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November 2006 A Monthly Update for Faculty and Staff @ Union Institute & University
@ the President’s Desk November is the Month for “Thanks Giving” Dear Fellow Employees: There are so many ways to serve this unique university where we have the privilege of working. We can start by doing our very best possible job to meet the needs of our learners, respect and value our colleagues and friends, and willingly provide exemplary service to those with whom we come in contact. We can also promote and give back to Union by volunteering to assist with community events, including Commencement ceremonies. I was particularly impressed and pleased with those of you who gave time in October to serve our graduates and guests who attended the National Commencement weekend in Cincinnati. Many visitors commented on the courteous, friendly helpful people who call Union their home. I was also pleased that several of our faculty and staff participated at the recent celebration in Brattleboro to honor our friend and supporter Joe Famolare and the Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center as recipient of the fourth annual State of Vermont Distinguished Corporate Citizen award, presented by the Green Mountain Council of Boy Scouts of America. Our colleagues enthusiastically participated in a community-wide celebration to honor this distinguished leader in Southern Vermont who speaks highly of UI&U wherever he travels. Other community leaders present both acknowledged and appreciated their presence. Participation speaks volumes in our communities and represents your gift to Union at the highest level—giving of your time, intellect, and energy. Whenever we hold events in any of our multiple centers or locations, we always receive very positive feedback from visitors. We give to our university when we make professional presentations at meetings, deliver speeches in our communities, support community efforts and events, and participate fully in the life of this special institution and the communities in which our centers are located. For the multiple ways that you all serve and give, I thank you for representing the university well. As in recent years, you will soon be receiving our Annual Fund letter requesting your consideration of a financial gift to the university. As you know, all non-profits rely upon membership or charitable giving to augment the budget. In our case, our tuition dollars are our major source of funding, and we must grow to rely upon this less and less with each year. This year we are seeking $250,000 from our community of scholars (including staff, faculty, trustees, friends, and alumni) to assist with our academic programming and service to our learners and alumni. We are deeply appreciative of past gifts and understand that there are lots of choices for all of us when it comes to “giving.” We hope that the progress made by Union Institute & University over the last three years in meeting the requirements of the U.S. Department of Education, the Ohio Board of Regents, and NCA’s Higher Learning Commission give you confidence in a future bright with new academic programs and a growing reputation for quality and excellence. Remember, your gift need not need be large; we are grateful for your participation and endorsement no matter the size of your contribution. We can only continue to make progress through the support of our community, and I hope that, as an institution, we have begun to earn your trust and enthusiasm for our continuing successes. Every organization, and Union is no exception, is only as strong as its people. At Union we have grown stronger and smarter, and we are moving forward with a vision based on integrity in programming, commitment to service, and an eagerness to increase our national reputation for creativity and innovative responses to the needs of our learners, both current and future. November is a time for Thanksgiving, but it is also a time for “Thanks Giving” at UI&U. Be thankful for one another; be thankful for our progress and impressive improvement; be thankful for the opportunity to be of service to one another; and be thankful that you belong to a caring community that values the human spirit that gives to support others. A few years ago, I wrote, “We must recognize that any successful life has only the meaning that we are able to give it through understanding of ourselves, our faith, our relationships with others, our courage, and our actions. By maintaining a healthy perspective and by using our knowledge, we can accomplish extraordinary things if we are inspired to serve with self-confidence and to really believe that we are making a difference in our university and the lives of our learners.” Robert South wrote, “If there be any truer measure of a person than by what he/she does, it must be by what he/she gives.” As you reflect upon your blessings during this past year, my very best wishes for an exceptional Thanksgiving for your and your families, and my heartfelt appreciation to each of you for all that you give to UI&U. Warm regards, Roger H. Sublett
Alice Soule-Collins, assistant vice president of administration for the Vermont College Montpelier Campus, received an award and special recognition for being “an outstanding and supportive administrator” from the faculty and staff of the Master of Arts Program at the M.A. graduation on October 14, 2006. Alice was present and very much appreciated the well-deserved recognition. Kudos, Alice — you make a difference! 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 Get Out and Vote! Some Americans have the mindset that they don’t need to vote. Usually they think that it is not worth the bother, as the results won’t affect them. But, in reality, almost every decision that our legislators make affects our lives in some way. On Tuesday, November 7, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 U.S. Senate seats will be contested in a very large mid-term election. Many state and local elections will also be held, including those for 36 state governors and more than 6,100 state legislature seats. More than 76 citizen-sponsored initiatives, the second-highest number on the ballot in the last 100 years, will be decided in 18 states. Your vote will determine which legislators will have a say in formulating law over the next year and for years to come. Many of the issues they will debate directly affect human resource concerns. Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio all have proposals on the ballot that will determine minimum wage levels. The Federal minimum wage is the lowest wage that an employer can pay to most workers. States can enact a higher minimum wage than the Federal minimum wage. Some 23 states and the District of Columbia have already legislated higher minimum wages than the Federal rate. Also of interest from a human resource perspective are proposals that would require smoke-free workplaces. In Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio each have two different proposals before the voters. One would prohibit smoking in almost all enclosed public spaces and places of employment, and one would result in a less restrictive ban. Other employment-related ballot initiatives include:
As you can see, there are many human resource-related proposals on the ballot that directly affect you. These are only a sampling of the many initiatives and representatives that will be determined this Tuesday. Your vote does count. Remember this Tuesday to vote and take a friend with you to help increase the turnout. It is an important responsibility that we as Americans are very fortunate to have. Throughout history many have fought and died for our right to retain this privilege, so please honor this great freedom and exercise your rights — as a citizen and a wage earner — in the voting booth.
