 440 building greeting folks in their new offices, and, as I had hoped, we are getting positive feedback that we made the right move. For the first time in many years, all of our Cincinnati employees are in one building, and we have an opportunity to create a renewed sense of community and common purpose. I want to thank all of you who not only assisted with, but also lived through the move, particularly our maintenance staff under the leadership of Janet Day, whose efforts allowed us to accomplish the enormous task without undue disruptions. Deb Eamoe and the Human Resources staff provided donuts and welcome signs as each department settled into new arrangements or arrived from across the street, and we are grateful for their welcome. In Vermont, I thank Neal Meier and Ron Clark and his staff for their leadership and assistance in making the move as smooth as possible. I am sure that most departments have been amazed at what they discovered in their filing cabinets and desk drawers as they prepared for the move and discarded papers that had accumulated over the last decade. I know that our office was able to clean out old files and get ready for the next ten years of accumulation. There is also a bit of irony in the move of the Office of the President in that we are back where we started—the 2nd floor of the 440 building; and, it feels quite comfortable. Change is not easy under the best of circumstances, but as usual, Union folks took the move in stride by accepting the few delays with grace and humor. Hopefully, we are in place for quite some time and have begun the adjustments to our new surroundings and new neighbors. I just finished reading Lee Iacocca’s new book, Where Have All the Leaders Gone? (Scribner, 2007). While he is mainly concerned with national issues, many of his questions and concerns apply to individuals and private organizations, as well as governments. Based on his many years of experience in leading one of the major automobile companies, Iacocca identified nine important leadership characteristics. As I often do when reading books on leadership, I have applied the topics and reflections to Union. Iacocca’s list includes:
As I reflect on Union since my arrival in 2001, I am reminded of an old parable: One day a mule fell into a dry well. There was no way to lift the mule out, so the farmer directed his boys to bury the mule in the well. But the mule refused to be buried. As the boys would throw dirt on the mule, it would simply trample the dirt. Very soon, enough dirt had been thrown in, and the mule walked out. That which was intended to bury the mule was the very means by which it rose. So, don’t let a few difficulties get you down. When trials begin to overcome you, use them to overcome the very thing that is trying to destroy you. We have had a lot of challenges thrown our way over the last five years; but, you know, we have trampled them down. We are walking out of the depths toward a bright future of academic promise. Each of you is playing your part in helping emerge from the challenges, and now it is time to lift your eyes toward the horizon and opportunities ahead. After all, we have just moved across the street! Thank you for all you do for Union each day. Warm regards, Roger H. Sublett
Provost Rich Hansen Honored at Montpelier Farewell Receptions
Our Vermont Center staff and faculty bid a poignant farewell to long-time friend and coworker, Provost Rich Hansen. The good news is, though the Cincinnati headquarters now has the pleasure of his company, he’s still only a phone call away and we’re sure he’ll visit often. UI&U staff, faculty, and community members honored Dr. Hansen at two separate events. The first, an “Aloha” party potluck, was an intimate gathering of co-workers, alumni, and learners. Neal Meier, newly appointed administrative director of the Vermont Academic Center, served as the master of ceremonies. Ann Cardinal, national marketing director, and Carol Beatty, Vermont Undergraduate program administrative director, decorated the university chapel in tiki fashion, and guests donned Hawaiian shirts to feast on Dr. Meier’s barbequed pulled-pork sandwiches and Ann’s hula dancer cake. Stories and songs honoring Rich and his wife, Lynne, underscored the gathering, and everyone enjoyed recounting the warm memories the Hansens created in Montpelier. Friends and colleagues throughout Montpelier and beyond gathered to say their goodbyes at a more formal reception that included members from state and regional chambers of commerce, as well as representatives from the mayor’s office, members of legislature, Norwich and Goddard staff and administration, and UI&U President Roger Sublett. Mayor of Montpelier Mary Hooper also sent along a declaration of appreciation recognizing the Hansens’ almost 20 years of service and citizenship in central Vermont. The Vermont community will greatly miss Rich and Lynne, and wish them all the best. In turn, Union’s staff, learners, and faculty at the headquarters are so pleased to welcome the Hansens to Cincinnati. NOTE: Do you know of a coworker or colleague at UI&U who really “makes a difference” in the lives of others, either at work or out in the community? Someone who does the little things with great skill everyday, someone who devotes time to a cause or to others without fanfare, someone who practices what President Sublett calls “leading from the heart?” Please send your words of kudos to @UI&U so we can shine a light on these not-so-random acts of kindness by our colleagues who make a difference @ the Heart of It.
