College of Business News

Posted on October 18, 2010
Dr. Tim Bisping, associate professor of economics, recently had his paper titled “Age, Gender, and Unemployment in Australia: A Labor Queue Analysis” accepted for publication in the Southwestern Economic Review. This paper looks at the role of employer preferences on age and gender in determining unemployment rates in Australia.  The paper was coauthored with Dr. Hilde Patron of the University of West Georgia.
UCA management professor John Watt recently had a paper, The Interdisciplinary Nature of the Field of Crisis Management: A Call for Research Collaboration, published in the Organization Development Journal (ODJ).  ODJ seeks to enhance the capacity for practitioner-scholar dialogue, and promotes principles and practices of organizational development and change.  The paper was coauthored with Drs. Chris Piotrowski and Terry Armstrong.  Dr. Watt is currently serving as Executive Editor of The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied.
Roy Whitehead, professor of business law, and Tom Oxner, professor of accounting, published an article, “First Circuit Gives IRS Access to Textron’s Tax Accrual Workpapers,” in the October edition of The CPA Journal.

Roy Whitehead and Tom Oxner presented a paper, “Are Early Retirement Payments Made to Tenured Faculty Members Taxable as Wages Under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act?,” to the 60th Annual Meeting of Arkansas College Teachers of Economics and Business at Arkansas Tech University.

Roy Whitehead, professor of business law, and Pam Spikes, professor of accounting, published an article, “Nurse Wins Favorable Ruling on Deducting MBA Educational Expenses,” in the June edition of The CPA Journal.

Roy Whitehead, professor of business law, and Kris Jones, instructor of accounting, Southeastern Louisiana University, published an article, “Drinking and Driving: Taxpayer Allowed to Take Casualty Deduction for Car He Wrecked,” in the July edition of The CPA Journal.

CLEAR Center Receives $5,000 Grant

The Center for Cooperative Logistics Education, Advancement, and Research (CLEAR) Center was one of four programs nationwide chosen to receive a $5,000 grant from the Trucking Industry Defense Association.  The grant is to support the CLEAR Center’s three-pronged mission of educating Arkansas’ logistics workforce of tomorrow, advancing awareness of logistics role as a major economic driver in Arkansas, and conducting research that is of mutual benefit to the Arkansas logistics industry, University of Central Arkansas, and other CLEAR stakeholders, said Dr. Doug Voss, CLEAR Director and assistant professor of Supply Chain Management in the College of Business. The CLEAR Center is housed in the UCA College of Business. Dr. Voss recently received the grant during the annual Arkansas Trucking Seminar in Fayetteville.  The check was presented by Mr. Lee Piovarcy, president of the association.  UCA was selected because of its commitment to furthering the trucking industry through higher education.

College of Education News

Posted on October 18, 2010

Donna Wake, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, was recently selected as technology liaison for the National Writing Project, Northwest Arkansas site.

Patty Phelps, professor in the Department of Teaching & Learning and faculty coordinator (IDC), has been invited to present at the 2011 Teaching Professor Conference in Atlanta. In this encore presentation she will share ways to find joy in teaching. The conference targets faculty in all disciplinary areas and attracts an international audience.

Program Supports National Board Certification of Over 300 Teachers

The College of Education received $8,250 from the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Teacher Quality to support 45 area school teachers who are candidates for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification, an advanced teaching credential that complements a state-issued teaching license. This grant coupled with a $20,000 grant directly from NBPTS is awarded to recruit teachers in high need schools to seek NBPTS certification.

 The UCA NBPTS Candidate Support Center has received more than $150,000 in state and federal support since 2002 and has supported the successful Board Certification of more than 300 teachers.  Dr. Carolyn Williams has obtained funding for the program for many years, and administers the program for the College of Education.

The UCA NBPTS Candidate Support Center offers intensive professional development sessions over eight months. The on-site support is augmented by electronic mentoring and an overnight retreat for teacher candidates and their mentors. Both on-site and electronic mentoring sessions are provided by National Board Certified Teachers and providers.

