The Bear Ledger

Volunteers are still needed to serve as ushers and assistants for UCA’s Spring Commencement ceremonies slated for Saturday, May 8 at the Farris Center.

This is a UCA community service that has been performed for many years by staff members and sponsored by the Staff Senate. The duties include passing out programs, assisting graduates and faculty, and welcoming visitors.

One volunteer is needed for the 1:30 p.m. ceremony. Ushers need to be there at the Farris Center at noon. Four volunteers are needed for the 5 p.m. ceremony. Ushers should report at 3:30 p.m. To volunteer, contact Faith Hopkins at faithh@uca.edu or 450-5027.

UCA President Allen Meadors hosted U.S. Senator Mark Pryor for breakfast on the UCA campus on March 30. President Meadors was joined by UCA Legal Counsel Tom Courtway and UCA Vice-President for University & Government Relations Jeff Pitchford in the Christian Cafeteria.

President Meadors discussed several issues facing UCA and higher education in the state. He also reviewed with Sen. Pryor several projects the university is seeking federal funding. One particular project discussed was the STEM Residential College project slated to open in the fall of 2010 in Arkansas Hall. President Meadors and Sen. Pryor also talked about the impact of improving graduation rates in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Georgina He has been recognized by the International Journal of Family Business with the Best Graduate Student Paper of the Year 2009. The paper is titled “Logistical Flowchart and Feasibility Study for Doing Business in China’s Apparel and Accessories Market”.

Her co-author, professor and advisor on the project was Dr. Don B. Bradley III, professor of Marketing and executive director of the Small Business Advancement National Center at the University of Central Arkansas. Georgina earned her MBA from UCA in December of 2009. She is currently employed at Acxiom in Conway, and is the niece of Dr. Ling He, professor of Finance at the University of Central Arkansas.

This research was designed to develop a logistical flowchart and feasibility study for an American apparel and accessories company. China is now regarded as the fourth-largest economy in the world, with an average annual growth rate of 9.8 percent –triple the world average. In contrast to other developed countries that are greatly affected by the financial crisis, China appears to have a favorable turn in its foreign trade starting from March.

These achievements are primarily due to China’s decision to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). This has led to rapid and sustained increases of U.S. exports to China, making China the second biggest foreign market for U.S. goods. Under the US-China WTO Agreement in 2004, China has not only phased out trading and distribution rights to US firms, but also eliminated all import quotas. This is significant since the agreement has made it possible for small and medium-sized US companies to import and distribute products without going through a state-trading enterprise or middleman; also business licenses for foreign investment are now easily obtainable.

The University of Central Arkansas unveiled the Carol Adcock International House at 360 Farris Road during a reception recently.

After being called to the front of the room to help UCA President Allen Meadors unveil the new nameplate for the building, a surprised Adcock said she didn’t know what to say upon learning the building was being named in her honor.

“I could not believe it,” she said. “I had no idea they were naming the house for me. My family and the staff at UCA did a great job of keeping it a secret. I am so honored to have the UCA International House named in my honor. I have always loved language and traveling abroad. In my years of traveling, I have come to understand how difficult it can be adjusting to a new culture, so I’m glad my family can help the international student population at UCA adjust to their new surroundings.”

Adcock and her husband, Bunny have been longtime supporters of the international programs at UCA. She was the youngest person to teach at UCA, then State College of Arkansas, in fall of 1971, when at 23, President Silas Snow hired her to teach French and Spanish.

In 2005, Adcock became a founding member of the International Advisory Board. She and Bunny have also established the Robert & Carol Adcock Scholarship for international students as well as the International Affairs Emergency Fund which helps international students who need funds in emergency situations such as to travel home for a funeral or family emergency. In addition, the couple donated private funds to help renovate the new international house.

“We sincerely appreciate Carol and Bunny for their demonstrated generosity and commitment to the nearly 600 international students at UCA,” President Meadors said.