@ the Water Cooler Have we lost touch trying to stay in touch? At the age of 11, my son had a pager so I could reach him when I needed. At 13, he had a cell phone. Now at 18, he emails me, sends me text messages, and calls me on his mobile PC phone. He is part of the “millennial” generation, born after 1985, and weaned on technology that changes the way we communicate, work, and interact. Even those of us who remember life without cell phones and the Internet realize the effect that technology has had on the speed of our lives. Everything is faster. Packages no longer take weeks to arrive but are whisked to us overnight. We have instant breakfast and ready-in-a-minute cereal. Most cars can do 50 mph in 60 seconds. Dinner can go from freezer to table in less than five minutes. We no longer wait days for a letter to arrive, but rather send email that arrives in an instant. But is faster better? Have we sacrificed something for time? The effect of technology on how we interact with each other has to me been troubling. It is almost a daily occurrence for me to receive emails from folks in offices that adjoin mine. Before email, we would have picked up the phone or walked next door and relayed our information or asked our question in person. Now we type it into a machine and send it off into cyberspace and magically a message returns the same way. It is quick and efficient. But what price have we paid for this? The price seems to be the quality of the interaction. The other day I watched as an email from one employee to another (I was on the carbon copy, although I have no idea why) escalated from a routine question to a shouting match via several email exchanges. It brought to mind several inherent issues with email. First, email lacks cues, such as facial expression and tone of voice, which makes it possible for the receiver to misinterpret the intended meaning. Everyone has different lenses through which they view the world. Those lenses are tempered in face-to-face interactions by observing physical cues. Those lenses are magnified as individuals turn a harmless email into an interaction filled with incorrect assumptions. Second, folks will write things in the anonymity of email that they would never consider saying face-to-face. In the movie You’ve Got Mail, Meg Ryan’s character exchanges email with the Tom Hanks character. In their exchanges, they both carefully craft messages to each other that they lack the courage to say face-to-face. In this day and age, speed is everything, and email communication is a necessary tool. But think about how it hinders our ability to develop rapport and interpersonal relationships that will help us through times of conflict. The pitfalls of email are easily overcome by a single phone call or a visit to a neighboring office. I think it was AT&T that used the expression “reach out and touch someone.” They were onto something.
@ First Glance Barbara A. Briggs, Ph.D., Part-Time Faculty, Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, 05/01/2007 Gary J. Buehler, Ph.D., Part-Time Faculty, Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, 05/07/2007 Kristin Dietsche, Ph.D., Part-Time Faculty, Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, 05/07/2007 Jamie L. Bordeau, M.F.A., Assistant Librarian-Circulation Services, Gary Library, 05/21/2007 Carole Chabries, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Graduate College, 06/01/2007 Elizabeth Perry Thomas, Ph.D., Director of Vermont M.Ed. Program, 06/01/2007
@ Close Up This Month: ... Doctoral Admissions
Doctoral Admissions is the department responsible for recruiting applicants for the Ph.D., Ed.D., and Psy.D. programs. Admission counselors work with prospects to determine if UI&U meets their academic objectives, and then continue the counseling process by guiding prospective learners through the admissions process. Doctoral Admissions receives prospects via the Web site; direct mailings; radio and print advertising; and in-person and telephone information sessions, but by far, the overwhelming number of prospects come to UI&U by word of mouth. According to Dr. Carolyn Turner, director of Doctoral Admissions, about 90 percent of applicants hear about UI&U from someone they know. “Alumni of UI&U are a valuable asset to our department,” she notes. “Nearly everyone we talk to knows someone who had a fulfilling experience at Union.” Doctoral Admissions is constantly recruiting. They are responsible for recruiting at least 20 prospects for each of the Ph.D. cohorts in January and July; 15 for each of the Ed.D. cohorts in January and July; 23 for the Psy.D. cohort in September 2007, and 20 for the Psy.D. cohort in September 2008. The challenge for Doctoral Admissions is to continue to find the niche that makes Union unique and distinct from other programs. The staff works hard to constantly develop new outreach techniques to market UI&U’s doctoral programs. At any given time, Linda Weingartner, information assistant, can be seen running to the mail room with bulk mailings to be mailed to various professional associations for potential doctoral candidates. Recently, they’ve been having great success with telephone conference call information sessions. Dr. Turner cites convenience as a contributing factor, saying, “We conducted a