National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential that complements, but does not replace, a state’s teaching license. Candidates achieve National Board Certification upon successful completion of a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who meet high standards based on what teachers should know and be able to do. There are 1,399 Board Certified teachers in the state of Arkansas.

NAECTE Affiliate Chapter Coming to Arkansas

The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) has recently approved an Arkansas affiliate. The newly formed Arkansas Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (AAECTE) was organized by Drs. Candice Barnes and Rene Crow, along with Dr. Sara Davis from University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. The focus and vision of this organization is to: build strength among early childhood teacher educators in the state, promote professional development and growth among the membership, provide a forum to discuss and act upon challenges facing the early childhood community, and be a strong voice for early childhood education in the state of Arkansas and beyond. If you are interested in learning more about AAECTE, please contact Dr. Candice Barnes at cbarnes@uca.edu.  AAECTE is planning to hold its first meeting Jan. 20, 2011. More information is forthcoming.

Rockefeller Foundation Commissions White Papers from Mashburn Center Faculty

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has formally established an agreement with the Mashburn Center for Learning to write three comprehensive white papers that examine what is working in Arkansas to increase graduation rates at two-year colleges, four-year universities, and high schools.

A fourth comprehensive white paper will focus on what is and is not working in Arkansas to improve STEM education, with specific focus on the impact of STEM education on graduation rates. The WR Foundation has asked the Mashburn team, Drs. Mark Cooper, Patty Kohler-Evans, and Lisa Daniels and Ms. Renee Calhoon, to investigate interventions that impact hard to retain students and marginalized populations attending two-year colleges or four-year universities, students attending high-poverty high schools, and low income, minority, and rural students participating in STEM education.

The WR Rockefeller Foundation has instituted a multi-year strategic plan that builds on WRF’s 35 year history of grant-making. The multi-year strategic plan is called Moving the Needle. The ultimate goal of the foundation is to move from the nation’s bottom five in economic and education indicators to one of the nation’s highest ranking states. Dr. Cooper, director of the Mashburn Center for Learning, finds that the WR Foundations mission and the Mashburn Center for Learning mission is completely aligned.

The Mashburn Center for Learning team is very excited to participate in this strategic alliance with WRF due to the special focus on improving education for challenged learners attending high schools, two-year-colleges, and four-year institutions.

Teaching and Learning Department Announces New Master’s Degree Program

The Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education is excited to offer a new master’s degree program developed for today’s classroom teachers, particularly teachers seeking their National Board Certification and teachers who are expanding their professional careers through teacher leadership positions.  This new degree program is titled Advanced Studies in Teacher Leadership.

Teacher leadership has emerged as a vital topic in contemporary education.  In the era of accountability, classroom teachers are fulfilling many different leadership roles in their areas of service, and this new degree program focuses on the ever-changing roles and responsibilities of teachers as leaders within their classrooms, schools, and districts. Classroom teachers now serve as instructional coaches or leaders, policymakers, department chairs, and directors of learning communities.  The unique curriculum, instruction, and assessments woven throughout this program inform and support teachers to enhance their efficacy and to equip them for the 21st century.  Plus, the entire program is aligned to the standards set forth by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  Completing the ASTL master’s program will position teachers for successful completion of their National Board certification.

The new ASTL program offers two special features.  One, teachers may choose to study one of four tracks.  The four tracks include early childhood education, middle level education, instructional facilitation, and content expertise.  With some tracks, teachers may add additional endorsements, such as middle level and instructional facilitator, to their standard teaching licenses.  Second, this new degree program is designed for today’s busy teachers.  The program provides flexibility for practicing classroom teachers by offering most of the courses one of three ways: online format, hybrid format (half face-to-face with half online), or Saturday courses.  Through the new Advanced Studies in Teacher Leadership master’s degree program, today’s classroom teachers can increase their educational professionalism and broaden their career opportunities.