Last October, the Division of International Affairs moved from the third floor of Torreyson Library to a university-owned house on Farris Rd. The house was remodeled to accommodate seven offices and an expanded reception area.

Jim Brosam, associate vice president for international affairs, said the division needed more space as staff has been added to provide services for UCA’s growing international student population.

“Its location does provide for greater access for our international students,” Brosam said. “In addition, the size of the property will allow for outdoor events to be held for international students.

“The Adcock family have long been supporters of international education at UCA,” he continued. “This is just one more example of the Adcocks hearing about a need of international students and stepping forward to pledge support. I cannot think of anyone more appropriate for the International House to be named after.”

A pilot program at the Reading Success Center at the University of Central Arkansas is helping non-English speakers and their parents improve their literacy skills.

“Sed De Saber,” (Thirst for Learning), provides struggling readers with literacy instruction once a week at the Reading Success Center. While the children receive reading/literacy lessons from graduate students, their parents are given lessons in improving their English language skills.

“The parents want to improve their communication with public school personnel and learn strategies for assisting their children with reading and literacy learning,” said Dr. Mary Mosley, associate professor of reading/literacy at UCA and director of the Reading Success Center. The center provides reading and literacy interventions and support for area children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The pilot program is a partnership between UCA, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Faulkner County Literacy Council and the Conway School District.

Manny Sepulveda, the LULAC Director, provides the instruction for families. Mosley and the graduate students also are involved in planning, assisting and supporting these efforts to help parents feel more comfortable and capable of being involved in their children’s learning.

Mosley, a board member of the Faulkner County Literacy Council, helped the council obtain the grant for the Sed De Saber program. The program is a Leap Pad program that provides electronic equipment that allows parents to hear English and Spanish conversations and information about schooling and learning. The parents take the Leap Pads home to use with their children and practice language skills.

Four English Language Learner families attended sessions on Monday evenings this spring. Parent conferences were held recently so the UCA graduate students could inform the parents of their child’s progress this semester. The program will continue this summer.

Plans are to expand the program after this pilot year is completed.

The program has benefited graduate students as well as English Language Learners because of the increased emphasis in the diversity of children’s needs, backgrounds, and language proficiency, Mosley said.

“Increasing knowledge and strategies for working with English language learners and their families is crucial for the UCA graduate students’ future responsibilities as reading specialists,” she said. “This will help graduate candidates learn how diverse backgrounds affect language and literacy development as they plan instruction based on students’ diverse backgrounds and assessed needs.”

More than 130 women throughout the state gathered at UCA on April 23 to hear ways institutions of higher education can maintain sustainability during turbulent economic times.

The discussion was a part of the spring meeting of the Arkansas Council for Women in Higher Education. The group represented 24 institutions and the Governor’s Office.

Guest speakers shared information on creating fiscal sustainability with limited state resources; the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery; using existing networks to share resources; and how Arkansas Works affects higher education in the state.

“Hopefully, we can glean ideas from one another about how we can plan and be proactive in case times get a little more rocky,” Kristy Carter, ACWHE president told the group.

Jim Purcell, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, gave a presentation on the forecast of higher education. He began his presentation with the sobering number of job losses in the U.S. since October 2008 – more than 6 million.

Increasing the number of college graduates promotes the state’s economic development, Purcell said. To ensure success, colleges and universities must strengthen the state’s education pipeline; improve preparation; decrease remediation; increase retention and graduation rates; support economic development and enhance funding and governance.

The department of higher education has asked colleges and universities to implement initiatives that will expedite the number of degrees that are produced; increase the speed in which they are produced; and target high demand programs that are needed for Arkansas’ modern economy.

“Finally, we must make sure we have incentives for students to complete a degree and also to work in Arkansas,” he said. “… Only 26 percent of Arkansans age 25 to 30 has an associate or bachelors. Is that enough? It’s not enough. “

As technology changes, colleges and universities must be proactive. Several colleges and universities are meeting the needs of a renewable energy economy with new courses, new majors, research and industrial support, Purcell said.