tele-conference call in the evening for the Ph.D. program, and 20 people called in. We heard dogs barking, babies crying, horns honking, and televisions playing, but we were reaching people who were interested in the program.” Doctoral Admissions also receives a fair number of misdirected calls and inquiries meant for undergraduate and master’s programs. “We’ve learned to direct people to other professionals in the university when necessary,” Dr. Turner notes. “We see everyone at Union as part of one big team.” The Doctoral Admissions Department, also known as Team II, has coordinated efforts with Team I to help each other recruit prospects to all the programs. Though the task is demanding, and the market highly competitive, the Doctoral Admissions staff remains focused and enthusiastic about what they do and the programs the university offers. Their aim is to recruit the best candidates possible by adhering to the university’s standards and guidelines, as well as those established by the Ohio Board of Regents, and by maintaining the admissions process while providing a positive and professional image for Union Institute & University.
Carolyn Turner is a 2004 graduate of UI&U’s Ph.D. program. As the director of Doctoral Admissions, she manages the staff and office, screens all doctoral applications, convenes admissions committee meetings for the Ph.D., Psy.D., and Ed.D, and works with Team I Admissions and the UI&U marketing director on advertising and outreach activities. Carolyn has a diverse professional career. Prior to coming to Union, she was the executive director of Cincinnati Parents for Public Schools, having previously held management positions in non-profit organizations, banking, and insurance claims and customer service. Carolyn also served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army Reserves for nine years. Her most memorable military experiences were completing the field artillery officer basic course in a class of 145, in which she was the only female, and her reserve unit being activated for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. However, her unit never made it to the Middle East; they served their time in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, replacing a unit that went to Kuwait. Carolyn enjoys volunteer leadership; she serves on the boards of three local non-profit organizations. She is currently co-authoring an article on parent involvement; writing a book on her father, Dr. Bailey W. Turner, also a UI&U alum and renowned local civil rights activist; supervising a research project on the history of Union Baptist Church, the oldest African American Baptist church in Ohio; and editing a book about the Cincinnati riots in 2001. Carolyn also enjoys mentoring her 16-year old daughter, who is an aspiring singer, dancer, and actress. She is also a “trekky,” with her favorite episodes being those of the original series, and of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Kim has been at Union since 1996, has served in many capacities, and is known for her hearty laughter. Her current work is that of doctoral admissions counselor, in which she counsels prospects who are considering one of Union’s three doctoral programs. Kim’s primary responsibility is recruiting, which includes answering the many questions and concerns that prospects have about the doctoral programs, as well as soothing anxieties of those who are not sure if they have what it takes to enroll in a doctoral program. Kim is pursuing a degree in psychology and is a lay minister, so her work is her passion, which is motivating and helping others. Known as “Martha” (Stewart) to her close friends and family, she loves to make crafts, is quite creative, and is always looking for and thinking of new projects. Kim is also quite a handywoman, and is the proud owner of several toolboxes! You’ll find her at any given time with family, church, in her study, or at Home Depot or Lowe’s!
Victor Gray has more than 24 years of community involvement and planning at the personal and professional levels. His involvement ranges from academic and admissions advising for high school and college students, zoning and comprehensive planning for Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati neighborhoods, the development of substance abuse prevention and treatment programming at the community level, and criminal justice and mental health counseling to adolescents and adults. He has also coached and developed recreational opportunities for area youth in baseball, basketball, and football, and is a past owner/operator of a Subway Sandwich Shop franchise. He is also a member of Allen Temple A.M.E. Church.
Amy Miller has served as a doctoral admissions counselor at UI&U since 2004. She came to UI&U after spending eight years working in admissions and student services at the University of Cincinnati, Thomas More College, and Muskingum College. Her primary function in the office is to work with prospective doctoral applicants and explain each of UI&U’s three doctoral programs. Amy works Mondays, Tuesdays and alternate Wednesdays. Her remaining time is spent at home with her daughter Molly, who will turn two in August. In her spare time, Amy and her husband enjoy playing golf and watching the grass grow from their deck.