College of Fine Arts and Communications

Posted on October 18, 2010

Tim Thornes, assistant professor of linguistics in the Department of Writing, spent six weeks teaching and participating as part of the Institute on Field Linguistics and Language Documentation (InField) this past summer at the University of Oregon in Eugene. http://logos.uoregon.edu/infield2010/home/index.php. He co-taught two workshops–Life in the Field and Blurring the Lines–and conducted an intensive month-long Field Training session involving members of three different Northern Paiute communities.  Northern Paiute is an endangered Native North American language with fewer than 400 speakers. He was also awarded a grant from the Sven and Astrid Liljeblad Foundation to conduct archival research at the University of Nevada at Reno.  Material at the archive includes audio recordings and handwritten notes on all known varieties of the Northern Paiute language, gathered over the past several decades.

College of Health and Behavorial Sciences News

Posted on October 18, 2010

The article, “Nursing Leadership and Management Simulation: Creating Complexity”, written by Clinta Che’ Reed, MSN, RN; Rebecca R. Lancaster, PhD, APN; and Donna Bridgman Musser, PhD, RN has been named the #1 Hottest Article (most accessed) in Clinical Simulation in Nursing for the period of July-September 2009 by ScienceDirect.  Reed and Lancaster are current faculty in the Department of Nursing  and Musser is a former faculty member in the Department of Nursing.  Clinical Simulation in Nursing is an international, peer reviewed journal published online six times annually. Clinical Simulation in Nursing is the official journal of the International Nursing Association of Clinical and Simulated Learning (INACSL) and reflects the mission INACSL. View the Top 25 Hottest Articles list at: http://top25.sciencedirect.com/subject/nursing-and-health-professions/19/journal/clinical-simulation-in-nursing/18761399/archive/23/

UCA Occupational Therapy Department presents ACTS program

Acting Creates Therapeutic Success (ACTS) will perform “These are the ACTS of Our Lives” Nov. 17 at 7p.m. at Reynolds Performance Hall. Admission is free.

Acting Creates Therapeutic Success (ACTS) is a community-based program created by occupational therapists from the Department of Occupational Therapy at UCA designed to provide an opportunity for adults with developmental disabilities to participate in the performing arts with facilitation from occupational therapy students.

Every November, a captivating play is performed in Reynolds Performance Hall by Occupational Therapy students and performers.

The comedic play, “These are the ACTS of Our Lives” is based on day-time soap operas such as General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives, etc. Using concepts and basic scenes from common soaps,

Occupational Therapy students and adults have created an entertaining, clever, and hilarious performance for all to enjoy.

Dr. Chad Lairamore, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, has been appointed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy to the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) Task Force.  This task force will be working on new content outlines for the NPTE.  The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy develops and administers the NPTE for both physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in 53 jurisdictions – the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These high-stakes exams assess the basic entry-level competence for first time licensure or registration as a PT or PTA within the 53 jurisdictions.

College of Liberal Arts News

Posted on October 18, 2010

Two movies directed and produced by UCA faculty and graduates were selected to be shown at the American University 7th Annual Public Anthropology Conference Film Festival held Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 in Washington D.C.

The Natural State of America was written and produced by Dr. Brian C. Campbell, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology. UCA graduates Terrell Case, Corey Matthew Gattin, and Timothy Lucas Wistrand, directed and edited the film.

Residents of the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas, the “Natural State,” have historically been at odds with public agencies for spraying herbicides in National Forests, and they are presently engaged in a battle with their rural electric cooperative over the same practices.  This documentary employs applied anthropology, archival research, and diverse media to present the issue through the experiences and struggles of local people to protect their lands, waters, and families from biocides.

The documentary Seed Swap, directed and edited byZachariah McCannon and produced by  Dr. Brian C. Campbell looks at the development of a seed exchange and agricultural biodiversity conservation project in the Ozark Mountains as an ethnographic lens to explore the seed saving subculture of the region.  The film showcases the utility of applied anthropology to get the public involved in more localized food systems, presents a wide range of open-pollinated, heirloom seeds of the Ozarks, and teaches the steps necessary to establish a community seed bank and host seed swaps. 

Did You Know?

Posted on October 18, 2010
  • The first commencement ceremony recognized 10 graduates.
  • UCA Honors College was the first honors college in Arkansas.
  • McCastlain Hall was originally called the Commons where it served as the campus dining hall.