“For Arkansas to succeed, I think we definitely have to make sure that our K-20 education system is the best and it needs to respond to the changes in the workforce to ensure a good foundation for all these skills,” he said.

Dr. William D. “Bill” Bandy, a professor of physical therapy, was recently awarded the Lucy Blair Service Award from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Bandy is the first Arkansan to receive the Lucy Blair Service Award since the inception of the award in 1969.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is a national professional organization representing more than 74,000 members. Each year, the association recognizes a small group of individuals nationwide for their contributions to the association.

“I have long believed that service is how I live out my passions and my love for the profession of Physical Therapy,” Bandy said. “My service to the American Physical Therapy Association has profoundly shaped my professional identity, and the person I am today.”

The goal of the association is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education.

To be eligible for the award, nominees must be physical therapists whose contributions were of exceptional value to the association.

Bandy teaches courses in orthopedics, sports, and research. He has over 40 publications including three textbooks.

Bandy was also honored earlier this year with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association during the awards ceremony at the 2010 American Physical Therapy Associations Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas. The award is to honor a sports physical therapy member whose contributions to the specialty of sports physical therapy through leadership, influence and achievements have been demonstrated for over 25 years.

Bandy is a recent past board member of the American Physical Therapy Association and currently the editor-in-chief of the North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.

Patrick Grant, a library academic technician at Torryson Library, was a co-star in the UCA film project, “Ouachita Rising”. The film will be shown at the Little Rock Film Festival along with a few other festivals. The film was directed by senior film student Brent Williamson. It also stars UCA students Christopher Nuňez and Andrew Goff and Conway resident Barbara Sanders.

Training Sessions

Information Technology offers training courses for the faculty and staff of UCA to help better utilize some of the services we provide.

GroupWise Orientation

GroupWise orientation provides employees the opportunity to become familiar with the basics of email messaging using the GroupWise application. The orientation covers the different message types, and how to read, respond, forward, and delete messages. Being able to select a name from a list of addressees is an essential part of any email program. While in
class, employees will learn how to interact with the GroupWise address book,manage contacts, and create groups of email recipients. Also, employees will learn how to manage their email accounts by checking the size of messages, moving mail to other locations, and how to customize the GroupWise environment. The current issues concerning junk mail and what to do about them will also be discussed.

iFolder

Novell iFolder is a Net service software solution that allows files to automatically follow everywhere-online, offline, all the time across multiple workstations and the internet. Simply store your files in the iFolder directory on your workstation. As you work, the iFolder client intelligently tracks and logs updates to your files. It can automatically and transparently synchronize those changes through internet of network connections with your files on the iFolder server and the various workstations that you use.For a complete list of training sessions offered, visit our website at: http://www.uca.edu/helpdesk/trainingsessions/

Passwords

A reminder that we cannot give out faculty/staff or student passwords or PIN Numbers over the phone. In order for someone to receive their password or PIN, they must come to the Information Technology Helpdesk with a picture ID.

Send your IT questions or comments to Helpdesk@uca.edu.

Amy Whitehead, coordinator for the Community Development Institute, was interviewed April 9 for the Channel 6 show “UCA Today”. Amy discussed the 2010 Community Development Institute, and CDI’s recent national award.

Kelly Lyon, director of the Community Development Institute, served as a panelist for the Federal Reserve St. Louis, Little Rock Branch’s Exploring Innovation Week 2010: “Restructuring and Retooling for the Future”, held April 20 in Little Rock. The discussion featured national and local experts on community development who discussed the future of community development. Lyons also spoke at Pulaski Technical College’s leadership program for faculty and staff on April 15. The leadership program meets for monthly sessions on various topics, with “Career Development in Higher Education” as the theme for April’s meeting.