@ First Glance Anna Cadwell Blair, Ph.D. 2001 UI&U and M.A. 1998 VC, Part-Time Faculty, Online M.A. Program, Montpelier Campus, 10/9/2006 Jonathan Eskridge, M.Div. and B.A., Program Assistant, Graduate College, Cincinnati Campus, 10/23/2006 Kenneth Riedell, Maintenance/Carpenter, Vermont College Facility Operations, Montpelier Campus, 10/9/2006 Yolanda Santiago, Part-Time Admissions Counselor, College of Undergraduate Studies, Florida Academic Center, 10/23/2006
@ Close Up This Month: Alumni Relations and Advancement, Cincinnati Headquarters Campus The Alumni Relations and Advancement office provides a variety of services to the more that 18,000 alumni of UI&U and Vermont College programs. The staff provides professional support for the university’s reorganized Alumni Association, which is inclusive of all our academic programs, and assists the volunteer board of alumni directors in their mission to promote the values, heritage, traditions, and evolving goals of UI&U in both principle and practice, and foster the interrelationships among students, administration, alumni, and faculty, keeping with the tradition of Union's spirit of excellence. The office also strives to maintain a lasting link with graduates, a link that informs and enriches the entire university community, through phone or mail contact, in-person visits, online Web pages and publications, and by sponsoring numerous events hosted by alumni around the country, as well as special events such as the October 19 Cincinnati alumni reception that attracted nearly 80 attendees to kick off National Commencement weekend, followed on October 20 by the first face-to-face UI&U Alumni Association board meeting. On the advancement front, the office coordinates group and individual fund-raising and friend-raising efforts, and seeks to make important external connections between the university and corporate, non-profit, governmental, and community leaders throughout the country. The Alumni Relations and Advancement staff is small but mighty, and happy to assist faculty or staff with questions about contacting alumni or giving to the university:
A 2001 doctoral program alumnus, Michael is responsible for overall management of alumni relations and advancement activities, and he serves as a liaison between university administration and individual alumni, as well as external friends and supporters of UI&U.
Roberta responds to requests for information or services by alumni, receives news updates to share with other departments, helps alumni connect with one another, provides support for the Alumni Association board of directors, coordinates major mailings to alumni as well as details for all alumni events, and processes gifts.
@ Attention Faculty Gather for Meetings Prior to National Commencement Nearly 75 faculty members from across the university and representing all programs participated in the All Faculty Meetings held October 19-20 in Cincinnati at the Conley Academic Center. Provost Rich Hansen and Faculty Council Chair Paul Baldauf, professor/faculty advisor at the CUS Florida Academic Center, coordinated two days of discussions that revolved around the theme of “Bridging the Gap.” Key items on the agenda were peer evaluation, outcomes assessment, and academic planning, along with sessions on faculty development, library and research resources, and a workshop on eLearning presented by Paul, Martha Vanderwolk, professor in the Vermont College Undergraduate Program at Montpelier, and Asghar Zomorrodian, professor/faculty advisor with the CUS Cincinnati Academic Center. Small-group discussions and individual meetings also took place for faculty from the various programs. President Roger Sublett addressed the group, many of whom stayed on to participate in Commencement activities on Friday and Saturday.