SPARC Presents Proposed Mission,Vision,Goals

Posted on September 22, 2010

The Strategic Planning and Resources Council and its task forces presented drafts of mission statements and goals for community input as part of the development of a  strategic plan that establishes goals and initiatives for the university.

Campus-wide workshops on the university’s strategic plan were held Sept. 23 and Sept. 24.  Dr. Dave McFarland, the university’s strategic planning consultant, led the workshops.

Faculty and staff  worked in small groups to craft the official versions of the university’s statements of mission and institutional distinctiveness. The group also provided their thoughts on a vision statement and four to five large goals over the next three to five years.  Some suggestions  included continuous technological improvement, increasing academic and professional excellence, focusing on student engagment, and increasing diversity.

Revised drafts of the mission, vision and goals will be posted at the “Strategic Plan 2010” link on UCA’s homepage.

“With this work completed, the next step will be for all of us to formulate specific initiatives that we see as necessary to the accomplishment of these large goals.  We’ll devote the month of October and probably the early part of November to coming up with these initiatives,” said Mike Schaefer, chair of the Stragetic Planning and Resources Council. “During that time the Strategic Planning and Resources Council will hold forums with each college and with all other university entities to discuss what particular initiatives colleges, departments, offices, and individuals regard as necessary, whether those are things they wish to accomplish themselves or are things they need a larger entity to accomplish.”

 The full schedule of these meetings will be posted at the strategic plan link at a later date.

Dave McFarland will return for another campus-wide forum on Nov. 22 to facilitate a meeting  on prioritizing initiatives based on  feedback from students, faculty and staff.  The Strategic Planning and Resources Council will then develop a formal strategic plan that will go to the President and the Board of Trustees for approval.

UCA Among “Most Desirable Large Schools” in Kaplan/Newsweek Guide

Posted on September 22, 2010

The University of Central Arkansas ranks 23rd among the top 25 “Most Desirable Large Schools” in the Fall 2010 Kaplan/Newsweek “Finding the Right College for You” guide.

“Most Desirable Large Schools” category includes schools such as Harvard University, Cornell University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia and the University of Southern California.

The university also ranks 24th in the category of “Most Desirable Rural Schools.” This list includes such well known universities as Dartmouth College and Clemson University.

UCA and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville are the only Arkansas schools listed in the guide.

“We are delighted that the nation will know what informed Arkansans have known for a long time,” said UCA President Allen Meadors. “The University of Central Arkansas has much to offer its students in a wonderful setting. To be the only Arkansas school listed in these two categories is a real compliment to our faculty, staff, and community.”

Fall 2010 Kaplan/Newsweek “Finding the Right College for You” guide was released on Sept. 13. This is the first year the publication has ranked colleges and universities.

The publication’s 12 ranking categories were tailored to address concerns of prospective students and their parents, according to a press release. The categories cover areas including academics, social life, school size and location, and diversity.

Colleges and universities in the rankings had to meet three criteria:

  • The school must be listed in one of the three leading college guides – Fiske’s Guide to Colleges, the Princeton Review’s Best 371 Colleges, and the U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges.
  • The school must have high academic standards –  schools in which the 75th percentile SAT score for the incoming freshman class is 1,150 or higher or 75th percentile ACT score of 25 or higher.
  • Offer a range of different degrees.

The “Most Desirable” category was based on academic credentials of admitted applicants and quality of academic and non-academic experience at the school, the release states. Other factors in the rankings included the school’s retention rate, student-to-faculty ratio, school’s endowment and a student opinion survey conducted by College Prowler that rated the student’s views of dining, housing, and the school’s facilities.

UCA was recently listed in the 2011 Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The university ranks 17th out of 69 public universities in the category of “Top Public Schools” among regional universities in the South. Overall, UCA ranks 47th out of 121 private and public institutions in the South.

UCA Dedicates STEM Residential College

Posted on September 22, 2010

University of Central Arkansas officials held a dedication Sept. 15 for the new residential college designed to prepare students for careers in technology and science.