Linda came to Union in 1990. She started out at the switchboard, and now is the assistant for Doctoral Admissions. Linda is responsible for sending information to UI&U prospects for the Ph.D., Ed.D., and the Psy.D. programs. She also assists the counselors with applications and incoming mail. For fun, Linda enjoys working in her yard and watching her favorite football team, the Cincinnati Bengals (WhoDey!).
@ Attention UI&U Ed.D. Program Approved, Ready for July Residency A new academic presence has joined the ranks of the doctoral programs offered by UI&U. In addition to the Cohort Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Union is now officially authorized to offer the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). Our distinctive program offers two specializations: Educational Leadership or Higher Education. Created and implemented by a team of UI&U administration and faculty, led by Associate Dean of Education Arlene Sacks, Ed.D., the program received final approval by The Higher Learning Commission on April 25, 2007. Like both the new Ph.D. and the Psy.D. programs, the Ed.D is a cohort-based, low-residency program with emphasis on an attentiveness to social justice, engagement of differences, and excellence in scholarship. The Ed.D. is a natural addition to the Graduate College, building upon the university’s established scholar-practitioner model and stressing the integration of theory with practice. As Dr. Sacks explains, education is interdisciplinary in itself and learners in the field “need to not only understand the scholarship of the academy but also how to practice in a changing world.” Parallel to UI&U’s mission to provide quality education to busy adults, the Ed.D. program will utilize academic technologies that will further prepare its learners for practice in the field as educators of a new generation. All courses will be offered as a hybrid, meaning that each course will have a specified online space in which learners may convene, post ideas, or interact with cohort members or faculty. However, learners will also benefit from face-to-face support from faculty during academic practica. According to Dr. Jay Keehn, faculty/advisor for the M.Ed. program, “What we define as the Ed.D. ‘hybrid’ is very unique and different in that we combine face-to-face residencies with online learning,” once again distinguishing UI&U from other strictly online or classroom-based programs. The program’s first initial academic residency is scheduled to convene this July in Cincinnati, Ohio. This initial, seven-day residency will be an opportunity to introduce learners to both the administrative and the academic sides of UI&U. They will meet with learner service representatives, including staff from Instructional Technology and the Registrar’s Office, but large blocks of their time will be set aside to meet with faculty members for initiation into three of the program’s core seminars: Education Research and Design Methods, Ethical Leadership, and Education and Social Justice. Learners will then continue their studies online throughout the course of the semester. They will meet in a mid-semester residency each semester to work on practica, and, like the Cohort Ph.D. program, convene in another seven-day residency in January. Read more about the program at www.tui.edu/edd. Inquires for the program can be directed to Doctoral Admissions at doctoral.admissions@tui.edu or (800) 486-3116, ext. 2008. New Summer Lifelong Learning Courses Announced The UI&U Department of Lifelong Learning has announced its new summer 2007 course offering. The courses will benefit those who need extra credit for certification, or who have a passion that they would like to explore further and simultaneously earn college credits; there may also be those who are considering the wealth of educational opportunities that Union Institute & University has to offer, who perhaps might like to begin their studies with us by sampling our style of learning with a few Lifelong Learning courses. 2007-2008 Tuition and Registration Policies Posted The new 2007-2008 tuition and registration policies are posted on the UI&U Web site at www.tui.edu/tuition. Policies for each individual program include the program’s tuition schedule, a listing of other applicable program fees, core academic program dates, and program or university policies regarding academic standing, withdrawal, and the FERPA policy.
@ Union this Month 06/29/07—07/13/07 07/06/07—07/14/07 07/07/07—07/13/07 07/13/2007—07/21/07 07/14/07—07/25/-07
@ Our Best Ann Cardinal’s “Aloha!” cake helped send off Dr. Hansen in style.
@ Your Service Deadline for submissions for the June issue: |
06/29/07—07/13/07 07/06/07—07/14/07 07/07/07—07/13/07 07/13/2007—07/21/07 07/14/07—07/25/-07
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Straight talk and timely information from President Roger Sublett
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