Florida Undergraduate Dean Commends UI&U Alumni in Address to Women Educators Marie Bogat, Ph.D., dean of College of Undergraduate Studies at the Florida Academic Center, gave the keynote speech at the initiation ceremony for new members of the Miami-Dade County Chapters of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, held October 14, 2006 at Don Shula’s Hotel in Miami Lakes, Florida. Formed in 1929, the society promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. Florida Academic Center alumna Annette Adams, B.A. 2003, president of the Alpha Zeta Chapter and an information technology liaison with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, invited and introduced Marie, who shared inspirational stories about her 52 years as an educator. Her experience ranges from junior high school English teacher in suburban New York, to 30 years as a teacher and later superintendent at Union School, which offers American educational programs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and for the past 12 years as professor/faculty advisor and now dean at UI&U’s Florida center. Marie praised the Delta Kappa Gamma members for providing opportunities and strong encouragement for women to fulfill their potential for greatness, creativity, leadership, and service through varied programs of action, especially in partnership with UNICEF to help fund teacher training in Afghanistan. “My years in Haiti taught me that the only viable road to change in countries undergoing political upheaval lies in education,” she said. Speaking on the theme of “Celebrating Excellence,” Marie said, “It is hard to use the word ‘excellence’ when talking about oneself, but I like to think of [excellence] as a description not so much of the person, but of the experience.” Noting that the “real satisfaction in teaching is not in the moment, but in the future,” Marie said, “I experience the same feelings of satisfaction and enjoyment now from adult learners completing the degree they never thought would be theirs as I did with my students in Haiti who came back to introduce their spouses and children, and to show me how well they had turned out. This is really what it is all about in the long run.” Marie expressed the same gratification when her relationships with UI&U alumni such as Annette Adams come full circle as well. “Annette came to us in the fall of 2001, transferring credits she had already earned elsewhere, and began the journey toward her educational goals. She earned her bachelor’s degree with concentration in human resource development and completed her graduate work soon after,” Marie told the group. “Annette is truly representative of the successful adult learner and one who recognizes that learning is a lifelong adventure. Teachers have always known this. We are its best examples.” [Thanks to Francis Francois, B.A., assistant director of undergraduate admissions at the Florida Academic Center, for contributing this news.]
Reminders Drop/Add Deadline for Fall Session II 11/7/06
@ Union this Month 10/27/06 - 11/4/06 11/1/06 7:00 PM 11/1/06 - 11/30/06 11/1/06 - 11/5/06 11/10/06 - 11/14/06 11/15/06 - 11/19/06 11/17/06 - 11/19/06 11/18/06 - 11/19/06
@ Our Best Great Learner Service Really Does Make a Difference Each day when we log onto the university’s home page, a brief reminder titled The Learner appears on screen to inspire us to do our best to meet our primary goal: serving our learners. If you think it doesn’t matter or the learners aren’t aware of our efforts, this comment from a graduate who attended the recent national commencement ceremony affirms that daily onscreen mantra: “The graduation ceremony and reception were superb. I was really so touched by everything that it was a little overwhelming for me at times. This event gave me a “jolt” in the arm to get going even further to make a difference in the world.” The Learner … is the most important person at Union Institute & University. UI&U exists to serve and benefit learners. … is the personification of the quality and integrity of our degree programs. The learner’s satisfaction with our services and the degrees we confer measures how effectively we deliver on UI&U’s core values. … is a fellow human being seeking enrichment, with feelings and emotions, not a cold enrollment statistic. … is embraced and nurtured – not merely tolerated – while enrolled at UI&U and long after graduation. … is not dependent on us. Rather we are dependent on the learner. We are here to serve learners. We are courteous, prompt, helpful, and maintain a consistent attitude of service toward learners. We may meet with unreasonable demands or be offended by a word or deed, yet we remember that our learners’ lives are busy, full, and stressful. We go the extra mile to be helpful and understanding. We work in partnership with our learners to help fulfill their goals and dreams.
@ Your Service Deadline for submissions for the December issue: |
10/27/06 - 11/4/06 11/1/06 7:00 PM 11/1/06 - 11/30/06 11/1/06 - 11/5/06 11/10/06 - 11/14/06 11/15/06 - 11/19/06 11/17/06 - 11/19/06 11/18/06 - 11/19/06
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Michael D. McKinley
Roberta Wespiser
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