The STEM Residential College also fits into Gov.  Mike Beebe’s call to help improve science, math and technology education in the state by building a community of young scholars.

The residential college provides students a learning and living environment in the areas of math, science, computer science, technology and secondary math/science education.  The residential college, located in Arkansas Hall, opened its doors in August. Currently, more than 200 freshmen are enrolled in the program. 

The concept of a residential college is something relatively new to Arkansas, but others are beginning to follow in UCA’s footsteps, said Gov. Mike Beebe, who served as the keynote speaker. 

“It is a concept that more and more schools are adopting and obviously the success of this wonderful building will be a predicate to whether or not other people will decide to emulate,” Beebe said.

Tomorrow’s economy is changing to the point where there is a greater demand for people with these disciplines, Beebe said. However, the state is lagging behind when it comes to the number of bachelor degrees per capita.  Less than 19 percent of adults over 25 have baccalaureate degrees.

“We do a pretty good job at sending kids to college, but we don’t do a very good job at getting them a degree,” he said. “This is going to change that. This kind of setting is going to change that. This kind of attitude is going to change that.  … This is not an overnight process, but it is a goal worth pursuing and one that we must achieve.”

The STEM Residential College is consistent with the governor’s initiatives to build a base of educated workers for a science and technology economy, said Dr. Steve Runge, Dean of College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.  

“Our objective here is to help elevate the level of STEM education in Arkansas and make it more engaging such that more students will see a career in a STEM field as a possibility and something that they could really do,”  he said.

Officials hope to increase the university’s retention and graduation rates for students majoring in the STEM disciplines.  Other residential colleges at UCA have consistently increased freshman to sophomore year retention by 12% and graduation rates by 10% relative to students who are not participating in a residential college.

“We plan to leverage the establishment of the STEM Residential College into a powerful recruiting tool to bring undergraduate students interested in the sciences, technology and mathematics fields into our outstanding programs at UCA,” Runge said.

University officials are incorporating a significant service learning component into the STEM Residential College program.  Students will be involved in community-based projects that will help them learn about and appreciate the applications of science and mathematics to solving real-world problems, Runge said. Also, the college will be partnering with area K-12 schools in teaching STEM lessons with their teachers.

 “We hope that this exciting environment that values and celebrates science and math learning will encourage more of our high achieving students to pursue careers in K-12 STEM education,” Runge said. “This will in-turn renew the cycle of increasing the quality of STEM education in our schools, with more students wanting more.”

Staff Senate Seeks Nominations for Employee of the Quarter

Posted on September 22, 2010

The UCA Staff Senate is seeking nominations to honor a staff member who has made significant contributions to the university during this quarter.

The deadline to nominate “Employee of the Quarter” is Sept. 30. Any classified or non-classified full-time UCA employee with one year of continuous service as of July 1, 2010 is eligible to be nominated by faculty, staff, students, or alumni.

 “The Staff Senate knows the importance of recognizing our staff for their great dedication and service to this university. We took it upon ourselves to increase that recognition by creating the Employee of the Quarter process,” said Larry Burns, Staff Senate president. “Through our fundraising efforts and support from the administration, the Employee of the Quarter Committee has been able to come up with a quarterly process and recognition package that fits the level of recognition.”

Each Employee of the Quarter recipient will receive a certificate, $150 in BearBucks, and a UCA gift.  Recipients will be recognized at the annual Awards Reception in April and be invited to attend the Employee of the Year luncheon.

The Staff Senate will recognize four recipients during the fiscal year.   The timeline for the nominations are: first quarter- July- September;  second quarter- October- December; third quarter- January- March; and fourth quarter- April- June.

“We hope that staff, faculty, students, and alumni will recognize the contributions of our staff by nominating someone that has done a great job in the quarter,” Burns said.

Nomination forms will be electronically submitted to the chair of the Employee of the Quarter committee. For more information on Employee of the Quarter, visit the Staff Senate website at http://www.uca.edu/staffsenate/eoq.php.

Upcoming Events

Posted on September 22, 2010

Dirty Dozen Brass Band Headlining Arts Fest 2010

The jazz ensemble Dirty Dozen Brass Band will give a public performance at 1:40 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Student Center Quad. On Oct.1 at 7 p.m.,  the band will be joined by the UCA Marching Band at Simon Park The performance is apart of Conway’s ArtsFest. Dirty Dozen Brass Band is also the Artist in Residence. ArtsFest in Conway is a free, educational art event that will run Sept. 28-Oct. 3. This is the fourth year for the festival, which was designed to promote community awareness of the art that is being created in both a private capacity and in art programs throughout Conway.  For more details and information about Conway’s Arts Fest, visit http://www.artsinconway.org//ArtsinConway/Schedule.html.

Minority Student Services Hosts to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Join Minority Student Services for lunch as UCA celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month on Oct. 5. The luncheon begins at noon in the Student Center Room 213.  Special guest will be Alvin “Papa Rap” Lopez. Papa Rap uses music to help people find common ground to work together as human beings. His purpose in life is to enlighten and help others develop a deeper understanding of Latinos and other cultures. He is currently employed at Springdale School District as the School/Community Liaison. Papa Rap and the M.C. Band featuring DJ Torres will also be our featured guests during our campus wide celebration at X-period in the SC Ballroom after the luncheon. Please RSVP to angelaj@uca.edu   by noon on Fri., Oct. 1. Seating is limited.

UCA Wind Ensemble to Perform Oct. 7 at Reynolds Performance Hall

The UCA Wind Ensemble will present an evening of music on Oct. 7, 7:30pm, in the Donald Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA campus.  The concert is free and open to the public.  The concert will feature music from a variety of musical styles which span several centuries.

Das Rheingold to Open Met Series at UCA

A new production of Wagner’s Das Rheingold will open the 2010-11 season of Captured Live from the Met @ UCA at 2 p.m., Oct. 10  in Reynolds Performance Hall. Approximately 200 seats are available for each performance at UCA. Tickets are $15 for the public and $5 for students with valid I.D. To order, call UCA Ticket Central at (501) 450-3265 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit www.uca.edu/tickets.  For more information, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at 450-3293, e-mail jdlooney@uca.edu or visit www.uca.edu/cfac or www.metopera.org.

Cirque Shanghai to Bring Chinese Acrobats to UCA

Don’t miss Cirque Shanghai: Bai Xi on Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Reynolds Performance Hall. The show will be a full-scale theatrical production featuring a 30-member cast. Tickets are $30-$40 for adults, $27-$37 for senior citizens, $25-$35 for UCA alumni, $23-$33 for UCA faculty and staff, and free for UCA students with a current student I.D. For tickets, call 450-3265.  For more information, contact Jerry Biebesheimer at 450-3682 or jerryb@uca.edu.

 Trick or Trot Scheduled for Oct. 14 at HPER Center

Trick or Trot will be held Thursday, Oct. 14 at the HPER Center. The 1.8-mile fun walk/run is open to all friends and family of the UCA community.  The entry fee is $5 before Oct. 7 and $10 the day of the race.  Check-in time and t-shirt pick up is at 7 p.m. in the HPER gymnasium. Make checks payable to HPER Fitness Center. Checks or cash can be dropped off at HPER Front Office – ROOM 103 Mon. – Thur. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Fri. – 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Registration forms are available in the HPER Lobby or Fitness Center. More information can be found at www.uca.edu/hper under fitness tab.

 Alumni Homecoming Exhibition Set for UCA’s McCastlain Hall

Exuberant Color: Paintings and Ceramic by Allie Maxwell Nottingham will be featured at the annual Alumni Homecoming Exhibition. Nottingham’s work will be on view in the Fireplace Room of McCastlain Hall Oct. 7-30. She will be on campus for an artist’s reception from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 28 in the Fireplace Room.  All gallery exhibits and events are free and open to the public, and are made possible by the UCA Arts Fee. Gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Thursday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.  For more information, contact Barbara Satterfield, director of the Baum Gallery, at 450-5793 or barbaras@uca.edu.

Writer David Gessner to be in Residence Oct. 12

Environmental author and “extreme birdwatcher” David Gessner will be on campus as artist in residence to give a reading on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in room 107 of the College of Business building.  He will read from his books Sick of Nature and Return of the Osprey. Gessner’s reading will be followed by a Q&A session and a book signing. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at 450-3293 or e-mail jdlooney@uca.edu.

Budget Advisory Committee Meeting Dates

The meeting dates for the Budget Advisory Committee have been set for the year. All meetings are open to the public. Upcoming committee meetings are: Oct. 14, Wingo 315; Nov. 11, Wingo 315; Dec. 9, Wingo 315; Jan. 13, Wingo 315; Feb. 10, Wingo 315; March 10, Wingo 315; and April 21, Wingo 315. The membership of the Budget Advisory Committee is still under construction and will be finalized through college and at-large elections as well as staff and administrative appointments. Please see http://www.uca.edu/facultysenate/committees/budgetadvisory.php for details on our charge and our membership. Contact Lynn Burley, chair, at 450-3633 or lburley@uca.edu for more information.

Fundraiser for the Mary Landreth Scholarship Fund Slated  Oct. 21

Watch a movie under the stars and help raise funds for a good cause on Oct. 21 at the Silver Moon Cinema. Your $1 donation will help raise money for the Mary Landreth Scholarship Fund. Mary was killed in an automobile accident coming back from a History Day Event on March 10, 2000. The movie will begin at dusk in downtown Conway in front of Ye Old Daisy Shop. Pop corn, drinks, candy bars and snack items will be available for purchase. 

Baum Gallery of Fine Art Fall Exhibition Opens

The Baum Gallery of Fine fall exhibition will be on view through Oct. 28.  All gallery exhibits and events are free and open to the public and are made possible by the UCA Arts Fee. Gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.  The first featured exhibit of the fall season is the Baum MFA Biennial Competitive Exhibition: Paintings by Balingit-Lefils and McFarlane. The second and third exhibits featured this season are by Julie Blackmon, artist in residence, and Sandra Luckett, visiting professor. Blackmon will give a public lecture Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Art Lecture Hall of McCastlain Hall.

Annual Exquisite Corpse Annual Halloween Bandfest Fundraiser Oct. 29

UCA’s annual Exquisite Corpse Annual Halloween Bandfest Fundraiser will be at Bear’s Den Pizza on 235 Farris Road at 8 p.m., Oct. 29. This event is intended to raise general operating funds for the Department of Writing’s award-winning literary journal, whose editor in chief is the iconic author Andrei Codrescu. Bands to be announced. Copies of the journal will be on sale. Costumes encouraged. Admission is $5. The event  is open to the public. For more information, contact Managing Editor Mark Spitzer at mspitzer@uca.edu or 450-3339.

UCA Humane Society Seeks Volunteers

The UCA Humane Society would like to invite all faculty, especially new faculty, to join the organization.  Originally formed to control the campus cat population, the UCA Humane Society is a Registered Student Organization.  For more information about the organization, contact Lisa Mongno, faculty advisor, at LMongno@uca.edu.
Educational Seminars and Professional Development Schedule

Sexual Harassment
Oct. 12, 9 – 10 a.m. Student Center #213

Oct. 13, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Student Center #223/224
Diversity

This year’s topic of discussion – Sexual Orientation

Sept. 28, 9 a.m.– 10:30 a.m. Student Center #215

Oct. 1, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Student Center #215

Oct. 14, 1:30 – 3 p.m. Student Center #215

New Staff Orientation (For non-faculty hired as of May, 2010)

Oct. 6, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Student Center #213/214

Professional Development

Oct. 4, 2 – 3 p.m. SC #213 UCA Library – Available Resources to Save You Time, Money and Hassle in Everyday Life! Amber Wilson (Library) This presentation will offer a variety of hints, tips, and tricks to help you utilize Torreyson Library’s resources in your daily life. Learn how to get practical use out of the information resources that are readily available to you.